Altec Lansing Expressionist Plus FX3021
Altec Lansing
MSRP: $99.95
Typical Price: $79.99
Overview
CNET Editors' Rating: 3.5 / 5
The good: Decent sound for the money; bass is fairly tight; speakers are good-looking and relatively compact; satellites angle can be adjusted.
The bad: Audio inputs are on the subwoofer, making quick hook-ups to portable devices potentially inconvenient.
The bottom line: Altec Lansing's Expressionist Plus FX3021 is a good compromise for someone looking for a compact, affordable 2.1 PC speaker set that delivers decent sound.
Design, Features & Performance (out of 10)
Design: 8.0
Features: 7.0
Performance: 7.0
Review
Not everyone likes the idea of having PC speakers with a separate subwoofer. But the reality is that unless you step up to something like Audioengine's fairly large and pricey Audioengine 5 bookshelf speakers, you tend to need a 2.1 system to deliver a richer, more bass-laden audio experience.
Altec Lansing's Expressionist Plus FX3021 2.1 system isn't nearly as beefy as the company's current top-of-the-line PC speaker system, the Expressionist Ultra, but it manages to deliver decent sound at an affordable price--less than $100. It also looks good, though the speakers' glossy black finish is a fingerprint magnet.
The system comes with a small, cone-shaped subwoofer with a downward firing 5.25-inch driver and two small satellite speakers with 2-inch drivers that are mounted on thick wire stands that let you tilt the speakers up at an angle, instead of them pointing straight ahead. The speaker cables are hard-wired into the satellites and--as is the case with virtually all 2.1 PC speaker speakers--connect to ports in the subwoofer, which is small enough to set on top of a desk but will most likely end up placed on the ground.
The only inputs for the speaker system are two 3.5mm jacks located on the rear of the subwoofer. That means you can connect up to two PCs to the system at once, or a PC and a portable audio device. Unfortunately, if you have the sub on the floor, it makes connecting an iPod or a music phone inconvenient. We prefer to have at least one input integrated into the left or right speaker, or the sort of standalone wired remote found on some systems, including Altec's Expressionist Ultra.
The bass output of the subwoofer is controlled by a knob located at the top of its cone-shaped body; the power button is mounted in the middle of the knob. A separate volume control for the speakers is integrated into the top of the left satellite speaker.
As expected, the Expressionist Plus wasn't in the same league as the Ultra for sound quality, but the little sub managed to deliver a reasonable amount of bass without sounding boomy. Overall, the speakers were well balanced and offered good detail for a system that costs less than $100.
However, stepping up to the Expressionist Ultra will just give you richer sound. We advise gamers who really want to feel the explosions in shooters to spend the extra money and get the bigger subwoofer.
For kicks, we compared the Plus with the high-end Audioengine 5 bookshelf speakers that cost about $325. It's not a fair comparison, but you can see--or rather hear--a stark difference. With higher-end PC speakers, you just get a fuller, smoother sound that has that much more detail. When you listen to really good speakers, you start hearing sounds in music that you weren't aware were there. The Expressionist Plus FX3021 doesn't get into that realm, but it certainly sounds good for the money.
Basic Specs
| Product Description | Altec Lansing Expressionist Plus - PC multimedia speaker system |
| Product Type | PC multimedia speaker system |
| System Components | 2 speakers, Subwoofer |
| Speaker Type | Active |
| Nominal Output Power (Total) | 33 Watt |
| Response Bandwidth | 50 - 20000 Hz |
| Audio Amplifier | Integrated |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Speaker System Details | 2 x Right/left channel speaker - 4 Watt - 180 - 20000 Hz - 8 Ohm, 1 x Subwoofer - 28 Watt - 50 - 180 Hz - 4 Ohm |
User Reviews
Average User Rating: 3.5 / 5
User Rating Breakdown
5 Star: 1
4 Star: 0
3 Star: 2
2 Star: 0
1 Star: 0
Nice down firing Sub woofer
Rating: 4.5 / 5
on November 6, 2011
0 out of 0 users found this review helpful
Pros: Stylish and Deceivingly powerful for its small size.
Cons: Volume buttons instead of Volume Dials
Summary: I have tested 4 almost 1 month now. All the speakers at this price range. I have tested Equivalent versions from Sound Blaster and Logitech. Sonic Gear. and the sound is pretty much the same. But the speakers on the shops have a glass dividers where they place the units. And the sound source is a simple USB Mp3 player.
so the sounds of the different speakers are deceivingly similar.
I based my decision to the style, downward firing speakers and the price.. And you know what when I got home and set it up... it is a far superior speakers than my old one. (Edifier but it is cheap).
and the down firing speakers radiates the bass so effectively.. I can feel the whole room rumbling. the sound extends outside my room and into the kitchen, sometimes I need to run back to my room coz it is too loud.
Great speakers, average sub, and extremely bad design.
Rating: 3 / 5
on September 12, 2010
0 out of 0 users found this review helpful
Pros: The speakers sound amazing with high level of detail and the sub is about average.
Cons: Very poor design with the satellite speakers, they look ugly. The wiring is such a mess and not very convenient. The entire system tends to create a buzzing sound from time to time as a result of poor grounding most likely from the input wire.
Summary: Good sound but you're sacrificing on convenience, looks and space. If you can find another product with high detailed sound, it would most likely be a better choice.
SOLID AVERAGE *need decent soundcard
Rating: 2.5 / 5
on June 2, 2010
0 out of 0 users found this review helpful
Pros: clear sound coming out from 2 satelites
can go really loud without distortion..
Cons: bass/subwoover fails to woo everyone
boomy bass, I cant stand it, it is really boomy,
feels like you being punch *literally
Summary: for 50buck or so..
is gonna be an ok speaker..
but for $90 or so, NOT SO MUCH....
better going higher than this...
solid average, need decent soundcard to hear the real quality of it,
not everyone have non-onboard soundcard, which onboard are sucks so bad
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