Reviewed: July 5, 2002
Reviewed by: Mat Houghton
Manufacturer
Altec Lansing
Type: Speakers
System: Home Video
Rating: 8.0
Features
MSRP: $99.95
Finally, someone got the bright idea that every gamer is not necessarily a home theater or stereo fanatic (though really who am I kidding), and brought out a little subwoofer and speaker set for your console games.
This 3-piece system by Altec Lancing is 2.1 analog that delivers a total of 40 watts of power. The XA3021, or as I like to call it “The Bomb” (look at the subwoofer man!) Is more than enough to send your wimpy little TV speakers out for spare parts.
The XA3021 sounds great, and while they’re not quite surround speakers, they’re also not as expensive. These are designed to replace those 3" speakers in your TV and they do just that. The XA3001 subwoofer adds plenty of punch to enhance games, movies, and music.
Now, before you get all worked up and run out to by a set of these speakers there are a few things you should know. First of all the XA3021’s are designed for use with a console system, so you need to be able to use RCA cables, like the one that comes with the PS2. If you’re using an RF adapter then you’re out of luck.
The system comes with a 3-meter stereo audio RCA cable, so if your TV has audio out jacks you can plug that into the subwoofer and go to town. Otherwise with a console system you just run the audio cables from the RCA out on your system into the subwoofer and then use the video extension cable that comes with the XA3021’s and run that into your TV.
Another nice thing about these speakers is that you can hook a portable CD or MP3 player into them, so if you don’t have that bitchin stereo system, or just don’t have the room for one, this can compensate quite nicely.
One of the nicest features for this system is that there’s a quick connect card that takes you visually, step by step through the entire hook-up. It’s one of the easiest installs that I’ve ever had to do too, and took me a maybe 30 minutes, but that’s including unpacking everything from the box and getting all the packaging off.
While words can't really describe how these speakers sound, let me try. They’re not surround or Dolby, but they’re a good little set of speakers for the price. Nothing sounded tinny and there was not a trace of static even at high volumes, and unless you’ve got a huge room or just a need to make your ears bleed you won’t need anything too much past the halfway mark. They’re compatible with both your games and any DVD or CD playing you do with your system. I reviewed these speakers using my PS2 and had no problems whatsoever.
The volume control is on a corded remote, which is a little bit of a hassle, only because I’ve already got cords all over the floor by my TV - like I need one more. They did include two headphone jacks in the base of the controller through, so if your neighbors start pounding on the walls (or the ceiling) you can plug those in and still sit in comfort, although you just defeated the purpose for these speakers. The controller also has a three mode bass equalizer, so you can get some variation on output, but if you’re a true audiophile you may be disappointed.
The XA3021 look as good as they sound with the subwoofer doing a good impression of the Little Boy, and the satellite speakers are dead ringers for old studio microphone heads. Overall, I can say I’m quite pleased with the performance of these speakers, especially for their size and price range. They’re not much different than a typical subwoofer and speaker set for a PC, and they will make a great addition to your gaming rig.