Altec Lansing BXR1221 2.1 Speaker System (Black)
From Altec Lansing Technologies
The three-piece BXR1221 system features great bass and styling that's at home anywhere. It lets you enhance your listening enjoyment and get the full spectrum of sound.
- Color: Black
- Brand: Altec Lansing
- Model: BXR1221
- Dimensions: 6.90" h x 9.80" w x 11.80" l, 4.50 pounds
Take full advantage of your computer's music, multi-media, and gaming with the Altec Lansing BXR1221 Three-Piece Stereo Speaker System. Ideal for computers or MP3 players, the compact speakers and four-inch subwoofer combine to produce clear highs and a powerful bass while helping to keep your desk or workspace free from clutter. Thanks to Altec Lansing's Audio Alignment technology, the system's drivers, enclosure, and electronics are perfectly balanced, giving you the full, high-quality stereo sound your digital life demands.
 The four-inch subwoofer packs a big punch in a small size. View larger. |
 Volume control is conveniently located on the top of the speaker. View larger. |
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The BXR1221 relies on Altec Lansing's proprietary Audio Alignment technology to make sure all of the speakers' components work together to deliver your music the way it is meant to be heard. Audio Alignment technology offers the perfect balance of the three elements of the speaker system -- the drivers, enclosure, and electronics -- to ensure a natural, uncolored, and rich sound from your speaker system.
The two-inch, full-range drivers and separate satellite speakers provide stereo imaging for more realistic sound when you're gaming or watching movies and videos. Thanks to its small footprint and compact size, the four-inch down-firing subwoofer can easily be tucked out of the way while still giving you deep, full tones.
Designed to Fit Any Computer System
The speakers' elegant black enclosures and cloth grills are designed to complement your computer and peripherals. The speakers' small size -- each speaker measures only 3.7 inches in height and the subwoofer measures a mere 7.3 inches in height -- saves you valuable room on your desk and makes it easy to carry the speakers along with your laptop.
The BXR1221 components are also shielded, so you can place them close to your monitor or phone without interference. Conveniently placed power and volume buttons put sound control within easy reach.
About Audio Alignment
Whether it’s the tiniest of ear buds or the most imposing of subwoofers, Altec Lansing has refined every detail of its speakers to provide you with the most accurate sound reproduction and quality. Audio Alignment ensures that your components work together to deliver your music the way it is meant to be heard, offering the perfect balance of your speaker system's drivers, enclosure, and electronics. For 70 years Altec Lansing has been refining this process, bringing your speakers to life with advanced technologies that make them sing.
The BXR1221 speaker system is covered by a one-year limited warranty.
What's in the Box
Altec Lansing BXR1221 speaker system (two satellite speakers and one subwoofer), power adapter, user's guide, and quick connect guide.
Good sound and low price, with some things to consider
My laptop has XP Media Edition software, but really bad speakers. If I want to listen to anything, I need external speakers or headphones. For the price, this Altec Lansing Three-Piece Speaker System does a good job. The bottom line is good, well balanced sound for a low price.
Now the caveats:
On speakers that require an external power source, I would have expected to be able to crank up the volume a bit more. When listening to modern CDs or MP3s on my PC I can turn up the sound high enough to fill a large room without distortion, but when watching an old movie (say 1930s vintage) I can turn up the volume all the way and the dialog is barely audible. Other speakers I've used don't seem to have that issue, but they were more expensive.
This system may be compact for a shelf or desk, but it's not tiny and don't expect it to be portable. The set up is lightweight but rather bulky. The subwoofer is roughly the size of an elongated Kleenex Boutique tissue box; the satellites are approximately the size of Campbell's soup cans.
There are lots of wires, too. The right satellite, the one with the on/off and volume control knobs, has four separate wires: 1) hardwire to the other satellite, 2) hardwire to the jack that goes to the audio source (computer or MP3 player), 3) a jack to connect to the hardwire coming from the subwoofer, and 4) a jack for the wire to the AC adapter. That's a lot of wire coming out of the back of one soup can size speaker!
The wall plug is on the AC adapter. Something to consider if you are already using outlets for the PC, monitor, printer, and whatever other peripherals you need - a power strip may have multiple outlets, but this can easily use one and cover up another.
If none of these observations is a deal breaker for you, then the low price and good sound are a good value.
Lots of punch for the price and size
After spending big $ on Bose speakers for my computer only to have the unit die in 2 years and Bose charging so much for out of warranty repair, I'd be better off buying new ones - I vowed to never spend that kind of money again. Good thing - because I no longer have that kind of dispensable income! Enter these Altec Lansing speakers.
I like having the manual control right on the speaker if I need to suddenly turn down to hear if a phone is ringing or what the dog is barking about.
I hear no rattle when the volume is up - something you typically experience in cheap speakers. The cheap ones typically are a "you get what you pay for" experience... adequate for a small cube at work, but not much else. Not so with these little power-houses. Am I comparing these to Bose? No. These do not attempt to be in the same class as luxury end speakers. I've used a number of low-cost speakers before, however, and these are among the best I've used. I find these perform better than my JBL Duets, which tend to rattle if the volume is cranked up. The subwoofer lets you feel what you can't hear... the base that is too much for most satellite speakers is faithfully transmitted where you can feel it as much as you hear it.
For low-cost computer speakers (or even for an iPod!), the landscape is FULL of competitors - but the cheap ones are typically just that - cheap. Altec Lansing did a good job in making a set-up that's attractive, uses a small desktop footprint and has good sound that's affordable.
Not Bad for a Budget Speaker System
I picked these up as a temporary solution to get some sound for my PC. My decision to purchase these was primarily because of my prior experience with an Altec Lansing ASC 495 system. Not yet available at Amazon, the BX1221 speakers were purchased at Walmart for $24.95.
When I first installed these I was horrified by the muffled, muted sound that came out of them. After fiddling with the equalizer software that came with my sound card I finally hit on a setting which provided much more crispness and ok bass. Then I went to work on the equalizer and WOW settings in Windows Media player. Once all the twiddling was finsihed I was really surprised by the good sound from this little budget system.
Altec Lansing says they are compact for a crowded desktop. Small, Yes. Compact, No. Due to the long design of the desktop units they actually take up more desk space than any previous speaker I've owned. They're about six inches long so take that into account before you purchase them.
Pros:
-Darn good sound once you adjust them to your preference
-Low Price
-Adequate power
Cons:
-Volume control is a thumbwheel on top of the right speaker
-On/Off switch is a rotory dial on the back of the right speaker
-Left Speaker is connected to the right via a short speaker cord, roughly 42", not allowing for a great deal of seperation
-No seperate volume control or adjustment available for the sub-woofer
Would I buy them again under the same circumstances? Probably. If you're short on cash they're a good value. They're far from a premium system but the installation is simple; they're just plug and play right out of the box. If all you want is an upgrade from 2.0 speakers that came with your computer, you will most likely be happy with the BX1221. Once I get moved I'll be going back to my old 5.1 surround system but until then I can still listen to my tunes without cringing at the sound quality.
