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About a month ago
NextGen Electronics was lucky enough to score an interview with Altec
Lansing big-wig Rob Puzey, which can be read by clicking
here. Rob was especially excited for the release of the new XA product
line which is designed specifically for console gaming. The tag line says
it all - "Because TV Audio Sucks!". Catchy, funny, and accurate.
TV Audio *does* suck, and thank goodness Altec Lansing has specifically
targeted us gamers that live and die with our XBoxs, our PS2s, our GameCubes,
and even our Dreamcasts (R.i.P.). Finally there's an inexpensive, powerful,
rich set of speakers (plus a subwoofer) on the market with a killer design.
The Altec Lansing
XA3021 set of speakers offer two speakers and a subwoofer, along with
a wired controlling unit to raise or lower the volume, along with not
just one, but two inputs for headphones. The Subwoofer has all the inputs
and outputs - the traditional red and white audio cables plug right into
your favorite device - your television outputs, or as we did, into your
surround sound processor.
The speaker set features
are:
- 40 Watts of Total System Power
- Performance Stereo
- Deep-Bass
- Performance Speakers
- EQ Mode Selector
- Multi-Function Wired Controller
- Total Connectivity
- Dual Headphone Jacks
- Auxiliary Input Jack
- Color-Coded Cables
- Shielded Satellites
The 40 watts of total system power is actually quite impressive
and enough for even the craziest of gamers. There's power and there's
crispness - a perfect balance if you are going to be playing games or
watching the latest DVDs.
The first thing that might strike you about these speakers
and subwoofer is the cool, hip, and even "industrial" design.
There are undoubtedly the most stylish speakers on the market that we've
seen to date. The subwoofer looks like some sort of bomb even! How cool
is that? Very cool to us at least. The color scheme of the speakers is
a very trendy black, gray, and neon-ish green that allow the speakers
to blend in quite nicely with your television or furniture.
The installation of the speaker set couldn't be simpler.
Plug in the standard audio cable (Red and White) into your device of choice,
which could be your console or surround sound processor, but most likely
you'll plug these into the back of your TV into the "output"
plugs. Everything else plugs straight into the subwoofer - the two speakers
offer only one wire each, and the wired controller and power plug go in
without a hitch into one convenient area on the subwoofer. The directions
are layed out very easily with big colored diagrams, so if you have no
experience with stereo equipment, don't fret at all about setting these
boys up.
The performance stereo features will really impress people
- especially considering the $99.99 price point. Some good shopping might
even find it cheaper at your local electronics store. With specifically
engineered drivers, the full spectrum of distinct sound will offer a pure
and rich sound that everyone will be very impressed with. The ported subwoofer
brings low frequency response produced by the front and top firing will
allow some serious bass to your explosions and will shake your walls,
if you so decide. The size of the subwoofer is such that it will bring
the bass you crave, and yet won't take up the entire room doing it - at
8"x8"x14.5" it's nicely manufactured. It's hard to imagine
this set runs for the price it does.
The remote unit (controlled through a cable) offers three
separate equalization modes that bring out added bass if you so wish.
There's "TV Mode" , "Gaming Mode" and "Max-Bass
Mode" ... needless to say no matter what you are doing, you should
keep it on "Max-Bass Mode" - why the heck buy a great set of
speakers unless you plan to max them out?! They work excellent in any
of the modes, but we found that the XA3021s work best in Max-Bass Mode
as it seems to maximize all aspects of the set. The wired controller also
includes power on/off, Master Volume, and the aforementioned EQ Mode Selector.
For those of you gaming with your consoles and utilizing
your standard television speakers need to invest in the Altec Lansing
XA3021 speaker system. And yes, it's an investment - an investment in
yourself and entertainment. TV Audio does suck - and these speakers are
the perfect remedy for maximizing your fun. They perform like killer speakers
should - awesome sound quality and a perfect rich bass. The value stemming
from the retail price point can't be beat - Altec Lansing could have priced
these speakers for $50 to $100 more and the price would still have been
a great buy. Kudos to Rob for bringing his promise to light - the XA3021s
are simply amazing - an Editor's Choice product!
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10 / 10 |
OVERALL SCORE
98%
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10 / 10 |
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10 / 10 |
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10 / 10 |
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9 / 10 |
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9.8 / 10 |
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