Altec Lansing VS4121 2.1 Speakers

I purchased this system a few months ago from Futureshop for $79.99CAD (MSRP was $129.99CAD)without the extended warranty BS. The price seemed right, and as soon as I fired it up, I found that wasn't disappointed , with rich, clean and accurate sound, this system delivers your bang for your buck.

Specifications: (from the website)

-Power: 31 watts RMS
-Response: 25Hz-15kHz
-Satellite Drivers (per satellite): two 28mm high-range, one 3" mid-bass
-Satellite Dimensions (WxDxH): 4"x4.7"x9.2"
-Sub woofer Driver: 6.5" long-throw woofer
-Sub woofer Dimensions: (WxDxH): 8"x9.9"x13.6"

Inside the box:
-2 shielded satellites
-1 sub woofer
-Y-adapter
-Manual & Instructions

Setup

Setting up this system is pretty much idiot proof, all the connectors are keyed to fit only one way. Just place the speakers where you want, connect the satellite to the sub woofer and hook up the stereo mini cable from the sub to your PCs sound card, or headphone slot of your portable listening device. Also included is a Y-adapter for gaming consoles, or anything with an audio-video input so you could hook 'em up to your TV, receiver, etc.

Sound

When you're looking for speakers, and even headphones, it's important to note the frequency range. You want the lowest possible frequency to the highest possible, which means you'll get the deepest bass, and the highest treble, with little distortion. This particular model ranges from 25Hz to 15kHz, which is very good compared to some of the competitors in the same price range.
Once everything was connected, I turned it on, which a small bright blue LED indicates. The sound from these speakers are exceptionally good, producing deep bass, and crisp treble, and excellent mid-range. I listen many types of music, mainly rock, classic rock, alternative and all sound remarkably good, I can easily hear all the fine and major details. Movies sound awesome and have very cinematic sound quality.
Located on the right speaker is the volume control, which adjusts the volume very smooth and accurately. Also there are the bass and treble controls, which I think is a very important feature for tweaking the sound to your desire. Also on the right speaker there is a headphone jack for private listening.
One thing is that the sub woofer doesn't produce a 'booming' sort of sound, but rather a nice deep bass.
I was looking at some of the logitech speakers, and the sub woofer just seemed way too small (I like my bass), compare to this system's monster sub (13.6" tall and housing a 6.5" woofer). Also, you may not know from the picture, but the things bulging out of the two satellites are actually speakers, the 'down-firing' mid-bass drivers which is a unique idea because it helps produce a more 3D sort of sound (meaning it doesn't matter where you position the speakers).

Design and looks

I believe these are available in two colours, back or grey (the ones I have are grey; the only ones I saw at the store), they look quite slick, and not too big. As for quality of the actual system, I think it's good (made in China, but engineered in the US). It's not too large of a system, the satellites should fit anywhere (can be placed next to a monitor since it's magnetically shielded). The sub woofer easily fits under my desk, however it is not magnetically shielded, so be sure to pace it a few feet from a monitor or your computer's hard drive. Both speakers and the sub woofer also have a sort of rubber non-skid pads on the bottom, which also does well in preventing scratches on your desk.

Final Thoughts

Overall this is an excellent speaker system which delivers excellent sound quality. The price is good for mid-high end speakers, but price shouldn't really matter if you want good quality sound and I think these are excellent speakers for what I paid. If you want to replace your old speakers with something more powerful for a reasonable price, excellent quality sound, then look no further.