Reviews for Altec Lansing MX5021 Multimedia Speaker System

Altec Lansing MX5021

Strengths: powerful and good looking

Weakness: none

The best looking system and yet powerful. If you want speaker that can mount against the wall/lcd or lay flat on tabletop then this the one you looking for. The coolest thing about this system is that it comes with a remote control. You can enjoy music while you sit near the computer or lying on a sofa. very relaxing!!!!

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Altec Lansing MX5021 Multimedia Speaker System

Strengths: Sound quality and balance between highs, mids, and lows; tremendous value.

Weakness: Satellites are tall and thin - easy to place, but a little tipsy (wall mounting brackets are included, however).

I did quite a bit of research reading on-line reviews of 2.1 multimedia speaker systems. I had a budget of about $140 or so. The Klipsch Promedia 2.1 were THX certified, but out of my price range. These Altec Lansings rated comparably in most reviews and the price was great! I just started putting all my music on my computer with Itunes. The sound quality is tremendous--better than my bookshelf speakers in our living room. I also do on-line gaming, and the THX certification is really obvious - tremendous effects and the bass/sub-woofer is amazing. Highly recommended all-around.

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Altec Lansing MX5021 Multimedia Speaker System

Strengths: Excellent, accurate sound. Convenient controls. Easy set-up. Good looks.

Weakness: Haven't found any.

I read very positive reviews of this product before purchasing and my expectations have easily been met. Most important , of course is sound quality. The satellites are sharp and accurate at all sound levels. I can actually hear more details in music than I can on my main stereo system (high end Polk speakers). The subwoofer has more than enough power. The entire system in fact, has plenty of power. It can handle volume higher than I care for without distortion. At the same time at low levels it maintains details and accuracy.

Set-up was simple and took 20 minutes tops. All cord lengths were generous allowing flexible arrangement. It has a nice little controller and remote for changing volume, bass and treble. Controller also has jacks for an auxillary input (ie. I use my portable CD player on occasion when my computer's player is occupied with other tasks) and for headphones.

Bottom line, these speakers can turn your computer into a nice stereo system at a reasonable price. Check this site for on-line merchants. I got mine for about 35% less than going retail.

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Altec Lansing MX5021 Multimedia Speaker System

Strengths: 1. Classy, superb design. 2. THX certification garanties the good sound at any volume. 3. The bass is excellent.

Weakness: 1. Somewhat "dirty" sound, not as clear as Kl!psch Promedia GMX. 2. Only one input, I would expect two from such a system. 3. Remote doesn't function at anywhere further than 10 feet.

I was indeed trying to get the best sounding 2.1 setup for my PC, so I could not choose between Kl!psch Promedia GMX and these. Finally I found the store that had them both on the same display and did sound check and comparison. While I liked the sound from both systems, Kl!psch was still delivering smoother and crisper, clearer sound. After considering the known hissing issue with Kl!psch, and the killer design of Mx5021 I ordered Altec Lansing from NewEgg. After two weeks I listened to different material, lost of classical as well as rock tunes. Here's what I found. Mx5021 produce nice, technically "correct" sound with good imaging, but the sound seems to be somewhat "dirty". While all the frequencies are there, it still makes the effect of "digital" sound. To make sure it was not my audio card producing this I connected them directly to the CD player, but the result was the same. I'm keeping these because they look great, and I can definitely live with the sound they produce, but if I were to choose again, I'd pick Kl!psch.

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Altec Lansing MX5021 Multimedia Speaker System

Strengths: Great overall performance.Awesome voice clarity. Great for movies. Very Stylish Looks Decently powered - 90 Total Continuous watts RMS (50W Sub + 2 x 20W Satellite) Control pod has Bass/Treble c

Weakness: Expensive. Almost 3000 Rs(approx USD 60) more than 621 Not as loud as 621. This would matter if you have a large room. The sub could have been a little more attractive. Satellites are prone to t

MX5021 - Awesome System, Awesome Performance, Awesome Features

This system is a treat to the ears. The only disadvantage I can see is the price. But it makes sense investing in a good speaker system since their life is about 4-5 years only next to your Monitor. Another comparable model is Altec Lansing 621, available in Bombay for a street price of 6500 Rs(USD 130) while MX5021 costs almost 3000 (approx USD 60)more. For someone on budget these are the only affordable systems in the market. The reason why one should go for a 2.1 system is that music is available only in stereo, MP3s, CD Audio contain data only for 2 channels. The only place where you need a 4.1 or higher system is games and some new DVD movies which have 4 channel sound.
Choosing from among 621 and MX5021 is tough.

621 is a great system and being an old model , its cheap but it lacks features. Still 621 is a good buy if you are more into music and are a bass lover. It does not have a Bass/Treble control or a Headphone Jack.

Pros: Great for music. Classic Looks.Raw Power - 143 Watts Total Continuous RMS!!! (53W Sub + 2 x 45W Satellite).Great build quality. Not very expensive
Cons: Lacks features like Bass/Treble control (Software Controls are useless. You will end up spoiling the quality) and Headphone Jack. Its too loud if u have a small room. (You can have upto 50 watts per channel for any room upto 200 sq. feet). Clarity not as good as MX5021. This matters in movies.

MX5021 being a THX Certified system, guarantees great performance. Being a new model its expensive and you are paying some royalty for the THX Certification. But still its definetly worth it. With these you can really tell the difference betwwen good quality CDs and downloaded MP3s.

Pros: Great overall performance.Awesome voice clarity. Great for movies. Very Stylish Looks. Decently powered - 90 Total Continuous watts RMS (50W Sub + 2 x 20W Satellite). Control pod has Bass/Treble control, Headphone Jack and Auxilary input. Also has LEDs indicating Volume and Bass/Treble levels. Comes with a small IR remote with ON/OFF , Volume and Bass/Treble control
Cons: Expensive. Almost 3000 Rs(approx USD 60) more than 621. Not as loud as 621. This would matter if you have a large room. The sub could have been a little more attractive. Satellites are prone to tipping over. Bass can become boom in case of poorly encoded MP3s if set too High. (CD Audio sounds amazing!!!)

In all both are great systems. 621 has got more punch and MX5021 is more crisp. It all comes down to what you are gonna use them for. I would say if you don't have a very large room and are ready to shell out the extra 3000 (USD 60)bucks ( and they are worth it given the extra features), go for MX5021. Yet there is no regret in going for 621. See the demo for both the systems. Carry some audio CDs (not MP3s) you have listened to earlier and sample them out on both the systems.
I personally have been using MX5021 and my observation with them is that poor quality mp3 ( anything encoded at less than 160kbps), doesn't give very good bass output. Also disable all your software Equalizers...its better to listen to music as was intended by the artist.
There is one more feature I would like to mention. When you connect a headphone to the Headphone Jack in MX5021, its not same as connecting it directly to the Line Out of the sound card. I use Philips SBC HP150 Stereo Headphones. You get great sound in the headphones too!!

Bottomline: 621 is definetly worth much more than 6500(approx USD 130) but if you can afford MX5021 go for it, its definetly worth the features.
PS: Whichever speakers you buy, You will need to do some tweaking with the settings to suit your needs.

Great products by Altec Lansing!!

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Altec Lansing MX5021 Multimedia Speaker System

Strengths: Sleek design, superb sound.

Weakness: None so far.

Absolutely a beautiful set of speakers. Lound, crisp and clear. The sub is loud enough to shake my house! I saw a demo unit at Circuit City, and the demonstration there did not do these speakers justice. They are very powerful and extremely attractive.

Beware the packet of silicon pellets. If it breaks open in the box your sub will have a ton inside.

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Altec Lansing MX5021 Multimedia Speaker System

Strengths: nice sound and design, (real) remote control, disconnectable lines

Weakness: see below.

This must be one of the the best computer speakers at this price line.

The satellites gives very clear sound and woofer sound is very satisfying. The design is sleek and finishing is good. Wired remote control has one AUX and Headphone input. I think AUX input could be very useful. (Wireless) Remote control is also good.

But, disadvantages are...
1. little noise when no music is playing.
2. wireless remote control output power seems to be weak. Often, the signal was not received at the (wired) remote control.
3. very little noise when dialing the volume control.
4. satellites should be put on flat environment such as desk. (or mounted at the wall.)

Overall.... I'm completely satisfied at this speaker and no regret in spending the money. :)

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Altec Lansing MX5021 Multimedia Speaker System

Strengths: Style....Style.....Style

Weakness: the remote control is not good enough

Yes, the best sound quality I've heard of the mutilmedia speaker. And the beautiful shape makes it become the decreration of my living room. But because of the high price, the MX5021 is not the best C/P speaker of the same kind product.

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One of the best 2.1 pc speakers money can buy

Strengths: Clear sound, decent bass, works well in any enviorment, Good overall playing games, movies, and listening to music. Sexy

Weakness: This ain't got the raw power of z-2300 or klipsh

I had to make the hard decision of whether to choose between this, 2-2300, or Klipsh promedia 2.1. After reading lot of reviews i found that z-2300 had problem with midtones so did Klipsh. I can tell you so far this speaker works well in any tone. It's the best overall speaker you can buy.

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MX5021

Strengths: 1. good price with reasonable quality 2. beautiful looking 3. easy to install, easy to use 4. it's altec!

Weakness: 1. not so good for alto, treble 2. a little noisy background (at least, with built-in sound chips)

Altec Lansing is the first choice for multimedia speakers. Good price, good quality and elegant looking. If you want to buy 2.1 PC speakers, MX5021 is the best choice. If you want to improve the performance, you can try some affordable amplifiers and cables.

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Altec Lansing MX5021 2.1 Speaker System

With a heritage stretching back to the Post-War era, Altec Lansing has always been first and foremost a speaker company. Though their focus has turned to PC speakers and personal audio, Altec has never forgotten its big system hi-fi days. The THX certified MX 5021 successfully brings this legacy to your bookshelf or desktop.

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