Altec Lansing is not an unknown name to those familiar with home and professional audio equipment. They have a company history that trails back over 70 years, and it was almost exactly 60 years ago when they developed their first power amplifier (1941) and 15” Duplex speaker (1942). Modern users best know Altec Lansing for their line of PC audio equipment and speakers, personal equipment like headphones, and yes, now their video game and home entertainment systems.

The visual quality of modern video games on the GameCube, PS2, and Xbox are tremendous. However, we can’t exactly say that the quality of our average TV speakers has grown by the same leaps and bounds. Sometimes your mono or stereo TV speakers, spitting out as little as 3 watts of power, just aren’t cutting it while you’re playing a game with a tremendous soundtrack, like Eternal Darkness. Enter Altec’s most recent video game and TV offering, the XA 3021 2.1 speaker system.

For a product with an MSRP of under $100, you get just about what you would expect out of an audio unit, as well as possibly a few extras that you wouldn’t. The XA 3021 features the following:

- 40 Watt Power

- Deep-Bass

- 2 Shielded Speakers

- EQ Mode Selector

- Multi-Function Wired Controller

- Dual Headphone Jacks

- Auxiliary Input Jack

- Color-Coded Cables

The unit comes in a large black and green box with just about everything you need: The base unit, which features a 5.25” subwoofer and houses all of the necessary connections, two matching 3” shielded speakers, a wired controller, a number of optional cables, and the power supply.

Specifications:

- System Power: 40 Watts (20 Watts RMS)

- Frequency Response: 35 Hz – 18 kHz

- Signal to Noise Ratio @ 1 kHz input: > 76 dB

- Crossover Frequency: 150 kHz

- System THD (distortion): < 0.2% @ -10dB full-scale input voltage

- Input Impedance: > 10k ohms

What this is all means, based on performance specifications, is that the XA 3021 is an entry-level audio setup. If you already have a mid range audio setup, this package doesn’t serve you much purpose. By virtue of being a 2.1 audio system, you should expect ample stereo sound with the addition of bass control. However, the proof is in the pudding.

SETUP

As mentioned, the box comes with just about everything you may possibly need to be up and running. Upon opening the box, the 8 x 8 x 14.5” subwoofer is the first thing you’ll notice, taking up the bulk of the package. Clearly, the XA 3021 was designed with gamers and casual users in mind. The subwoofer is shaped like a torpedo that can be set vertically or horizontally based on your preference. It may be a bit of an eyesore to those looking for a solution that doesn’t stand out or take up some extra room. It may not fit with the rest of your audio/video components if they’re in an entertainment center.

The next things you’ll notice are its two matching speakers, with the same “stylishly loud” front grill as the subwoofer’s. The speakers were a little heavier than expected, which was a good, comforting sign of quality. The speakers were both designated as Right or Left, and attaching them to the base unit was fast and mindless.

The next step of the installation is attaching the wired controller. This controller allows you to control settings from where you are sitting rather than making adjustments on the base unit itself. You can turn the unit On/Off, adjust the Volume of the speakers with a round dial, two headphone jacks, and offers 3 default settings based on your use: TV, Gaming, or Max-Bass. Plugging in the wired controller was also easy, but mind that it connects like a keyboard or mouse does to a computer -- it has a pin layout, so don’t bend your pins trying to cram it in the slot. I’ll go into more details on the controller in just a bit.

Now the fun begins. The next step is to determine what kind of connection you are going to establish. Are you going to use the XA 3021 as the audio source for a gaming system or DVD player? Are you going to have your TV connect to it as a simple replacement to your TV’s speakers? Or are you going to connect your personal electronic devices (like portable CD or MP3 players) to it?

For now I’ll just describe how to go about connecting a video game system to the XA 3021. If you have your game system’s audio/video cables plugged into the back of the TV or VCR, you’ll have to reach around and disconnect the A/V cables and plug them into the XA 3021’s audio input jacks. I’ve connected and disconnected these cables a million times, and it doesn’t get any more fun or hassle-free, but once it’s done, the audio jacks plug in effortlessly to the color-coded base unit (red/white).

Most gamers use the yellow input jack to connect the video to the TV or VCR. If the A/V cables are plugged into the XA 3021, the video cable would naturally have to come out as well. Altec Lansing has thought of this already. The unit includes a 10 foot long yellow composite cable extension so that the yellow jack can be plugged into the TV/VCR while the red and white cables are appropriately connected to the XA 3021.

Also in the box comes a 10 foot long standard red/white composite cable, in case you want to connect your VHS, DVD player, or whatever else into the unit.

You can also connect your personal electronic devices into the unit by using the AUX IN jack. Unfortunately, the unit we received did not include an auxiliary cable. This would be a good thing for Altec Lansing to include in the future, as it’s inexpensive, it saves some hassle for the end user, and it’s just about the only thing missing from this otherwise completely accessorized unit.

Once your type of connection is established, it’s time to connect the power cable. Like the wired controller, the power connector contains pins, so take caution not to flatten them. The power cable contains a heavy brick towards the middle (just like the GameCube’s power cable). They’re often a necessary evil, but always annoying when the wire from the base unit to the power brick is so short that the brick is actually dangling off the side or back of your desk, dresser, or entertainment center that is only waist height. This could put stress on the base unit, and accidentally cause it to slide back or onto the floor.

Finally, we’re all set up. Time? About 10 minutes up to this point. Now it’s time for some fun.

THE WIRED CONTROLLER

Turn on your TV, console, and XA 3021 because it’s time to play. The included controller has a handful of features that allows you to control your sound system from the couch. As mentioned, you can turn the system Off/On, adjust the Volume with the round dial, and select from three default bass settings: TV, Gaming, or Max-Bass.

The ‘TV’ setting provides a normal bass response that is typical for TV programming. This is, in other words, the lowest setting to choose from. ‘Gaming’ increases the bass level to highlight low frequency sounds that video games often feature. ‘Max-Bass’ is the highest setting, giving you all the juice it can.

The controller attaches to the base unit, so it is not wireless like a TV remote. However, being wired does have its advantage. The controller features two headphone jacks, allowing two players to quietly listen to their game playing, while taking advantage of the XA 3021’s power. Being limited by the wire for the sake of headphone jacks is a rather subjective benefit. I would personally prefer the controller be wireless, and have the headphone jacks on the base itself. For others, however, the controller being wired may be worth the benefit. There’s no fault in doing it either way, and the unit doesn’t lose any points for using the method that it does.

HOW IT SOUNDS

The Altec Lansing XA 3021 2.1 amplified speaker system is a considerable step up from mucky-muck of muffled mono sound and average stereo television speakers. Cranking up the volume, with or without bass, is an empowering experience for those that can’t afford more expensive receivers and sound systems. With a full blast of bass applied, you will feel your insides vibrating with the beat of the music. The XA 3021 combined with a music- and sound effect-intense game like Eternal Darkness is quite a show all on its own. The unit it designed specifically to get the best of both worlds that gamers can’t enjoy with average TV speakers – glass-shattering high and body-rumbling low frequencies.

As always, there are games and other audio sources that do not sound as good with a lot of bass applied. This too is subjective, as one size will not fit all. I found this to be true while playing WrestleMania X8. Some of the theme songs sounded muffled with the bass applied, while others were terrific. It would be a bit of a hassle to keep readjusting the bass level throughout a game, so your best bet may be to keep the bass level on ‘Gaming’ which is the middle setting.

That having been said, the XA 3021 is an entry-level speaker system priced appropriately at under $100. You won’t be getting a Dolby 5.1 experience, and shouldn’t expect to. This product is particularly exceptional and designed for gamers and movie watchers that are getting limited enjoyment out of their mono and stereo TVs that can’t afford the mid-range and high-end setups. Comparatively, you’re definitively getting your money’s worth for the price.

HOW IT’S BUILT

As mentioned before, at first glance of the XA 3021, it may be a bit of an eyesore with the exaggerated grills on the front of the subwoofer and speakers. Altec Lansing promotes its appearance as being “as gnarly as it sounds.” We won’t judge the use of early 90’s surfer slang to get the point across, but clearly the unit was designed with gamers in mind. However, it isn’t just for video games. You can connect your TV to it to bypass the built-in speaker(s). You can also connect your VCR, DVD player, or other audio electronics. It only has one set of stereo A/V inputs, so unless you get an adapter, you are limited to only one of the above devices at a time. The exception to that are devices that use the alternative auxiliary input jack rather than the red/white composite inputs.

The subwoofer contains all of your connections, 7 in all plus the master volume control dial. The subwoofer was a little lighter than expected, but nonetheless has a sufficiently sturdy casing. The torpedo-shaped unit can be set up vertically so that the subwoofer is pointing towards the ceiling, or you can rest it horizontally. All 7 connections run across the side of the unit, which can expose a cable mess right before your very eyes if you have the subwoofer facing forward. The only options to hide the cables are to have the subwoofer facing to your left, or stand it up vertically. I would have foregone the benefit of standing the system up vertically so that the subwoofer could be facing me while the connections would be placed in the back, out of sight and out of mind.

The 3” speakers were heavier than expected, suggesting a good quality design. The external casing is the same caliber as the subwoofer. Naturally, they are shielded to prevent interference problems, and they are nice little units too. The audio clarity and power was impressive for their size – much more engaging than the stereo speakers on the 20” Toshiba television that the unit was tested on (and the TV is no slouch either.) The wires that attach both speakers to the subwoofer were adequately long at 10 feet, so there is ample flexibility in placing one speaker on each side of the TV, or even on complete opposite sides of the room, spanning 20 feet.

CONCLUSION

The Altec Lansing name has a long history behind it, and many common customers may know them from the speakers they get with their computers or buy at retail. That same quality can also be found in their new “XA” line of video game audio systems. Comparatively, the XA 3021 is an entry-level 2.1 audio solution, but to gamers that have had to settle for TV speakers that are only approximately 3 watts on average, there is a 40 watt sound system within their grasp that’s designed specifically for them.

The XA 3021 is the middle model of Altec Lansing’s video game speaker lineup. The XA 3001 is a subwoofer-only unit. And the XA 3051 is a premium 6-piece Dolby Surround Pro Logic 5.1 solution with 5 speakers and a subwoofer with 100 watts of total power for $199.95, coming in July. But if you’re just looking to replace your TV speakers at a reasonable price, the XA 3021 is a fine choice at $99.95.