Altec Lansing XT1 Laptop Speaker System | 
| Brand: Altec Lansing
Buy New: $159.95
Rating:  56 reviews
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Fragile: No
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4
Dimensions (in): 2 x 2 x 8
MPN: XT1
Model: XT1
UPC: 021986950448
EAN: 0021986950448
ASIN: B0006GBD5O
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Features:
| • | Portable laptop speaker system with deluxe carrying case | | • | 2 full-range neodymium micro drivers per speaker with bass enhancement | | • | Powered through USB connection--no adapter or batteries required | | • | Built-in power and volume controls; auxiliary input jack | | • | 1.5 watts total RMS power (0.75 watts x 2); speakers include removable stands |
|
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Built-in laptop speakers are pretty underwhelming and that's just a fact of life. Sure, they're good for a beep here and ping there, but if you've ever tried to share your favorite song, watch a movie, or make a multimedia presentation using your laptop speakers, you know exactly what is meant.Introducing the Altec Lansing XT1 system. In addition to its thin, innovative design with removable stands, the XT1 delivers superb sound and surprisingly deep bass thanks to four full-range neodymium micro drivers and bass enhancement technology.And just like your laptop, the XT1 knows how to travel light. Because it's USB-powered, there's no need for a power supply and no batteries to forget. Plug it into your USB port, press play, and you'll be listening to the best portable sound you've ever heard from a laptop. Pack it up in its deluxe carrying case, and you're ready for your next trip.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 51 more reviews...
 Perfect for the mobile laptop user December 10, 2004
David Benson (Aberdeen)
87 out of 89 found this review helpful
I travel a lot, and need music. This means that I feel the need to take a mobile sound system with me. So I was very interested when the Altec Lansing XT1 speakers came on the market, and got them days after they first appeared.
My setup consists of a 15" Apple Powerbook running Mac OS X and iTunes, into which I have imported a large fraction of my CD collection, and the XT1 speakers.
Here are some comments on the XT1 speakers.
1) They plug directly into the USB port of the computer, and draw their power from it. So there's no need for ugly wall-warts and international plug adapters.
2) They come with a very compact carry case, roughly half the top surface area and twice the thickness of my computer. Very light for travel.
3) The sound is superb, given the physical size. Of course, they don't put out a huge amount of power or bass volume, but for that you'd need speakers ten times the size. What they do put out compares very favorably with other speakers of similar size.
4) Setup is easy. Just plug them into the USB port. That's all. I haven't tried them on a PC, so I don't know whether the situation is the same there.
5) The distortion is very low until you turn up the volume to the point where they overload, and then you hear some clipping.
6) Amazon doesn't seem to sell these speakers, even though they have them listed, but go to your nearest Best Buys, where they're on the shelf for about a hundred and thirty dollars.
7) You can also plug other sound sources into the XT1, but you'll need them plugged into your computer anyway because that's the only source from which it is able to take power.
8) I had a curious incident, where the speakers seemed to be panning most of the way to the left, and the stereo pan control disappeared from the audio system preferences. It turned out that this was caused by the speakers somehow going into mono mode; the solution was to get out the Audio Midi Setup tool from Applications/Utilities, and switch from mono to stereo. I think this is the fault of Mac OS X, not of the speakers.
Astounding quality May 14, 2005
Mike Kircher (Angel Fire, NM USA)
24 out of 24 found this review helpful
I purchased a set of these speakers from the Amazon Marketplace. Despite some problems with the shipping, I am blown away by the quality of the sound from such a tiny set of speakers from MP3 files on my PC. If you enjoy music, these speakers can definitely increase the utility of your PC for a small investment.
Great Portable Notebook Speakers August 8, 2005
Daniel Stewart
24 out of 24 found this review helpful
I recently purchased these speakers on Amazon.com and I'm very happy with the purchase. As always, Amazon.com delivered promptly and their packaging is very good.
Now onto the speakers themselves. As a previous reviewer has mentioned, these are only relatively small speakers, so if you're after full bodied audiophile quality sound, then these speakers will surely disappoint. But if you use them for what they are intended (eg; a dorm room, home study, hotel room, small business conference room, etc), these are a fantastic pair of speakers. For their size the sound is actually very good and well balanced.
I am also very impressed by the quality of the various cables. They appear to be strong and of excellent quality (not like the usually super low quality cables that normally accompany electronic products). This is encouraging as I will be packing and unpacking these speakers on a regular basis and it appears that the cables should be able to stand up to the stress.
The carry case is also of strong and sturdy construction, and there are no external pockets, buckles, buttons, or other protuberances to get caught on or broken off. So when packed away in the carry case the whole speaker set can be easily placed into your overnight bag, maybe even a notebook carry bag (though I think you'll get an even slimmer fit if you carry the speakers and cables loose in your notebook bag, but don't expect them to last as long).
On the right speaker is an "AUX" input, so you can plug in your iPod, MP3 player, CD player, etc. But since the speakers are powered from your computer's USB port, you'll have to at least have the computer in "standby mode" (my ASUS notebook has power to the USB port in "standby mode" but I can't speak for other brands of computers) or "ON" so you can listen to your external device. Supplied is a 3.5mm plug stereo cable to connect your external device to the speakers and it is made of the same high quality as the other cables.
For me the major benefit of being USB powered is that I now have the flexibility to take my speakers with me anywhere in the world and not worry about blowing them up because of the wrong voltage. I've only seen portable speakers that accept one voltage, either 100/110 V or 220/240 V (I use a quality AC-DC adopter for my notebook that can convert 100 - 240 AC into 19 DC). Additionally this product means one less power cable (or "wall wart") and power-plug converter to carry.
Volume can be controlled from your computer or external device and/or from the volume control buttons ("+" and "-") on the side of the right speaker (above the "AUX" input). There is also an "ON/OFF" button, located above the volume buttons.
I hope this review has been helpful to you.
Daniel
 Altec Lansing XT1 Laptop Speaker System July 7, 2006
Ian L. Rolle
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
I bought these speakers for my wifes laptop(dell 9300).First I must say that they are very attractive and very easy to carry.Also the fact that they do not need any additional power source other than the usb port makes them even more portable.
However the volume of the sound from these speakers was not any louder and only a little better in quality than what my wife's
Dell 9300 was capable of. If you have a laptop that is probably 3 years or more old or a very basic laptop these speakers could be an upgrade for you.Howevr if you own a newer multimedia type laptop these speakers are not worth it.
Well designed USB speakers January 4, 2006
D. Ross Mclean (Edmonton Alberta)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful
Bought a pair of these, last ones on the shelf and already opened and found that the bass was incredibly distorted and unlistenable for some songs. Likely one of the speakers was blown and was promptly returned by a customer and then quickly returned to the shelf. Returned them and I tried out a newer looking pair with updated packaging. Bass distortion mostly gone with the exception of some recordings. Otherwise superb mid to upper range with excellent clarity and depth. Imaging unbelievably good with proper speaker placement giving a surround sound like effect. Overall the bass is fine but lacks punch but that would be almost impossible with such a small USB powered speaker. Packaging and design are very clever, well thought out. Very high end and classy in presentation. It would easily possible to get a better sounding powered system but given the benefits of portability Altec has done extraordinarily well with these speakers.
For comparison I tried out the Logitec V20's. Initial impression not bad but soon realized that the bass that was being offered was overpowering and thick as molasses without offering much clarity or restraint. Actually preferred the bass coming from the smaller speakers in the Altecs. Other problem was the lightness of the Logitec combined with the larger bass speaker resulted in a huge amount of vibration causing the speaker to flail about like a Mexican jumping bean. Lowering the bass output with the iTunes equalizer did not cure this. Hugely annoying and decided to go with Altec. Haven't regretted it. Word of caution to not overpower the speakers in view of the first pair I bought that had likely been previously damaged.
|
|
|
