Cheaply manufactured basic speaker set (Altec Lansing VS2421)

Member Name: xcorlett

Product:	Altec Lansing VS2421
Date:	22/03/09 (96 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, looks good

Disadvantages: Unreliable

Modern speaker technology has definitely made strides and if you can find the right product you can get a lot for very little. That is what I thought I was getting when I purchased the Altec Lansing VS2421 speaker set about two years ago. I rushed home and installed the system, expecting great sound. Well, I got sound, and some of it was great. The bass is pretty good and it doesn't rattle when you turn it right up. But the speakers are not exactly anything to write home about. They look okay, all black with little stands and mounting holes in the back. They have adequate power for system sounds and games. Movies and music sounds okay, but don't expect incredible clarity.

They come with a nice volume control that goes between the computer and the subwoofer. Setup was very simple and uninvolved and I was up and running in a matter of minutes.

The problems really came over time. After about a year, one of the speakers started to cut out. It make crackling sounds for a month and then stopped working completely. I thought, well, okay, it's been a year and modern technology is often made to break down just after the warranty fails! Not wanting to spend the money on a new system, I kept using it. It still works after all. Then, just a month ago the other speaker has started to crackle and make sounds like a alien autopsy. So I am not sure how well engineered these speakers are. When we were living in a city they picked up lots of radio interference, but I'm not sure if that could have been helped or whether it was due to a lack of shielding in the wires.

These might have been a good deal for me if they hadn't broken so rapidly. Next time though, I'll be looking elsewhere. In fact, I have had negative experience with cheap sound systems before and am now wondering if the thing to do is to save up for longer and spend my money on a better system, something costing closer to £100 rather than £35. Perhaps I would have a better chance of the product lasting more than two years!

Summary: Look elsewhere!

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