Altec Lansing MX5021

[Stryder 0]

I'm currently toying with the idea of perhaps getting the Altec Lansing MX5021 mainly for listening to music ... Wondering what you people think of it in term of sound quality?

Perhaps there are better speakers at the price range (abt 200 bucks)

 

Thanks

[bpribadi 0]

Looking at the spec on the Altec website might give us impression that this MX5021 is good for music. I was interested with it before. But listening to it made me steped back . I listened in a few shop in Sim Lim, I know they don't connect it to a good source, and SLS is relatively noisy, so it is not objective at all.

 

My impression is, it has powerfull bass (specific Altec), but not boomy (at least for the price and class). What I don't like is the midrange and treble which for me are not musical. Tends towards those syntheziser sound, not natural.

 

I have the cheap AL 221, even though there is no way this little 2.1 to sound high end, but to me it sounds musical. Means, I can listen music, and I enjoy it. It sounds very laid back, with far from perfect treble and mid, but somehow I can enjoy listening music with it while working with the PC.

 

In the same place (Video Pro), I also listen to Yamaha YST-MS50 (SGD 99), which looks like old PC speaker, doesn't look as cool as the MX5021, but to me the Yamaha sounds more musical.

 

Well, just FYI, we might have different taste, just try them yourself

Edited November 9, 2004 by bpribadi

[Q00 0]

Im using the Aego 2.1 speakers. Looks small but very big on sound. I really enjoy this speakers cause the midrange is very lush and full. Its bass is not boomy but its presentation is rather polite but accurate. Id recommend this in a heartbeat. Only other 2.1 that i think are better are the Klipsh's but those are expensive.

[Blues 0]

Before I was into headphone setup I used to own a klipsch promedia 2.1. Despite some bashings by certain groups of people in the forum, I always highly regard this speaker and to me is the best for PC music playback.Even tnt-audio has nothing but full appraisal for this monster. The Altec 621 trails behind, but it sounds big without much refinement. Good for banging and techno kind of song. Whereas for klipsch it's good for everything IMO. I never tried Aego 2.1 though.

ps. I have heard the newer altec lines and I concur with bpribadi. The old lines are much better. The newer ones look good and sophisticated but when it comes to music playback it isn't quite worth the money. If I were you with that budget I would look for used Klipsch promedia 2.1.

[bpribadi 0]

Have any of you listen to the new FX6021 ? I heard from a few friends, it sounds good for music. It is more expensive than the MX5021.

 

To my point of view, combination of 1 inch fullrange and a subwoofer will have gap in the midrange. But who knows, it might sounds good. So far from my observation, the 2" fullrange normally will sound more musical than the 1" one.

 

http://www.altecmm.com/product_quote_intl....country_code=sg

 

Edited November 10, 2004 by bpribadi

[Stryder 0]

Hmm okies.. anyone know where i might be able to audition a klipsch promedia 2.1?

[LaoMao 0]

I'd a pair of Older Altec 621 in my hall, that I'd did a small modification extending the length of SP cable. So that I can place them 8ft apart. This speakers, prouce alot of bass, I've to set the woofer volume real low. It's musical, it's enjoyable, the biggest short coming is the max volume, one can squeeze from it, before it distorts. Yes! I know, I'm asking for too much for that little price. however, unless you really go for big orchestra sound, this baby is quite adequate for most of the listening.

 

It is connected to my TV, CD player, tuner via a Diva Classic one tube preamp.

[lekguan 0]

uh? I'd be deaf by the time the 621 distorts...

BTW when u set the woofer low it sounds very thin, and when u set higher, it goes boomy. Pretty Ok for the price but, not so clean sound.

[LaoMao 0]

Not really, the orchestra does not really get extremely loud, before distortion starts if there's orchestra slam....Well, Without the slam , I agree, the 621 can go "quite" loud !

Edited November 15, 2004 by LaoMao

[lekguan 0]

It'd probably not be that the 621 cannot go loud, but rather some problem witth your input, maybe its too loud, maybe too soft? I've tried blasting with my e1c on and they still arent distorting when they were loud WITH e1c on. Well, I'd say Altec Lansing didn't cheat too much in their power rating.

[LaoMao 0]

Hi, Lekquan

 

My 621 was fed in with a tube pre-amplifier.... capable of feeding no less than 7Vrms into the input of 621.... So, it's not the probelm of the input signal... Honestly, It's placed in a fairly large hall, I've to extend the SP cable to the 2 satellites, if you have the 2 SP placed closed, maybe, they can play quite loud.... But, if they are placed 8 feet apart, producing an symphonic orchestra, the probelm of power shortage is quite obvious... the sound told me, it's not enough....

[lekguan 0]

Well its one of the most powerful (loudness wise) pc speaker around. But its no hifi product.

[bpribadi 0]

I have listen the FX6021 a few times, in Sim Lim and Sitex. Although not very objective, but personally I don't like the sound. It is just another boombox from Altec, not musical, sounds almost like the MX5021. Probably because of bad source

 

But looking into the 'in concert' concept, it must have include a lot of cross over network. Which will cause a lot of phase distortion. So the concept doesn't looks good to me, I hate crossover

[adhoc 0]

the mx5021 is not bad. i own then. then again i have DIY'ed 14guage twisted pair speaker cables for them so ymmv. they sounded terrible out of the box but after leaving them to burn in for 24 hours with the radio on, i came back and gave them a second listen and they sound great! quite natural sounding for the price. i did not listen to them in the meantime so i know it was not a case of my ears 'getting used' to them.

 

my only complaint is that the bass is a little boomy, but for $200..

 

the promedia 2.1 can be auditioned at the apple store near the escalator on the 6th floor. to my ears there is something unnaturally 'hard' about the treble, but the bass.. the bass!

[davsmiths 0]

 

sorry dude. the original ProMedia THX 2.1 aren't on sale in singapore liao.

The next Klipsch system is the ProMedia GMX A2.1, which is also awesome!

 

i reco the Aego 2 for it's warm"ness". The GMX for it's rich bass and crisp trebles.