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Altec
Lansing AVS300 Specifications |
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Drivers (per
satellite) |
- One 3 inch magnetically
shielded
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Drivers (per
subwoofer) |
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Satellite
Power |
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Subwoofer
Power |
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Sound Pressure
Level |
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Input
Impedance |
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S/N
Ratio |
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Total Harmonic
Distortion |
- >0.8% THD@ - 10dB
full scale input voltage
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The AVS300 2.1 Multimedia Speakers.
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Altec Lansing have always been one of the fore runners in multimedia speakers for as long as I can remember. The company's mid and high-end speakers have also received numerous accolades for its great soundings and rich features. On the lower-end spectrum, Altec Lansing have designed the AVS300 as an entry-level multimedia speakers for users with a tight budget in mind.
As the name implies, the beige colored AVS300 comes with three speakers: two satellites and one subwoofer, and may look to have similar configurations as the AVS200, with the exception of a sub-woofer in the AVS300. The AVS300's satellites are also shorter in appearance and still lacks a headphone jack that were evidently missed in the AVS200.
The left speaker doesn't look anywhere out of the ordinary.
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But the right speaker is where you'll access to turn the AVS300 on/off,
as well as controlling the volume of the speaker system.
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Setting up the AVS300 speakers is real easy, as there are colored plugs on the satellites to match those connectors on the subwoofer and the soundcard. Once everything was plugged into our SB Live! soundcard, we were ready to hit the road.
Most of the controls for the AVS300 can be located on the front of the right satellite. There is the volume knob and the ON/OFF button, and a green led that identifies whether the AVS300 is turned on or off. One thing we noticed in our testing, was the lack of an anti-slip base on the satellites. This does not pose much of a problem with the left satellite, but we found ourselves gripping the right satellite fully to prevent it from slipping whenever we pushed the ON/OFF button.
There are basically two cables hard-wired into the right satellite that'll get the AVS300 up and running. The green tipped connector runs from the satellite to an audio source (for example, your soundcard). The orange tipped connector bridge the link between the subwoofer and the satellites. Both satellites are connected via a cable that are also hard-wired to each other. Fortunately the length of the cable is plenty, and should be sufficient for most users. Still, this is one area you'll want to take note of.
The subwoofer is constructed out of wooden material, and is where the power adapter connects to it via its AC jack. There is also a sub level control knob that allows you to play around with the bass level of the AVS300. Not bad, considering that most of the budget speakers we've come across doesn't feature one.
The cables come with standard color identifications. We call it idiot-proof.
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The subwoofer have a control knob for you to tweak the bass level.
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The subwoofer is also where you'll attach the power adapter to.
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For all its credibility as a budget-targeted multimedia speaker, the AVS300 was an overall letdown when it comes to the crunch. When listening to digital music or audio, you would want the audio to be well-balanced. Bass should be subtle and vocals should be clear and notable. The AVS300 didn't quite meet our high standards (we are pretty hard to please in this area).
The AVS300 did display some clear highs and mids. The treble was pretty clean and detailed for such an inexpensive system. But the speaker also showed some sound clarity limitations under further audio stress tests. Orchestral music like Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture", sounded quite muddled, especially one segment where we'd expect distinctions between the cannons' booms and the trumpeting orchestra. Even on Sting's "Saint Agnes and the Burning Train" audio track, the Altec Lansing AVS300 could not really reproduce the subtle details found in the guitar solo. In fact, it sounded a tad too bright and lacking musical depth. However, vocal reproduction on the AVS300 was acceptable and pop music (usually not as demanding) sounded pretty all right.
Another aspect we found about this speaker, is the lack of the Altec "boomy" presence that was made famous by its higher-end cousins. The subwoofer is loud, no doubt. But you're going to be disappointed if deep ground shaking bass is an absolute must for you. This is due to the frequency response being as low as only 70Hz, and in our opinion, not deep enough for high-quality music appreciation, movie viewing, or even gaming where you would want those punchy bass to go along with those chain-guns churning in front of your screen.
In terms of sound quality, the AVS300 was only average. With frequency response as low as only 70Hz, you really can't expect much from the AVS300. However, at just $60, this speaker is really built as a low-cost multimedia speaker system and is targeted at those with a tight budget in mind. In fact, it was the price factor that makes it appealing to a lot of average users. If quality is not a concern and a loud sounding pair of 2.1-channel amplified speaker system is all you need, then the AVS300 will fit your requirements. For those looking for a 4.1-channel speaker configuration based on the same speaker design and drivers, you could consider the AVS500 which is currently priced at S$92.
