Speaks well

GIZMO GALLERY

The latest generation of Altec Lansing speakers, the FX3022 Expressionist Bass, make an interesting set of speakers. Expressionist Bass are meant to be an audio treat for music lovers and are priced at roughly Rs 7,000.

The real treat in Altec Lansing's FX3022 is found at the bottom of each speaker in the form of a 4-inch down-firing subwoofer driver, which provides a power output of 9W. The idea, of course, is to provide enough low-frequency oomph to be able to match a 2.1 solution with a dedicated subwoofer.

The delivery of bass is exceptional for a desktop solution of this size and price. In fact, placed on a desk we could feel the FX3022 sending vibrations through the surface and it felt strangely impressive to find bass emanating from in front, as opposed to the subwoofer-at-the-shins we all are accustomed to.

Aside from audio specifications, there is only one other feature worth noting in these Altec Lansing speakers - a single auxiliary input that allows for the connection of a secondary audio source such as a portable media player or games console. There are no buttons for common functions such as mute, and the biggest omission, is the lack of dedicated controls for bass and treble.

Although these are sound-output devices, the Creatives I-Trigue 5600's five satellite speakers (four surround, one centre) look a whole lot different from the square plastic boxes that are typical of PC surround-sound systems. The I-Trigue speakers aren't really targeted at the average punter.

The sound is crisp and clear but the speaker positions have to be played with to get the best results and the subwoofer's bass level will need to be carefully adjusted to suite the source. Trouble is, as we've already mentioned, adjusting the satellites or rather, finding the right position for them, could turn out to be problematic.

In the world of MP3 players and portable music systems, most of them leave a lot to be desired. But this is not true of the Audioengine A5. This is not a boom box or plastic injection moulded speaker system with a tiny underpowered amplifier that can reach annoying levels of distortion.

The Audioengine 5 is set of self-powered, high quality two-way monitors with inputs for an iPod or any MP3 player, laptop or desktop. It does not have a remote, but delivers big-time on quality and that is a bit rare in this market. Set up is simply a case of plugging it into a power socket and running a length of cable (thankfully provided) between the two speakers. Once that's done you're ready to rock some tunes in true audiophile style, with clear highs, dynamic mids and tightly controlled bass. It will cost you Rs 20,000 (approx) and you might not even get in it at the nearest electronic retailer.