Verdict: Powerful bass performance is these speakers' only impressive feature.
If you want to appreciate the squelch of blood and brains as you shoot them out of your enemies, or the screech of wheels as you handbrake-turn your way to victory, a decent set of speakers is essential. It isn't only gaming that's vastly improved with good audio though; movies, television and music are all enhanced when you listen through a good system.
The FX5051 from Altec Lansing is a 5.1 audio system with fine PC credentials. You can use your existing 6-channel sound card or utilise the USB connection for direct digital connections.
However, there are no S/PDIF inputs for audio puritans, games consoles or home cinema setups. The package is impressive, with four satellites, a centre speaker and a stylishly designed sub. An infrared remote and desktop control pod allow you to adjust the volume for each speaker. You can also connect an MP3 player or headphones to the control pod for further listening options.
The speakers are well made and robust, with proper metal stands that add to their overall stability. While the cable connecting them is on the thin side, the feeling of quality implies that they'll be aurally good.
The subwoofer is a hefty beast, which is another indication that once these speakers are set up, you should be in for a treat, and it isn't ridiculously ugly, unlike some we've seen. The heaviness of the sub is due to its two 6.5in drivers, which are arranged in an isobaric configuration. This method uses two speakers mounted facing each other, creating three pressure zones above, between and below. This helps to keep down the size of the subwoofer, and means that a lower volume is required for the speakers to work effectively.
Connections are colour-coded and setup is a breeze. Unfortunately, the desktop control pod lacks the reassuring build quality of the rest of the kit; it's plasticky by comparison and, although it sports some pretty green lights, it doesn't impress us. This is disappointing, as this is a part of the speaker set you will touch regularly. However, at least it's useful, if ugly and flimsy. Conversely, the cordless remote control is of a higher quality, and therefore much more appealing.
The speakers aren't particularly impressive when it comes to power, with 12W per channel for the satellites, 13W for the centre and 28W for the sub. However, the fancy isobaric configuration of the sub was designed to work at lower volumes.
While the isobaric tomfoolery of the subwoofer might have looked good on paper, the sad fact is that it dominates the sound output to such an extent that the rest of the audio is lost in the rumble. In fast action movies, there's plenty of rumble and the floor shakes at the appropriate time, but sadly for the FX5051, the mid-range is obliterated. At first it sounds impressive, but any prolonged action or loud sequences make you long for respite from the audio onslaught.
Even when the action isn't gung-ho, the speakers don't sound pleasing. For movies that aren't all explosions and gunfire, the FX5051s are too deep and bass-heavy to handle the audio with subtlety. Music is similar, although the performance is better in stereo.
The saving grace for the Altec Lansing speakers is gaming; although they lack detail, they punch you with every sound effect that your game produces. Fire off a few rounds and you can practically feel the recoil; explode a tank and you'll feel the rumble. If you don't like your neighbours, or just want to announce the arrival of your gaming rig to the local community, the bass performance will certainly raise a net curtain or two.
Conclusion
We hoped that the FX5051 might make a good personal surround-sound system for your PC, even though you might opt for something more boisterous for a home cinema. The relatively low RMS won't shake a large living room, but the isobaric design of the subwoofer compensates for this, providing solid bass even at low volumes. The design and build is, on the whole, stylish and attractive (despite the shoddy desktop control pod). With a simple setup procedure and many connections, including USB, the FX5051 should have made a good alternative to the Logitech Z-5500 Digital.
However, performance is unbalanced, with the isobaric subwoofer dominating the output and swamping the mid-range. The bass either needs caging or the satellites require a lot more power - as it is, the sound from the satellites is lost in a sea of low-frequency rumble. Bass powerful enough to shake the foundations of mankind is handy for full-on gaming, but we want more flexibility from a speaker set, especially at this price.
