Altec Lansing Expressionist Plus FX3021 review: Altec Lansing Expressionist Plus FX3021

Not everyone likes the idea of having PC speakers with a separate subwoofer. But the reality is that unless you step up to something like Audioengine's fairly large and pricey Audioengine 5 bookshelf speakers, you tend to need a 2.1 system to deliver a richer, more bass-laden audio experience.

7.4

Altec Lansing Expressionist Plus FX3021

The Good

Decent sound for the money; bass is fairly tight; speakers are good-looking and relatively compact; satellites angle can be adjusted.

The Bad

Audio inputs are on the subwoofer, making quick hook-ups to portable devices potentially inconvenient.

The Bottom Line

Altec Lansing's Expressionist Plus FX3021 is a good compromise for someone looking for a compact, affordable 2.1 PC speaker set that delivers decent sound.

Altec Lansing's Expressionist Plus FX3021 2.1 system isn't nearly as beefy as the company's current top-of-the-line PC speaker system, the Expressionist Ultra, but it manages to deliver decent sound at an affordable price--less than $100. It also looks good, though the speakers' glossy black finish is a fingerprint magnet.

The system comes with a small, cone-shaped subwoofer with a downward firing 5.25-inch driver and two small satellite speakers with 2-inch drivers that are mounted on thick wire stands that let you tilt the speakers up at an angle, instead of them pointing straight ahead. The speaker cables are hard-wired into the satellites and--as is the case with virtually all 2.1 PC speaker speakers--connect to ports in the subwoofer, which is small enough to set on top of a desk but will most likely end up placed on the ground.

Both of the inputs are located on the subwoofer. If you have the sub on the floor, it makes connecting an iPod or a music phone inconvenient.

The only inputs for the speaker system are two 3.5mm jacks located on the rear of the subwoofer. That means you can connect up to two PCs to the system at once, or a PC and a portable audio device. Unfortunately, if you have the sub on the floor, it makes connecting an iPod or a music phone inconvenient. We prefer to have at least one input integrated into the left or right speaker, or the sort of standalone wired remote found on some systems, including Altec's Expressionist Ultra.

The bass output of the subwoofer is controlled by a knob located at the top of its cone-shaped body; the power button is mounted in the middle of the knob. A separate volume control for the speakers is integrated into the top of the left satellite speaker.

As expected, the Expressionist Plus wasn't in the same league as the Ultra for sound quality, but the little sub managed to deliver a reasonable amount of bass without sounding boomy. Overall, the speakers were well balanced and offered good detail for a system that costs less than $100.

However, stepping up to the Expressionist Ultra will just give you richer sound. We advise gamers who really want to feel the explosions in shooters to spend the extra money and get the bigger subwoofer.

For kicks, we compared the Plus with the high-end Audioengine 5 bookshelf speakers that cost about $325. It's not a fair comparison, but you can see--or rather hear--a stark difference. With higher-end PC speakers, you just get a fuller, smoother sound that has that much more detail. When you listen to really good speakers, you start hearing sounds in music that you weren't aware were there. The Expressionist Plus FX3021 doesn't get into that realm, but it certainly sounds good for the money.