# Why Altec Lansing is so great?



## mclaren85 (Jan 29, 2021)

Hi there, I've recently bought an old 2+1 Altec Lansing speakers with a very low price. In spite of being too old it works beautifully and even easily outperform the newest logitech products.
So my question is, How this brand is so perfect? And more importantly why did they stop producing speakers anymore?


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## FreedomEclipse (Jan 29, 2021)

In short? bad management. They got bought out by a company that didnt know what to do with them and ended up running into financial difficulties and selling them off to a different company who was equally as clueless as the first one. They exist but they are in some sort of limbo where their parent company (after they were sold/bought for what i think is the 3rd or 4th time) doesnt care about the brand and most of the talent that made you the speakers you have no longer work at the company.

Sometimes shit like this just happens.


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## dirtyferret (Jan 29, 2021)

Altec Lansing is a audio company that has made speakers for almost a century, currently owned by infinity (AKA JBL line).  Audio is what they know and what they do, nothing else.

 Logitech is a computer accessory company that brings various computer products to market.



FreedomEclipse said:


> They got bought out by a company that didnt know what to do with them and ended up running into financial difficulties and selling them off to a different company who was equally as clueless as the first one.


Infinity made them the "mobile" brand.  A complete waste of brand.


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## mclaren85 (Jan 29, 2021)

dirtyferret said:


> Infinity made them the "mobile" brand. A complete waste of brand


So sad to hear that. I think I will buy any Altec's old products. So so better than anything imho.


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## ThrashZone (Jan 29, 2021)

Hi,
Logitech is not someone I would think of for speakers.
Bose/... yeah.


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## mclaren85 (Jan 29, 2021)

ThrashZone said:


> Bose/... yeah


So do you think Bose can match the quality of Altec?


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## freeagent (Jan 29, 2021)

I'm looking at a 10 year old Altec Lansing 2.1 setup right now.. its ok.. 

Its not in the same class as my stereo is, but its better then other stuff out there for sure.

They might sound better than the new Bose Wave Sound touch collecting dust upstairs. Definitely more bass lol.

My Sonos thrashes them both, but they cant be used on my computer.


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## ThrashZone (Jan 29, 2021)

mclaren85 said:


> So do you think Bose can match the quality of Altec?


Hi,
I didn't say anything about altec only logitech.
Personally never heard of altec.


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## Bill_Bright (Jan 29, 2021)

mclaren85 said:


> In spite of being too old it works beautifully and even easily outperform the newest logitech products.


Biased a little? LOL

dirtyferret is absolutely correct, Altec Lansing is known primarily for quality home stereo and surround sound systems, not as computer accessory makers. Logitech, on the other hand, is noted as a computer accessory company, but I note, has been making computer speaker systems longer than Altec Lansing. 

Make no mistake - Altec Lansing has (well, had) a wide range of computer speakers, from very budget entry-level tinny systems barely worth using for Windows sounds up to decent surround sound systems. But so does Logitech including some excellent (for computer systems) THX, Dolby Digital and DTS certified 5.1 surround sound systems that no Altec Lansing computer speaker can even come close to. 

In fact, if you look at most current reviews of computer speaker systems, Logitech typically has multiple systems in the top 10 while Altec Lansing doesn't even make the list!

The best computer speakers in 2021 | Tom's Guide
Best Computer Speakers 2021: Go Loud With These Desktop PC Speakers - IGN
Best computer speakers 2021: the best audio systems for your PC | TechRadar

Consider the fact if Altec Lansing computer speakers were that much better than Logitech, Altec Lansing probably would still be making computer speakers. But they don't. And it is not just to poor management decisions. Those came after they were already struggling in the market. 

Let's not forget that even the best computer speaker systems typically cost well under $300 - and that price includes the subwoofer, at least two satellite speakers PLUS all the necessary electronics (preamplifiers, amplifiers, and often DAC circuits too). 

It is common in a semi-decent home audio system for just one speaker (for example, the front-right speaker) to easily cost $300 all by itself! And then it still needs the electronics (preamp and power amp) to drive it. And frankly, $300 would be considered low-budget - even for just one speaker. 

This fact needs to be remembered when discussing "quality" audio reproduction. 



ThrashZone said:


> Logitech is not someone I would think of for speakers.


If looking for speakers for home entertainment, I agree completely. But if looking for excellent speakers for streaming music while using your computer, or while gaming, Logitech should be given serious consideration. Their latest top of the line, the Z906 5.1 THX system is great. 

As for quality home audio/home theater speakers, Bose? Meh. Some are nice, but Bose is still living on the coat tails and laurels from their legendary 50 year old 901s.


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## phanbuey (Jan 29, 2021)

I love my bose speakers, and yes... real audio companies >>>>> computer peripheral companies if you want audio quality.

I think Bose is considered to be better than Altec Lansing but maybe just because AL fell off the face of the planet.


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## freeagent (Jan 29, 2021)

KEF makes a set I wouldn't mind trying on this thing.


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## dirtyferret (Jan 29, 2021)

Bill_Bright said:


> Consider the fact if Altec Lansing computer speakers were that much better than Logitech, Altec Lansing probably would still be making computer speakers. But they don't. And it is not just to poor management decisions. Those came after they were already struggling in the market.


You also have the fact that most computer users are not audiophiles so they are spending $20-40 on PC speakers.  At that price range you have lower margins and Logitech is much better company at that price range (as well as their strength in bringing in a whole range of PC accessories to market) than Altec or most other well known speaker companies. 


Bill_Bright said:


> As for quality home audio/home theater speakers, Bose? Meh. Some are nice, but Bose is still living on the coat tails and laurels from their legendary 50 year old 901s.


Agreed on their current state but remember the 301's also?  Those were good speakers for the price.  A lot of the speaker companies that made quality speaker in the USA & Canada just can't compete in price with some of these Chinese speaker companies in the low end stuff and it's sad (this coming from a guy who imports tech & accessories made in China )


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## claes (Jan 29, 2021)

Altec > Bose > Logitech, but really you’re digging at the bottom of the barrel.

Computer speakers are a commodity peripheral, which is why Logitech is on all of those “best PC speakers” list... It’s not because they produce good (or even “decent” for audiophiles) speakers — it’s because they are the biggest game on a tiny, tiny market.

Honestly, they (“PC speakers”) are all junk when compared to traditional stereos, which cost significantly less. Altec speakers used to be distributed with old Acer (when they were junk) pre-builds, Packard Bell PCs, HP, Micron, etc.

I appreciate @Bill_Bright’s comments, but they are misleading. It’s not that Logitech is better, it’s that monitors started to carry built-in 2w speakers that sounded as good as the 2-5w speakers you *had to buy* if you wanted audio beyond the system’s error speaker. I think Altec died because they just weren’t that great, and competing in the PC/gaming peripheral market as an audio company is pointless for those companies.

There’s probably something to be said about the death of audio cards here, but that’s beyond my pay grade. Suffice to say that there’s a reason that every computer doesn’t ship with a Creative SoundBlaster anymore. Electrical noise from PCs leads to inherently bad signal.

These days you can plug-in a USB or SPDIF DAC, connect it to an amp, and have significantly better sound at a much lower price. I’m not sure what Bill is talking about regarding $300/speaker — sure, if you want a 7.1, Atmos ready setup, a *tower* speaker can cost $300+, but for a 2.1 or basic surround setup you can walk away with a Pioneer Andrew Jones 5.1 setup for ~$500, or just hop on monoprice and get the equivalent of an Energy 5.1 setup for <$100. Obviously, stereo is even cheaper. There are dozens of units that will make Bose and Logitech shake in their boots for a fraction of their price. You’re just paying for plug and play.


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## Vayra86 (Jan 29, 2021)

ThrashZone said:


> Hi,
> Logitech is not someone I would think of for speakers.
> Bose/... yeah.


Bose?!
Better not let anyone into audio hear that...

Lets just come to terms with the fact that anything audio that you should connecr to those flimsy 3.5mm jacks is just bottom barrel quality. Even Bose except they charge and leg for it.

If you need real audio get a real amp and speakers that suit your purposes. Simple. And no... Im not talking about overinflated tube players or other arcane stuff. Just the fact that in audio, size matters more than anything.


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## INSTG8R (Jan 29, 2021)

Bill_Bright said:


> As for quality home audio/home theater speakers, Bose? Meh. Some are nice, but Bose is still living on the coat tails and laurels from their legendary 50 year old 901s


This! All show and no go...I hate hearing people saying Bose is “great” when it’s genuinely just mediocre over priced product...


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## mclaren85 (Jan 29, 2021)

INSTG8R said:


> mediocre over priced product


What really? Bose is mediocre? C'mon mate


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## ThrashZone (Jan 29, 2021)

Hi,
I didn't say I loved bose it's just one brand off the top of my head I think of for speakers instead of logitech lol


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## INSTG8R (Jan 29, 2021)

mclaren85 said:


> What really? Bose is mediocre? C'mon mate


Sorry it’s absolutely nothing special for the price. Many better brands for better value.


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## freeagent (Jan 29, 2021)

INSTG8R said:


> This! All show and no go...I hate hearing people saying Bose is “great” when it’s genuinely just mediocre over priced product...


You cant even say all highs no lows must be Bose.. because we have a brand new wave upstairs and it has no highs or lows.. just the middle, and only a portion of it.

Glad I didn't pay for it


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## INSTG8R (Jan 29, 2021)

freeagent said:


> You cant even say all highs no lows must be Bose.. because we have a brand new wave upstairs and it has no highs or lows.. just the middle, and only a portion of it.
> 
> Glad I didn't pay for it


And thanks for your honest take that proves my point


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## ThrashZone (Jan 29, 2021)

Hi,
lol yeah just typing bose and people get triggered lol 

How about Yamaha


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## INSTG8R (Jan 29, 2021)

ThrashZone said:


> Hi,
> lol yeah just typing bose and people get triggered lol
> 
> How about Yamaha


Love my Yamaha amp but they power my PSB speakers


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## Vayra86 (Jan 29, 2021)

mclaren85 said:


> What really? Bose is mediocre? C'mon mate



Yep. The power of marketing... I have put a several thousand dollar Bose acoustimass system (parents) home theater next to a 450 dollar Harman Kardon AVR with similar suzed 5.1 set and the latter has more clarity better lows and an equalizer you can actually run flat instead of always missing something in the soundscape. Thats 15% of the price of an exact same Bose alternative simply being and sounding better in every possible way... and guess what, that stuff is still running flawlessly and is soon over 15 years old...


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## freeagent (Jan 29, 2021)

They used to be good. I had their RoomMate II's and they rocked lol. They were from the late 80s..


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## bobbybluz (Jan 29, 2021)

Altec is currently owned by Harmon International. The company began in the early 1930's as an offshoot of Western Electric making audio equipment for movie theaters. They have a long history and made legendary professional audio speakers and amplifiers prior to many management catastrophes and resales of the company name. A friend's father worked for Altec immediately after WWII and designed the crossovers for what became the immortal VOTT theater speakers. Altec bought out the struggling James Lansing company in the early 1940's. Lansing later left and founded his own company, JBL, prior to his suicide in 1949. Altec-Lansing was the biggest name in professional audio at one time.

Altec speakers made prior to the mid-70's have a huge collector following and some bring insane prices today (like their Model 19 and the A5 Voice of the Theater). Their main competitors in professional audio were Electro-Voice and JBL. At one time EV and Altec were both owned by Telex who killed of the professional Altec division by merging it into the EV lineup. EV bowed out of consumer audio in the late 80's to focus solely on the professional market while JBL operated (and still does) in separate consumer and professional divisions. JBL is also owned by Harmon. Things bearing the Altec label today have absolutely nothing in common with earlier products other than the name.


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## Aht0s (Jan 29, 2021)

Vayra86 said:


> Yep. The power of marketing... I have put a several thousand dollar Bose acoustimass system (parents) home theater next to a 450 dollar Harman Kardon AVR with similar suzed 5.1 set and the latter has more clarity better lows and an equalizer you can actually run flat instead of always missing something in the soundscape. Thats 15% of the price of an exact same Bose alternative simply being and sounding better in every possible way... and guess what, that stuff is still running flawlessly and is soon over 15 years old...


It's Hardman Kardon really a good audio system? I am genuinely asking as I am looking at buying a car that comes with that audio system. However, the people on the car forum seem to think it is not a great system...


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## ThrashZone (Jan 29, 2021)

INSTG8R said:


> Love my Yamaha amp but they power my PSB speakers


Hi,
Yeah just fishing I do have a yamaha receiver but no bose stuff forget what the speakers are think a couple large sony still alive and a couple others no names still alive

Computer I just started using cheap 100.+- sound bars they work pretty good and easy to rig up somewhere.


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## bobbybluz (Jan 29, 2021)

Aht0s said:


> It's Hardman Kardon really a good audio system? I am genuinely asking as I am looking at buying a car that comes with that audio system. However, the people on the car forum seem to think it is not a great system...


Harmon owns several audio labels ranging from cheap crap to some of the best on the planet. I have no idea of what they put in cars today so I can't give a qualified answer. JBL car audio can be very good from what I've personally heard but there are many variables involved.


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## freeagent (Jan 29, 2021)

Aht0s said:


> It's Hardman Kardon really a good audio system? I am genuinely asking as I am looking at buying a car that comes with that audio system. However, the people on the car forum seem to think it is not a great system...


They aren't what they used to be, but they are still decent. Ive had some of their hardware over the years from Champagne finish to what you see now. I prefer their older stuff but had an A/V receiver from them in 2012, it was ok. I took it back and swapped it for a NAD. I still have and use it.


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## dirtyferret (Jan 29, 2021)

bobbybluz said:


> Altec is currently owned by Harmon International.


technically it's part of infinity speakers which is part of Harmon International which is part of Samsung, isn't globalization a beautiful thing?


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## Bill_Bright (Jan 29, 2021)

dirtyferret said:


> You also have the fact that most computer users are not audiophiles so they are spending $20-40 on PC speakers.


And then thinking they have something great. But hey? If happy, that's all that matters. 

Me? I've heard $10,000, $25,000 and even $50,000 home theater speaker systems (and that's just the speakers!) And I got to assist the assistant studio sound engineer for Mannheim Steamroller one year. So I may be spoiled. My own home theater system cost me a few pretty pennies but doesn't compare to those - but it makes me happy.  



dirtyferret said:


> Agreed on their current state but remember the 301's also?


I do. They actually made great rear channels in a fairly decent surround sound system - when pushed with quality amps and quality source content. They also made great speakers in a basement rec room 



claes said:


> I appreciate @Bill_Bright’s comments, but they are misleading. It’s not that Logitech is better, it’s that monitors started to carry built-in 2w speakers that sounded as good as the 2-5w speakers you *had to buy* if you wanted audio beyond the system’s error speaker.


Ummm, no way. Since you are specifically commenting on what I said, you are claiming those tiny speakers integrated into monitors are better than "all" Logitech computer speaker systems. That's just nonsense and sorry, but a clear indication you have not heard Logitech's better systems. 

Let's get real, here. Okay? Tiny speaker technology has certainly vastly improved in recent years. But it is truly misleading to suggest that only applies to those integrated into monitors. And don't forget, monitors don't have integrated woofers or decent power audio amplification either. I would NEVER EVER consider using the speakers integrated into any monitor for anything other than Windows sounds - not even for background music in an office environment. 

As for Bose being mediocre, I do not agree. When matched with some good electronics driving them, the better Bose speakers sound quite nice for the money. Are they considered audiophile quality? No - not anymore. But they are not priced that way either. IMO, most people today who claim they don't like Bose are just biased against the name and would be surprised if they heard a set in a blind test where they couldn't see the Bose logo on them. 

My first pair of really quality speakers were a pair of AR-3a speaker systems run by a Dynaco PAT-4a preamp I built , and a Marantz 150 dual monoblock amp. I had 3 other audio enthusiasts who got rid of their Bose 901s for those ARs even though the ARs could not punch out the same SPLs (volume levels). And the 901s were indeed considered top-tier speakers. But they didn't have the extreme low end of the ARs or super clean high end either. What this 901 vs 3a comparison proved way way back in the early 70s is that volume does not equal quality.

I paid more than a month's salary for 1 AR-3a back in 1972 - and that was with the huge, tax and duty-free discounts available in the "audio club" at Rhein Main, Germany I used to  visit whenever I could. Fortunately for me, I was living in the barracks and eating in the chow hall so I had no bills, other than buying up LPs and blank reel-to-reel tapes, and beer.  

FTR, I have been into computer electronics technologies since the early 70s. But my love for consumer electronics started with (and remains with) loving and repairing audiophile electronics (Macs, Dynaco, H.H. Scott, Fischer, Marantz, Dual, Garrard, Teak, HK, AR, Crown and others) in the late 60s - thanks to my dad having a love for fine audio reproduction. Yeah, I'm that old. I first learned electronics with vacuum tubes. Had to go back to school to learn what digital electronics was all about. 

Sadly, many of the early pioneer, innovative companies of the past are either long gone, or have all been bought up by Japanese or now Chinese companies. And companies that used to be know for their top quality innovative stuff are now know as K-Mart specials. You people know K-Mart, right? Oh well. Such is life.


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## dirtyferret (Jan 29, 2021)

ThrashZone said:


> How about Yamaha


Owned (and still own) a couple of their receivers to power my mirage & klipsch speakers in my pre- wife & kids days.  I loved them and they worked great.  Also owned one of their R1 motorcycles, also pre-wife and kids .  I believe they even have some solid budget speakers.  No clue about their pianos.


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## 1freedude (Jan 29, 2021)

Aht0s said:


> It's Hardman Kardon really a good audio system? I am genuinely asking as I am looking at buying a car that comes with that audio system. However, the people on the car forum seem to think it is not a great system...


Yes it is really a good system, but not a really good system.  I had a 1977 solid state a402 hooked up to 1987-8 ish JBL 2600s.  Match made in heaven.  Sold 'em for cheap in seconds on CL.  Now I run Yamahopper soundbar.


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## dirtyferret (Jan 29, 2021)

freeagent said:


> They aren't what they used to be, but they are still decent. Ive had some of their hardware over the years from Champagne finish to what you see now. I prefer their older stuff but had an A/V receiver from them in 2012, it was ok. I took it back and swapped it for a NAD. I still have and use it.


Harmon had some solid AV receivers that rivaled brands like Denon, Yamaha, and Pioneer Elite back when I was into such things (about 20 years ago)


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## P4-630 (Jan 29, 2021)

Well I've got a harman kardon bluetooth speaker and really impressed about the sound for such a single small-ish speaker.


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## bobbybluz (Jan 29, 2021)

dirtyferret said:


> technically it's part of infinity speakers which is part of Harmon International which is part of Samsung, isn't globalization a beautiful thing?


Even Klipsch finally sold out after founder Paul's passing, they're owned by Audiovox now. The still make the gigantic Klipschorn down in Hope, Arkansas as they've done since the company was founded in 1946.


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## dirtyferret (Jan 29, 2021)

bobbybluz said:


> Even Klipsch finally sold out after founder Paul's passing, they're owned by Audiovox now. The still make the gigantic Klipschorn down in Hope, Arkansas as they've done since the company was founded in 1946.


yes, klipsch also bought mirage speakers my personal favorite (did they also purchase energy speakers?)


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## Vayra86 (Jan 29, 2021)

Aht0s said:


> It's Hardman Kardon really a good audio system? I am genuinely asking as I am looking at buying a car that comes with that audio system. However, the people on the car forum seem to think it is not a great system...



Its a bit like PSUs, the same brand has all sorts of releases from crap to great. Its part of a big collection of brands now so I wouldn't want to say anything about the brand overall tbh.

But my experience with this one unit (AVR137 and speakers built to match) has been great. I did replace the active subwoofer with a simple JAMO sub over the years as it broke down, but I did mistreat this thing quite a bit. Several garden parties and on one of them, plastic foil to protect against liquids got sucked into the woofer for a few minutes  The rest of the whole system still holds up admirably though. But yeah it even does get loud enough - and remains crisp - for a good home party  Played live sets over it and all.... still use it even for live recordings at home now, as it also has a very nice flat frequency response. Almost like a set of monitor speakers. Compared to that Bose setup... there was just no way to get there, it was literally just warped one way or another. Not that it sounded bad - but they added sauce you can't remove.

Car audio is a whole other ball game. Different metrics altogether to judge stuff by, generally a lot more power to overcome engine noise, etc.

For all audio though there are simple ground rules that usually spell success: keep it stupid simple. A no latency, direct passthrough connection to feed audio (analog, jack, SPDIF, toslink) Passive speaker set, a good class/quality amp, and a simple set of controls to get the sound you want. Everything else like virtual surround and dozens of different equalizer settings and codecs... I'm sure its great for home theater, but for music... its utter shite.


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## mclaren85 (Jan 29, 2021)

bobbybluz said:


> JBL is also owned by Harmon. Things bearing the Altec label today have absolutely nothing in common with earlier products other than the name.


Thank you so much for the information. But Altec still sounds good even after reshaping the company.
Can you imagine if the company could had remain as it was?


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## Vayra86 (Jan 29, 2021)

Bill_Bright said:


> And then thinking they have something great. But hey? If happy, that's all that matters.
> 
> Me? I've heard $10,000, $25,000 and even $50,000 home theater speaker systems (and that's just the speakers!) And I got to assist the assistant studio sound engineer for Mannheim Steamroller one year. So I may be spoiled. My own home theater system cost me a few pretty pennies but doesn't compare to those - but it makes me happy.
> 
> ...


Well put I think. Bose is certainly not crap gear, its just too expensive for what it really is, especially today. My personal distaste of it is more in the sense that they always have a typical 'sound' and its never accurate, or neutral as they say.


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## INSTG8R (Jan 29, 2021)

Vayra86 said:


> Well put I think. Bose is certainly not crap gear, its just too expensive for what it really is, especially today. My personal distaste of it is more in the sense that they always have a typical 'sound' and its never accurate, or neutral as they say.


Yeah a lot of buzzwords and tech jargon but just doesn’t deliver for the money.


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## freeagent (Jan 29, 2021)

There are a lot of good replies in this thread 

I like Mirage too, still have a pair of M490i's tucked away. I don't know how music makes you feel, but for me it can be a moving experience.. and I'm not just talking about Bass  The tweeters on my Mirages can bring a tear to your eye depending on who is singing. The soundtrack of our lives.. I bought them used at a shop, they were connected to a Classe amp. Fantastic. Didnt sound like that when I got home dammit.. but still pretty good. Tucked away till I can drive them properly.

As for Harmon I have nothing against them at all. My favorite that I owned was the 680i. I still have a Marantz receiver tucked away. It has about double the power of my NAD, but that's ok.. Ive downsized quite a bit over the last few years, I still regret it. But space is at a premium.. and I have kids now, a wife, pets 

No moneys for toys like I used to 

Edit:

As I browse Newegg for another storage device..


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## Aht0s (Jan 29, 2021)

1freedude said:


> Yes it is really a good system, but not a really good system.  I had a 1977 solid state a402 hooked up to 1987-8 ish JBL 2600s.  Match made in heaven.  Sold 'em for cheap in seconds on CL.  Now I run Yamahopper soundbar.


thanks!


Vayra86 said:


> Its a bit like PSUs, the same brand has all sorts of releases from crap to great. Its part of a big collection of brands now so I wouldn't want to say anything about the brand overall tbh.
> 
> But my experience with this one unit (AVR137 and speakers built to match) has been great. I did replace the active subwoofer with a simple JAMO sub over the years as it broke down, but I did mistreat this thing quite a bit. Several garden parties and on one of them, plastic foil to protect against liquids got sucked into the woofer for a few minutes  The rest of the whole system still holds up admirably though. But yeah it even does get loud enough - and remains crisp - for a good home party  Played live sets over it and all.... still use it even for live recordings at home now, as it also has a very nice flat frequency response. Almost like a set of monitor speakers. Compared to that Bose setup... there was just no way to get there, it was literally just warped one way or another. Not that it sounded bad - but they added sauce you can't remove.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the information! I don't think my ears are refined enough...


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## bobbybluz (Jan 29, 2021)

mclaren85 said:


> Thank you so much for the information. But Altec still sounds good even after reshaping the company.
> Can you imagine if the company could had remain as it was?


Different times, different products, different goals. When they no longer had the money for R&D and had to outsource speaker production Altec lost their edge. Movie theater and recording studio gear sold by performance not advertising. Altec was somewhat like Fisher: In the tube era Fisher made some of the best things money could buy. Then the company was sold in 1969 to Emerson and what followed was craptastic cheap things sold in department stores. Altec never sunk that low but their consumer speaker offerings had some questionable products toward the end. The drivers used were all outsourced and management always chose the cheapest vendor.

Amar Bose was a genuine genius who invented things one would never associate him with. The R&D at Bose was second to none. A friend was his director of advertising (he also worked for Harmon-Kardon, JBL and a few other "name" companies before retiring from Harmon International a few years ago) and did the ads for the original Wave radios. Amar worked directly with him in creating those ads because he wanted his ideas conveyed to the public as he personally envisioned them. My friend said that unlike other companies he'd worked for with Amar it was a 1 on 1 relationship and he learned many things because of that. Amar Bose was also a professor at MIT and knew his products inside out as well as any engineer in his company. Two things he held patents on are the electronic shock absorbers GM and Ferrari use and the now extremely popular audio class D power amplifiers. Amar thought in unconventional ways which brought out products unlike any others. Those who don't understand what he was trying to accomplish often miss the true intent of his products. None of them were mere gimmicks, all were based in science and research.


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## R-T-B (Jan 29, 2021)

dirtyferret said:


> Altec Lansing is a audio company that has made speakers for almost a century, currently owned by infinity (AKA JBL line).  Audio is what they know and what they do, nothing else.
> 
> Logitech is a computer accessory company that brings various computer products to market.
> 
> ...


While we are on this line of thought...  Samsung buying AKG just to use their name on cheap earbuds is a sin.



dirtyferret said:


> technically it's part of infinity speakers which is part of Harmon International which is part of Samsung, isn't globalization a beautiful thing?


Yep, that's how AKG got gobbled too.


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## Night (Jan 31, 2021)

Yesterday I installed 5.1 Altec Lansing 251 set, it was laying around, just some stuff that I got from my dad. Didn't even know of the company till now but I noticed these speakers are of high quality.
Needed a set for songs if I'm not gaming using headphones, maybe some movies but I mostly use the TV with home teather for that. Can say I'm glad I installed it.

Edit: Since Bose is a subtopic here... cheap Bose = cheap crap, expensive Bose = good, just like anything else. Friend has "Bose" speakers in his E90, and they are less than mediocre. Pretty sure it's just marketing with Bose label on standard speakers.


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## dgianstefani (Jan 31, 2021)

My razer nommo Pro setup works really well for me. Solid aluminium construction. Great sound quality and easy to connect to both my pc and phone via Bluetooth. I like the somewhat understated rgb implementation giving a soft glow under the bases too. Can be synced with synapse in time with the music or other rgb. 









						Razer Nommo Pro
					

The Razer Nommo Pro aims to be the ultimate gaming speaker system, featuring a dedicated subwoofer and two satellite speakers




					www.trustedreviews.com


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## erpguy53 (Feb 12, 2021)

my cousin's old HP Pavilion dv6648se entertainment notebook pc comes with built-in altec lansing labeled sound strip (and using a Realtek HD Audio driver & Win7) and produces good bass sounds


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## _JP_ (Feb 12, 2021)

erpguy53 said:


> my cousin's old HP Pavilion dv6648se entertainment notebook pc comes with built-in altec lansing labeled sound strip (and using a Realtek HD Audio driver & Win7) and produces good bass sounds


Every Pavilion from that era did, the previous Gen and next one did too, as it was usual at the time (along with multimedia dedicated light-up buttons and "webcam" labels next to the lens).
ASUS had Altec too, while Toshiba had Harman/Kardon coming from the top of my mind for Core 2-era notebooks.
In the end, all were some run-of-the-mill laptop speakers, physical spec-wise, so placement, size and codec are what mattered and, yes, the more expensive models actually had the best sound, the least expensive just carried the label, becuase the licensing allowed.
Having both a Pavilion DV6625ep and a Satellite A300-1M1, I can say that the HP had a Conexant chip (don't remeber which one, but it was rare to see them) and the Toshiba a Realtek ALC268 (which was very common and even some HP Pavilions had them).
In analog audio, the HP I mentioned faired a bit better than the Toshiba, but didn't get to test digital where it would be best. I'm sure that laptops that carried the ALC662 had a better sound experience (realtek alone), but again I wouldn't rely on its speakers for anything besides voice broadcasts/calls, commercial pop music, or system sounds.


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