For everyone:
You can plug three different sound sources into this unit easily --- dvd/ps2 rca stereo input, computer single line input, and an auxillary input on the control pod for your tape player/mp3 player/ etc.

There is some static in the gaps of music (which I have come to expect from speakers at the volume I use them). Other than that, the sound is loud - crisp and undistorted even at ear shattering volumes.

Electronic/percussion/r&b/beat driven --- astounding.
Ambient -- gets me high.
Piano -- sounds right in front of you save for slight static in the gaps.
Rock/Pop/Jazz -- clear, all instruments are easily differentiated.
Spoken -- no distortion, some static.
Strings -- powerfully intense, some static in the gaps.

Note -- these speakers are very responsive to your software equalizer and to the control pod's bass/treble levels. What sounds good for one CD won't sound as good on the next. For someone like myself that listens to music from dawn til' dusk and back again, I love getting the feel for each instrument in a mix and trying to adjust the levels accordingly. For others, it might be a deterrence.

PS - REMOTE CONTROL!

Astounding for the Price (Rating: 5.00)
Review : I bought these speakers because I wanted something to hang on the wall and be invisible in my living room. In my family room I have a stereo system that costs nearly $5000. I was astounded at how close the sound of these amplified speakers comes to my high end system, at least in the all important midrange and treble.

The mid range and the treble (produced by the sattelites) is nearly world class. Sweet and clear, very musical and non fatiguing but with pleny of detail. For speakers hanging on the wall they image very well too. I would guess you would need to spend 5-10X the price of these to get performance to match this.

Since for your $200 you are getting both speakers and an amplifier (!!), you just need to hook them up to a decent CD, MP3 player or DVD player and have a very nice system for only around $300. Or make your computer really sing by using these instead of whatever junk it shipped with.

As others have mentioned the woofer on this system is only adequate. Keep in mind you can adjust the bass by moving it toward or away from walls and corners. If it sounds boomy, move it away from the wall (extension cables for the speakers are included so you can move them pretty far away from the woofer). The bass is OK and does have a "one-note" quality to it, but for $200 for amplified speakers, are you kidding - the overall sound from these is amazing, even at several times the price.

The speaker connections to the woofer are proprietary so you cannot upgrade the woofer. I hope Altec Lansing considers selling the sattelites with a more worthy woofer or selling the sattelites separately to pair with a woofer of your choice. The sattelites are really something speacial - I would say revolutionary at this price point - and deserve to be marketed in as many ways possible.

If your definition of good sound is overexaggerated, teeth jarring bass, you should probably look elsewhere. If you are looking for clear, sweet, balanced, accurate music, pair these with a $100 CD player and you have a system that rivals some costing several thousand dollars. Very highly recommended.

cool looking and cool sounding (Rating: 4.00)
Review : I am very happy with the sound and the looks of the system. The remote control can come in very handy. You can also fine tune the system using both the remote and the wired controls. I have listened to many different types of music on this system and find that it performs very well across the board. Combine the looks with the sound and you have a very nice computer sound system.

Very big BOOOM! (Rating: 4.00)
Review : Sound is too "boomy", it is not sound quality item. If you need it LOUD and dirty, it is Ok, if you need it PRECISE it is not it exactly. For $200 you can get pro studio monitors. The bass response may be cleaner, but the satellites sonically quite good. I listen to the symphonic, classical music mostly and it reproduces it with quality. I would like to see more even and flat friquency respronce.

is it really worh it? (Rating: 3.00)
Review : last year, i was using the altec lansing 641... until the bass stopped working on it. the company has been very supportive and gave me the new fx-6021.
the satellites sounds excellent... and the bass is "acceptable".

but recently... my bass started rattling... there must be some loose items in there... the noise can't be really be noticed unless it exceeds approximately 2/5 of its full capability...
once the speakrs and placed lying sideways... i found the rattling noice reduced.

the design of the satellites are awesome... while the bass looks somewhat dull... i would have to say that this speaker system is a bit overpriced for the kind of quality you get from these speakers

over all, i like this system.. it's just that rattling noise.. it's so annoying~ (i've never read of other cases of rattling for this item from other reviews)