Are you looking for a set of portable speakers for your notebook? 

Don't look any further, maybe we have the product that is just right for you. 

The Altec Lansing XT1 speakers are portable multimedia speakers that will complement any notebook with just a USB port. 

No other external power is needed. 

These speakers purposely provide high quality sound with enough bass to satisfy music lovers.

Introduction

If you own a notebook and are constantly on the move, some of you may just be unsatisfied with the sound coming from the speakers of your laptop.  The sound on notebooks has improved quite a bit over the years, but they simply lack the full depth and richness in sound when compared with desktop speakers.   Here at DigitalReviews, we have done many reviews of speakers meant for the desktop computer; therefore, we know what sounds good and what doesn’t.  Today, we will be taking a look at a different kind of speakers, the Altec Lansing XT1 speakers. It is different because these speakers have been designed to be portable so that they can be carried around. Whether you are listening to music, watching a movie, or even delivering a presentation, this product aims to provide fulfilling quality sound.

A Closer Look

The speakers came in a black carrying case made of a neoprene-like material.  When holding the case in my hands, the weight of the case gave the impression that there were quality speakers inside.  The carrying case is opened by unzipping the zipper along the sides of the case until you can lift the cover open.  Everything was neatly wrapped in the case.  You have the two main speakers on each side, with all the necessary cables and wires neatly tied and sitting in the middle of the case.

When holding one of the speakers in your hand, you will feel that they are fairly lightweight, not too light or heavy either.  You can barely see the two neodymium microdrivers in the speakers through the non-removable grille in the front.  The back of the speaker is appropriately labeled as either ‘Left’ or ‘Right’ to avoid confusion which speaker goes on which side.

For the design conscious, these speakers look quite good and can be considered sexy.  The aluminum-looking design and weight give the speakers a quality look that will look good beside any notebook.

Setting it Up

With a wide variety of notebook configurations with each one using its own sound controller, some of you may be wondering how these speakers are setup and whether it is compatible with your notebook.  The answer is quite simple.  All you need is a USB port on your computer.   It can be either USB 2.0 or the older USB 1.1.  In order to setup the speakers, you first use the provided cable to connect from one speaker to another.  You will notice that this cable doesn’t just connect the speakers, but the shape of the plug happens to serve as a way for the speakers to stand up as well.  Typical speaker wire is rubber on the outside, but you will notice the slightly thicker mesh that covers the wire giving it high quality feel.  The connectors are also made of metal at the end.  At the back of the right speaker is a USB plug.  You use the retractable USB cable to connect one end to the speaker and the other end to your computer.  This allows your computer to output sound to the speakers.  When turning on the speaker, you just press the power button located on the side of the right speaker.  A blue LED will light up at the front indicating that the power is turned on. There are additional buttons to let you control the volume as well.

Once you have everything physically connected, Windows will automatically detect the speakers as a sound device and will install it automatically.  The next thing is to test whether there is sound coming out.  I quickly loaded a MP3 music file and started to play it in Windows Vista.  I didn’t hear anything even though the speakers were on.  I had to go to the sound options in the Control Panel to change the default settings to output to the speakers rather than using the notebook speakers.  After that, I had to close Windows Media Player and restart it to hear the music. When you unplug the speakers, it should automatically default back to your internal notebook speakers.  These speakers are compatible with both PC’s as well as a Mac.

Sound Quality

Let me be straight and say that these speakers will obviously not compare to desktop speakers. That is because the XT1 is being powered by a USB port and has a total power of 1.5 Watts RMS.  Also, the system response of this system is cut at a high 100Hz – 20kHz.  Not knowing the specifications beforehand, I had a listen with the speakers.  My initial concern was that these speakers might suffer in sound quality due to the portable design of the speakers. When listening to music on the speakers, I was impressed with the overall sound quality and power of the speakers for such small speakers.  The speakers are obviously not capable of reproducing the low end of the frequency, but you will find the bass quite satisfying for these speakers.  Those who have been used to notebook speakers will find the sound from these speakers a big difference.  And once you have listened to them, you will constantly find the need to take them out to listen to music, watch a movie or videos, or even play games.  The sounds from the speakers sound balanced and crystal clear in the high end range of frequencies.  Even when turning the speakers to their maximum volume, I was amazed at how easily the sound could fill a room with minimal distortion in the lower frequencies.

Conclusion

The Altec Lansing XT1 surprised me for such portable speakers.  Being a long time user of multimedia desktop speakers, I was amazed at how well these speakers sounded.  You can pick up these speakers probably for less than $100 online making them affordable.  But for some reasons, these speakers seem to stand out quite a bit compared with Altec Lansing’s usual offerings because much of the thought was put into sound quality and portability design of these speakers.  I would highly recommend these speakers for those who demand more from the speakers of their notebook and like to watch movies, music, or play games on their notebook.  These speakers are also an excellent choice for the college student who has to move frequently from time to time and who desire portable quality sound.