» ALTEC LANSING XT1W 1.5 Watts 2.0 USB-Powered Portable Speaker (OEM)

ALTEC LANSING XT1W 1.5 Watts 2.0 USB-Powered Portable Speaker (OEM) Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: not thrilled
Comment: I bought these two years ago and they just died on me. I went right back to Bose speakers which are the same price and, although not usb powered, sounded so much better. - these were only marginally better than the speakers in my Macbook - I also hated the slim design - they kept falling over.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Sound, Great for Travel
Comment: I have been looking for speakers that are easy to travel with without sacrificing sound quality. After several failures, I finally discovered the perfect presentation speakers that have great sound quality and come in a very easy to pack compact case that is easy to carry even in a laptop case. The sound quality of these speakers is amazing for their cost and size.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: One step up from your existing laptop speakers
Comment: I probably didn't have my head on straight when I ordered these. These are beautifully packaged and really nicely designed speakers. A+ for that. But as speakers, they are basically an improved version of my existing built-in laptop speakers. Better, for sure. But not what I was expecting. These aren't 'real' speakers. I guess the USB power source just can't drive anything too substantial sound-wise - even cranked to max volume, barely can hear them (and I'm in quiet, perfect spot for sound to carry - if you were anyplace with some background noise, forget it, you wouldn't hear a thing).

As I say, probably my bad, but if you want decent 'real' speakers, look elsewhere. For me, I am immediately back to my excellent sounding $99 Bose desktop speakers. Didn't know how good I had it! Those sound 10x better than these and, obviously, don't cost a whole lot more.

All that said, these Altecs are beautifully designed and definitely a notch up from my existing laptop speakers. But I wouldn't buy them unless:
-you need something that travels easily (nice case and packaging)
-you have extremely limited desktop space (these are very compact)
-you'd rather not use your earphones instead

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Smart, low-power speakers
Comment: These speakers are easy to use. The sound is amazing especially considering the low (3 watts) power consumtion. Good clarity and range from my mid-technical analysis. The carrying case is also substantial - a real organizational plus! All around, I am very satisfied.

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