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ALTEC LANSING ACS 45 PowerCube 
Reviewed by Douglas Lam Wai Ching (20/07/98)

Sound System Specifications

Drivers (Satellites) 01 x 3" Shielded Full Range
Drivers (Subwoofer) 01 x 4" Long Throw Woofer
Frequency Response 42Hz - 18kHz
Satellite Power 06 watts at 0.8% THD
Subwoofer Power 20 watts at 0.8% THD
Input Impedance 10k ohms

[Introduction] [The Good] [The Bad] [Conclusion] [Rating]

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Introduction

The Altec Lansing ACS 45 PowerCube is a 3-piece multimedia speaker system. The PowerCube Speaker system consists of two components, a pair of Micro Satellites that deliver the higher frequencies and a PowerCube subwoofer pumps out the low range bass that completes the wide range of audio output from the PowerCube system. So how does this system add kick and punch to your favorite games? Let’s go and find out….

So how did we test the speakers? Well, we used several types of audio input such as audio CDs from the AOpen 36x CD-ROM, games using the truly awesome Yamaha Waveforce XG soundcard (refer to reviews) and MP3 files using Winamp (download here). We then compared it with normal 2 piece multimedia speakers.

Here’s what we found.

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The Good

When we pulled the speaker out from the box, we found out that the 3-piece system didn’t take up a lot of space. This is a plus point for those who have limited workspace (especially us, when we have stacks and stacks of hardware all over our desks waiting to be reviewed). The small satellites are magnetically shielded so that you can place them very near your monitor while the subwoofer can be placed anywhere (on the floor maybe?) as low frequencies are non-directional.

The setup was a breeze. It didn’t take us more than 5 minutes to get the whole system up and playing. There are 2 switches that can be adjusted by the user: the electronic volume control which is located on top of one of the satellite speakers and a small knob at the back of the subwoofer to control the output level for your desired bass effect. Once the bass level is set, the volume control adjusts the volume on the satellites as well as the subwoofer simultaneously, so you don’t have to reach back to the subwoofer to do any further adjustment. Lastly, the PowerCube features auto power-on and auto shutdown: speakers automatically power-down when not in use. How convenient.

First we loaded an audio CD in the CD player and listened. The speakers were powerful… the whole room was filled with sound by these little speakers! The bass was strong and punchy. No way those 2-piece speaker system could deliver such a powerful bass. The treble was not especially crisp, but it was sweet.

Then we tested it by connecting it to the Yamaha Waveforce XG sound card and ran the FF7 demo. It was incredible. I never knew MIDIs could sound so nice and the quality of the MIDIs through the ACS 45 is crisp and clear and it greatly enhances the gaming experience. The 3D sound effect was very noticeable

Playing MP3 files with winamp gave us great sound. With minor tweaking with the built in equalizer, the music quality could not be distinguished from an audio CD. Beware not to over boost the bass though, as it will flood out the treble, even causing distortion.

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The Bad

So what’s bad? Well, it was quite funny that a convenient feature of the PowerCube turned out to be a bad point. It was the auto power-on and auto shutdown feature. The auto power-on feature is good, only a minor delay in turning on the system when an audio signal is detected by it The auto power-off feature, however, took forever in turning off. Not that wasting a bit more of electricity is a critical issue, but when it is still on without any audio input, a hissing sound could be heard… Annoying… the only way to have it off before it does so automatically is to unplug it.

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Conclusion

So you've been looking to upgrade your personal computer with improved speaker audio, but you may not know what speakers are available for you to choose, the difference between the various computer speakers or the prices for different speakers. All you may know is that you want the power, performance and benefits that come from a high-powered, high quality computer speaker system, and you want to stay within your budget. If this describes your situation, then the ACS 45 PowerCube Speaker System is for you. The PowerCube Speaker System is a 3 piece multimedia audio solution for your home or office personal computer that gives you power and performance at a tremendous value. With its reasonable price at S$85, why settle for the limited output from a 2 piece system when you can step up to the powerful performance of the PowerCube 3 piece system that is delivered to you in a space-saving shape?


Sound System RATING

Overall Rating (Out of a maximum of 5 Star)

Installation ****
Sound Quality ****
Price ****
Appearance / Style ***
Overall Rating ****

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