Altec Lansing expressionist PLUS

Full Review

The new Altec Lansing expressionist PLUS FX3021 came in an attractive design that will make one’s desktop look futuristic without taking up too much space. Let's quickly hook them up and hear them out loud to know how good they are in creating sensible sound apart from their distinguish look.

Design & Features

The FX3021 is a 2.1 speaker system that has two satellites and a compact conical shaped subwoofer. Each satellite is rated at 4-watts (RMS) and the sub is rated at 25-watts (RMS). A 2-inch full range driver is found on each satellite. The satellites have a conical shape, a glossy black body with a grill attached in front. Each satellite has an adjustable metallic base. The 5.25-inch down-firing sub also has a cone-shaped enclosure with a black glossy finish. Its top has a push down power button which also controls the subwoofer’s bass output.  The sub base has inputs for AC power adapter, line-in, auxiliary-in and satellites-out.

We could still feel and hear the bass till 40Hz but the sub actually just rumbled from 30Hz and it did not create anything clearly distinguishable.

The build quality of the FX3021 is decent but the glossy finish means smudges and fingerprints are easily attracted. Setting up the speaker was easy and the sub’s small footprint made it easy either to tuck it away below or on the desk. We prefer the latter which we will discuss later in the performance section. The wires are long enough and are of better quality than the cheaper Altec Lansing speakers we’ve seen before. One complaint we have is the volume control buttons on the right channel satellite which are hard to use and are unresponsive.

Sound Quality

We connected the speakers with our desktop system which has a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic (all audio enhancements disabled). Playing tracks in various regular formats to lossless formats, the FX3021 sounded best at a moderate volume level. Firstly, its tendency to become distorted is disappointing in this price range. Secondly, the subwoofer provided more of the low-mid ranges frequencies than pumping out deep and punchy bass. In our frequency test, the FX3021 stayed quite true to its spec sheet. We could still feel and hear the bass till 40Hz but the sub actually just rumbled from 30Hz and it did not create anything clearly distinguishable. Due to this incapability of creating a low end, we placed the sub on the desk instead of letting it rumble on the floor. The result was much more impressive and the low-mid extension was much deeper.  The satellites were also quite ordinary , the highs were well extended but the middle frequencies could have been crisper as they sounded quite thin and hollow. In comparison to the earlier Xpression Bass FX3022, the FX3021’s overall sound output is less impressive in terms of soundstage and bass tightness. For the rest of the frequencies, the FX3021 offered a slightly brighter sound signature. Movie dialogues, vocals, guitar riffs or crashing cymbals were sweeter to hear.

Soundstage was average and unless you sit right in front of the speakers with the satellites projecting right at your ears, don’t expect the FX3021 to offer you a mesmerizing audio experience. Movies and Gaming were average and nothing much to write home about.

Conclusion

The expressionist PLUS from Altec Lansing sure impressed us with its compact and stylish design but the rather average sound output stopped us from giving it a good score.

Bottom Line

Distinct look and attractive design but not willing to sing out loud and clear.