Altec Lansing MX5021 2.1 Speaker System
 

The 90W MX 5021 produces a full and accurate sound that remains undistorted even at higher volumes. With a flat equalizer, the treble is crisp though just a touch on the high side. Bass is more than adequate when called upon, and the sound is very tight. A slight adjustment to the equalizer brought out the midrange and balanced out the lows and the highs.

The speakers took full advantage of the heavy electronic effects from techno tracks such as DJ Encore & Engelina’s “I See Right through to You”. The bass was thumping, but the vocals were realized perfectly without sounding shrill. Even when turned up for dance tracks, the bass maintained its form and sounded great. The horn-infused sound of the ska-punk band Less than Jake offered the speakers more organic tones to recreate. A bumping bass guitar sounded good, but the horn section really shined and showed that the speakers could also produce a good mid-range.

Because the THX logo implies movies, I hooked up the MX 5021s up to my TV to see how they worked with an entertainment system. As I mentioned before, the speakers blended in with the darkness when the lights were down. The first DVD I tried was the Pianist which features a great opening scene with Adrian Brody at the piano; interrupted by a stray tank round. Shattering glass, and whistling shells were all realized in excellent stereo, and the bang from the tank round was quite surprising. Digging through my DVD collection, I found myself looking for anything loud. The new “War of the Worlds” was another excellent test DVD and further showed off the great low tones and stereo capability of the MX 5021. The theme music for the tripods is a series of low blasts that can make the chandeliers rattle.