Laptop or notebook computer technology is advancing at a blistering speed. Ferrari fast. So fast that by the time you purchase your new laptop, it's probably already obsolete or out of date. A sobering thought considering the hefty prices you have to pay for a high-end laptop.

The Altec Lansing XT1 system is designed to change all that. In addition to its thin, innovative design with removable stands, the XT1 delivers superb sound and surprisingly deep bass thanks to four full-range neodymium micro drivers and bass enhancement technology.

And just like your laptop, the XT1 knows how to travel light. Because it's USB-powered, there's no need for a power supply and no batteries to forget. Plug it into your USB port, press play, and you'll be listening to the best portable sound you've ever heard from a laptop. Pack it up in its deluxe carrying case, and you're ready for your next trip.

• Slim, portable design – Flat panel, shielded satellites with removable stands pack easily and go anywhere.
• USB-Powered – Connects easily to laptops and desktops via retractable USB cable. No power supply needed!
• Big Sound for Laptops – Four specially engineered full-range neodymium micro drivers with aluminum cones smoothly deliver a full spectrum of pure, distinct sound with unprecedented signal accuracy.
• Quality Bass – Bass enhancement technology creates quality bass without a subwoofer.
• Deluxe Carry Case – Compartment bag included for your traveling convenience.
• Built-in Controls – Include power on/off and volume.
• Auxiliary Input Jack – Connect two different audio sources – your laptop and MP3 jukebox for example – at the same time.

Current Real Time Pricing

The XT1 laptop speaker sells direct from Altec Lansing for $99.95. At the time of this review, a check of our real time price engine shows online stores selling the XT1 from $75.99 to $105.99. For the mobile techie in search of better sound quality, this is a small price to pay.

{mospagebreak}

The Altec Lansing XT1 laptop speakers comes with a user's guide, normal and retractable USB cable, 3.5 mm stereo cable, speaker cable and deluxe carry case. The cable that connects the left and right speaker together also acts as a speaker stand. It's really not that stable but it does the job. The use of a retractable USB cable is also a really nice idea. When you're ready to take the XT1 on the road, everything packs nicely into the carry case (see below).

The speakers of the XT1 are a pair of tall and thin satellites with two 1" full range driver per housing. If they look like the same the drivers used by the Altec Lansing inMotion iM3, that's because they are. Like the iM3, the XT1 features bass enhancing technology to give the bottom octaves more punch.

The XT1 system add 1.5 pounds to your laptop bag, which to a mobile techie is a sizeable amount but not unmanageable. The system packs up easily and can be set up quickly as well. The XT1 walks a fine line between sound quality and portability. If it was too big, you wouldn't take it with you. If it was too small, then it wouldn't sound much better than the built in laptop speakers. We would rank the size and sound of the XT1 as just right.

{mospagebreak}

Setting It Up

Setting up the Altec Lansing XT1 is very simple. Rather than plugging the XT1 into the notebook headphone jack, the speakers gets its signal from the USB port. No software is required if you're running Windows XP. Power for the XT1 is also supplied by the USB port. This eliminates the need to pack batteries around with you. USB power is more than enough for the XT1 because the speakers doesn't draw much energy - just 750 mWatts per channel. The internal amp is rated at just 1.5 Watts RMS.

The ports for USB and auxiliary input, plus all the XT1 user adjustable controls are located on the right speaker. The cables that feed the signal to the left and right speaker have end plugs so they can serve as speaker stands. Two USB cables are provided; a nice 32 inches long self-retracting unit and a normal USB cable that's about 40 inches. The XT1 also includes a cable with 1/8" jacks on each end to connect an iPod or other MP3 player to the speakers.

The XT1 features just two user adjustable controls, one turns the speaker on/off and the other increase/decrease the volume. There are no bass/tremble control or EQ of any kind. Because the speakers are thin and tall, they're very easy to knock over so care should be taken when adjusting the controls.

{mospagebreak}

Sound Quality Testing & Conclusion

The XT1 allows you to arrange the satellite speakers to suit your listening tastes - from right next to the laptop computer to as far apart as the speaker cord will allow. The XT1 is magnetically shielded and can be placed right next to a laptop LCD without distorting the image. Sound quality from the XT1 is really good - far better than anything the built in speakers on our Dell Inspiron 6000 could produced. Imaging and staging was also decent as well.

When set up properly - equal distance from the center of the listener - you can close you eyes and really get an impression that what you're listening to is live instead of recorded. The bass response is awfully good for laptop speakers. They will never shakes the cobwebs off off the ceiling but they do provide decent presences.

The Altec Lansing XT1 includes a line level input for iPods or other MP3 players but we're wondering what's the point to it. The speakers need to be connected to a laptop in order to receive power so you might as well play your music from the notebook.

The XT1 is one of those products that can amaze by-standers. They look at the speakers and simply can not believe the sound coming out of it. We recommend the Altec Lansing XT1 to anyone looking for better sound from their laptops. The XT1 is light enough to take anywhere and provides sound quality that's much better than anything your notebook can produce. $100 might seem steep for such small speakers but once you listen to them, you'll agree they're worth the money.

Where To Buy It