Altec Lansing ATP3 Speaker System Review

Author : Wayne Date : 5th February 2001

3DVelocity would like to thank Altec Lansing UK, and in particular Steve Durrant, for their invaluable help and generosity in supplying this product for review.

 

Introduction :

 

I am amazed at the number of people I know who were happy to shell out serious money for a Soundblaster Live or some other top notch sound card, only to take it home and plug it into the el cheapo speakers that came with the PC. What a waste!, it's like buying a 19 inch monitor and using it at 640x480!

The PC has evolved from a dull beige box fit for nothing more than basic apps and Midi that sounded like it was being hummed by a Dalek, into a genuine home entertainment centre able to play, decode and encode CD's, MP3's, Video CD's, DVD's and a range of other media, not to mention playing games. To still be porting the output from a quality soundcard through crappy speakers borders on criminal, and until you actually hear the difference a good speaker set can make, there's a world of audio you'll just be missing out on completely.

The speakers I'm concerning myself with today are from Altec Lansing, and carry the model ATP3. This is a mid-range, slimline 3 piece speaker system targeted primarily at the gamer and music buff. I say this because it's the official line, but in all honesty I don't think there's much that would leave this particular setup wanting, despite it being only a 3 piece kit. Before I go any further, let me just state that these are NOT flat panel speakers. They are certainly very slim, thanks to a unique micro driver design, but they operate using the same basic speaker principles found in any other non flat panel design.

Specifications :

Total Audio Power	30 Watts RMS
Input Sensitivity	300mv for full output
Input Impedance	>10k Ohms
Frequency Response	45Hz to 18KHz
SATELLITES
Drivers (per satellite)	2x 28mm microdrivers 1x 3inch mid-bass
Audio Power	6 Watts per satellite (12 Watts total) RMS @ 1% THD
S/N Ratio	>70 dB
SUBWOOFER
Driver	1x 6.5inch Long Throw
Audio Power	18 Watts RMS @ 1% THD
Crossover Frequency	150 Hz
POWER REQUIREMENTS
	120V/120W/60Hz USA/Canada 230V/50Hz Europe/UK/Parts of Asia
ETL/cETL/CE Approved	Yes

 

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