Thread: Altec Lansing Expressionist Bass (FX3022)

Altec Lansing's Expressionist Classic (FX2020) speaker system, finding it to be a stylish system that progress on a Mac's integrated speakers, but falls short on the audio front compared to likewise priced systems. Fortunately, the company's additional Expressionist model, the Expressionist Bass (FX3022) combines related aesthetics with much-improved sound quality.

Like the FX2020, the FX3022 is a 2.0 speaker system, meaning it uses only left as well as right speakers--no subwoofer. Compared to 2.1 systems--which include left as well as right satellites for superior frequencies along with a bigger speaker/amplifier part that sits below your desk as well as turn out lower frequencies--a 2.0 system takes up not as much of room overall, but doesn't generally offer the similar kind of bass punch. That said, the Expressionist Bass, as its name implies fares better at the low end than most 2.0 computer speakers.

Altec Lansing's Expressionist line emphasizes design, with the FX3022 is definitely unique-looking. Each glossy-black, 10-inch-tall speaker takes the shape of a condensed cone: a wide (5.25 inches) base, with the round body tapering to a 2.8-inch flat top. Each speaker has a mesh-covered, 1.5-inch driver on the face for midrange with treble frequencies. On the base of each speaker is a 4-inch, down-firing woofer. (The system provides 3.5 Watts of power for each of the lesser drivers, with 9 Watts for each woofer.) Opposite the smaller driver, in the back of every speaker, is a cylindrical flange that has the identical retro, gear-like appearance as the rear of the Expressionist Classic. The overall look is a bit engineering, but I found it to be fairly good-looking.

The back of the right-hand speaker provides a jack for the integrated AC adapter, as well as two stereo minijack inputs--one for your PC, another for a second audio sources for example an iPod. The two inputs are mixed, so you can listen in to both sources at once, though only a sole miniplug-to-miniplug cable is integrated. A five-foot, eternally attached cable connects the left as well as right speakers.

You organize the system's volume, and turn the speakers on as well as off, by means of soft buttons on top of the right-hand speaker. The power button glows blue when the system is on.