Altec Lansing 2-PC USB & AC POWERED PORTABLE ( XT2 )

LAPTOP USB/AC SPK SYS

Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
These are the best sounding portable USB speakers I've heard. I also love the flat style of the speakers and case. It makes it easy to pack into a laptop case or a suitcase for portability. They're made of a sturdy plastic with aluminum grills and flip-under stands, which makes them very durable - important if you travel. I've never used the auxiliary input, so I can't comment as to how well it works with a portable audio device. The biggest con for me is the lack of a headphone jack. When these speakers are connected to your laptop, it disables the built-in speakers and sound card (naturally). To switch to headphones, you have to disconnect the USB connection, then close and relaunch whatever application you're using with audio. It's a minor nuisance, but enough for me to take away a star. Another minor nuisance is the fact that it disables the use of any hard volume control buttons you have on your laptop, and volume is controlled either via the speaker itself, or through your control panel. Again, the workaround is to not use the USB cable and connect from your computer's headphone out into the auxiliary input, but that requires an extra cable in addition to the USB or AC cable, which defeats half the purpose of USB speakers. A good buy to me. Well worth the money, but before buying you should be aware of the two issues stated above. If using headphones and hard volume controls are not that important to you, this is the ultimate buy.