The computer appeared many years ago. The first computers date back in the 1940's and they were really big and unpractical. But in time the technology evolved so much more, and nowadays we have state of the art laptops with very small dimensions and high technology included. The people also wanted to hear what the computer is showing on the screen. So they attached speakers to the computers. First there were some small speakers situated on the main board, but in time appeared the computer speakers and systems. There are many audio equipment producers today, and one of them is Altec Lansing.

It is among the biggest producers in the whole world, and also the oldest. It has a big history behind which begins from the 1920's. It was founded when two audio equipment producers joined forces : The Aletec Corporation and Lansing Manufacturing Company. It is building good quality speakers for more than 80 years now, so you can be sure that you will be satisfied with a Altec Lansing product. Either if you are interested in computer speakers, home cinema systems, iPhone and iPod speakers or headphones you can find all of them in the company's offer. It has expanded all over the world so you will find Altec Lansing factories or stores in many big cities from different countries, or you can buy it's products directly on the Internet.

One of the most famous and demanded products of the company is the Altec Lansing 251 5.1 Surround Sound computer speaker. It is a versatile audio system made especially for a great gaming experience. If you are a big fan of gaming, and you are using some classic stereo speakers, there are many sensations that you will miss. For example the feeling of bullets flying by your head, a bird singing in front of you or an enemy monster attacking you from behind. The games today are really complex and they come with an advanced surround sound. So what is the point of buying a new and expensive game, if you can't take full advantage of it's great sounds. That's why you must have a 5.1 speaker system and an appropriate sound card.

As you may know there are three kind of audio systems, based on the number of speakers they have. First there are the 2.1 systems which have 2 small speakers and a satellite, the 5.1 systems (4 satellites, a centre speaker and a subwoofer) and 7.1 systems with 7 speakers and a subwoofer. The most common among the users, is the one situated in the middle, that is the 5.1 system. The Altec Lansing 251 is also a system of this kind and it features 4 satellites, a centre channel which in this case has the same size as the satellites, and a small but powerful subwoofer.

If you are interested in the technical specifications, here they are:

-         Total System Power: 90 Watts (45 Watts RMS)

-         60 Watts Total Continuous Power RMS (2 x 6.5 W / Front; 2 x 7.2 W / Rear; 7.6 W / Center; 25 W / Sub)

-         Frequency Response: 35 Hz - 18 kHz

-         Signal to Noise Ratio @ 1 kHz input: > 70 dB

-         Crossover Frequency: 150 Hz

-         System THD (distortion): < 0.5 % THD at - 10 dB full-scale input voltage

-         Input Impedance: > 10 k ohms.

Included in the box you will also have a phono adaptor, which will be helpful to connect the speakers to certain devices.

One of the best features for the Altec Lansing 251 computer speaker system is its subwoofer, that will never let you down during a game , a movie  or when playing loud music. Even if it seems small, it will bring 25 W of power directly at your feet. We say "at your feet" because it is recommended that you place the subwoofer under your desk. You must be really careful with the volume of the bass. Even though to you it may seem quiet, it can disturb and annoy your neighbors by making their windows vibrate when you are playing a powerful clubbing track. On the back of the subwoofer you will find the satellite speakers connector hub, the subwoofer volume control knob and the 6 channel/2-4 channel selector switch.

All the 6 speakers have a boxy shape, and they can be easily placed on a flat surface. But they also have some supplied stands which allow you to angle them slightly upwards, so the sound will go straight to your ears. The front right speaker has all the controls you need included. First there is the headphones jack, the volume controls for the center speaker, surround and master volume and finally the on / off switch button, with a green LED that indicates when the system is turned on.

All the other small speakers are stamped on the back with inscriptions like "center", "left front", "right rear" and so on, and this way you will be sure that you will have the correct placement of each speaker. Let's say that in a game someone will attack you from your behind, but if you have the rear speakers placed in front of you, you won't get the appropriate feeling.

The installation of the system is quite simple. First of all you must connect the power cable, because without electricity nothing can happen :) But of course you can do this last, but make sure you do it. After that you must connect the cable that connects the set to your soundcard, and you'll have just to respect the color coding. And finally you must connect all the speakers to the subwoofer. There is no place for mistakes, because each connector has its own color and shape, so you can't place it in the wrong jack.

After installing the system, and the appropriate drivers, all you have to do is enjoy the sound quality! The only thing you may not like at this system is the fact that it's made especially for games and will not bring you the best audio quality when listening to loud music. But if you are a  true gamer, you will love it! Especially that it comes at a very low price (somewhere around 100 american dollars). At this small price, what can you ask for more? It will bring you good music quality and great gaming and movie experience. The sound is clear and the bass is really powerful. After all, you will love it, and your neighbors will hate it! :)