Altec Lansing Expressionist Bass: A Short Review

Multimedia audio product developer Altec Lansing needs little introduction to the tech-savvy TECHNOMINDZ reader. The company has been churning out one fantastic product after another for the better part of 70 years. So when Altec Lansing presented a new solution to traditional woes, we just had to sit up and take note.

The FX3022 Expressionist BASS, attempts to do just this -- that is, by providing all the bass in half the space. The speaker system's unique offering lies in the integration of two 4-inch subwoofers to the bottom of the actual units -- a move that effectively eliminates the need for a separate subwoofer (hence the space saving argument). How successful is it in achieving its goal? Let's break it down, shall we?




First off, the actual unit isn't exactly compact. We attribute this to the fact that the Expressionist BASS aims to provide all the oomph in a single package, of course. Bottom line? Instead of giving up floor space, you might have to sacrifice a bit of desktop space instead (still less than a 2.1 system would, but it does eat up space where people can see). If that sits well with you, then this shouldn't be a problem at all.

Next, the speakers do deliver on its promise of providing the low-end thump a lot of us find ourselves addicted to. Nice. We do have beef with the amount of power, however. This is because the speakers do not have the requisite low-end level adjustment. At times, this leads to the crisp mids and highs being drowned out (depending on the recording). A shame, really, since the speakers would actually delivered the famed Altec Lansing balance of clarity and power were we provided with a little more instant control.

What's my take on it? The Altec Lansing FX3022 Expressionist BASS speakers are the perfect toys for people addicted to bass, which is what they had advertised in the first place. Gamers, we'd imagine, would knock themselves silly with them.

However, if you still feel the need to every now and then adjust the levels of balance between highs and lows, we suggest you stick to the traditional 2.1 setups. Now, if you are interested in those, we can talk about a lot of other Altec Lansing products that fit the bill.