Altec Lansing VS3121 2.1 Speaker System

Sorry to say, this system is not up to Altec Lansing quality. It DOES hiss... even when the power switch is turned OFF!! Altec Lansing blames it on my house wiring being 60hz. DUH... all house wiring in the USA is 60hz, and nothing else buzzes or hisses!Anybody recommend a fairly descent 2.1 speaker system? Not looking for great sound at this price, but sheesh, it shouldn't make noise even when turned off!

I bought these years ago and like everyone else found the hissing noise intensely annoying when everything is switched off. I contacted Altec Lansing after a week and told them that the system must be live even though it is powered off and they just said to contact the dealer. Well, the dealer got them in specially for me, so I didn't want to do that. Anyway, the sound is great, with deep bass and chippy treble. You just have to unplug them every night. I have just connected Bowers and Wilkins MM1s to my computer, what a difference, fab sound and total silence when there is no input!

I bought these speakers for my boyfriend. My daughter has a set of Altec Lansings and she highly recommended them. They really pack a punch! My boyfriend hooked them up and they sound like a very expensive or high end set of speakers. We have yard parties all the time in the summer and he was adjusting the level to see how far he could raise the level without blaring out all the neighbors and all he could turn them up was about 1/4 notch!!For anyone with a tight pocketbook....these speakers ROCK!!

least 5 Altec Lansings ( on many types ). However this is one of the OLDEST and yet one of the best (Consider I had this VS3121 set for 10 years ( yes, a whopping DECADE !).OK guys, the hissing when volume turned down is simply becos' there is NO built-in power cut-out switch for this unit. Yes, only way to stop hissing is unplug unit when NOT in use !How do you know ? As long as the li'lle green light is lighting in the front of the black control box , this Unit will YET Remain Powered and trust me will continue to drain your $$ + juice while hissing like a ghost in a silent room !!! (sorry tried to load photos but failed today - will try later)My solution for hissing > I have wired this unit across a small separate power strip, which I can turn on-off ad lib when not in use.The one shown in photo is Going strong yet except,1. a sight hissing sound when turning volume knob up or down to full ( a minor issue I guess from usage of knob for 10 yrs which does NOT affect music though)2. the SFX black button on top of control box, got jammed a year ago in the engaged (short) position but does not affect sound for me too muchDespite this two minor glitches from wear the sound is overall great .The 2 tweeters apiece on the two side speakers shoot rich nuances of drum symbols and rides, plus the Sub Woofer gives rich bass with very great sounds yet after 10 yrs !

they were at a good price, but i guess you get what you pay for. they continually buzzed, the sound quality was poor, they actually picked up a local radio station that you could hear under the buzzing even when the computer was off! I would pay a little more and get speakers you would be happy with. I returned them and I plan on getting something better soon.

My biggest complaint about this is the distortion in the satellite speakers. I did a frequency sweep and the little speakers are basically expected to produce all but the very lowest freuencies. So there is distortion.It picks up all kinds of electrical noise including my cell phone (digital noise).The bass can boom but this might be speaker placement. There is some hiss. The volume knob clicks on and off but the unit doesn't ever go off.It's not an idle threat, I will never buy Altec Lansing again. I thought they were a good brand. Whoever designed this should be pistol-whipped.

Others have their opinions, but I was looking for a speaker system that looked nice and sounded good. It does both. I guess if you are looking for something more high end then this is not the speaker for you.

loud hissing sound when plugged in... no matter where you plug in the bass speaker it hisses loudly.Also the little control box that lets you adjust the treble and bass is very very light weight so if you touch the box to adjust the sound it moves..you have to firmly grasp the box to adjust anything.JUNK, regret purchasing.