Speakers of the House (and the Office)

Universal Appeal

Two speakers sets--the Microsoft Digital Sound System 80 and the Altec Lansing ADA70--don't use a sound card at all; they connect to the PC using the USB. The all-digital connection not only does away with ugly sound-card hookup hassles, but it also promises cleaner audio quality as well. The speakers convert digital signals into analog sound at the speaker housing, instead of inside the CPU case, where a flood of stray signals from the CPU and other components can distort audio signals. But while audio fidelity can theoretically be higher, I found that neither USB speaker set could match the Altec Lansing ACS48 in any area of performance.

Minor glitches plagued these USB speakers. I sometimes had to reboot my computer to get them to work. And when I scanned a document on a USB scanner during game play, the speakers produced pops or pauses, likely due to crowding on the bus--a bad omen for anyone who expects to use lots of USB peripherals. Fortunately, I was able to plug both speakers into a standard line-out jack on a sound card. Because of USB's limited bandwidth, these products are best suited for business use, though both come with audio presets that you can adjust to optimize frequency response for specific types of sound, whether it's bass-heavy gaming or treble-tickling jazz music.

Of the two, the $150 Altec Lansing ADA70 set is a better fit for business users, who should like its performance on both MIDI and .wav files. And gamers will get a kick out of the terrific subwoofer, the same model as on Altec Lansing's top-ranked ACS48. While I liked the additional front-panel controls for treble, bass, and volume, I found that the satellites lacked punch. Even cranked full up, the speakers failed to rattle my bones during Jedi Knight. The 3D effects are adequate, but you'll find better in systems like the ACS48 and Microsoft's Digital Sound System 80.

SUMMARY

Altec Lansing ADA70 B $150 street Altec Lansing Technologies 800/258-3288 www.altecmm.com

SUMMARY

Microsoft Digital Sound System 80 B $260 street (before $50 rebate) Microsoft 800/426-9400 www.microsoft.com/speakers