3DsoundSurge Reviews: Altec Lansing ATP3

Important Info:

Speakers By : Altec Lansing
Price : $99 SRP
Power Output: (30 watts RMS total)
Subwoofer: 18 watts RMS
Satellites: 6 watts RMS x 2
Frequency Response: 45Hz - 18kHz
Crossover: 150 Hz

Minimum/Recommended System Requirements

Sound card or other audio device with analog stereo output.

Reviewer PC:

Mikael
- Win98SE/Windows2000
- Duron 750
- 256MB PC100 ram
- GeForce DDR
- 6.4 GB Quantum SE
- Sound Blaster Live
- Terratec's DMX Xfire
- Philips Acoustic Edge

Specifications:

Drivers (per satellite): Two 28mm full range, One 3-inch mid/bass
Driver (subwoofer): One 6 1/2 inch long throw woofer
Frequency Response: 45 Hz - 18kHz
Satellite Power: 12 Watts RMS @ 1% THD
Subwoofer Power: 18 Watts RMS @ 1% THD
Input Impedance: >10K ohms
S/N Ratio: >70 dB
Built-in Power Supply Included
ETL/cETL approved

Features:

High quality, high performance three-piece system delivers powerful audio playback
Two dynamic microdrivers in each satellite deliver all the power and performance of a larger speaker
Down-firing 3-inch mid/bass driver reproduces low-end frequencies for full, rich sound
Speakers are magnetically shielded to prevent monitor interference
Powered wooden subwoofer extends the low frequency response for realistic sound
Separate controls for master volume, bass and treble provide flexibility in sound mix
Slim profile design complements flat screen monitors perfectly

Altec Lansing is one of the most famous multimedia speaker manufactures and has won numerous awards for their speakers in the past including some from us here at 3DsoundSurge. Most of these awards have been for the systems in Altec Lansing’s ACS series with the most famous in the series being the now quite old ACS48. Pretty much all in the series use the same design for the satellites as the ACS48 with the notable difference being lack of a separate tweeter.

The system we will test in this review, the ATP3, is really the first in a new series with clearly different design (at least visually) that targets the same market and also the first since the ACS48 where the satellites are not just using a single midrange driver. It’s also one of very few systems in the multimedia market that we know of that includes 3 drivers in each satellite (the Labtec APX4620 and Harman MultiMedia's SoundSticks being two other examples which use 3 or more drivers/satellite). This comes in form of a standard midrange driver and the new, if we should believe Altec Lansing, revolutionary Micro driver technology (the just mentioned SoundSticks also use Micro Drivers, in that case 4/satellite). In addition to the 3 drivers in the satellites you will find a 6.5” woofer in the subwoofer cabinet together with the amplifier. The SRP of the system is $100, which puts it at the exact same price point as the SoundWorks Digital 2.1 and slightly below the ACS48. In this review we will see if the ATP3 only offers a unique design that’s visually appealing or if it also offers sound quality beyond the ACS series. We will not be able to say how it compares to the ACS48 but we will compare it to several other systems including Altec Lansing’s 4-speaker system ACS56 and Labtec’s Edge-418. Altec Lansing has also released a 4-speaker version in the new ATP series named ATP5 that retails for $200.