Test Setup
There are two environments which we test the Altec Lansing MX5021: the computer workstation, and the home theater. In each location, we run a batch of subjective listening tests consisting of music, video games, and movies.
Computer Setup
| Motherboard | DFI Infinity NF2 Ultra |
| CPU | AMD Athlon XP3200+ |
| RAM | 2x256MB Corsair PC3200 TwinX Platinum Series |
| Sound Processor | nVIDIA SoundStorm |
| Audio Driver | v4.31 |
| Audio Output | Altec Lansing MX5021 Altec Lansing ACS54 (4.1 speakers) Sony MDR-CD270 headphones (digital reference, full seal) Athena Technologies Audition Series speakers (home theater) |
I realize that the nVIDIA SoundStorm is not the best sound processor to use, but hopefully it will produce some noticeable results for our purposes.
Music Selection
For this review, I selected a broad sample of music styles to give us a fuller picture of how the MX5021 performs. The following is a list of some of the albums/songs I listened to while testing these speakers.
| Alternative / Rock | Nine Inch Nails – Downward Spiral * The White Stripes – Elephant * |
| Pop | Dashboard Confessional – A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar * Evanescence – Fallen* U2 – All that You can’t Leave Behind * |
| Hip-Hop / Rap | Missy Elliott – This is Not a Test! * 50 Cent – Guess Who’s Back * |
| Electronica | Fatboy Slim – Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars * The Prodigy – Fat of the Land * |
| Trance | Airwave – Believe DJ Tiesto – In My Memory * |
| Classical | Bizet – Carmen Mozart – Eine kleine Nachtmusik |
| Jazz | Diana Krall — The Look of Love * John Coltrane — Blue Train * |
| Misc | Garden State — Original Soundtrack * Lush — Split * Samsung Chillout Sessions Vol. 2 |
Movie Selection
For selecting movies, I picked Finding Nemo, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and Lost in Translation. Each of these movies have their own specialty: Finding Nemo excels at positional audio and ambient sound, The Two Towers for action effects, and Lost in Translation for dialog and artistic expression.
Game Selection
To test gaming, I used Doom 3, Unreal Tournament 2004, and Freelancer. I also tested using two THX certified games: Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Need For Speed: Underground.
controller required urgently
Thank you so much for providing photos of the cables and speaker wire. I am missing one of the cables and I had no idea what to look for. You have saved me hours of guesswork!