Installation and Unlocking Tip
Installation for the Orbit could not be easier! Just one step:  plug it in. Since this is a product is supported on Windows XP and later, the OS should automatically detect them and install the drivers automatically without any downloading.

Actually, I found it quite surprising and refreshing that I didn’t need to install anything to get the Orbit to work. Having just built a new desktop system for myself and experiencing a lot of issues with it, hardware that works out of the box is a joy for me.

C-Media USB Audio – Unlocking Your Orbit

Now this is something I stumbled upon by chance. I connected the Orbit to one of my systems and it began using the C-Media 8738 / 9738 drivers previously installed for a different USB device. What makes this so interesting is that C-Media’s software allows you to tweak the audio quality of the USB device to give improved sound through DSP and 3D effects. By adjusting this software, you can actually get sound that appears larger and more enveloping.

Altec Lansing Orbit - Mobile Speakers Redesigned - Mobile 11
The Altec Lansing running C-Media 8738 software.

So if you’re considering buying the Orbit, be sure to try this out and see if you can get the audio sounding even better. Funny that Altec Lansing doesn’t reveal this anywhere, so consider this an exclusive tip on PC Perspective.

For this review, I do not use the C-Media software to adjust any settings as this isn’t how the Orbit is sold to customers.

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