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Posted: September 30th, 2001
Written by: Tuan Huynh
Summing things up..
Performance:
[9/10]
The ADA890 performed as expected for a speaker system coming form Altec Lansing. Gaming and music performance was very good. DVD performance was good, but since new movies are starting to feature a DTS sound track and the ADA890 can’t decode DTS audio, we have to deduct some points for performance.
Innovation
[9/10]
Altec Lansing took their existing design of the ADA885 and improved on it significantly. This time listening to their customers they’ve created a great overall speaker system. For a 4.1 speaker system, the built in Dolby Digital decoder is a first that I’ve seen. The wireless remote is handy if you plan on sitting back away from the speakers. Uniquely shaped connections are definitely innovative and are a first I’ve seen on a speaker system. Shaping all the connectors makes installation pretty much idiot proof.
Installation and Setup
[10/10]
Color coding and differently shaped connectors, need I say more?
Price
[8/10]
For nearly the same price as the Klipsch Pro Media 4.1’s you can get the ADA890s’ which feature a built in Dolby Digital decoder that the Pro Media 4.1’s lack. The ADA890 sounds as good as the Pro Media 4.1’s with the added ability of a virtual center channel as well as wireless remote. The MSRP for the ADA890’s are $350 but they can be had for $279 at CompUSA, occasionally CompUSA will offer rebates and the ADA890’s can be had for $200 USD.
Analysis and Conclusion
For only $279 you can get a THX certified PC speaker system that performs very good overall. They sound very good for a 4.1 speaker system whether you are gaming or watching movies. The ADA890’s are in fact the exact same speaker system Dell has been bundling with their THX Certified P4 computer system. The ADA890 is definitely worth looking at if you are in the market for a new PC speaker system. If you are anti Klipsch and looking for a system that performs as well as the Pro Media’s 4.1, look no further then the ADA890’s. The ADA890 offers more features then the Pro Media 4.1’s such as built in Dolby Digital decoder and wireless remote. Overall the system sounds amazing and really worth looking into if you are serious about buying new speakers and have quite a few dollars to spend.
Overall Rating: [9/10]
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