sounds like a dry joint/loose connection issue esp if it starts working after you have given it a few thumps, whacks or kicks!

This post has been edited by wongpeter: Feb 16 2011, 12:13 PM

agree

if you got soldering skills... you can refresh those dry solder and it'll work

Cool altec lansing thread. I've been using altec lansing since I have my windows 98 which is the ACS45.1, now still using it on my windows Xp.

Later change to MX5021 black. Love the woofer. I also got VS4121 on my other pc.

I don't know why but I love Altec Lansing's design. a bit squarish yes but not so round-ish and futuristic which I like.

yeah, will try it later. thanks for the information.

ACS65 user here.. still work... Don't know how many years already

Anyone experience repairing VS4121 right satellite cable port..?
mine had broken wire, i need to cut the wire n do rework on da port..

Any mx5021 user experiencing problem with turning up and down the volume??

Cheapest speaker BXR 1121 report in!

No problems at all (i have two MX5021)

Yep no problem so far. Only my remote battery was the first to run out.

ADA885 user here =D

Altec no any keng speaker edi? i see all those cheap cheap i dun like =P

I must say this product ACS 45.1 must have made it to the hall of fame for one of the longest serving product for the PC... more than 10 years and still running.... and still users reporting in for it and not shy about it!!!!!


My intermittent subwoofer problem was "fixed" with help from beggarmaster2000 to identifying the dry solder joint on the amp IC.

Still using it for my gaming machine... need low and loud sounds during explosion in games...


Somehow after that fix, even the intermittent power/volume switch problem also went away...

I must say, during that time, to design a speaker to use two buttons press to turn on the speaker was really "cool" .. but my preference is still a regular volume control / potentiometer...

I've open up the satellite speakers casing and find the speakers pretty heavy ...

I guess the two switch/volume buttons does take a lof of wear & tear during the last ten years...


Have anyone tried to mod the ACS 45.1 ( for the fun of it ) to change the power switch and volume control back to a regular on/off switch and potentiometer ?

I'm not sure how they wire it up the power switch / volume control ... I only see a bunch of wires coming from the subwoofer..

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Added on February 18, 2011, 2:00 amI think that companies like Altec , when they make such good quality speakers and sells them so low priced as PC multimedia speakers and it lasts so long, it is just bad for business cos no repeat customer orders... and higher manufacturing costs...

Since they built this "reputation", dunno why they went down the "high profit" paths using cheapo parts and such until everyone thinks Altec is a lousy PC speaker brand... except some higher priced speakers..

If they continue that path, I'm sure I would pay a little more if the speaker can last like 5 years or more... total value for money... like the ACS 45.1



This post has been edited by stan001: Feb 18 2011, 02:00 AM

True that. The only downside of my ACS 45.1 is that the colors are slowly turning yellow with the food-dirty hands pressing it and the foots that hanging on the edge of the woofer.

haha, mine only the control satellite is fading to yellow.... the rest still in white include the woofer, i cover the woofer by a towel and cheat my friend.....only the speaker so keng already hahaha...

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Added on February 18, 2011, 7:15 pm after open up the woofer and control satellite.... didn't found the dry solder... maybe my skill is too bad, perhaps can send to the electrician.

This post has been edited by stkong: Feb 18 2011, 07:15 PM

Heh lucky you. My woofer's front panel has one empty hole because the net koyak already. Hahah.

My volume controller always get jammed up and i have to unplug the wire and plug it back a few times to change volume

I open up the satellite speakers, there is just the speaker itself with 2 push buttons for on/off & volume control and wires to left & right speakers..

You case is like my case previously... the subwoofer "sometimes" works and "sometimes" no subwoofer sound at all..

After I took a high resolution pic of the PCB front & back and posted here, bm2000 pointed out to me that the solder joint is broken on the amp chip, probably due to the fact that the chip is on the large heatsink and the large heatsink is being vibrated by the subwoofer for the past 10 years...

Anything being vibrated for long period, surely those solder joint all lose and give u intermitted connections..


Pls post yr picture here, hope bm2000 sharp eyes can help to spot the dry solder joint..

i don't know if i'm any good help round here....
i'll never agree on anything stock condition heh.
lousy connectors, crappy volume controls, etc..
but then again... not really worth fixing/modding it unless you really MISS the counter strike sound =)

How to seperate the "R" & "L" speaker wires, power-controlling wires from the all-in-one 5-pin cable of Altec Lansing ACS 45.1? I'd really want to make them all independent as the initial modification. Thanks in advance!

Looking for a new set of speakers to replace my >5 years old Altec Lansing 221. Budget around RM200-400. Any good recommendations?