The down-firing secret weapon
The real treat in Altec Lansing's FX3022 is found at the bottom of each speaker in the form of a 4in down-firing subwoofer driver - each providing a power output of nine watts. The idea, of course, is to provide enough low-frequency oomph to be able to match a 2.1 solution with a dedicated subwoofer.
On paper, the combination of two 1.5in full-range drivers at 3.5 watts per channel and two 4in subwoofer drivers at 9 watts per channel seems a promising solution - providing a total power output of 25 watts RMS.
Each speaker carries a frequency response of 200Hz - 16kHz, and each subwoofer is rated at 40Hz - 200Hz. The total system response, at 40Hz - 16kHz, indicates a reasonable if not jaw-dropping range of lows and highs. The specified amplitude tolerance of +/- 10dB, however, could be a concern.
Aside from audio specifications, there is only one other feature worth noting - a single auxiliary input, allowing for the connection of a secondary audio source such as a portable media player or games console.
General features, sadly, are what the FX3022 sorely misses. There are no buttons for common functions such as mute, and the biggest omission, we feel, is the lack of dedicated controls for bass and treble.
We've seen what's on offer, now let's have a listen.