Sony ALT-SA32PC Speaker System 2.0

Overall, the reason I bought this set was because I was drawn in by the wireless feature of this system. It ultimately delivers on this aspect, but the product does have some shortcomings. Here are some pros and cons

PROS
- GREAT price offered on Amazon(one of the biggest pros…I think if you buy it from [...] Buy it is probably $250.
- The wireless speakers are pretty attractive and have a nice sleek, polished look
- Relatively easy to set up – if you just want to play from your PC directly
- Wireless signal is great; I put one upstairs in my room and there was no interference

CONS
- speaker quality is mediocre; namely, the bass power on these guys is weak – but it is expected. However, as long as your house isn’t too large, the sound should travel well enough
- In order to play your iTunes playlists directly off the components themselves, need to spend some time setting up the system. Even when you do, the interface isn’t really isn’t as straightforward to use as I would have liked.
- Power outlets for each speaker unit are pretty large (minor)

Overall, decent product, but definitely not perfect; you get what you pay for!

It is really nice to be able to walk around in my large apartment and hear my music! This is a really great item and easy to use. If you were like me, push the transmitter cartridge hard into the back, otherwise you’ll think it’s broken and doesn’t work!
I really like this system and just bought another pair of wireless speakers that plug into the wall.
I would definetely recommend, the setup was so easy!

Before purchasing these, I was skeptical of their performance having had bad experiences with analog transmission systems. The quality of the transmission of this product is exceptional, however. I have a large 3600 sq ft, three level, house and the signal easily reaches all corners, including the garage. There is no interference from common noise sources like the microwave ovens, etc. I also agree with all the comments of the reviewer who said they look great but lack base response. I don’t suffer too much from this deficiency listening to mostly jazz, soft-rock and classical. Considering a price of 100 bucks for two speakers, two remotes and the transceiver- I can’t really complain about anything. In fact, I just ordered a second set!

I was pretty confused on what I was going to be receiving in this package. Here’s what you get -

- One AIR-PC10T wireless audio transmitter for PC. This is a USB dongle that plugs into your computer, and transmits audio from your computer.

- Two AIR-SA50R wireless speakers. Each of these units contains actually has two speakers in it, and each one by itself puts out stereo audio.

- Two EZW-RT10A wireless transceivers. These are small rectangular things. You insert one of them into the back of each AIR-SA50R wireless speaker. This is what receives the audio from the AIR-PC10T transmitter.

- one AIR-PCST1 cradle for the AIR-PC10T USB transmitter dongle. You can plug your USB transmitter dongle into this rather than directly into your PC. It has a cable which can be plugged into the USB port on your computer.

- two RM-ANU065 remote controllers plus batteries. Each one of these controls one of the AIR-SA50R wireless speakers.

- one CD-ROM containing the S-Air Cast software. This enables you to control PC audio playback software from the AIR-SA50R speaker, or from its remote.

The sound quality is about as good as can be expected for speakers this small. If you want better speaker quality, you can get an S-AIR receiver that connects to your home audio system via RCA jacks.

The range of the transmitter is good but certainly not great – it might be comparable to a wifi signal. If you are having trouble getting a wifi signal to certain parts of your house, you will also have difficulty transmitting your PC audio that far with the AIR-PC10T transmitter.

These Altus S-AIR systems have been discontinued by Sony, in favor of HomeShare components like the NAS-SV20i – which looks very similar to the AIR-SA50R, except the AIR-SA50R lacks an Ipod dock. Because of this the Sony S-AIR products are being sold very inexpensively right now.

Right now I’m simply using the speakers for playback of internet radio, together with an otherwise idle laptop – it made more sense to me to pay $99 for these speakers than to pay a lot more for something like a Logitech Squeezebox.

For those interested, I’m 27, have a degree in computer science and am somewhat of an audiophile in the sense that I’ll spend what it takes to get “good” sound. However, I’m also pretty reasonable and I wouldn’t ever expect a wireless speaker set to outperform a wired 5.1 sound system.

Like everyone else, I wanted a speaker solution that would allow me to listen to music in multiple rooms without running any wire; namely, something to listen to while I cleaned my place or had get togethers with friends. Back in 2004 I bought some wireless headphones and overall, I was extremely dissapointed. Until now I’ve avoided all wireless-dependent hardware when it comes to sound. When it came to this product however, I was more than pleased.

1. The look.
Each speaker looks refined and current. The touch-sensative buttons are about as responsive as it gets and everything from changing tracks (yes you can change tracks from any given unit) to setting the time is intuitive and easy to do. Sony gives you a remote control with each unit and those, also, look clean and refined.

2. The performance.
These speakers won’t blow you away with bass, but the sound is excellent – not just for a wireless speaker system, but for any speaker system. If you’ve ever had your car’s stock stereo system replaced with a new deck and new speakers, that’s how good these sound. Now unlike that car stereo system, you can’t add an amp and a subwoofer with these, so you’ll never reach that potential with these speakers, but they sound good. Also worth noting is that I tested a newly setup system of 4 speakers and when the songs are playing, paused, stopped, etc, I don’t hear any static coming out of them. This is important to me and pretty impressive that it’s accomplished here.

3. The ability.
The software installs on windows vista just fine, although I’m not sure about windows 7. I also can’t vouch for whether or not it takes over your primary speakers becasue I installed it on a 10 year old HP I had laying around and set that up for a dedicated music player. The software is very clear with each step and the setup was a breeze (less than 5 minutes from start to finish). Now, here’s where it gets even better. After allowing it access to your iTunes program, each individual unit can control your library. Next, Previous, Pause, Stop, every unit has direct control over itunes. Have speakers upstairs and you’re about to head out of the house? Pick up the remote (or walk over to the unit downstairs) and hit stop and all the speakers stop playing music. This makes sense but I’ve never seen a system that accomplishes it so seamlessly.

4. The price.
I don’t think I can list exactly what I paid in a review, but lets just say it was way below retail. I believe Sony is coming out with some new wireless speakers (newer model of these) and I’d encourage anyone with even intermediate knowledge of computers to pick these up over the newer models. I can’t imagine the newer models will sound any better and besides the physical differences (appearance of the unit), the only real difference I can see is in the software – i.e. being able to control your playlist from an iPod touch.

5. Last thoughts.
If you’re wondering, I’ve paired 4 units with on transmitter – which is as simple as turning the unit on and flipping the switch to “channel” A, B or C. I’d imagine the number of speakers you can pair are infinite. I also have a wireless n usb network card operating on the 2.4ghz band that sits about 5 ft away from the transmitter and haven’t experienced any problems with either so far.

I’m very pleased and if you’re paying the bargain price on these, they’re the exception to the “you get what you pay for” rule. These are almost worth their retail price, but on sale, you just can’t beat it.

I purchased a refurbished set of these from Computer Geeks for approx 90 dollars (included shipping)……….They were packaged and appeared to be brand new…
Easy installation to our PC and the sound quality is excellent………….Would highly recommend these to anyone looking for PC wireless speakers

Added speakers to the Sony Ipod docking station w/wireless subwoofer. Totally enhanced the sound quality of the docking system by adding rear channel speakers with seperate wireless remote volume controls. WIth the S-Air technology I moved the speakers throughout the house with no problem. Basically, leave your base unit stationary and place the speakers where ever you want. Speakers are heavy duty, with small remotes, and sound quality nice.

BTW – I have Bose and Kenwood systems so I’m impartial to brand.