Logisys Alien Sp6000: Weird Name For Great Sound By Alexsandralyn on May 28, 2008 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

I pulled my brand new Logisys Alien SP6000 multimedia speakers out of the packaging, and true to the bizarre product name, the concert make-up of Kiss has been artistically immortalized on plastic casings. But I chose the silver model instead of the black model because the silver model matched better with my silver and black Compaq desktop computer. And the overall design of the Logisys Alien was generally more attractive to me than the other 2.1 multimedia speaker models in this price range.

Maybe the manufacturers think I'm a home electronics set-up guru that I would no longer need elementary, step-by-step instructions for putting the red plug into the red jack. But I spent an hour this morning trying to figure out WHICH red jack to put the red plug into, Audio Input or Audio Output, and on the sound card or on the subwoofer? And where do the two black speaker plugs fit when there are only red or white subwoofer jacks? The miniaturized wiring diagram that was sent with the speakers was not helpful when I'm trying to avoid wearing my prescription bifocals until I've turned 95. I have to be able to see that wiring diagram while I'm holding it at arm's length and pretending I'm still 20 years old while I rock to my favorite music. Don't think my own vanity has no marketing value when I'm appraising a new product; cater to my pretensions of youth and brilliance if you want to receive a stellar recommendation from me. Consequently, I discovered that there are half a dozen wrong ways to wire up two 4" speakers and a 12" subwoofer to my computer's sound card to ensure that I will get NO sound whatsoever out of these brand new speakers. (Actual speaker and woofer component size are 2.5" and 4" respectively.)

But the sound quality that comes out of these inexpensive, digital surround sound speakers more than makes up for the frustration of trying to figure out how to wire them up correctly. As I write this, the drumsticks beat against my chest while the thrumming bass guitar vibrates the top of my desk, a hi-fi stereo experience of musical depth and richness that I was sorely missing from my tiny, tinny JBL monitor-mounted speakers.

There are only three control buttons to play with on the front of the subwoofer to adjust the sound quality: Volume, Treble and Bass. Turning the volume all the way up to sing to my favorite Beatles' songs does not distort the sound quality, even when the Bass is turned all the way up. But there are no gauge markings on the control buttons, so I won't be immediately aware if my preferred volume and sound control settings have been played with by a curious toddler or a nearly deaf teenager. A blue LED light on the front of the subwoofer will indicate that the speakers are On, however, the On/Off button is inconveniently located on the back of the subwoofer beneath all of the speaker wires. And there is no earphone jack alternative on these speakers, so all of my neighbors will have to suffer with my preferences in music when my windows are open this summer.

But after spending the last several hours at my desk with my eyes closing subconsciously whenever a melody moves me, bobbing my head like Stevie Wonder while I luxuriate in the sound and feel and passions of my favorite songs, playing the air drums over the top of my computer monitor for a particularly invigorating desk jockey exercise, I can't give anything but a great recommendation for these Logisys Alien SP6000 multimedia speakers. This was exactly the kind of music experience that I was looking for when I ordered them.