To understand the significance of the ADA series, one must first understand the pedigree of the manufacturer. Altec Lansing was not a startup; they were the architects of the "Voice of the Theatre," the standard for cinema sound in the mid-20th century. When they turned their attention to the consumer PC market, they brought with them a philosophy of acoustic integrity that was rare in an industry then dominated by tinny, generic beige boxes. The ADA series was the culmination of this philosophy applied to the digital age.
The flagship of this line, the , released in the late 1990s, remains a cult classic among audiophiles and retro-computing enthusiasts. The system was unique for its "Side-Firing" geometry. Unlike standard desktop speakers that fired directly at the user, the ADA305’s satellites utilized drivers mounted on the sides of the cabinets. This design was not aesthetic but functional; by bouncing sound off walls and room boundaries, the ADA305 created a soundstage that was significantly wider than the physical placement of the speakers. In an era before true 5.1 surround sound systems became affordable for the average consumer, the ADA305 offered a pseudo-surround experience that was nothing short of revolutionary for gaming and early DVD playback. altec lansing ada