Taking a closer look at the speakers we can see they are nice and small (3.2" W x 2.3" D x 7" H) so tucking them away will not be a problem. If you actually want to hide them is up to you though because they are not exactly an eyesore. The speakers do not use replaceable speaker cable so you will be stuck using the included lengths, which means you only have some much to work with and cannot add your own cable if you want to place them further away. Another downside is that wall mounts are not included, though Altec will send you some if you request them. For the price of this speaker system I really would have liked to see the use of replaceable speaker cable, included wall mounts, and maybe even removable grills on the speakers, these are all things that came with my Logitech Z-560 system about three years ago.
The next part of the speaker system is control pod, a small device tethered to the subwoofer. This can be used as an alternative to the remote control when the user wants to make an adjustment. As stated earlier, the pod looks cool, but is somewhat confusing and is not very precise. The remote is really the best way control the FX5051 system.
The heart of the product is the subwoofer cabinet. As with other computer speaker systems, this is where the amplifier and subwoofer are placed and it has the panel to which the speakers are connected. Once everything joins up here a few cable can be run to the computer (one to the USB and then the speaker jacks). Also on this panel are an auxiliary input, which can be used for a device like an iPod or CD player, the switch which determine 2/4 or 6 channel mode, and the DIN input for the control pod.
Looking at the subwoofer cabinet we can see two things. First of all, it looks pretty cool. If you view it just right you can see the upside down subwoofer through the grill. The other thing consumers should note is that the cabinet is nice and small ( 9.8" W x 9.8" D x 13.3" H), especially considering that there are two 6.5" cones crammed in there.