Altec Lansing = teh suck?

[SpaceDrake]

A good while ago, my Altec Lansing speakers gave out on me after not even a year of use, and from what I've been hearing from friends that was to be expected. However, moi parents (who got the 2.1 speaker system as a Christmas gift in 2001) are saying that they'd never "buy crap." (At least my mom says so. ) I just want to verify: Altec Lansing is generally crap, yes?

(And yes, I did mean to say "teh" suck. They're don't just suck, they're not just the suck. By my estimation they are TEH suck. This is all about justifying the expense of a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz, by the way. As it stands the mother is threatening to send the thing back to Newegg even if I finally get off my lazy ass and get a job to pay back the $60 this summer.)