How loud do computer speakers need to be? I considered this question when hooking up the Expressionist UlTRA system from Altec Lansing. After all, my Marshall bass amp sits behind my computer desk, and not even that is 200 watts (although, yes, it should be). When working at my desk, the computer speakers are about two feet from my head. Surely I don’t need 200 watts pumping music and game audio from that short distance…or do I?

One of our favorite things to do each year at Macworld Expo is to wander the show floor with no agenda other than to see what we can find. Many of the venders are the same each year, using the expo as a time to launch variations of similar products. That’s fine, but it really starts to get fun when you stumble upon the booth of a hardware or software developer happy to demonstrate something you’ve never seen before. Here are three such finds.

A nice addition to Sonos’ lineup of speakers and audio streaming devices, the ZonePlayer S5 wireless music system comes in a simple, one unit form factor that can be controlled through a free iPhone application. This device is meant to simply be placed in a room, quickly set up, and then used to stream the user’s audio from its source to that room (or rooms). The best part? That’s exactly what it does.

LaCie has been known to look outside the company for product design, and the Sound2 is no exception. The design seems to reflect a 45RPM record minus the label, or perhaps a giant pair of headphones. Kind of cool, really, but I can’t recommend speakers based on looks alone. You’ll get adequate audio out of the Sound2, but at $99, you’ve heard better.

This may not sound right, but when it comes to reviewing computer speakers, I take the same approach as I do with iPhone cases. There’s a balance to be achieved. With iPhone cases, it’s design, functionality and protection. With computer speakers, it’s design, functionality and sound, but tipping heavily towards sound. Altec Lansing understands this. Always have.

Like every single other person on the planet, I’ve got an iPod. I’ve got nearly 4,000 songs on it. I can listen to them anywhere, but what if I’m moving around the house, getting things done? What if multiple people want to hear what I’m playing? Do I have to carry around a speaker dock? Buy more than one? No. Not with the Eos Wireless iPod Speaker System.

Reviewing Altec Lansing speakers is generally an exercise in superfluousness, because you know they’re going to sound great. The question with each product is how accessible it is, and whether it’s worth the price. So, we’ll drive towards that with the Expressionist Bass speaker system, the main distinction of which is the inclusion of a downward firing subwoofer in each speaker.

Have you ever purchased something that changed your life? I wouldn’t be surprised to hear a large portion of you answering that question with the following products: an iPod, an iPhone and of course, your first Mac. I’ve found another product that you can add the list of products that improved your life: the Focal XS 2.1 speaker set.

Are you waiting until the last minute?

Here are some ideas for the Macintosh owner close to your heart this Christmas.

Check them out after the break.

The name Hercules comes with certain expectations. Personally, I think of two things: shiny, bare-chested, overdubbed dudes and this giant pinball machine at Cedar Point with a pool ball for a pinball. It’s kind of a negative connotation, now that I consider it, as the Hercules movies were always pretty bad, and the Hercules pinball machine was never really that fun to play. So, was the Hercules XPS 2.1 50 Speaker Kit also a let down? Not really, but it’s not exactly a champion of speaker systems, either.

Full review past the break.