Altec Lansing Music Speaker
by Altec Lansing Technologies
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Our Price: $56.99 Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days Buy Used: from $24.99 (click here) Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Altec Lansing Music Speaker
Customer Review: If you're not a monkey, YOU CAN TURN IT ON !
Summary: 5 Stars
This great iPod/iPhone speaker has gotten an undeserved bad rap, for being supposedly VERY difficult to turn on/off. Well, if you've got any...ANY...mechanical understanding and at least a small bit of motor control, then you too can turn this speaker on and off with very little effort.
Here's the most effective method for turning it on or off:
You need at least a little bit of "friction" from your fingers as they attempt to turn the top chrome ring of the speaker. I simply give a little tongue-lick to the parts of my thumb and fingers that will contact the chrome ring. This is NOT always necessary, but if your fingers are very smooth and dry you may need this slight moistening for friction. The additional thing you need to know is that you do NOT "squeeze" the chrome ring inward; you instead apply LIGHT and EVEN clockwise (or counter-clockwise) CIRCULAR force to the ring (again, do not "squeeze" inward). By "even" force, I mean equal, *LIGHT*, and *CIRCULAR* (either clockwise or counterclockwise) force around the ring, from all the gripping fingers.
Really, it's not difficult or complicated at all, you just need to use a DELICATE touch while you are experimenting until you get the "knack" of the technique I have just described. If you try to use "brute" force or strength you will be frustrated. The key is to use light, even, circular force with friction from your fingers! You can do it...YES YOU CAN! (although I am reluctant to use that phrase popularized by our moron Communist-in-Chief)
Anyway, as someone who owns ALL the incarnations of this Altec Lansing speaker line (the im237, the USB version, etc), I can say that the portability (it's the smallest!), the nice black-shiny-plastic-and-chrome appearance, and the SUPERB sound, makes this my favorite portable speaker to pair with my black 5.5 Gen iPod Video 80gb. And whereas some people criticize using the integrated chrome ring as an on/off switch, this is one of my favorite engineering features on this unit -- it's really an elegant and efficient way to operate the speaker! Other great features are the way you can tilt it on its side to "face" you directionally with the music, and the fact that this speaker is LOUD compared with most of the offerings from other manufacturers! I'm THRILLED I did not let the other reviews scare me off from this great product -- and it's a steal at the current price!
PS: The only small deficiencies to this product, are lack of a carrying pouch, and also some people will want the cable to be a bit longer. For just two or three dollars (shipping included) you can search Amazon or an online auction site (rhymes with She-bay) for an extension cable (search terms: "3.5 male female cable") that will give you plenty of length. As for a pouch, a simple zip-lock sandwich baggie will work; or if you want more protection you can find a padded drawstring pouch online, like the Zing Small Drawstring Pouch, available on Amazon for under $8 with available Free Shipping.
Customer Review: Just about perfect for its intended use!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have given 5 stars because the little Orbit is very well made and is outstanding for its intended use. Does it produce wall-shaking bass? No, but the sound is actually pretty rich for such a compact speaker, definitely not tinny or thin sounding. I really don't think it is fair for a reviewer to purchase a tiny speaker like this then downgrade it for lack of bass. If I am actively listening to music and want good bass, I use headphones, but I find that distracting if I am trying to read. So this little speaker will be great for providing some lower volume background music when I am reading. I love that is is small and feels sturdy enough to stand up to being thrown in a travel bag. The grill over the speaker is metal so it might get a little dented over time, but it shouldn't break like plastic would. Everything about this little speaker seems to have been designed for convenience and durability as a travel item. With that in mind let's look at some of the complaints some reviewers have raised.
On/Off - It is turned on and off by rotating the speaker grill. It is just a little stiff, but mine is nowhere near as hard as some have complained. I think it was a pretty good idea. Many times I have pulled a device out of my bag only to find that it had been turned on accidentally at some point and the batteries are dead. It would be very difficult for that to happen with this device.
Battery cover - I find it very easy. Just put your palm on it and rotate.
Integral/short cord - Some have complained that they would prefer a jack and separate, longer cord. Personally, I think the existing design is great. Again, remember it is a travel item. Think convenience. The short integral cord is always there. You cannot forget it. And since it wraps into its own little channel it is out of the way and cannot get tangled. As far as length, my primary use will be setting the speaker and my ipod on the bedside table or desk while I am reading. How long does the cord need to be? If I decide I want a longer cord I will grab a headphone extension cord.
No on-speaker volume control - So what?
I love the fact that it has a little flat at one spot so you can stand it up with the speaker facing you.
Customer Review: Fair
Summary: 4 Stars
I ordered this product because it was cheap and I wanted to mount it to my bike. I haven't done that yet, but I have gotten quite a bit of use out of it thus far.
I would say that this product is about what I had expected. It is simple to use and sounds pretty decent, once you get past the fact that it's not in stereo.
The bass response is appropriate for its size. That is to say, it has reasonably impressive range and volume, and I am happy to report that it is not over-driven like I was anticipating. The bass it delivers is well controlled and the driver is capable of producing it cleanly. Little or none of it sounds "artificial."
The midrange is well balanced and sounds natural. Commendable detail for being mono. Highs are generally agreeable. Only on a couple occasions had I wished that the very high end was more clear.
Overall, sound quality is impressive for a device as such. And a lot of the time you are listening to it, you'll forget it's only one speaker unless you are specifically listening for channel separation.
My only honest complaint is how difficult it can be to turn on. In order to power on the unit, you have to turn the exterior rim opposite the body. If you grasp too tightly, you'll make it harder for yourself. Try to use only enough pressure to get traction. All of that is to assume that all are like mine. It is possible that mine is a dud.
And although the lack thereof contributes to its simplicity, I would prefer the unit to have a separate volume control. As it is, the unit is either on or off, and you control the output by your connecting device. I think a volume control could save a little bit on battery and reduce some of the hiss when quiet sound is played.
I have not yet been able to test the battery life as mine is still going without missing a beat. I am confident, though, that it will live up to its 24 hour claim.
I recommend this product if you are looking for amplified sound to carry around and sound decent at the same time. I've used mine in the bathroom, the garage and the kitchen, and it always has the power to bring an enjoyable audio experience from such a small package.
Customer Review: Great sound; lousy construction
Summary: 3 Stars
I wish I would have browsed deeper into the reviews before purchasing this item because I wouldn't have gotten this particular model. The sound is great. No issues there. In fact, a friend has a mini ihome model and the Orbit outperforms that tinny little contraption like a Ferrari versus a Festiva. The Orbit does better with my ipod nano than my Sansa Clip...not in overall quality of the music but the volume. And there are occasional sputters now and then, but the design of pretty awesome. It's short and small enough to stash away in a pen drawer, the short cable wraps around quickly and without any hassles, so you're not constantly fiddling with loose wires.
So why the low score? The MAJOR problem is with its on/off switch. It's bad enough to bump it down for three stars for me, and even fewer stars for other reviews. I can't say I blame them either. The on/off switch is designed so that you twist the speaker grill clockwise or counterclockwise to turn the unit on and off. Well, nice concept except that it takes Hercules himself to accomplish it. Not only that, but the harder you try, the more you can feel the plastic unit groaning under the strain as you continue to try and push and pull it to the right spot. I don't forsee a long life for this speaker. Even the battery cover takes an act of god to remove. I couldn't do it by hand. I broke down and used some slanted pliers and finally popped it open, but you could clearly see the "tooth" indentations from the tool...that's how hard I had to twist. If the slant on the pliers hadn't covered so much surface area, I really think the plastic would have snapped off right in the middle.
Don't take my word for it though, just click on the one and three star reviews, or process the fact that Altec Lansing has changed the power button for their newest model. Financially, it's not worth the money and hassle to return this item [...], but when it breaks...which I am certain it will in the immediate future...I plan on getting the updated model.
Customer Review: A GREAT way to share your iPod or iPhone!
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great little speaker for it's intended purpose. In my case, I love listening to podcasts over my iPhone when traveling. Without headphones the iPhone's external speaker does OK, but is clearly not up to the task if you have to raise the volume in a hotel room.
Altec-Lansing to the rescue; the diminutive iM207 works flawlessly in this regard. All the previous reviews are correct -- it is unnecessarily challenging to load the batteries and turn the thing on and off and there is no glowing LED to confirm power status, nor is there any way to run the speaker from an AC source.
All that aside, the iM207 does a great job at reproducing podcasts -- or any other source where you're not looking for top-notch sound reproduction. Since I'm a bit of an "audiophile snob" I never listen to music via this speaker and always default to my high-end headphones for this purpose. Why? Well, the size dictates that there is no actual bass to speak of, the frequency range is limited (but well-suited to the human voice), and there is (of course) no stereo effect whatsoever.
Battery life seems to be good; so far I've used one set of AAA batteries (it takes 3) and have used the speaker for over 24 hours (in 2 hour bursts).
How would I improve the product? Well, it would be nice to have battery replacement and the on/off switch be both more intuitive and positively actuated. I'm not sure I need an LED to confirm the power status, given that I turn the speaker off while my iPhone is playing to confirm that I've switched it off completely. It would be nice, I think, to have a small case to protect the little guy when I toss it into my suitcase...
Beyond that, I think this is a great little speaker at a nice price, that does quite a good job when used appropriately. It does NOT go to eleven, but is, nonetheless, highly recommended!