Altec Lansing inMotion iM7 Portable Audio System for iPod (White)
by Altec Lansing Technologies
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List Price: 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 inMotion iM7 Portable Audio System for iPod (White)
Customer Review: iM7 is a poorly contructed unit
Summary: 1 Stars
I bought the Altec Lansing inMotion iM7 Portable Audio System as a present for my boyfriend. i decided to spend more money on a reputable company like Altec Lansing because i did not trust the many other no-name brand cheap mp3 docking stations. I spent over $200 with shipping and now have had multiple things break after only 1 year of use.
First, the automatically retractable cradle broke. Although the unit functions, the cradle no longer closes and leaves it looking very unsightly. When i looked inside, i saw that the cradle is held in by a small piece of very soft plastic, which no longer hooks only the back of the cradle. Although we were unhappy, the unit still worked so we continued to use it. Now the AC adapter no longer works. When the unit is plugged in, it does not charge the iPod nor turn the speakers on. I tried to use a universal adapter, but unfortunately the voltage and current requirements for the iM7 are so high that the universal adapter overheats after 1 hour of use.
I understand that the product only comes with a 1 year warranty, but it is ridiculous that such major problems would occur after only 1 year of infrequent usage. With such terrible quality issues on this iM7 maybe i should have gone with a cheap no-name brand.
Customer Review: Very good iPod speaker!
Summary: 5 Stars
I agonized over this decision for almost a month. I read every review I could find on the web. I visited several stores and listened to all of the 'top' models (Bose Sound Dock, Klipsch iGroove, Apple HiFi, Altec Lansing iM7). Ultimately, I would have to say that the Apple was the best sounding system available. However, the difference in the sound quality didn't seem substantial enough to justify the price difference. The iM7 costs less than half as much as the HiFi and sounds 90% as good. Besides, if, like me, you download most of your music from iTunes you are not getting 'HiFi' quality audio files to begin with (you don't get true CD quality audio at 128kbps).
After two days of playing around the iM7 I have to say that I am very happy with my decision. The bass is great. The system is loud enough in my 15x20 living room that my kids yell at me to turn it down because it is 'too loud'. The remote seems to work well (but lacks any true iPod function buttons). My only complaint is that I don't much care for the 'cassette deck' loading system. I fear that it will not survive long without breaking.
I highly recommend this speaker for anyone who can't/won't bring themselves to spend the $350 on the Apple HiFi. Two thumbs up!
Customer Review: Astonishing vocal quality, great sound, great value - but the door breaks :(
Summary: 5 Stars
A year later, and the door is broken and won't stay shut. Treat it very gingerly and never try to pull it open (I think that is what happened to mime. Kids!) Still sounds as great as ever, though.
-- Original review --
The sound coming out of these is amazing - while the clean bass and treble is very impressive for a package of this size and price, it is the quality of the vocals that stands out. This, to me, is what makes the difference between decent speakers and audiophile quality. It makes this system an absolute must buy if you can stand the rather space age appearance. The bass is limited by the size of the box, but is strong and clear despite being a little boomy and lacking extreme low end.
I recently bought one of these based on the reviews in Ipodlounge and the comments here, and am not at all disappointed. We took it away for the weekend, and so ended up testing it with 2 iPod minis, a 30G video, and 40G previous gen; and all worked flawlessly. Having now brought it home it lives in our kitchen and makes cooking even more of a pleasure. You don't mind spending a little more time in the kitchen when the sound is this good. And when you feel like letting loose, the sounds still rocks when cranked way up!
Customer Review: Poorly constructed
Summary: 2 Stars
My experience with this unit has been disappointing. The unit appears to be fairly well thought out in terms of its feature set, but in several areas the unit has the quality of construction of a FEMA trailer. Examples:
The DC power connector. After less than 6 months of infrequent use, the internal connection became intermittent. The unit now can only be used with batteries.
Volume control. Poor contact design allows the unit to be reliably increased in volume, but during any given use, the control may or may NOT allow the unit to be lowered in volume.
iPod mechanical door construction. Weak door catch allowing the iPod door to open at random.
Other less critical design errors: The markings on the remote control were written in low visibility grey on a white background. Altec Lansing also used a 2 point font to label the controls. Net: the user has to study the control to find which way to point it. Altec Lansing also placed the frequently used input jacks on the back of the unit.
The positives are that the unit, when working, has a decent audio quality. The unit is also relatively compact.
I would not recommend this unit based on its lack of construction quality.
Customer Review: Really shines in a big area
Summary: 5 Stars
I gave it 5 stars for the excellent sound quality in big open areas. I have only used it plugged into a wall outlet, never with batteries. I work in a 80,000 sq. ft. industrial fabrication shop which you can imagine is loud at times.
I have used the iM7 for over a year now and could not be happier with the sound quality and its ability to fill an open work area. Typically I have the volume adjusted 1/2-3/4 and can walk 50-75 feet away and easily enjoy the music. There are things that could be improved which I will touch on briefly. Plenty of reviewers go into detail on the iM7 negative aspects. But in the end this is a great choice if you just want to plug the ipod in, hit a playlist, crank the sound up, and listen all day long!
So the negatives:
The flip-out dock: just be careful with it, mine still works fine.
The remote: I rarely use it, very short range, has to be straight on.
Bass/Treble adjustment: you can't visually tell were it is set. Not a big deal for me, I adjusted it once for my taste and left it alone.
Batteries: I can't say from experience but from the amount of bass it kicks out I would have to say it would eat them up.