Logitech mm50 Portable Speaker System for iPod (White)
by Logitech
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Our Price: $229.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $67.50 (click here) Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech mm50 Portable Speaker System for iPod (White)
Customer Review: It works!
Summary: 4 Stars
No one has time any more to sit in front of the component stereo they constructed piece by piece over the course of many years and only after repeated visits to hi-fi shops to compare various speakers and combinations. And not that the car stereo was ever an acceptable substitute, but I don't drive enough any more to listen to the music I'd like to hear.
Enter the iPod and the portable speaker-dock, of which I've collected easily more than I'll ever need. The latest acquisition is this Logitech mm50 which, in terms of style, features, price is closest to the popular Altec Lansing IM600, though it lacks Altec's radio (which I find too insensitive to be of much use). The Logitech's dimensions are a bit longer, but it's also a tad lighter and thinner, easily slipping into its included carrying bag and, if anything, seeming more compact and portable than the Altec. Like the Altec, the highs and mid-range are brilliant and the bass "acceptable" (I'm not a bass freak, but I'm surprised at the glowing testimonials some reviewers give to the bass reproduction of either of these units). It's true that both will handle boomy, punchy bass tones, but if, for example, I'm playing a jazz recording with walking bass lines supplied by Hammond B3 organ, the bass simply isn't "there." Otherwise, both speakers are bright, full, and sufficiently "loud," with the Logitech having a more striking "stereo expander" effect, as a result of its greater length (as well as circuitry designed to optimize the effect).
So far the best thing about the Logitech is that it continues to play three different iPod models without throwing the temper tantrums of the Altec. The instructions with the Altec provide one terse sentence covering instances of "erratic behavior": dismantle the case and disconnect the rechargeable battery for 30 seconds (not a "consumer-friendly" action but one I've had to perform several times). That's a no-no as far as Logitech is concerned, and thankfully it hasn't been necessary. The Altec started automatically shutting down and rejecting iPods when I began switching from Nano to Classic to Touch. Altec includes a bag full of adapters for different iPods, but it appears to be the only manufacturer that doesn't bother to label them, indicating the particular iPod model for which each is intended. By contrast, the Logitech uses 3 effective "cradles." The company also supplies clear instructions for mounting the iPod securely in the dock, and its website is more user-friendly, detailed and helpful than Altec's.
The most dependable and useful portable iPod speaker dock is the relatively inexpensive iRhythms by Cyber Acoustics. Although the sound isn't as full, or spacious, it's still competitive, covering the entire frequency range. It comes with a small power transformer and takes quick and convenient AA non-rechargeable batteries for portable use. If you don't require a portable speaker, the Athena iVoice is among the least expensive iPod speakers available and blows away any of the aforementioned speakers with its stunning, very present (but not "boomy") bass frequencies.
The Logitech is made by a Swiss company, and the Altec by Plantronics. JBL, a speaker system I have with 14" as well as 2" woofers, is part of Harmon-Kardon systems. It too makes credible portable dock-speakers, though their radial, flying-saucer design is what sets them apart.
[I retested the above contentions, putting on Sinatra's "Too Marvelous for Words" from "Songs for Swingin' Lovers." The voice has great "presence" on the Logitech and Altec, but the notes of the acoustic bass are faint and indistinct compared to a Kloss Tivoli Model One radio (still a value at $120, with a tuner compared to which the Altec's is a joke). When played through the Athena iVoice, the acoustic bass is right in the room with me. Unfortunately, the Athena currently isn't showing at the deeply discounted price, though it's still worth the asking price, imo.]
Customer Review: A Better Travel Buddy Than All The Other Portable Speakers We Tried!
Summary: 5 Stars
We enjoy an excellent home audio system and we used to miss listening to good music on the road, except for using earbuds or headphones with our iPods. So we started traveling with a variety of portable speakers over the years and the mm50s are the best so far for us. We always take them with us whether for short business trips, or longer vacations or cruises. Travel speakers and a MP3 player can turn a dull hotel room into a relaxing living room. They can also make for an instant party wherever you meet up with friends and family.
We have had previous experience with the Boom Tube EX, the Philips BA300, several flat panel speakers, and others. While the Boom Tube EX speakers offer more bass, they are also twice the size and weight, require a patch of cables, don't have a remote control, are not as clear in the mid range, and don't double as a charging dock for the iPod. The Philips' speakers are OK, but are also short on bass, have a patchwork of wires, don't have internal rechargeable batteries, and don't double as an iPod dock. So with many other travel speakers, you always need a charger for the speakers and a charger for your MP3 player.
The mm50 speakers are compact, produce clear sound, have a remote control, and double as an iPod dock and charger. We think they are best we have used and everyone who hears them is impressed. The clarity is better than any of the others we have tried and they will fill a hotel or moderate living room with good sound. The bass is better than any other speakers we have tried, except for the Boom Tube EX. The stereo sound image is very good in spite of the fact that the speakers are not separated by long cables. The mm50s also have a phantom sound feature you can use that supposedly enhances the stereo image, but it works ok on some music and muddies up other music. You just have to try it to hear if it works for you at the moment.
No small speakers are going to give you thumping bass. It's physically impossible. Bass requires movement of great quantities of air, which is why bass speakers are always larger. Trying to get big bass out of small speakers is like trying to hook up a drinking straw to a fire hydrant and expecting that you will get just as much water as through a fire hose. Ain't gonna happen. So if big bass is your only concern, then don't buy travel speakers. Or don't travel.
There are, however, a couple of tricks we do to increase the bass performance of our travel speakers. First, on the iPod menu, go to the equalizer (EQ) and change it to "bass boost" or "hip hop" or some other setting that emphasizes the bass. Second, positioning the speakers is very important. The bass sound waves of any speaker will be amplified if the speaker is backed up by two or three hard surfaces. If you set any speaker out in open space or on a soft surface (rug), the bass will be light. If you set it on a hard surface, better. If you set it on a hard surface with a wall or other hard surface behind it (like on a shelf or mantle or at the back of a desk near the wall), you will double the bass waves. If you can place the speaker against two hard back surfaces (a corner shelf or other place where a verticle corner meets a hard horizontal surface), you will double the bass yet again. For the mm50s, we find that leaving a couple of inches of space behind the speakers is best. You just have to experiment for the particular location you are in.
The mm50 is a great choice to pair up with any portable audio source or with a laptop computer. There is a stereo mini plug recepticle on the back so you can hook up any sound source. The mm50 is the perfect choice if you have an iPod because of the docking feature. You can connect your iPod docking cable directly from your computer to the mm50 so that mm50 can replace your standard iPod dock. Included are docking cradle adaptors to provide a custom fit for multiple generations of iPods.
Customer Review: honestly, the best you can get for the money
Summary: 5 Stars
Wisest purchase I've ever made, right next to my ipod. I wanted good, quality sound that came at a cheap price, and thats what I finally got. I started by looking around at the possible choices. Altec lansing's systems intrigued me, so I tried one out. BIG MISTAKE. I bought the some basic altec lansing speakers, the white ones that fit most ipods. They sounded terrible, especially at slightly high volumes. All scratchy and horrible sounding, the tiny speakers couldn't handle it. So I took them back, lickity split.
I searched around a bit more, and checked out some higher priced systems. There was the infamous bose sounddock, everyone's dream speaker system, but the 300$ price tag just completely detracted me, even though it probably is the best sounding ipod speaker system. But yeah, I'm not gonna spend that much.. not gonna happen. Anywho, right when I was about to give up, the Logitech mm50 caught my eye while surfing a ipod site.
I decided to give it a try after reading excellent reviews. So I went up to my local best buy and bought one for 150. Really inexpensive, considering the crappy altex lansing was the same price and sounded terrible. When I plugged it in I was soo impressed with the sound quality. Logitech seriously outdid themselves.
Sound Quality:
truely inbelievable. It sounds absolutely crisp, clear, clean, and loud, just how I like it. Even when turned up on the highest volume possible, it still sound amazing, and very little distortion. Only if you're playing a heavy metal song with very deep bass it'll distort a little, but for most rock it sound amazingly good at high volumes. Especially when you press that button that makes the sound "3D" or something. Just really good audio quality for the size. Enough to fill up a decently big room, for sure. Bass is a little soft, but definately good considering the thickness... again it's not thumping bass, but you'll definately notice a difference.
Usability:
Seriously, it's really user-friendly. Easy plug-and-play interface, the remote control is an excellent touch, it's small, and handy. The only bad thing about the remote control is that the range is not very far and you kind of have to be pointing it at the system straightly because it wont work at an angle that well. But the range isn't that big of a deal, I change it manually anyway. Most all ipods fit, mine fits in there perfectly, I have a mini and it comes with a little attachment that fits really well. my guess is the only ipod that probably wont fit in that well is the nano, only because nanos came out afterwards and they didnt make an attatchment for it. The back support stands up the system perfectly and they fold in for portability. Comes with a little carrying case so you can go travelling with it, which is a nice touch. The feature I like the BEST about these speakers is that they have a lithium ion battery built in, so you can charge the speakers, and take them virtually ANYWHERE! If I move to another room in my house, all I do is pick them up and carry them with me. I think the lith battery lasts like 9 hours or something like that. It has indicators and whatever, but I use the ac adapter mostly so I ipod gets charged and stuff. Plus I keep it on my shelf most of the time.
Anyway, it's a great system, you can't beat it for anything in it's price range. And it's even better sounded than some of the more expensive systems.
Conclusion, it looks sleek, sounds great, completely portable, remote included, and a little hardcase is included for travelling. I would say it's way worth the money, and then some.
DO yourself a favor and buy it if you're looking for a good, cheap solution.
Customer Review: A nice compromise
Summary: 3 Stars
Until the Logitech mm50 came to market, you had the choice between cheap and very portable folding speakers that made your iPod sound like a transistor radio and $300 devices from Bose and Klipsch the produced wonderful sound but didn't travel well. The Logitech mm50 is in the middle of this spectrum, with a fair degree of portability, and good clock-radio-quality sound that doesn't distort at higher volumes.
One of the unit's strengths is in it lithium-ion battery that, when fully charged through the AC adapter (which charges the iPod as well), last about 6 hours. You'll more battery life if you play your music softly, less if you blast your tunes. It's tempting to crank up the volume, because I experienced no distortion on either the high or low ends of the sound spectrum at volumes that I needed to shout over to talk to someone next to me.
At 13x4x1.5, you can't put the mm50 in your pocket, but it's been portable enough for me to listen to my favorite music of the moment in any room of my apt., including the bathroom while I shower (no shorts so far). The semi-soft carrying case made taking it to work and a party a relatively safe proposition.
I chose the mm50 over comparable products because of the reviews praising its sound as well as its portability. On this score, I've been disappointed, given the price of the unit (even with Costco's discount). Mid-to-upper range sounds are good, but bass and percussion sounds have very little resonance, sounding flat. The result is like a good clock radio, but not a rich sonic experience.
There are also some first-generation design quirks in the mm50. When you dock the iPod, you control the speaker volume with the iPod, even when you use the mm50's volume control. When the iPod is out of the dock, you control the speaker volume through the mm50 itself, but you can't tell what the effects are, because there's no built-in display to show you how loud the speakers are set. So, if mm50 is set to be soft, turning the volume on an iPod all the way up has little effect. Conversely, if you increase the volume setting on the mm50 before you dock the iPod, you could blast your eardrums, even if you had set the iPod volume on low. A small volume-setting display in the mm50 would fix this.
The mm50's infrared remote is poor, having a very limited range and requiring exact line of sight to the IR sensor on the speaker. Would it have killed Logitech to increase the range and put in a multi-IR-beam transmitter to let you control it from anywhere within a 45-degree angle to the unit?
The case also needs some design re-work. There's no handle or shoulder strap on it, and there are no compartments for your iPod itself or for the AC adapter. I'm not an industrial designer, but I think these features should have been obvious to include.
Using the Ipod's sleep timer and alarm clock, I'm thrilled to be able to go to sleep with my RelaxTracks playlist and wake up to one of a few custom music sequences instead of the crap on the radio or a jarring alarm. I love having my tunes with me in the kitchen, the bathroom, and the yard. I will, however, be on the lookout for the next-generation speaker from Logitech.
Customer Review: I have tested them all!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have a Nano iPod, while my sons have the video iPods. I drop mine a lot, cutting the lawn, etc, and Nanos are just about indestructible. I keep all my music on the computer, and about 10 hours worth on the Nano. I love it.
I searched carefully, first reading EVERY review of a small stereo unit to play the ipods. Next, I went to several stores and tested them ALL, with my iPod, playing Bob Dylan music. I download his concerts, so the sound quality is not always the best; which is a great way to test the various units.
I tested volume, sound quality, bass, treble, and fullness. The Bose and Apples $350 job play the loudest, with Bose having the nicest sound. Both are ridiculously overpriced. I play my Nano through my Bose Acoustic System, which is great. But:
I wanted something completely portable. I didn't want to pay a fortune for battery drain. I wanted something loud enough for the beach, working outside, etc. I wanted something that did not distort at loud volume, but something that also sounds beautiful at low volume.
Everything I tested became distorted at high volume. Everything, except this unit.
1. Sound quality. Sterling. Although not as loud as the Bose, in terms of separation and clarity, it comes VERY close to the Bose.
2. built in battery. Lithiom battery that lasts about 10 hours on a charge!
3. Small, but with some weight to them. (not light plastic garbage...that "heavier feel" that good speakers have, even though they are portable.
4. Zip up case for protection.
This is a wonderful, powerful little unit with about the best sound.
5. the price!
$149 at Circuit City.
$109 refurb. here at Amazon sellers.
I paid $49 at ebay for a refurb model! A Canadian seller has been selling them and some people got theirs for even less, though now they are up to $79. Even at $79, this is a great bargain, and a really top quality unit.
To me, it is like a Bose, if Bose were portable, and not so incredibly high priced at $299. (how do they sleep at night?).
The sound, however, is the best of all the units tested, and clearly, if you are looking for portable, this is the unit. I e-mailed others who bought at ebay and all came back with the same thoughts that I have shared with you. Really a great, tiny, portable unit. It even charges the iPod while plugged in! And, they have included a entry port that you can hook it up to your computer. Logitech has really outdone themselves, as the previous unit became so distorted at high volume. You will be very, very surprised how loud this gets. The tiny remote works perfectly, allowing not only volume control, but to skip around songs on the iPod. Logitech did it right. I am not in the process of getting more for my kids...Christmas is coming.