Altec Lansing iM-237 Orbit Ultraportable Speaker for MP3 Players (Silver)
by Altec Lansing Technologies
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Our Price: $69.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $23.99 (click here) Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Altec Lansing iM-237 Orbit Ultraportable Speaker for MP3 Players (Silver)
Customer Review: Very pleased with this unit!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm an audiophile, which means I'm pretty critical when it comes to speaker quality. I'll keep this short: You can believe all the good stuff you read about this little speaker and take the bad with a lot of skepticism. No, this speaker doesn't deliver the quality of sound I get from my $1200 Polk Audio units. But what I wanted was a speaker that would serve us some tasty background tunes when we're in hotel rooms, and that's exactly what I got. Placed across the room, the speaker fills the room with gentle sounds that are so sweet I don't even miss the fact that it is not stereo. It creates that ambient environment we wanted and does it well.
There have been numerous complaints in these reviews about how the on/off switch is poorly designed and that it will turn itself on with even a slight bit of pressure when in the case supplied with the speaker. The cure is to place the speaker into the case with the switch at the back where the stiff hinge will protect the switch. I've tried to turn it on by squeezing the case right where the switch is, and it will not turn on that way. Problem solved.
Others have complained about having to use alkaline batteries (3 AAAs). Yes, that's a trade-off, but I think I'd rather deal with the batteries than have yet one more gadget that needs to be plugged into a charger or a hot USB port.
Anyway, this is the best deal for the money. I've bought lots of Altec Lansing components over the last 40 or so years and have never been let down. This one is no exception. Nice quality, looks like it would take a lot of use to ever hurt it. I've used it streaming radio programs on our Netbook and with any of several MP3 players. It works great with all of them.
Customer Review: The Little Speaker That Could...
Summary: 5 Stars
Sometimes you just want to share something special with friends, loved ones or family, and it that something is your favorite MP3 tracks then the Altec Lansing fits the bill perfectly! It's primary attributes are as follows: * Easy portability due to its light weight and compact dimensions. Throw it in a backpack, handbag, attache, even attach it to your belt with a carabiner!
* Good endurance with its 3 AAA batteries. Based on my observations you'll get 12-15 hours of solid play at near maximum settings.
* Extreme ease of use, expecially important if you're in a hurry, or want to share/set up/pack quickly. There's only 1 connection (from your MP3 device to the speaker) and one power on/off button!
* Finally, and probably most critically, is the quality of the music it amplifies. Keeping in mind that this is a tiny unit with just 4.5 vots total power, it does very well. You could easily share it and hear it in a typical dorm room setting or small family gathering.
Conversely, the Altec has two small downsides. If you are looking for a big bass boost or 'boombox' quality, this is not the unit for you! No amount of engineering could do that in this small a package, not yet anyway. Secondly, the speaker wire does not seem particularly robust, its design means there'll be inevitable wear and tear and eventually that could lead to the wire separating from its attachment point. However, I've noticed that if you don't unspool the entire length but leave 2-3 inches in there's almost no strain on the unit so it should last for a considerable time like that. All told I've found the enjoyment, portability, excellent sound fidelity, and price to be an unbeatable combination!
Customer Review: I'm very picky, but I give this thing the green light.
Summary: 5 Stars
I just got this in yesterday. Our first child is due in the next few weeks, and my wife wanted to have some music to listen to during the labor process at the hospital. We have an 8GB Sansa Clip loaded with our favorite music, but I wasn't sure how I'd be able to play the music without lugging some 80's style boombox (with an aux input) on my shoulder into the hospital. Enter this Altec Lansing device, a gem in the rough. Obviously, right out of the box I was curious to test out the sound. This thing easily fits in the palm of your hand, and already comes equipped with a 10" aux connecting cable that wraps neatly inside the bottom of the speaker so you don't have to buy your own. The box says the battery life will last for up to 24 hours on 3 AAA batteries, though I haven't tested that claim yet. There's only an on/off button on the speaker, so you have to adjust the volume using the mp3 player itself. Personally, I like the simplicity, because I had streaming music in 15 seconds out of the box. The music quality is pretty good considering the size. If you expect something booming and crystal clear out of a portable speaker with a 2.5 inch diameter, good luck because it doesn't exist. Honestly, I thought this thing would be a one-time use item, but am now excited for the possibilities. For practical purposes this device has countless applications. I can throw it under the stroller, take it to the beach, and put it on the picnic table during BBQs. It even comes with a carry case with strap and caribiner clip. I'm not easily impressed... but I'm impressed.Customer Review: Very Good For What It Is
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased two of these for Christmas 2009. One each for my two kids. They love the little speaker and they use it all the time with their iPods. I've used it on my laptop and it sound just fine there too. I think the sound quality is great for what it is (a cheap little monaural speaker) and the battery life is very good. The carrying case is well designed and a nice accessory to have. My only complaint is the little wire the plugs into the iPod is fairly thin and seems like it won't hold up well. Only time will tell. If this thing breaks, I promise to come back here and update my review with the bad news. If there are no updates then you can assume the speaker is still working fine.
Altec Lansing, if you ever read these reviews, here's an idea. I'd upgrade this speaker to have an out jack and a switch at the bottom. Then if someone bought two of these, they could take the second speaker and plug the cable into the first speaker's out jack. The first speaker would preferably recognize it is being used in stereo mode automatically and only play the left channel with the other speaker playing only the right channel. If this can't be done automatically, then a three way little switch on the bottom could be set for left-both-right settings. This would make these really awesome. Buy one to use for general purposes or buy a second one and they could be used individually or together in stereo mode. This is just a wish list item. As is, this little speaker was just the ticket for the family.
Customer Review: Exellent Price to Quality Value
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this with only a couple of simple uses in mind. This was for occassional use listening to music in a golf cart, poolside and at the beach; also for lengthy, listen-only conference calls (from my cell). I wanted a cheap, small speaker(s) with as good a sound as possible (for the size and money). I also wanted something I didn't have to worry about breaking or losing (ala left in a golf cart or damaged at the beach).
After looking at a slew of bluetooth units in the $40-$75 range, I paid $23 for this, thinking that if it sounded bad or the cord was an issue I could just return it and nothing lost. I've used it a couple of dozen times now (2 week beach vacation, golf, pool, etc.), and have to say that this was a great buy.
The sound was much better than I expected. There isn't a ton of volume or depth here, but I already have a fantastic sounding portable dock for different uses. This unit is for personal listening in public places (public pool, golf course, etc.) where too much sound isn't necessary or even desired. Loud enough to sound impressive for its size (not tinny), but not going to fill a room or patio with thumping music (my IM600 does that). By the way, a set of 3 AAAs lasts forever, even at high volumes.
I vowed to buy a few for gifts (mostly friends that saw/heard mine and commented), but I see the price went up $10 to $33. I'll wait for a drop, but definitely will purchase these as gifts.