Altec Lansing inMotion iM600 Firewire-Charging Portable Audio System for iPod (Black)
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 iM600 Firewire-Charging Portable Audio System for iPod (Black)
Customer Review: Great sound on the go for the iPod
Summary: 5 Stars
The mission was simple:
Find a way to get music in various rooms in the house where there wasn't a stereo or radio.
Previously the solution was to plop a laptop and powered speakers, with cables and power supplies in a corner, and run iTunes.
I was looking into setting up a 2nd zone for one of 2 A/V receivers in the house, but I wasn't looking forward to running wires, cutting ceilings or walls, and coming up with a way to remotely control the stereo and do it with a "reasonable" budget.
It then occured to me that my wife's iPod had the music that she wanted to listen to on it already, so I started looking into speakers. Then she added the twist: She wanted an FM radio as well... That knocked out pretty much any decent speaker set.
Among those left standing was the iM600. The reviews looked good, but I needed to hear it for myself. No worries there. The sound is good, and with the SFX feature active, the system sounds larger than it's relatively compact shape suggests. I see no downside to leaving it active all the time.
I wondered how much she'd use the system's portability with the rechargeable battery, but I can say that it spends more time running on the battery than from a fixed location. Fortunately a fully charged battery runs a long time.
I had concerns that the FM tuner would not do a great job tuning, but it had no problems getting the desired stations, and played them very well.
The sound is "good". I won't call it great. I might go "very good". Certainly at least as high as one would expect from a small battery powered speaker set. These speakers are more mid-treble range, but if you want more bass, there's a subwoofer output (!). For my purposes, this level of sound in a portable speaker set exceeds expectations.
About the only knock that I can put on this system is one I'd have to put on every speaker system that I've seen is that to change playlists you have to go to the iPod itself. Once there, you click the wheel while it's still in the dock. I worry that the dock connector will fail from the rocking back and forth when it's controlled while docked. Again, that's something that all other systems have as well.
The remote works well in that in my case at least, you don't need to be a sniper to get the base to respond to your inputs.
Not much else I was looking for with this. It does the job well.
Customer Review: Simply Amazing - Had no idea something so small could sound so good.
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not one to write product reviews...in fact, this is the first one I've ever written. I bought this unit about 8 months ago and I've been so happy with it that I just had to write one.
This unit has exceeded every expectation I had. First of all, the sound. I'm an audio enthusiast and even I think the sound is just incredible...better than any computer setup I've ever heard, which is about the type of sound I expected from something like this. The mids have outstanding depth, the highs are crisp (not tinny or cheap sounding) and even the bass is great considering the size of the unit. While it's obviously not going to be thumping bass, it does sound rich and does not become distorted when the frequency gets too low for the unit to reproduce. I mostly use this device at my work facility, mostly in a larger room (1,000 sq/ft) and have never felt the need to move it closer to where I happen to be working.
Secondly, the battery. When I bought this unit, I had no intention of using it without being plugged into an outlet. I figured it might get an hour or two of music before needing to be charged. After a while, I found myself using it unplugged and while I've never actually timed how long I've used it on battery power, I know it's been at least 4-5 hours on a couple occasions.
Third, the remote. This is another feature I figured probably wouldn't be great, but it actually works very well. There's no lag, so when you press a button, it does what it's supposed to. Also, you can scan through songs by holding the button down on the remote.
Fourth, the radio. I bought this for use with my iPod, so radio reception wasn't really a consideration. However, after I got the unit home and discovered how well it works as a radio (great reception and clear sound), I use it for radio as much as I do my iPod.
I paid $149 at Best Buy when the unit had just came out and I feel it was worth every penny. Now that they're down to around $100, I'm probably going to get another one for work (I own my own business and listen to music often) so I don't have to bother taking it back and forth with me in my laptop bag....speaking of that, this unit is extremely light weight and travels nicely because it can be folded up and the antenna can be tucked away.
Customer Review: Works Great with the iPod Touch
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me first start by saying that I am the kind of person that researches a product to death prior to making a purchase. In this case I had spent upward of a month reading about different docks for my iPod Touch. I was leaning toward the Bose portable but due to the fact that it was so expensive I started looking at other options. When I came across the Altec Lansing IM600 I was admitedly skeptical at first. So, I went to Target to look at the display. Since the display unit was on a top shelf and was affixed, it was very difficult to get a feel for how it would sound on my nightstand and what the remote looked like. However, it did give me a good idea of what the overall unit looked and sounded like. I will say I didn't think it was as impressive as the Bose unit but it was definitely a strong contender. So much so that if I hadn't actually heard the Bose unit I would have put this at number one on my list. I researched other top name brands like Klipsch, and Harmon Kardon as well but the mixed reviews and higher pricing really helped me ultimately decide to go with the IM600. I wound up waiting until it was priced at $118 on Amazon with free super saver shipping before I made the purchase.
Let me just say that I am VERY glad I went with this unit. The sound is awesome in my room. It fills the room with sound and I have no complaints about the bass at all. I listen to a variety of music and I am very happy with the unit. The FM tuner is phenomenal as well. I can pick up stations that my car struggles with. The Li Ion battery is fantastic too. I haven't actually timed it to see how long it works on a full charge but it is plenty long enough for me. My iPod Touch docks perfectly and I can even sync my iTunes from my PC to the Touch via the dock.
Overall I am way more than satisfied with this unit and would gladly recommend it to anyone looking for a great portable sound dock that won't break the bank.
Customer Review: Excellent Portable speakers, if you can get a good price!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'll start by saying that i received these speakers a couple days and so far really like them. I got an amazing deal on them off ebay for $22. For that price i'd rate these 6 stars. Easily a 5 star product if you can optain them for $60 or under. over that and i'd give them 4 stars. Or if i paid the godawful $180 that futureshop charges, i'd probably give them 3. (as i don't think they're worth that much at all)
That being said, for small speakers, they sound great! a little high in the treble, so i personally find the 'treble reduction eq' on the ipod to accomodate the sound of these speakers the best. Sure they're not SUPER bassy, but i listen to house music where you want a good bass, and for portable speakers of this size the bass is definitely adequate enough, so the song doesn't sound like tinny garbage as a result of a poor frequency curve on typical clock radio speakers. I'm very pleased with how loud these speakers can get, and minimal distortion at high levels (that could vary based on how any given track is mastered as well)
The speakers are a bit bigger at the back then i expected, so it will take up a little bit of room in a suitcase, but still not that bad and highly portable (plus if it was to thin, that would just degrade the sound quality further, so everything is a compromise.
Overall, these are great speakers, they fill a room when set in the mid 20's (goes up to 40) so impressive loudness. I love how it charges the ipod. And when not in use at the beach/vacation, makes a good bedroom radio.
if you can get these under $60 you'll love them. Under $100 and they're still good. More than that though and i don't think a speaker of this size is worth that price.
Customer Review: Review from an "ordinary" ipod user
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm amazed at some of the technically sophisticated reviews on this product. I truly congratulate those with the knowledge, skills (and ears) to review on such a level. My review is geared to those looking for a quick and dirty review.
This device is awesome. It is quite portable. It plays loud without losing quality. It has an FM radio (I guess that's in case I run through all 6800 songs on my ipod). It has a video out jack, which I have used with great success. It's very easy to figure out how to use. It seems to hold a charge for a long time...although I've never tested it to see how long it takes to run out, I have used it for many hours without needing to charge. It also charges your ipod when plugged in, which is nice. It's pretty cool looking too. Not quite so bulky as some of the ipod speakers I've seen.
Have I mentioned that it's loud? For me, my first test with a product like this is to see if I can crank it pretty loud and not have it sound tinny or static-ey. I'm hugely impressed. That's where the money is, I think. Yes, you can buy a cheaper system...but try "turning it to 11."
Downsides: tiny little remote that would be really easy to lose. You'd still be able to use all the features...but you'd be bummed to lose the remote anyway. (Although I've managed to hang on to it so far!). Also, to use the charger, you have to unfold the system and stand it up. It takes up a little less space when the base is folded up, and it would be nice to be able to charge it in that position. But these are pretty minor quibbles indeed.
If you enjoy your ipod, and need to crank it up...this is a very nice system. I've really gotten my monies worth.