Customer Reviews

Altec Lansing inMotion Portable Audio System for iPod (White)

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

The design of this speaker system is impressive! Perfect for using your iPod in your office or dorm as a personal stereo.

When folded up, it forms a small little rectangle just 8 inches wide and only about an inch high; to set it up, just open it and flip the speakers around and you have a little stereo to plug your iPod into. Altec Lansing ships a very nice leather bag to store the device in. The entire unit weighs only 15 ounces so it's easy to tuck it into a brief case or backpack.

You can run these speakers off double-A batteries for truly portable operation, or from an AC adapter that plugs into the wall.

This device accepts any of the newer iPods that dock, including the mini-iPods. You can also use this with older iPods, CD players, or other MP3 players using the auxiliary audio input.

Sound quality? Not quite as good as your home stereo speakers, but then this is really SMALL. I think the sound is quite acceptable for the size of the speakers.

Note that a newer model is out now that is even smaller and looks a little cooler. So, shop around before you decide on which version is right for you.

From its sleek looks to the thumping bass, the InMotion matches the iPods perfectly. For its size, the woofer included is mindblowing, the songs have a deep bass that one has come to expect from Lansing.

Some spiffy and convenient features --

(a) A minijack .125-inch headphone jack for private listening
(b) an auxiliary stereo minijack input for hookup with other audio devices such as portable CD players, laptops, older iPods, and other MP3 players (an interconnect for this purpose is included)
(c) Built-in, flush-mounted power and volume controls
(d) When docked inMotion's iPod bay, your music player can perform all the same data transfer and synchronization functions possible via Apple's usual free-standing iPod dock
(e) The onboard amp can support up to 24 hours of continuous playback on just four AA batteries (not included).
(f) For indoor use, it includes an AC power supply that recharges the iPod anytime it sits in the inMotion docking bay
(g) Small but useful -- you can use iPod's alarm feature to create a pretty functional alarm clock that plays wake-up music of your choice, very useful for travellers

It's a very worthy purchase for such a small "system"..

Got my wife an 20GB iPod for Valentines Day and she listens to it all the time. When it came to hinting about a Mother's Day present, she wanted these speakers.

I have an Apple Store nearby so I stopped in and they had them on display. I was concerned that that they are so small (like two other iPods on either side of the unit in the center) that they would sound poorly, but they actually sounded very good.

She got them this morning and immediately set them up. It runs on 4-AA batteries but I imagine she'll use the supplied AC Adapter almost all the time accept if we were to bring them someplace where there might not be a place to plug them in. She was amazed at how compact the unit was and thought the speakers were missing until I showed her how it flips open. They also supply a short adapter to connect an external device to the speakers as well as a lined case to store the speakers when not in use.

So she "docked" her iPod in it, turned the power on, pressed play and it worked like a charm. It really sounded good. She moved the unit to the kitchen, put the volume maybe halfway up and we could here it all over the floor that the kitchen is on. Set lower, it can play without disturbing others. Plus, important for her (or it was when she was always carrying it around) is that it charges the unit. Maybe now with the speakers and it being plugged in, she won't be commenting that she forgot to charge the iPod again.

Granted it has only been 1 day, but she's already said multiple times today how cool it is and how good it sounds. That's all that matters to me! ;-) I'd highly recommend considering this unit to add to your iPod experience.

I'm pretty happy with these speakers. Beautiful design, good price. I travel a lot for work; I also have a cabin in the country. This device is perfect for both situations. The adage "Less is more" has never been truer.
Five improvements/problems need to be addressed, however:

1. Needs an equalizer, however crude. It could be a multitrack, it could just be a bass vs. treble dial. You will notice a popping of the (otherwise very good) speakers when the production of music you're playing is "punchy" or puts the bass/bottom up-front. It's not acceptable to have to lower the volume of the speakers to get rid of said popping.
2. The speakers need to be designed to handle more bass/bottom. See item #1 above.
3. Would it kill Altec Lansing to add an LED/LCD counter to the volume control so you know where you are on the volume scale? I don't think so.
4. The DC (AA battery) function must be able to connect to the engaged iPod, so that the AA batteries can power the speakers AND iPod, when the iPod is low on charge.
5. If item #4 above isn't workable, Altec Lansing must find battery alternatives, like a 3v battery (such as is used to power 35mm cameras) that can do the job.

I am glad I bought these speakers. I am very happy with them, I really enjoy them, and I would recommend them to anybody. Cheers, Marit

This is a great little compact set of speakers if you're looking to listen to music in a small room, or for just yourself. But crank it up, and you're in for distortion of the bass and a lot of tinny sound.

Pros:
Compact. Uses batteries OR wall outlet, so it's versatile and you can take it to the beach, on a picnic, etc. Folds up to the size of a small book and comes with a nice padded pouch for transport. Makes sound good enough for an office, bedroom, cubicle, etc. Takes double A batteries, not some proprietary one. Great at low-to-medium volumes.

Cons:
Distorts high and low frequency sound at medium-to-high volume. You can't use this for a party, there is no way it would play loud enough. I have one in my bedroom, and use it to play soft music (jazz, classical, soft-rock) in the evening. It does not handle bass well at all, and adds a tinny quality. You can see the speakers bumping, in fact, at a low volume. I'd worry about blowing them out.

If you're looking to buy this for a party or to fill your home with music, do yourself a favor and go to Target or Best Buy and listen to this and the Bose Sounddock side by side. You'll CLEARLY hear the difference. And if the Bose (@ $299) isn't in your price range and you're not worried about compact, trendy looks, a set of $80 computer speakers with a sub can knock this system out of the water any day. On the other hand, if you're buying this system for your kid's room and don't WANT them to be able to play their music loud, this is the system for you!

Are you the frequent traveller who likes setting up a small stereo in your hotel room, and not relegate yourself to uncomfortable headphones???

With all the speakers out there, I would have to say that, with regards to the iPod, this pair of speakers is the best!

1. Portability

---- The speakers fold up real nicely and are VERY easy to pack in your carry-on..... I've often had trouble placing speakers in my bags, but these ones fold into a flat surface, which makes it very easy to stick into any little crevice

2. Loudness

---- Some small speakers never quite get loud enough --- while these speakers aren't like a THX sound auditorium, they do produce a pretty loud beat! You'll be putting the volume down more often then turning it up

3. Clarity

---- Like I said, this isn't the perfect clarity, but for the price, the speakers really get the job done....... Very clear and they sound great -- I highly recommend putting your iPod on VOCAL BOOSTER for great sound on this speaker set

4. iPod connection

---- Its so cool how the iPod connects to this thing.... Unless you have the 1/2nd generation iPod (which also works with this system), then the simply put your iPod into the dock and connect no other wires! it plays from there....... unless you use AA batteries, then you will have to plug the AC adapter into the speakers, which is fine, because then the iPod will charge as it sits in the dock

isn't that awesome! you can finally listen to your iPod continuously without having to worry that it'll run outta battery power

so overall, this is a device that you can't live without if you're an iPod lover

great sound, great portability, and great charging

BUY YOURS NOW!!!!

This is a good product - sounds great, gets good battery life, everything you'd hope for in an iPod dock. But it has one major flaw. The iPod docking port is really flimsy, and has no structural support aside from the actual electronics themselves. After a little bit of use, the connection between the iPod and the dock deteriorated to the point that the volume fluctuated up and down, and sometimes the sound cuts out all together.

If they added some kind of simple support so that bumping the iPod wouldn't stress the electronics, I'd give this thing 5 stars. But without that, it simply breaks quickly, and no longer performs its only job - to sound good.

I'm sold on the iPod. But I've never been a big fan of headsets. The cords always tangle and within a half hour, my ears start hurting. Besides, I'm from the pre-headset generation when earphones were for audio engineers and hi-fi fanatics. I like big-space listening while I accomplish life's sundries ... cords that tie me to my music just get in the way. The only time I really use a headset is when I go for a long walk.

The InMotion system is a dock that allows a full interface between my iPod and my computer. It's a charger. With 4 AA batteries, it's completely portable. It sure as heck beats those FM transmitter gadgets for in-car listening (not that the gadgets themselves are bad, but try keeping a strong-signal, station-free channel on a three-hour road trip). It comes with a soft carrying bag in which I can also stow the iPod. The quality of the sound is more than sufficient to keep me smiling. And, on top of all that, it's up there on my list for amazing product design.

I only wish I could find a car adapter that would work with it (tried the Belkin-iPod one and couldn't get it to power the InMotion), so I wouldn't have to rely on batteries for the road trips.

Between this incredibly cool product and my iPod (oh, and the computer), I feel my modest 21st-century audio entertainment requirements are complete.

Though not very cool-looking like other models, the sound is nice for its small size.

But this device has a major flaw: a very flimsy ipod connector. After just a few months of use, I noted that the volume would fluctuate, or go completely mute, for no apparent reason.

It was the connector. My inMotion sits on my desk at the office, and I hardly ever take the ipod off of it. So there was not much chance of misuse.

I now have to move my ipod around on the docking station in order to get it to work properly or at all. But any small bump on my desk can make it misfire.

I cannot recommend it, and will most likely go Bose ASAP.

I live in a small townhouse, where huge booming sound would be unnecessary for me and inconsiderate of my neighbors. These speakers are great for my situation - compact, good-looking with good sound quality. (If you were expecting giant defibrillating sound from a speaker set that is the size of a paperback book, well then you need to keep going and find the magic portal to Narnia because I don't know of any speakers around that will fit that bill.)

Satisfaction aside, I gave it 4 stars because I agree with some of the other reviewers:
-Some kind of indicator to show where you are in the volume scale would help
-An equalizer would be great, although I'm doing ok just using the equalizer settings on the iPod
-A remote control would have been really great.

Altogether though, I am really satisfied with these and the points I listed would just be nice to have.