Customer Reviews

Altec Lansing inMotion Speaker Dock with FM Radio for Zune (Black)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

The Altec Lansing inMotion iM414v2 is an updated version of the iM414, which had a some fans and nearly as many detractors. Did Altec Lansing, a Plantronics company, get it right this time?

PROS:
- Good sound
- Easy to read LCD display
- FM tuner w/3 presets
- Aux-in
- Remote included
- Bass boost option helps
- Nice build quality
- AC or battery-operated (3xAA)
- Supports HD radio from Zune HD
- Now includes 3 adapters for multiple Zune support

CONS:
- Sound quality not as good as others, including other Altec Lansings
- Wire FM antenna difficult to tune and messy
- No clock function
- Mediocre value

Altec Lansing markets this as being for the home and office. I would have no problem using the iM414v2 in either location. Is it small enough to share space on my desks and provides good enough sound to be a compliment to any desk or shelf space. It does not however, take the place of my desktop multimedia system, which is not what the iM414v2 is intended for anyways.

SOUND QUALITY
For the size of the unit, I was quite impressed with the sound quality. The bass boost really does add some thump to the music, though the surround effect had very little effect. The high's were reasonably good but I found the mids to be rather bland. Again, these are portable speakers, so overall, the sound quality is good. The volume setting only goes to 30, but if you turn up the volume to max on your player, the speakers will present major distortion at 30.

FM TUNER
I found the tuning capabilities of the iM414v2 to be somewhat poor. The wire antenna is extremely long and not very effective just dangling towards the ground. I had to tape the antenna to the wall in order to get the best reception. I would have preferred a telescoping antenna like the MIX iMT800. You get 3 FM presets as well.

MISC
The build quality on the all plastic unit feels solid. The auxiliary line-in is a nice to have. Altec Lansing has now also included 3 different dock adapters for those with the Zune HD and older Zune's. The Zune will charge if the iM414v2 is on AC power but not on battery power, which is rated at 24 hour run-time. The LCD display is nice and clean but why not include a clock? Also, the warranty is just 1 year but if you register the speakers at Altec Lansing's website, they will extend your warranty to 2 years. Given some of the build issues from the original iM414, I would highly recommend everyone to register to get their free extended warranty.

SUMMARY
Overall, the Altec Lansing inMotion iM414v2 is a good speaker dock for the Zune. Time will tell if firmware changes improved on the older iM414. MSRP is rather high for such a basic speaker dock, but Zune users do not have many options other than using pre-existing AV equipment. If you've been getting by on your current configuration, I'd probably stick to that. If however, you didn't have your Zune connected to anything or would like something for the office, the iM414v2 is a decent option.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this Altec Lansing unit as I hadn't really heard of the brand before. However, I was very pleasantly surprised and pleased. The unit runs on a wall plug but also has batteries for portable use (box says 24 hours on battery - did not test battery length). It is very lightweight and compact with most controls on the unit, but also a remote control which has two additional buttons for bass boost and surround sound mode. Doesn't really have instructions other than some Ikea style pictorials on one small sheet of paper. However, the controls are quite intuitive and not hard to figure out at all.

I'm often hard to please with speakers because I like A LOT of bass....very deep and rich. I have the JBL on tour JBL On Tour Portable Speaker System ( Black ) which does not have rich bass and which I found very disappointing, so I didn't really expect too much from this Altec Lansing unit. JBL is supposed to be so great afterall, so how could this unknown brand possibly be better, right? Well it is better - significantly so!

The Altec Lansing unit offers nice deep rich bass and overall rich tones. The volume range is great - it gets quite loud w/o distortion or loss of highs or lows. Initially I didn't realize this, but when my zune is attached it charges it as well - quite handy. You still operate your zune and the speaker unit seperately (turn on zune, turn on speakers - it does not function as one unit when attached). Volume can be adjusted on your zune and/or on your speaker unit. The speaker unit also has an am/fm radio, but as I don't listen to the radio and don't really get good reception in the valley where I live I didn't bother trying this out.

I tend to listen to a mix of music styles: a lot of acid jazz, ambient house, chill type stuff (morcheeba, theivery conspiracy, greyboy, etc.), reggae, jam bands (Grateful dead et. al., sky cries mary, widespread panic...), and coffee house rock type stuff. Most all of what I listen to benefits from heavy bass except for the Grateful dead type stuff & some of the coffee house style. With this unit I kept the bass boost and surround sound mode on except for the Grateful dead/jam band style which seemed to benefit from taking off the bass boost but leaving on the surround sound mode. All had great sound with this unit except for some of my Grateful dead at low volume. Some of the vocals and background sound was lost on low volume although this was primarily on live recordings - the studio sets were fine. This isn't necessarily the fault of the speaker set though, as I've noticed this with other speakers as well.

The speakers I had used as my primaries before obtaining this unit were the soundsticks Harman/kardon SoundSticks II - 2.1-channel PC multimedia speaker system - 40 Watt (total)which have wonderful sound, but look like sci fi jellyfish or something otherworldly. They weren't my first choice for aesthetics in my living room, but the sound quality is great and after disappointments with the JBL on tour and other units I decided that aesthetics were worth giving up in favor of a nice rich sound. However, now that I have this Altec Lansing unit and have used it for about a week I've decided to keep the Altec Lansing unit in the living room and move the soundsticks elsewhere. This has worked out great, as the Altec Lansing unit takes up very little space (footprint is less than two paperback fiction novels placed side by side) yet still fills my livingroom/den/kitchen with great, rich sound.

One consideration: Upon opening the box there was a note that the Zune unit may need an update to the latest firmware in order to work with the speakers and to do that first before trying out the speaker unit. Well, my Zune is less than a year old 120 gb Zune 120 GB Video MP3 Player (Black) so I decided to give it a try w/o checking the firmware to see if it needed an upgrade or not. For me everything worked fine right out of the box w/o any firmware upgrade. So if you have an older unit this might be something to consider (or at least know about).

In summary - Give this nice little unit a try. It has a small footprint, is lightweight, has rich bass and great overall sound, plus a good volume range w/o distortion. I not disappointed with it at all - I love it. Absolutely buy it over the JBL on tour. That unit does not get very loud, the sound quality is sub par, and the mechanics of how you plug everything in sets it up for damage. This unit is far better.

This Zune sound dock was an unfortunate disappointment, severely lacking in basic functionality. A sound dock of any kind should be good in sound, features and convenience. I'll break down my experiences:

The Sound
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1. Volume adjusts from 1 to 30, but is barely audible under 11. In fact, 18 seems like a quiet whisper volume. Over volume 24, I could tell there was sound distortion and at 30 well, it was overpowering the speakers I thought I would break it. I'm relistening to it at volume 22 and it's not very loud and you can almost hear a static sound reproduction on a new Lady Gaga MP3. I chose various Genres of music (classical to hip hop to pop to rock) with different songs to determine the "loudness" acceptable levels.
2. Bass was a bit "poppy" sounding as if there was no real bass, I'm not expecting a subwoofer thump, but for a company who specializes in sound, I wasn't impressed. I have Altec computer speakers that sound FAR better.

The Features
--------------
1. It says it has HD Radio, but in fine print, it doesn't have HD radio, the Zune HD has HD radio and you happen to hear the sound from the Zune
2. It DOES have FM radio, which is actually a useless feature, because all Zunes (1st to 3rd generation) have FM radios
3. I was shocked to find it has no clock function at all like other sound docks do. I mean, let's think about this, you can get a simple LED clock with alarm from Walmart for a few dollars - they couldn't have at least put a clock and alarm in this so I could put this on my nightstand and wake up to my Zune music, etc ?
4. Most people's nightstands aren't all that big in size, there's no room for this sound dock, plus my current clock radio.
5. The included remote and "integrated remote-holder" works for volume but won't control the Zune! See convenience section:

The Convenience
-----------------
1. This is the dumbest part of this sound dock. The included remote won't control any of the music functions of the Zune beyond Next, Previous and Pause. So let's say you've taken this to the patio and your friends complain they don't like the playlist you're on, well you have to undock the Zune, choose your playlist manually, and re-dock it. For people like me, I like diverse genres of music plus some audiobooks, so simply putting your *entire* collection on shuffle is not an option (unless you're prepared to hit "Next" after every other song). So this sound dock really scores bad on convenience.

2. Here's the next dumb part of this sound dock - it doesn't even transmit signals using the original Zune remote! So fine, maybe the included remote doesn't control the Zune, but at least allow it to use the Zune remote, nope won't work.

Summary and Areas for Improvement
-----------------------------------
1. No clock radio/alarm - this would be a huge improvement!
2. Shuffle your Entire Music Collection or nothing - the included remote nor the Zune remote won't control any music functions beyond Play/Pause or Next/Previous - that's it...no remote control choosing of playlists or other music, etc. (Ie. Lets say you put this on the deck for a party, having a remote in your lawn chair to control different music sure would be nice, wouldn't it?)
3. Volume is barely audible under 11 on a scale of 1 to 30 and 18 is a casual whisper, yet volume 24 to 30 the sound already distorts
4. Bass is "poppy" at times
5. A sound dock needs good sound, common-sense features, and to be convenient - it severely lacks in these areas as described above.

Review of the Altec Lansing inMotion Dock for Zune with HD FM Radio


As a member of the Amazon Vine program, I quickly volunteered to review this $99 Altec Lansing inMotion Digital Speaker System for Zune, assuming it was for iPod. Luckily, this Altec Lansing iM414v2 has an Aux for other MP3 devices. So a review could be performed albeit without the ability to test the system's ability to recharge the Zune. I'm going to presume that function works properly. Now onto the review:

Fit and Finish: A grade

I didn't appreciate the look, fit, and finish on the Internet photos. Taking the Altec Lansing out of the box, I liked the solid look and feel. It feels well made . A lot of thought has gone into the ergonomics and the speaker grid is well designed.

Speaker Sound: A grade

As a reference, I compared to my JBL Radial (purchased for $99 but now goes for about $200) and my Altec Lansing inMotion 600 (purchased used for $60; goes for about $99)

While not as loud and room-filling as my JBL Radial, the sound was very pleasant and my wife and I preferred it to the Altec Lansing inMotion 600, which sounds comparatively muffled. There's no distortion on my inMotion 600 so I don't think I bought it distorted in its used condition. I just have never cared for its tone, which sounds muffled to me. For the same price, the iM414v2 is better.

FM Reception: C minus grade.

I received hiss on all stations, including the strong ones like 106.7 and 89.9 and 88.1. Getting the weak 89.3 KPCC was impossible as the station was barely discernible. I fiddled with the wire FM antenna, but to no avail. Like my inMotion 600, this Altec Lansing lacks FM sensitivity so I recommend you buy this Zune speaker as a speaker system only. The FM tuner, with only 3 presets which you can only access through the small remote, should be left alone.

Conclusion:

While the FM reception is lacking, you're looking at $99 for essentially a speaker system. That's not a bad price. Consider the JBL On Stage series cost about the same and doesn't come with a radio and offers similar sound. So while I can't recommend this Altec Lansing's radio function, it's competitive at its price point in terms of speaker sound.

My favorite feature of this Zune speaker dock is that it does something that is increasingly becoming a rarity -- it runs on batteries. I know this sounds minor, but I've been needing another radio for emergencies and all this rechargeable technology just doesn't cut it. A true 'emergency' go-to device can't rely on electricity to recharge it; it needs to function independently off the grid. So, for me, this is a huge bonus feature.

Another thing I like about the inMotion Speaker Dock is its size -- nice and compact, yet the sound is still decent compared to others in its class. Sure, it's not going to knock your socks off or make the floor shake with thumping bass, but that's not what this product is -- nor would you want that if using this around the office. Though I do agree with others who say this should've had a clock. Given the size of this inMotion, maybe Altec Lansing didn't want it to be labeled as just another clock radio, but that nice LCD screen is crying out to double as a digital clock. Maybe that's why the FM radio presets are so sparse too -- the in Motion seems to be forging the middle ground between a high end speaker dock and a simple clock radio. Unfortunately, this leaves it a tad uninspired in both departments.

Auxiliary Input
This is always appreciated. It's nice to have to option to run other devices on an existing unit, so kudos there.

Remote Control
This is a nice touch and helpful in navigating Zune menus without disturbing the Zune as it rests in the dock.

Bottom Line: if you're looking for something compact for the office or are in need of something battery operated, this is a good choice. There's nothing overly exciting to talk about here, but it is a solid performer with decent sound.

Getting this in Vine prompted me to buy a Zune 8GB mp3 player. I've had the Sandisk Sansa E200 series which has served me well over the years and the offer of this speaker in Vine coincided with a desire to buy a new mp3 player to which I bought the 8GB Zune. I waited for my purchased Zune to arrive before making an in-depth review of the Altec Lansing inMotion Speaker Dock with FM Radio for Zune. First of all, I like the way this speaker is made. It seems well built and sturdy, it has an FM radio with presets and a remote, and LCD panel to actually see where you're at and what you're doing, can be powered by both AC and DC. It has and Aux input if you want to use the speaker with any other peripheral that has an Aux output. It is small enough to be moved from one location to another without the bulk, it charges your Zune while being docked. This is a v2 configuration, which not having a previous one before, I have no idea what the difference is between the first one that came out and a v2 version.

Right out of the box, set up was easy and flawless. The materials are mostly plastic but it has an elegant and shiny finish on it. After plugging it in on the AC outlet, one thing I noticed immediately was that the LCD didn't have a clock. Its mainly a display for your FM station and your current functions: bass boost, surround effects, AUX, FM stereo and if your Zune is plugged in. The clock is secondary, but it can be a useful tool if it is placed on a stationary location.

The sound from the Altec Lansing was pretty decent for its size. Its not room filling all the way but enough to amplify and enjoy the music from your Zune. It has presets for your FM tuner so you can tune in right away to your favorite stations although I found the FM tuner's sensitivity to be lacking a bit. The Bass Boost function gives you the added punch for those songs that has strong bass in it. The remote comes in handy to flip controls from a distance. It also includes adapters so whatever kind of Zune you may have, you are pretty much covered. Overall, a decent accessory for your Zune.

What's to say about this product? It's a nice accessory for a Zune owner, and it's cool that Altec Lansing is remembering that there's another PMP out there besides the iPod.

Sound-wise, it's decent. I wouldn't call it earth-shattering sound, but it's certainly good for a small room or household. The radio sounds good, and music from the Zune is as clear as the source was (which depends on what you put on it, of course).

Looks-wise, it's not ugly. I wouldn't say it's gorgeous, but it's basic and doesn't stand out too much. It's logically designed, and does the trick.

It doesn't weigh much, but I wouldn't say it's a portable device. This isn't a boombox. It's the kind of thing you keep on your dresser at home and pop your Zune onto when you get in from a day at work or school. It's a decent place to store your Zune overnight, too.

The best feature is the remote control. You can cycle through your music without having to mess with the Zune itself. All the standard buttons are there: volume, next track, previous track, play/pause... You know the drill. It's just what's needed, and not much more. Simple, but good because of it.

If you're a Zune owner, this is a nice choice for a speaker dock. Let's face it: Accessory designers aren't exactly falling over each other to make new products for the Zune. Some put out a dozen iPod docks, and only one Zune dock (or none!) and this product shows a step in the right direction for the Zune. Reasonably priced, good sound, solid bass, and the remote control make this an intelligent choice for the accessory-shopping Zune owner.

So I've owned this little Zune player for a few months now. At first, I loved it (not that I had any choice with the limited options out there, but hey... it looked like an iPod dock). The sound, for my office, is more than enough. I actually have to turn it down because the little player does pack a punch. It's not bad looking, and has an Aux option and FM, and a remote control, which is great to pause the music while I receive a phone call. I don't know if this will fulfill your home needs. You are probably better off using the Aux port on your stereo.

Anyway, everything was fine for the first few months until recently. For some reason, my player started making hissing sounds. You know, the kind of sounds that speakers make when you turn the volume way up but are not playing anything? The sound of electricity? Well, I unplugged and plugged it back again, I changed the input, but nothing. I think my player is on its last legs. Considering buying a second one or switching to another company, if anybody else makes Zune docks.

UPDATE: I found the solution to the hissing sound. Turn the player on and then hold on the power button until it resets. You will know when it resets because the volume will reset to 20. After reseting it, perfect sound once more. Because of this, I raised my rating by one star.

I ended up reviewing this device by mistake. I had thought it was an iPod dock, but it is specifically designed for the Zune. Now, I know that doesn't sound all that smart. You'd have to be an anxious Vine reviewer in the mad clicking frenzy that is noon on the 3rd Thursday of the month to understand how this happens

After attempting and failing to find anyone known to either myself or my kids who owns a Zune, I tested the Altec Lansing InMotion speaker dock using my iPod and the auxiliary sound input. Since I couldn't locate a Zune (I did check the web to see if they are still available - they apparently are still at great prices), I was unable to check the control of Zune functions via the dock control. Looking at the controls available, though, I would say the dock does not give you a ton of control over Zune functions. It looks like it's pretty much all about simple audio playback with the nominal play, stop, FF, FR, etc. The display on the front of the dock is all low-res monochrome LCD, so you have to depend on the Zune screen for information beyond volume level, source, Bass, surround and FM station when in radio mode.

The remote worked well. I tested it to about 8 feet. It is IR, so you must have a line of sight to the front of the unit for it to work.

The build of the unit is solid. The industrial design hides most of the bulk and makes the unit look sleeker and slimmer than it really is. That is, it looks nice. The few control buttons on the main unit are large enough to see and use. The remote has a niche to keep it in when not in use on the top back of the upright portion. There is a door on the bottom for battery (AA) access. The box says it can last up to 24 hours with battery power, but I did not check this out. I look at it as back up for the clock in case power goes out. In this mode the clock, which is not visible when power is off, should be backed up for several days.

Now to the sound. My son said it best - not startlingly great, but a shade better than the iHome clock radio. I agree. The midrange is clear and detailed. The highs roll off evenly but not so much that they sound muted. It just doesn't sound high fidelity. The bass is fair, but doesn't seem to adjust very much, if at all. Instead of variable bass and treble, the dock has a "bass boost" button that has on/off as it's two settings. I couldn't detect any difference between on or off for bass boost. The bass is always modest. I would say, too modest. There is also a spatial sound button that is supposed to engage a synthetically created larger spatial stage effect. I noticed a tiny bit of spatial openness. It's really small, though. Members of my family couldn't tell when the spatial setting was on or off.

Anyways, the inmotion speaker dock sounds satisfactory. has insufficient adjustments for bass and treble. If you have a Zune, this may be one of your few choices for a speaker dock of any decent level of quality. If not, skip it because although it comes with a place to plug in a mini audio connector for an auxiliary source, it does not have the mini stereo cable to plug in between your ipod and this unit. All in all, there are better choices for teh money.

The features on this player are decent. It really needs a way to select music through the remote though. The sound is nothing earth shattering but what you expect for the price/product.

The connection is really poor though. It usually takes me a good 10 minutes of futzing with it to get my Zune HD playing through it. If the connection is not just right, the player just turns off. Once i get it going its fine.