Customer Reviews

Altec Lansing inMotion iM7 Portable Audio System for iPod (White)

5 star:		(279)
4 star:		(76)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(20)
1 star:		(31)

 

 

I just received my iM7 from Crutchfield via Amazon. I was hesitant to open it because between order and receipt I read a review in one of the Mac mags that said the sound was mediocre. I finally bit the bullet and, boy! They couldn't have been more wrong ! The sound from this sleek beauty is amazing. Rich, vibrant, mellow - and I prefer it to a Bose SoundDock I have heard. Also, this unit is designed to be portable and the SoundDock isn't.

One small gripe - the battery compartment on the remote is a nightmare. If you have three hands, I suppose it is easy enough to open, but for those of us endowed with only two... A trim piece snapped off my remote the first time I tried to open it. The upside? I e-mailed Altec Lansing, and within 4 days I had a replacement in the mail !!! AMAZING!! A company that understands the concept of customer service ! My only other suggestion? I wish this unit came in black. I know, my IPod is white, but I'd still rather have a black one.

I give this unit an enthusiatic 5 stars, despite the battery compartment on the remote. Don't wait another moment ! Buy one now !

I'd been looking for a portable, battery-operated speaker system for my 5th Generation 60GB iPod Video that would really deliver on audio quality. I've listened to a number of very small speaker systems, many over $100, and been utterly disappointed by their tinny sound and distortion at even moderate listening levels.

After reading many reviews, I settled on the iM7 portable audio system. And, considering the truly outstanding sound the Altec Lansing FX6021 provides for my home computer, I already had good experience with the manufacturer.

But despite the glowing reviews, I was still surprised how good this system sounds on a very diverse mixture of music, from classical to vocals to pop, rock, and even dance. The sound is rich and full-range, using the built-in subwoofer and passive radiator for bass, and separate drivers for midrange and treble for each channel. And, you can adjust treble and bass settings, albeit only from the remote.

Even better, this unit can really crank up the volume to fill a large room, an outdoor patio or an area at the beach without distortion. In fact, I've taken this to the beach several times and everyone was shocked that it could pump out good quality sound even on a windy day with a group of 20 people in our area. (At the highest levels, you'll definitely hear some distortion from bass notes on heavy dance music. What do you expect from a 5" sub-woofer?)

The design and build quality are outstanding. This is one solid unit, and nicely complements the iPod, regardless of what color you own. The iPod itself mounts in a cassette-like mount with adapters and a thickness adjustment for handling all major iPods (except the shuffle, which you could play through the audio in, or pay extra for an adapter). The front of your iPod is not protected, however, so it's a good idea to have a protective film to prevent scratches, especially with sliding the iPod in and out of the cradle. (I use PowerSupport CrystalFilm protector.)

You use your iPod controls to select music, videos, photos, or playlists since the remote control only has settings for next/previous track, volume up/down, bass up/down, treble up/down, and power. And Apple's newer iPods support Alarm-Clock functionality giving you a nice (if not expensive) wakeup with your music.

Altec Lansing makes a carry case for the iM7 that is well worth the money. It fits snugly, has a small pouch for carrying a cable or two (not much else), and a shoulder strap.

IMPORTANT NOTE: make sure you order this new at Amazon or its partners, as the latest packaging includes additional adapters for the iPod Nano and the 5G Video iPods (30GB or 60GB).

Advantages:
- outstanding sound quality across a variety of music genres
- minimal hiss or other noise during silent passages or track gaps
- outstanding build quality (really feels solid)
- ingenious iPod docking mechanism, similar to the cassette players of yesteryear; includes adapters for every major iPod (including nano, mini, and 30/60 Video) - adapter for iPod Shuffle is extra cost
- ability to adjust treble and bass settings, albeit only from the remote control
- video out (composite and S-Video) for iPod Photo and Video
- stereo audio in (mini phone jack) for additional sources or non-iPod players
- headphone jack (but frankly, why bother?)
- power button is synchronized to the iPod; when you power off the iM7, it places your iPod on Pause
- when plugged into the wall, charges your iPod (it does not charge your iPod when running on battery power)
- universal power adapter with international plugs

Disadvantages:
- not the lightest system, epecially with batteries (10+ pounds)
- stereo separation isn't outstanding, but who would expect that from a portable system?
- no ability to see treble or bass settings - you just have to listen to what sounds good
- the built-in handle isn't very comfortable; I ordered the carry case to sling it over my shoulder
- it can eat through batteries; expect about 10-12 hours from 8 "D" alakine cells; it's ashame it didn't include a built-in rechargeable pack as rechargeable "D" cells are expensive, as are their chargers
- included power adapter doesn't have a long cord, as you would expect for a unit that could be used outdoors; expect to use an extension cord unless you're running on batteries or near a power outlet
- remote control doesn't have the greatest range (10 feet) and must be aimed directly at the unit
- as another reviewer wrote, installing and replacing the battery on the remote control requires two hands and some dexterity

Despite the detail I've included here, the advantages and sound quality of this unit are so superior that I still give it a 5-star rating despite the minor disadvantages I've noted.

Also, early units were susceptible to problems with the loading mechanism, since fixed. I have had no problems with my new unit, but a number of refurbished units are being sold by some vendors.

IMPORTANT NOTE: the inside of one battery cover mentions that if you don't intend to use the unit on batteries for some period of time that the batteries should be removed to avoid draining. It is easy to miss this warning, but it definitely should be followed! I drained two sets of batteries before I discovered this.

I wanted new iPod speakers for my home office, so I decided to test a few out. I picked up the Altec Lansing inMotion iM9 and I liked the quality. It sat on my desk, and faced me from only a couple feet away. Then I noticed a "popping" sound between tracks that annoyed me. The default volume was way too high when you turn it on, too. I decided to return it.

Then I picked up the Logitech mm50. Nice design and good sound from small speakers. It came with a case and integrated nicely with the iPod. Everything seemed great until I decided to move it to a table across the room to free up space on my desk. My office is about 15' x 12', and the mm50 was now 10' away from me and didn't come close to "filling the room" with sound. I decided to return it.

I have now decided to shell out some bucks for bigger sound, but I still wanted a one-piece system with an iPod docking option. Keep in mind that by now, I really wanted that iPod Hi-Fi that I've had my eye on. I decided to compare the Hi-Fi with the Klipsch iGroove, Bose SoundDock and Altec Lansing iM7.

In short, the Klipsch iGroove and Bose SoundDock's sound was really disappointing. Bye. So now it's down to the Hi-Fi and the iM7. I don't know why, but I wanted to dislike the iM7 for some reason. While testing the two, some songs sounded better on the Hi-Fi, but most began to sound better on the iM7. When I looked closer, the iM7's design really began to grow on me. I continued to listen to clips of about 30 songs from different genres on the Hi-Fi and iM7 and a clear winner emerged for me - the iM7. The ability to change the bass and trebble was great, on the Hi-Fi, you can only increase one of them, not both, via the iPod's display.

Better sound, great bass, tone controls, a better design, video-out options, and an iPod "cassette" enclosure that keeps my music player inside were all great differentiators in favor of the iM7. After I brought it home, it really did a great job filling the room with powerful sound, with the ability to turn it up fairly loud without distortion.

I did my homework, so hopefully it will help you. The Hi-Fi's great, but the iM7 is a better integrated iPod speaker solution.

This is a very nice system. Exceptional sound (the bass is good for a portable system like this), nice size (it's portable) and it works with my Nano! I bought this not knowing if the Nano would fit the "holder compartment" and I'm happy to say it does and it sounds great! And while the Nano works, it doesn't fit flush/snug like the regular iPod or the Mini with the included adapter (can you say accessory opportunity, Altec?). I recommend this whole-heartedly and without reservation (costs less than the Bose, its portable and it sounds better!). I read recently that this particular system (iM7) received a Consumer RPorts "Best Buy" for an iPod/MP3 speaker system - I couldn't agree more! I can't wait to use it for backyard BBQs come Summer 06!

The following is an edited rehash of my review for the Bose SoundDock. Thanks to the holidays I am now the owner of the Bose system and both the Altec Lansing inMotion iM7 and inMotion IM3. After hours of listening to every type of music on my iPod I had to (begrudgingly) give Bose it's due for (marginally) producing the best sound of the three. Not in every category of music, but in a significant few. The presets on my iM7 were weak at the high end, so getting the sound quality up to a comparable level with the SoundDock required a little tweaking of the base and treble controls on the iM7's (very mediocre) remote, but it can be done.

In addition to respecting customers enough to make their own sound choices by providing tremble and bass controls, Altec Lancing's iM7 includes a host of features that are illogically ommitted from the Bose. An input jack so you can also use the speakers to output music and computer sounds from a desktop or enhance the quality of a movie played on a portable DVD player or laptop. An S-video jack to output photo "shows" (with sound track) though a TV from an iPod photo. A convenient slot to store the remote when the remote is not being used, like when transporting the iM7. A headphone jack. And, of course, the option of battery power and a handle that make it portable. On top of that, the fit and finish on the iM7 is noticeably superior to the SoundDock. It's no surprise that the iM7 has a five star overall rating while the SoundDock's is a full star lower.

Even if they were offered at the same price the iM7 gets my vote over the SoundDock. But they're not the same price. The iM7 is $100 less. It appears that Bose takes that money and adds it to what they save on features and invests it in a massive marketing budget to convince consumers that Bose products are worth their premium prices.

For the record, I don't dislike Bose. I'm very happy with the Bose system in my car and I love the Bose outdoor speakers facing the hot tub. They make decent products. I just think they're suffering from the same hubris that brought General Motors to its knees.

I'm keeping the Bose because it was a gift. The iM7 is on top of my computer monitor and the SoundDock is in the living room to take advantage of the two areas it wins out over the iM3, design and snob appeal.

By the way, the Altec Lansing in Motion iM3 is great. While the smaller speakers can't compete with either the SoundDock or the iM7 you can't beat it when it comes to traveling. The iM3 even includes an iPod input so you can use it as a desktop dock and move music and programming from your computer to the iPod. I can understand why the iM7 omitted that nice little feature, but I wish they hadn't.

I am new to the iPod since I waited until it would playback video. But I am NOT new to great audio products. I was searching for a portable unit which would work with battery or A/C and I was ready to buy iBoom or a boombox style unit from Memorex. They were both under a hundred bucks and that appealed to me.

Then, I heard the Bose system and the Apple audio system. They both sound terrific! The price tags were enough to choke me though. So I started to look for the cheaper units again. While working my way back down the line of portable and small table top units I came across this unit. The iM7 was without a doubt the best of the bunch! I searched at Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, WalMart and a couple other places and couldn't find it anywhere. Then it was on-line to find reviews and pricing.

After reading reviews and having heard it for myself, I could easily justify the larger expense. (Whenever you get a dollar amount in your head you end up not liking when the amount goes higher and I was stuck on a hundred or lower). So, off to buy on-line. I first stopped at Amazon.com and that is where I stopped. Although there were other venders here who sold the unit cheaper by a bit, Amazon was close enough to the best price and I knew I could return it easily if there were a problem and I could get it shipped quickly.

Well, not only did it arrive a day earlier than was displayed as the first day of a 4 day window, I was extemely surprised how great the unit sounded once I could hear it in a real world setting and not in a big store display area. I tried all sorts of music on it and I was amazed with each style after style. I had already learned in reviews there was treble and bass controls when you used the remote so I knew it had a little control and that's all you need these days with an iPod type unit.

A wonderful surprise and unadvertised...
I don't have to spend the $100 on Apple's video docking unit! This unit will also allow me to display the video on a regular TV!!! It has S-Video and Composite outputs for video. It says you can show your iPhoto slide shows, but it WILL show videos as well from a video iPod. So, cut the price in half as you just saved 100 dollars!

The unit will also charge your iPod and it's totally adjustable to fit every unit snugly from nano mini to classic and video versions! With an included wire you can also play any other type of aux input device. So, if you have the shuffle you can use this. I have! ;-)

So, this is the unit if you love good audio quality, a solidly made device and plenty of options in a relatively small unit. Easy to carry, fun to play and it looks great doing it!

WORTH EVERY PENNY!

I love this unit. I have it in my office and rock on when I am working back. The only iffy thing is the mechanism that holds your ipod in. Mine broke through normal use after 6 months. I got on the phone to Altec Lansing and they were fantastic. I have just received a brand new replacement via courier. Thanks so much Altec Lansing! I will definitely consider their products in the future again.

The sound from the unit is awesome for the money. The unit is easily portable. IF YOU NEED AUDIO FOR POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS - BUY ONE OF THESE, NOT THE CRAPPY LITTLE COMPUTER SPEAKER SETS! Buy the matching bag and you are ready to present anywhere. People in reasonably large settings can all hear the videos and audios in your presentation if you use this...

After having had no desire for an iPod for years, I finally and quite suddenly realized I couldn't live without one. I have to have music on when I work, and I realized every morning I was taking out a few CD's from one of my two CD changers at home and bringing them into my office to play on my 3-disc bookshelf system. My office soon got cluttered with CD's and I realized I could end the madness with an iPod to hold my 500 or so CD's.

I knew I'd need a lot of storage (and ultimately decided on the 30gig video), and I was planning on complementing it with the Bose sound dock, but wasn't relishing spending the combined $600 to make this happen. I'd heard the Bose at a friends wedding and was impressed with its sound but turned off by its awkwardness when it came to portability. After reading some reviews, I went for the Altec Lansing iM7, sight unseen (or should I say sound unheard?) I'm THRILLED with my decision! The sound is rich and full with surprising bass for something of its size. The sound fills up my sizable living room, and it just rocks my little 10x10 office! All music sounds good on it from straight-forward rock (Doors, Pearl Jam) to more melodic bands (Coldplay, Sigur Ros), to alternative industrial (Manson, NIN) and the unit really shines with electronic alternative (Depeche Mode, VAST).

Any negatives there are are minor, and should not be a consideration in your purchase. These include the remote control with an impossible to load battery compartment (I had to hold the 1-inch by 3-inch unit betwen my knees and use a dime and a pair of scissors to get mine open!). The remote sits snug in the back of the unit, and the rubberized recessed handle is comfortable for carrying the unit from one place to the other (although it isn't recessed deep enough if you plan on carrying the unit for a prolonged period of time while using batteries). Speaking of batteries, a fair warning: the IM7 goes through them, and QUICKLY. I took the IM7 on a boat trip, and after about 10 hours the brand-new batteries were completely drained. Considering the unit takes 8 D-sized batteries, it's pretty costly to run the unit when not using a wall outlet.

Putting your iPod in is simple enough, just push the door in and it drops down like that of a casette player. Behind the space for the iPod is a ratcheting flipswitch that holds the iPod in its socket (although oddly it didnt ratchet enough for my 30gig, but it does close far enough for 60's and 80's). The unit comes complete with 4 interchangeable wall-plugs in the event you live outside of or are planning on travelling outside of the USA. This unit will never replace an expensive home theater, but if you've already invested in an iPod, you owe it to your ears to give this a try.

EDIT: Several months after I purchased the IM7, my girlfriend got me the Bose sounddock, so now I don't need to lug the IM7 from my office to her place to my place and back to the office. Since I wrote my initial review I've upgraded my iPod to an 80 gig. I placed my old 30 in one of the units, and my new 80 in the other, and in my opinion the IM7 beats the Sounddock hands down. Take it from someone who owns both: the IM7 is the way to go.

Couldn't be more happy with my iM7. Very distortion free even at high levels, I compared head to head with the Bose Soundock and found the iM7 more responsive and more pratical for moving around from room to room our outside.

A year later, and the door is broken and won't stay shut. Treat it very gingerly and never try to pull it open (I think that is what happened to mime. Kids!) Still sounds as great as ever, though.


-- Original review --
The sound coming out of these is amazing - while the clean bass and treble is very impressive for a package of this size and price, it is the quality of the vocals that stands out. This, to me, is what makes the difference between decent speakers and audiophile quality. It makes this system an absolute must buy if you can stand the rather space age appearance. The bass is limited by the size of the box, but is strong and clear despite being a little boomy and lacking extreme low end.

I recently bought one of these based on the reviews in Ipodlounge and the comments here, and am not at all disappointed. We took it away for the weekend, and so ended up testing it with 2 iPod minis, a 30G video, and 40G previous gen; and all worked flawlessly. Having now brought it home it lives in our kitchen and makes cooking even more of a pleasure. You don't mind spending a little more time in the kitchen when the sound is this good. And when you feel like letting loose, the sounds still rocks when cranked way up!