I bought this item after reading several positive reviews posted on this site. Having tried it out, I do agree with many of the positive comments, but also found a couple of negatives that turned out to be deal-breakers for me, and I have decided to return it. One of the negatives is specific to my particular listening preference and may not apply to other folks. I bought this unit to use with my iPod in the bedroom. I like to fall asleep listing to SOFT music, so good low-level volume control is important for me. Unfortunately this unit are not well matched to that need. It has very little sensitivity at low levels: with the volume set only a few steps above zero on the push-button control, the sound level is already getting rather loud. Worse, the unit does not "remember" the previous volume stetting when it is switched on, instead it automatically resets to a mid level (which is actually quite loud) - this is something one could live with, obviously, but for me it's just too irritating.
My other negative is a general concern about the durability of the vinyl cover, which has to be folded back to support the unit when it is in use. The idea behind the design is good, making it easy to transport with the cover in place. However, as a support it seems flimsy, and the quality of the vinyl may not be sufficient for long-term use, given that it has to be folded back on itself each time the unit is set up. Past experience of folding vinyl in other situations leads me to suspect that it will soon develop splits along the fold.
To summarize:
Positives: Decent sound quality for a small unit; highly portable; looks good; easy to use if you don't care about the volume issue noted above.
Negatives: Volume control does not remember previous setting when unit is switched on and lacks sensitivity at low levels; vinyl cover may not be very durable. Altec Lansing IMT320 inMotion Compact iPod Speaker System
Good: AUX input. Battery powered and mobile, flip cover for travel, doesn't buzz on AT&T network, loud.
BAD: when its plugged into an outlet it automatically powers off when nothing is being played for a few minutes and when you turn it back on, it does not retain the volume level setting you were previously using! Very annoying. It needs a remote. The button are poorly located directly behind your device where they are hard to see and get to.
I use this unit every day at work as PC speakers which charge my iphone while I'm at work. When I pause Itunes for more than 5 minutes or so, the speakers power off and I must turn them back on. When they are turned on, the volume is reset to half, which is too loud in my office. Also, because I am constantly turning the unit on after it shuts off, the buttons are in a bad spot...right behind the iphone.
If I had known all of the annoying things about this unit at the time I purchased, I would have spent more money for a better unit.
WOW! Great product for the cost! We have bought 4 different brands that either crap-out or sound like crap, Altec's CEO is not kidding when he says most people make a pretty box and fill it with whatever speaker they can find, and not to mention the internal amps in those crappy sets. These guys have nailed it! definately easy to use, and great to listen to. I am getting ready to a third unit now (yes we bought 2 already) and I am glad we did.
Thank you Altec Lancing!
I guess I thought this device would be larger than it is. I purchased it mainly for my garage so I could listen to music while I work. The sound is pretty good for it's size and the bass is probably the best you can expect from such small speaker. I guess I would enjoy something a bit larger though for a more full sound. We did take it on a recent camping trip and it's size was an advantage in that situation. The ability to run it off batteries was a plus.
If I had to do it all over again I would spend a bit more $$ and go for something larger. - Ipod Dock - Portable Speakers - Docking Stations - Ipod Speakers'
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