I bought an iM-207 and an iM-237 at the same time, curious to see what the difference was.
The 207 is roughly 25% smaller and comes with a 1/8 to 3/32 stereo adapter, is designed to function sitting with the speaker pointing upward or will sit at a slight angle back on its side. I think it is money well spent- compared to the same amount I spent 3 years ago on one of those fold-up cube type dual speakers. In comparison to that fold-up cube, I think the sound is like 3 times better: quality-wise and volume-wise. The iM-207 lacks an LED that lets you know if the power is switched on, so you might drain the batteries out if you forget to turn it off after you unplug your player unit. It turns on and off by rotating the outer chrome ring-not a smooth switch at all compared to a rocker, slider or push button. Now on to the iM-237: a bit more stylish than its predecessor the iM-207 and at a price that is 130% more. It comes with a swanky padded and zippered carrying case with a mini carabiner clip and a tether that can be attached to the speaker to secure it to your wrist or hang it on the wall, it doesn't have a 1/8th to 3/32 adapter. the sound is cleaner than the 207, more defined at both ends and easier to listen to and has more volume. I wouldn't say the sound is twice as good though- I'd say more like 40% better. I'm not an acoustical engineer and don't have the audio equipment to evaluate the quality on any emperical basis. The iM-237 does have a nice green LED to let you know the power is on and a simple push button on/off button (which is vulnerable to accidental activation) the cord conceals neatly in a winder molding in the base and secures the plug well- a little too well, it's hard to get it out if you don't have long fingernails! I'd say value wise the 207 has a better quality to dollar value, however if you prize sound quality then go for the iM-237. Altec Lansing iM-237 Orbit Ultraportable Speaker for MP3 Players (Silver)
I bought one of these to play music from my iPhone during a vacation. I used it outdoors by the swimming pool for about a week. Went through only one set of batteries (AAA). My friends and I were consistently impressed with the sound that came out of this little speaker; it's surprisingly loud and clear.
I figured when I bought it that it was basically a throw-away. Not so. It's a good little speaker that fits the bill.
When I first opened the IM237 I was dissapointed. I could not believe that the new orbit was about 50% bigger than the old one -IM207. When I listened to it though they did improve the sound. The new one does have improved bass. While its great that they added a light to show if the unit is on or off, the switch sticks out too far when it is off. This can cause it to accidentally turn on. The could easily have been fixed if they simply had it on when it was out and off when it was in. The second flaw is the cord is the same short lenghth as the old one when it could have been 6 or 12 inches longer without effeting anything. Infact I was able to wrap a 3 foot extention in addition to the actual cord in the bottom. There is plenty space for a longer cord.
While I still think the original is a great speaker the new one is improved. If you are on a tight budget or you want a really small speaker that will fit in your pocket buy the old one for $15. If you want better sound and dont mind carrying a bigger speaker get the new one. Its a shame about the 2 flaws which could have easily have been fixed.
Even though the internal speakers on my Sony Vaio notebook computer are decent, I sometimes need a little more volume and clarity. When the need arises, I usually whip out the ear-buds. But recently, I've been wanting to play some tunes on my computer at work where it's not convenient to wear ear-buds. Hence, the "need" for one of these portable mini-speakers.
After reading the reviews on portable notebook/iPod/iPhone speakers, I narrowed my choice down to 3 products and ordered all 3. I thought that I would choose the best one, send the others back, and review them at the same time. So....my 3 choices were the X-Mini II Capsule Speaker, the iHome iHM60 Rechargeable Mini Speakers for iPod (Blue), and the Altec Lansing iM-237 Orbit Ultraportable Speaker for MP3 Players (Silver).
I tested all 3 speakers with my Sony Vaio notebook, my iPhone 3Gs, and my 60-gig iPod. All 3 speakers worked with all 3 devices, and the rating results were comparable.
One more thing: although 2 of the 3 speakers have USB charging cables, none of them are USB devices. The USB only charges the speaker; the sound is controlled via the headphone-out controls.
1) X-Mini II Capsule Speaker ---- This speaker is the most compact. I like the design, the lines, the feel, and the size. It just feels right. It looks like a little pill/capsule, and then springs open to reveal bellows that enhance the bass. The sound is focused and clear, but ranks #3 in loudness and bass quality. It is the only speaker of the 3 that I tested that has a volume control, but I really don't see the need for a volume control when the speaker is only 6 inches away from the sound source. It has a built-in speaker cord for when you want to run it on the internal rechargeable battery. There's also a combined USB charging/speaker cable....1 plug inserts into your computer USB port to charge the speaker battery, and the 2nd plug goes to the headphone-out on your computer (or iPod). So, if your speaker battery dies, just plug the 2 plugs into the computer and you're back up and running. If you're using the speaker to listen to your iPod or iPhone, you are out of luck if the speaker battery dies, unless you have a USB power source nearby. Unfortunately, both the attached speaker cable and the combined USB charging/speaker cable are very flimsy. It also has a speaker-out jack, which allows you to daisy-chain speakers together. Not really a huge selling point, since people tend to buy these speakers because they are small and compact...so who wants to carry 2 with them? But I suppose it does allow for more flexibiity, athough daisy-chaining 2-3 of these little guys together just doesn't make good financial sense. So, just like the volume control, the speaker-out jack is a non-issue to me. Also comes with a little carrying bag made of felt material.
Pros --- Looks and feels right. Small/compact. Decent sound, considering it's size. Rechargeable battery. Option of using built-in cable or combined USB charging/speaker cable.
Cons --- Worst performance in terms of loudness and bass (but still not bad). Flimsy cables.
2) iHome iHM60 Rechargeable Mini Speakers for iPod (Blue) ---- This speaker is very similar to the X-Mini II above. The major differences: it's larger than the X-Mini and doesn't look as "polished". It doesn't have a volume control, but who needs one anyway? It doesn't have a built-in cable....it only has a USB charging/speaker cable....but it's MUCH sturdier than the cable on the X-Mini. The sound is louder and fuller, with more pronounced bass.....probably because the diameter is bigger and the bellows are longer. Comes with a medium-heavy duty black carrying bag, which is more substantial than the felt used for the X-Mini II bag. Also has a speaker-out jack, just like the X-Mini II, for daisy-chaining speakers together.
Pros --- Ranks #2 in loudness and bass. Small/compact. Rechargeable battery. Sturdy cable. Nicer carrying bag. $10 cheaper than the X-Mini.
Cons --- Less "polished" look/feel. Not as small as the X-Mini. No built-in speaker cable, so you MUST use the more bulky USB charging/speaker cable.
3) Altec Lansing iM-237 Orbit Ultraportable Speaker for MP3 Players (Silver) --- This speaker is the largest, but weighs about the same as the IHome. It has NO USB charging cable....just a built-in speaker cable. It ONLY runs on 3 AAA batteries. I haven't used it long enough to test the battery life. The carrying case is a deluxe zippered case that really protects the speaker. It also includes a lanyard for the speaker and a little caribiner clip for the case. The sound clearly out-classes the other 2 in loudness, clarity, and bass.
Pros --- Best sound of the 3. Uses 3 AAA batteries (no rechargeable battery to die on you). Built-in speaker cable. Very nice carrying case.
Cons --- Largest of the 3. Uses 3 AAA batteries (rechargeable battery is convenient, but they often die.) Flimsy built-in speaker cable.
So.....which one am I keeping? That's a good question. I'm DEFINITELY returning the X-Mini II. It performed the worst of the 3, it has flimsy cables, and it costs as much as the Altec. Although the iHome requires that you use the bulkier combo-cord, it sounds better and costs $10 less than the X-Mini II. No-brainer.
How about the Altec? It sounds the best, but has some limitations. I might keep BOTH the Altec and the iHome. But I'm DEFINITELY keeping the iHome, which is the all-around winner in this speaker shoot-out when you compare sound, price, and features.
A couple more remarks. The iHome packaging is maddening. The speaker is wire-tied into the package, making it extremely difficult to remove. I ended up essentially destroying the packaging in order to remove the speaker. But perhaps iHome did that on purpose, so as to discourage returns. Very annoying, but not a deal-breaker. Also, the iHome's cable has a hard plastic clip attached that is supposed to be used as a wire-tie. I have very good manual dexterity, but I was unable to fold the cable back up and clip it back together. Nice try, iHome, but the velcro cable-tie of the X-Mini II is a much better design.....too bad they decided to include such a flimsy cable.
I hope this review helps you in your purchase of a portable speaker for your notebook computer or iPod/iPhone. Be sure to check out my VIDEO REVIEW, which includes sound bytes from all 3 speakers. It is located here: iHome iHM60 Rechargeable Mini Speakers for iPod (Blue).'
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