The Altec Lansing BXR1220 speakers aren’t meant for house parties unless your “house” is a closet-size studio apartment in New York City, and they certainly won’t compare with a three-piece PC speaker system like the Altec Lansing Expressionist Ultra MX6021. These $20 pint-size tubes are better for folks who can’t stand their laptop speakers and need a simple, cheap, and easy way to listen to music or watch movies on the run without worrying about tangled cables and cluttered power outlets.

At just 3.7 inches tall, 8 inches wide, and 7.5 inches deep, and a combined weight of less than 2 pounds, the Altec Lansing BXR1220′s compact design makes them an easy choice to pack for a trip. Each speaker features a 2-inch driver mounted behind a thin mesh screen and is wrapped in an attractive matte black tube that shouldn’t attract too much negative attention.

The box admittedly is quite bland and boring, but it does give a clear product shot and quite a bit of information on the technology involved with the product. The contents is also printed on the box and the specifications, as well as the main features of the speakers.

Altec Lansing are considered a leader in manufacturing of PC speakers and audio equipment.

The VS2621 three-piece speaker system for computers & MP3 players was built with one purpose in mind – deliver blow-your-socks-off sound without blowing your budget. The unique angled shape of the satellites directs full-spectrum audio toward you for improved audio dynamics while the side-firing subwoofer pumps out impressive bass. Its compact size makes it ideal for small spaces, but there’s nothing small about the sound. All controls are at your fingertips and a handy secondary input jack lets you connect your MP3 or CD player while still linked to your computer.

The VS2621 was designed with contemporary styling in mind, but does not sway too far from the look and feel of any other computer speaker system. A nice looking glossy black finish is used on the 2 satellite speakers and a matte black finish is used for the subwoofer. The right satellite speaker contains volume and tone controls, as well as the AUX input for connecting an MP3 player. The right speaker also uses a bright orange LED light to indicate when the speakers are powered on. The two speakers are connected with a single speaker cable that measures about 4’ in length.

The two satellite speakers utilize 2” full-range drivers housed in a triangular shaped enclosure. The satellite speakers are also slightly angled up, which is useful for directing the sound toward the ears of a listener that is seated slightly higher than the placement of the speakers. The side-firing subwoofer utilizes a 4” driver, with a ported design to maximize efficiency. An on/off power switch is located on the back of the subwoofer, along with the power cord.

Specifications

• Drivers: Two Full Range 2” (50mm)
• Subwoofer: Sidefiring 4” (100mm)
• Sound Pressure Level (SPL): 93 dB
• Total Continuous Power: 28 Watts RMS
• Each Speaker: 7.5 Watts per Channel (@ 8 ohms @ 10% THD @ 200 Hz – 20 kHz)
• Subwoofer: 13 Watts @ 4 ohms @ 10 % THD @ 50 Hz – 200 Hz
• System Response: 45 Hz – 18 kHz (-10 dB)
• Signal to Noise Ratio @ 1 kHz input: > 65 dB
• Satellite Dimensions: 5.1” x 4.7” x 5.2″ (130mm x 120mm x 131mm)
• Subwoofer Dimensions: 4.9” x 10.3” x 8.8” (125mm x 262mm x 224mm)

Listening to music is probably our favourite activity on the go, and it’s fair to say that many people reading this site own an MP3 player. But no matter what you use to listen to your tunes, be it an MP3 player, phone or even portable CD-player, if it has an on-board speaker in the first place it’s not likely to be very good.

Even most notebook speakers, with the notable exception of Toshiba’s Qosmio range, hardly do justice to anything but the audio basics. And while in many situations headphones are the ideal solution, sometimes you want to share the sound. Enter Altec Lansing’s latest revision of its Orbit portable speaker range, the iMT237. According to the box, this is a “mighty little speaker”, so let’s find out if this claim holds up.

Despite keeping the circular design and 3xAAA power source the new Orbit – the Altec Lansing iMT237 has had a significant make over from the iM207 that reviewed this time last year. For a start it’s bigger. The diameter of the unit is about the same however an additional 15mm has been added to the height and the tapered cone like appearance is replaced with a squat cylinder.

My main criticism of the original orbit was the lack of feedback to know that the unit was powered up – there was none. The result being that on very many occasions the Orbit was left powered up when not in use resulting on flat battery when required. I’m very pleased to see this rectified in the new Orbit, with a very obvious and bright LED.

Product Features

Technical Details

Product type: Portable speaker: Dimensions: (W x D x H) 14 x 8.7 x 15.3 centimeters:Weight 100 grams: Enclosure colour: silver & black:Sound range: 360 degrees: Warranty: 1 year, required: MP3, Laptop, Music compatible mobile phone, iPod, iPhone.

The Altec Lansing inMotion IM9 is the latest in Altec Lansing’s now enormous line of iPod speakers. Dubbed the SUV of the line, this ruggedized iPod speaker/dock runs off of AC power or four C batteries. The perfect shape to toss into a backpack, it has enough oomph in the low end to avoid sounding tinny outside.

It’s also powerful enough for nearby listening outdoors and in small rooms indoors, though it does tend to distort the closer you get to maximum volume. The accessory bundle includes a pretty hip-looking mini backpack that has a few pockets for extra stuff. Given its price, however, I would have liked more responsive controls and less distortion when you get near top volume.

Measuring 7.8 by 11 by 3 inches (HWD) and weighing about 4 pounds without batteries, this rectangular-shaped speaker/dock consists of two tweeters and two woofers covered by a sturdy metal grille. The ruggedized black shell is made of a combination of plastic and hard rubber, which protects against bumps and scrapes (though keep in mind that the speaker drivers can still be damaged by excessive jarring motions). An eject button on the top of the unit releases a carriage that holds any iPod equipped with a dock connector. Several adapters for different iPod models are included. There’s also the same ratchet mechanism that the Altec Lansing inMotion IM7 has for ensuring a snug fit, though the iPod nano adapter didn’t quite keep my nano from moving around a bit. Other buttons along the top include power and volume controls. The volume controls don’t give you any tactile feedback and aren’t as responsive as they should be, but for the most part the speaker is very easy to operate.

The first thing you notice about the iM9 is its design. Instead of the gloss-white or gloss-black plastic of other inMotion models, the iM9 has a thick, matte-black plastic black, a black metal speaker grill on the front, and—most significant—thick rubber all the way around the sides, top, and bottom. Silver trim provides accents. Altec Lansing says the iM9 is “shock-resistant,” and that seems like an apt description; with the exception of Sonic Impact’s iFusion, which is built into a water-resistant, rigid case, the iM9 feels sturdier than any iPod speaker system we’ve tested.

Although smaller than Altec Lansing’s award-winning inMotion iM7 (a $250 system that’s more “transportable” than portable), the iM9 is still quite large as portable speaker systems go: a chunky 11 inches wide by almost 8 inches high by 3 inches deep. And at approximately 4 pounds with batteries, the iM9 adds some heft to a suitcase or carry-on. Perhaps recognizing this, Altec Lansing includes a custom-fitting sling backpack with the iM9. The pack holds the iM9 and a book or similar cargo in its main pocket; your iPod, the system’s AC adapter, and a few cables in a smaller front pocket; and a water bottle in a mesh side pocket. The bag also has a handle on top and a mobile-phone pocket on its shoulder strap. And although the iM9 itself doesn’t have a true handle, an indentation on the top-rear of the iM9 makes it easy enough to pick up.

The Altec Lansing M602 is a one-piece Apple iPod speaker and dock, in the same vein as the Bose SoundDock and the Klipsch iGroove HG. Like the others, it is easy to move from room to room, but it requires AC power and can’t run on batteries. The physical design is definitely different from the others; people seem to either love it or hate it, depending on personal taste, but at $199.95 direct, it’s about $50 cheaper than the Bose and Klipsch products.

Most of the M602 is fairly flat, at 8.2 by 14 by 2.5 inches (HWD), but the base (including the iPod dock) is actually 5.4 inches deep. Housed in white plastic with silver plastic trim and a metal silver grille, the M602′s speaker array consists of three full-range drivers and a pair of silk dome tweeters. The total power output is 60 watts. The unit is easy to take from room to room because it weighs only 5.2 pounds, but it requires AC power via the included wall plug. Along the top there are buttons for power, volume increase and decrease, bass, and treble. A blue LED behind the power button indicates power status, and you can adjust the volume using the increase and decrease buttons. If you press the bass or treble button, one of the two corresponding LEDs will light up, enabling you to adjust bass and treble with the increase and decrease buttons.

The one-piece speaker unit sits a couple of inches above its stand, which also incorporates the dock. The stand comes with plenty of rubber feet but we found it a little unstable when sitting on a desk or bookshelf, particularly using the controls – situated on top of the unit – or plugging and unplugging an iPod. If you plan on wall-mounting the M602, the fact that the controls are on its top surface means that you’ll either have to place it no higher than eye-level or memorise the buttons. That said, each of the controls is replicated in the wireless remote – just make sure you don’t lose it.

As you would expect, your iPod will charge when it’s in the dock and the M602 is plugged into the mains. A pass-through port on the back allows you to sync it with your Mac while in situ. To place your iPod in the dock, you first need to fit the appropriate docking adaptor. If you don’t, the iPod will lean back against the speaker grille and rattle noisily with every bass beat. However, the adaptors aren’t included, so if you didn’t get one with your iPod, you’ll need to buy it separately. That’s quite a flaw and means if you have a fourth generation iPod, for example, you’ll either have to put up with the rattling or order an adaptor, pronto.

The universal dock on the base allows your dock connector-equipped Apple iPod to stand up in front of the speaker, using the grille as a backrest. Alternatively, you can place the included white plastic adapter over the dock and sit your non-Apple player on it, resting the player against a rubber pad on the adapter’s backrest. An included line-in cable plugs into the Aux input on the back of the unit, and you can plug the other end into any audio source’s headphone output. There are also headphone and power jacks, a composite-video output, and a mini USB 2.0 port on the back.