From Box To Booms In A Matter Of Moments!
Right out of the gate (or the box) the depth and range of sound is impressive. I appreciate balance, but one of the first things I tend to do when getting a feel for the audio quality of a new device is crank the bass and volume up a bit to get a real feel for the various ranges. In short order I could no longer cleanly read the letters on the front LCD display because of the vibrations, and with each thump saw the leaves move in a plant off to the side of the box. The air displacement on the side (the woofers are at each end of the device) was extraordinary given the relatively small size of those speakers.
Bringing it back down to normal ranges, I considered how little effort it had taken to get from box to sound. Unpacked, plugged in, iPhone 3Gs pressed down into the receiver cradle, power on and boom, boom, boom. Minutes, and just a few at that. On top of the unit, where you see the handle in the pictures, there are two jacks. For those jacks come two short (~4in) wires that you can use to plug in other iPods. We plugged in my wife's iPod mini this way, and jumped seamlessly back and forth between a song playing on her device, and one playing on the phone. The value of this capacity is obvious -- everyone can contribute music to the party.
It's got enough volume to compete with power tools if one was to use it on the job, or hearty conversations around the grill. The ability to plug in or run off of a number of D-cells gives it true portability, it's light enough to comfortably carry it about without feeling cheap or fragile, it's large enough to deliver substantial sound without being clumsy or inconvenient. In virtually every meaningful way, Altec Lansing has hit their mark with precision accuracy with this device. The remote is small but functional and convenient, the FM reception strong and clear, the construction and aesthetics both solid and appealing. As much as I'd like to balance my review with a "but..." I just don't have one. The 800 impressed right out of the box, and then continued to the more I used it. Highly recommended.
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by: Tony Solensen