subject: Hands Down The Best Portable System I Have Ever Used! [print this page]
First of all I would like to say that I am a little upset that the price has changed 3 times in the past 2 weeks. Of course I bought it 2 weeks ago when it was $299, then last week it was $220, not it is back up to $250... not really sure what is going on there but anyways here is my review.
Pros: Outstanding Sound, great portability, three input source options, wireless remote, FM audio with the RS feeds to show what track is playing and station info.
Cons: It is almost 2010, why is anything using 8 D batteries? And thats it, my only complaint.
Summary: I have used many portable sound systems in the past, and while most of them are great in the area of portability they lack in one thing, sound quality. While this unit may not be as portable as say the iHome iP29 or others in that class, the sound this Altec Lansing iMT800 boombox produces is untouchable at this current time. The sound that comes out of this unit is very full sounding, unlike cheaper small speaker systems.
The two 1" tweeters and the two 3" mid range speakers produce very clear sound and with the help of the two 5.25" side firing subs this sound will easily fill a large room. I currently use the Bose Companion 5 speakers for my computer and I would have to say that when it comes to music this unit from Altec Lansing sounds better then Bose's $500, the only thing the Bose will win in is movie sound. I know these two units are not in the same category but I just want to show you how great the sound is in this unit.
I absolutely love what Altec Lansing did with the design here. It is retro boom box without that boasting, overbearing boom box look from the 80s. The integration of the three silver handles are great, especially because you will be carrying this around. The silver sliding protector that "locks" your iPod into place is great because it prevents your iPod from falling forward and out of the unit if someone were to tip it over, protecting the iPod adapter from snapping.
The placement of the speakers look great and if you look at the pictures you will see that the subwoofers are on a slant, firing towards the rear of the unit. This is not only cosmetic but it prevents the subs from drowning out the tweeters and the mid range speakers, while still providing spectacular levels of bass. The LCD screen is black with orange text and it looks great while staying with the retro look.
As far as connectivity goes, I have never used a portable unit that provides 3 input sources. It has one dedicated iPod connecter and then two 3.5mm audio input jacks so you can connect any MP3 player or other audio device.
I have only had this unit for about a week but so far I have used it on the beach, for an outdoor party and as a home stereo and I have not had a complaint under any instance.
The only complaint that I have is the fact that to use it off of AC power you must use 8 D cell batteries. I have not purchased anything in the past 10 years that uses 8 D cell batteries and I am not sure why in late 2009 anything would require something like that. If price was the issue I would have been happy to spend another $50 or so for one that had a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery or something. You do get about 30 hours of playback with the batteries however 8 D cell batteries is not very cheap. I have already went a head and ordered rechargeable D cells in hopes of saving some money on throw a way D cells.
All in all I am very impressed with this unit and the only reason it didn't get a 5 was because of the D cells batteries. You can buy this unit with confidence, knowing that the quality is there in both build quality and sound.
