Altec Lansing

Altec Lansing may not be a name that immediately comes to mind when you think of iPod speaker docks but that should change with their latest offerings which match superior sound with slick designs. I got a chance to test out the Altec Lansing inMotion MAX ($199) speaker dock recently, and really liked this iPhone-friendly system as a portable in-home music player.

I emphasize "in-home" because while it has a very handsome and streamlined look, the inMotion is not really designed for putting in your suitcase and traveling with. For that I'd recommend the tiny Orbit MP3 ($39) speaker from Altec Lansing which is perfect for overloaded Biz Fast Trackers everywhere. (More about the Orbit MP3 later.)

While it may not be ideal for road trips, the inMotion MAX is portable enough, in that its shape and size makes it easy to bring your tunes from room to room. While testing it out, I used it to blast punk rock while doing dishes in the kitchen and then moved it to the home office and switched my iPhone's iPod to play jazz while I was working.

Since the inMotion is compatible with the iPhone and iPhone 3G, you don't need to switch to Airplane mode -- which turns off the phone and disconnects the WiFi -- to prevent interference in the dock's speakers. Also cool is that the inMotion automatically lowers the volume on the music when a calls come in on your iPhone. With more and more people just putting all their music on their iPhones, this compatibility is a big plus.

Setting It inMotion
I wasn't crazy about the plastic adapters that fit into the retractable dock on the front of the inMotion though. For one, it's very hard to tell which of the half dozen or so adapters goes with which iPhone or iPod model you're using. Secondly, once an adapter is fitted into the dock it's virtually impossible to remove it. This caused a lot of problems when my wife wanted to put her 80GB iPod Classic into the dock after I had already fitted it with an adapter for the iPhone. It's almost better to go with no adapter at all since both our music players slid onto the dock without too much trouble.

Otherwise set-up is simple, just plug the inMotion in and you're ready to go. Altec Lansing estimates that fully charging the dock's li-ion battery will give you a maximum of 3.5 hours of playing time but I found it be somewhat less than that, which was not surprising. (In my experience, these battery ratings for docks are a least half an hour off.)

What was annoying was that the battery indicator on the dock doesn't give you much forewarning that it's about to shut down. The tiny battery icon on the display still looked a quarter full a couple times when it ran out of juice. Some kind of red light or warning signal to indicate that you're running out of power would be appreciated. You can also, of course, keep the inMotion plugged into the wall to maintain power and recharge the battery.

Overall, I liked the inMotion's touch sensitive (maybe overly touch sensitive) controls on top of the dock and the LED display which will tell you the name of the song, artist, and album that's playing. (I wish the LED screen was a little bigger though.) The remote that comes with the dock is functional but the range is kind of weak. Altec Lansing's smartly put a holder for the remote discreetly on back of the dock but I still manage to misplace it two to three times a day.

If you're into terrestrial radio -- I'm not -- the inMotion has a built-in FM radio with 4 station presets and an extra wire antenna for better reception. The LED screen will also display the song and the radio station you're tuned in to. As an added bonus, the inMotion has an alarm clock function and can connect to a second audio source such as a CD, DVD or additional MP3 player. (An additional cable is needed for this though.)

Bright, Crisp Tone
The sound from the inMotion -- at low to moderate volumes -- was among the best I've heard for a speaker dock in this price range. Folk music, acoustic jazz, basic rock n' roll, and classic soul sounded great coming from the dock and there isn't much need to turn to the upper volume levels to get a bright, crisp tone. For bass-heavy music though such hip-hop, blues, or rap, the inMotion's sound is only hit or miss. While blasting a Mos Def record, the speakers distorted slightly when I pushed the volume above 20.

Still though, the inMotion isn't really designed to be the sole music system at a jumpin' hip hop dance party. For that you'll definitely want something bigger. The system's ESS (Expanded Sound Stage) feature though did a decent job of simulating deeper bass notes and gave the inMotion a wider overall sound. I pretty much leave ESS on at all times.

Small Speaker Companion
As I mentioned before, while the inMotion dock is not ideal for stuffing in a suitcase, Altec Lansing's Orbit MP3 speaker is a great traveling companion. I recently brought the Orbit MP3 on a trip to Europe and used it to play music from my iPhone in the hotel room and as a great external speaker for my normally too-quiet MacBook laptop. Using just three AAA batteries, the Orbit will give you approximately 24 hours -- give or take a half hour or so -- of sound.

Though it's small and only offers monaural output, I found the sound from the Orbit to be surprisingly good. My wife and I had some guests over for a relaxed rooftop party this summer, and the little tin-can-sized speaker was plenty loud enough for the wine-and-cheese set. Several women at the party also remarked that the petite design of the Orbit -- which comes with a handy carrying case -- was "adorable."

Final Thoughts
There are a lot of speaker docks out there and if you're looking for one in the $200 range which has good sound and is compatible with the iPhone, you really can't go wrong with the inMotion MAX from Altec Lansing. For Biz Fast Trackers out there who may want something smaller, lighter, and more road-friendly, the reasonably priced Orbit MP3 speaker is also a great portable option.