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Best Prices
Altec Lansing InMotion IM9 Docking Station, Speaker System for Apple iPod (ALIM9)
Altec Lansing iM9 |
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iPods are great but they can be a whole lot greater with the right add-ons. Gary Mazo, rabbi, professor, and assistant editor of Gadgetnutz, sifts the wheat from the chaff Click to view Top 5 iPod Accessories.
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Best Portable Speaker System (Altec Lansing iM9) |
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 One of the fastest-growing sectors of the electronics market is the “portable” speaker designed specifically for the iPod. If you want great sound and don't want to be tethered to your headphones, look no further than Altec Lansing’s InMotion iM9. (Compare Prices) |
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The success of portable iPod speaker systems may at first seem curious - why would you want portable speakers when the device itself is so portable in the first place?
The explanation is simple: people want to share their music with friends when traveling. And for this, portable speaker systems are ideal.
You may be sitting round a camp fire in the Rockies, hanging out on a beach in the south Pacific or catching a bit of apres-ski in the Alps with friends... it really doesn't matter. With a portable speaker system, all you need to do is hit a single button and party will begin!
Many of the best names in loudspeaker technology have entered the speaker market for the iPod. Names like Bose, Klipsch and Altec Lansing are known for speakers and headphones and now, for iPod systems.
The iM9 gives the user the option of a battery-operated system so rugged that it can be taken just about anywhere. (Compare Prices) |
Design |
 The iM9 is small, sleek and all black. The iPod sits in the middle of the familiar retractable tape-deck-like iPod cradle. At the back of the retractable cradle is an adjustable dial which adjusts the depth of the cradle so it can fit every iPod. The iM9 also ships with all the necessary adapters to fit every iPod ever made. When the iM9 is plugged in, it will charge the iPod while it's in this cradle. On either side of this slot, behind the protective grille, are separate tweeter and mid-range drivers. A “MaxBass” subwoofer is in the back of the unit.
On the back side of the IM9 are lots of jacks. There is a headphone jack, a composite video and an auxiliary out jack. So, with the included cable, any mp3 player or anything that puts out an audio signal can play through the auxiliary jack. The cool thing about this unit is that with the new iPod video or an iPod photo, you can have your images play through your TV or monitor. (Compare Prices) |
Sound Quality |
I was sceptical, given the smaller size, of the sound that could come from the iM9 but the high frequencies are crystal clear. The stereo separation is very good – especially since the “speakers” are very close to one another. Vocals were rich and smooth and instrumental solos were a pleasure to listen to.
The bass is certainly not as crisp and “large” as the bigger iM7 – but it is pretty darn good. At times, it was a bit overpowering and “muddy” depending on the quality of the source material. The lack of separate bass and treble controls makes most music sound a bit more “bass heavy” than I like – but very pleasant to listen to.
The iM9 is capable of filling a room with loud, full and accurate sound. (Compare Prices) |
Versatility |
| The iM9 is very versatile. In addition to the great sound, it is truly portable. Batteries can be inserted for outdoor use. The unit is rated at 24 hours of battery life with C cell batteries. The carrying handle and included backpack make transport easy and the design is very sturdy. The addition of the video out jacks was terrific: I was able to show photos on my TV and watch video from the iPod on a bigger screen with the beautiful sound of the iM9. (Compare Prices) |
What the Critics Say |
Playlist Magazine said: "Its sound quality is so much fuller, and bass response so much better, than other truly portable iPod speaker systems that it easily earns our Playlist Pick designation."
iLounge wrote: "We very much like its smart, easily resizable internal dock, rugged enclosure, backpack, and aggregate sound quality, which offers a SoundDock-like experience you can carry more easily than the iM7. For the reasonable price, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to you if it meets your specific needs." (Compare Prices) |
Conclusion |
The iM9 is a great value and a great addition to any home, office or dorm. The fact that it is truly portable is an added bonus. Sound quality, while not that of the more expensive iM7, is still quite good. The bass is a bit overpowering – and the lack of a remote control or separate tone controls is disappointing. Overall, any iPod owner should be very happy with the iM9.
(Compare Prices) |
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| TYPICAL PRICE - £134/$199 |
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