Altec Lansing InMotion Max Portable iPhone/iPod Speakers Review

Written by Rob Nichols on January 13, 2010 · Filed under Gadget Gift Ideas, Review, Tech 

I was absolutely delighted to receive these Altec Lansing InMotion Max Portable iPod Speakers for Christmas. After comparing what was on offer for a long time, there were several options that interested me but in the end, all but this just had something missing.

The first thing that struck me about these speakers are their sharp edges and stylish touch sensitive buttons. In the iPod speakers department it is one of the best looking I’ve come across. It has an interesting colour scheme with mostly black mesh covering the speakers themselves with a subtle orange labelling the buttons and lighting the mini LED screen. Unfortunately (perhaps a little pedantic), it has trouble displaying names such as Bublé, with an accent. Instead it gives you an unintelligible splatter of symbols.

The LED screen is one of the features which set these speakers apart from the crowd. OK it’s not a must have feature, but it is a nice addition and provides some extra functionality. Particularly as most iPods dim the screen after leaving them for any length of time. It’s nice to know the song information as you listen to them.

Of course they are speakers, so the main quality they must possess is sound quality. As I ordered these online I didn’t have a chance to test them out, but traditionally Altec Lansing is a brand that I trust to deliver top sound quality, therefore I wasn’t overly concerned. In the end, I was right to place my faith in the company. The speakers deliver a room filling sound with crisp sound and a precise amount of bass. When coupled with my lossless music library, the sound is quite intense even at high volumes there is no loss of quality.

There are 4 high quality speakers built into the device which provides a nice range of sound. This has particular effect when listening to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody (You know the bit I mean). OK the quality doesn’t rival the likes of BOSE’s sound systems but then again neither does the price which settles anywhere between £110 and £160.

When looking for speakers, I specifically wanted a set that I didn’t have to leave plugged in to use as I did with my previous speakers. Again these fit the bill as there is a built in lithium ion battery which is rechargeable via the mains and it provides up to 3.5 hours of playback. More than enough for any regular user such as me. This was particularly useful over New Year as I could have them anywhere in the house.

Another useful addition is the remote control. It features a range of buttons which do certain things. Obviously there are the play/pause, volume controls and skip track and fast forward/rewind buttons. As well as this there are 4 buttons labelled (P1-P4). The first is used to alter the shuffle settings. The second handles the repetition of tracks in a playlist. The third selects the first playlist in your library (for me this is ’25 most played’ which is useful) and the fourth selects your second playlist (‘Favourites’ for me). The only downside is the range of the control. I find it has to be pointed directly at the speakers and cannot be used from outside the room at all. However this doesn’t provide too much of a problem. All except the P buttons can be found as touch sensitive equivalents on top of the speakers.

Lastly, the speakers feature a built in FM radio which is easily tuneable using the skip track buttons on the remote or the speakers and an alarm clock managed from the iPod itself. Different types of iPods including the iPod Nano, iPod Touch and iPhone can be used with these speakers. Other music players can also be connected via auxiliary connections which is great for any of you who prefer players other than an iPod.

In the box comes a set of plug connectors which can be easily slid in and out of the main power adapter so you can use the speakers all over the world. The actual dock on the speakers is retractable to provide maximum portability.

Overall, I love these Altec Lansing InMotion Max Portable iPod Speakers and intend to keep them for many years. I would recommend them to anyone who is looking for great sound quality and usability at a modest price. They’re great value for money when compared to the likes of BOSE and other top of the class manufacturers.