If you're looking for a no-fuss, no-frills way to pump up the volume on your iPod, give Altec's inMotion iM3 speakers a try. The ice-white, 15-ounce iM3 set ($180), which is about the same size as a small hardcover book (8 by 5.4 by 1.2 inches), snaps into an L shape, with a small speaker on each side and an iPod dock in the middle. Adapters for 10GB and 15GB iPods as well as for the Mini are included (30GB and 40GB iPods will fit without an adapter), and a minijack input lets you connect older iPods or other MP3 players. A wafer-thin, wireless remote lets you play, pause, and skip tracks as well as adjust the volume.
The inMotion's speakers (60Hz to 20kHz, 75dB signal-to-noise ratio) sound about as good as a solid clock radio: that is, not bad but lacking in earth-shaking bass and the high-end sound that makes dogs howl. We managed to crank up the volume fairly high, considering the iM3's paltry 2W-per-channel output, although the sound began to distort at earsplitting levels. Four AA batteries will power the speakers for about 24 hours, or you can use the AC adapter for marathon music sessions.
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