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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
4.0 stars
"Excellent portability, great battery life, decent sound"
Pros: Although it's not the smallest portable speaker system, its light weight and clippable case make it more portable in real usage than many smaller or similar-sized solutions. Clip it to the outside of your bag and go! Battery life exceeds advertized.
Cons: Could be louder for the price. Similar-sized Philips SBA1500 is a bit heavier and has lower battery capacity, but can be found for half the price, and produces similar sound output.
Summary: I am a contract kindergarten teacher who travels to a different school each day, and I use my iPod with a portable speaker system in a noisy kindergarten classroom setting. My main requirements for a speaker are 1) portability and 2) volume. Sound integrity is not as important to me.
My first portable speaker system for this function was the Philips SBA-1510, which I bought for about $18. I carried these speakers for months and was generally pleased with them, though in an excessively noisy school, I felt the volume was just slightly too low.
When I first saw the Altec Lansing Oribt-M (iM237), the packaging caught my attention because marketing blurbs announced "exceptional sound" and "amazing volume from such a small speaker", and I have to admit, I was impressed with the attractive design, and the included case, which looked convenient. I figured I might get a volume boost and increased portability to boot, and realized I didn't need stereo speakers for my required function. I would be losing the external power source, but figured I could just carry one more set of batteries with me instead of the power adapter.
So how does the iM237 compare with the SBA1510 (and simliar SBA1500, which doesn't include an external power option)?
Sound: My not-very-demanding ears hear very little difference in either the volume or sound output of the two options. To me, they sound nearly identical. Treble, midtone, and bass output seems very similar. The Philips do provide limited stereo separation, which makes the sound cleaner, but they do have less clarity in the bass than the iM237.
So sound quality being so similar, where the Altec really wins is in portability. Making a slightly smaller package than the Philips, the iM237 really shines with the reduced weight and the clip-and-go case, which means I don't have to put it IN my bag, I can put it ON my bag.
Battery life is another advantage. I get at least double battery performance with the iM237.
And while the Philips are not especially unattractive, the iM237 is simply beautiful design. Altogether minimalist and functional, everything from the neutral silver color to the elegant look to the uncluttered short cord makes this a truly classy looking device.
So the bottom line is that if a slight advantage in portability or its elegant design is most important to you, go for the Altec Lansing iM237, but if you just want a nice sounding portable speaker solution, the Philips SBA1510 or SBA1500 are an excellent choice at a lower price.
Where to buy
Altec Lansing Orbit MP3 iM237:
$25.99 - $39.99
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
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$29.99 | Yes |
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$25.99 | Yes |
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$29.99 | Yes |
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RadioShack.com
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$39.99 | Yes |
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