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"Hands down the best portable system I have ever used!!" on by bubbaseal12
Pros: Outstanding Sound, great portability, three input source options, wireless remote, FM audio with the RS feeds to show what track is playing and station info.
Cons: It is almost 2010, why is anything using 8 D batteries? And thats it, my only complaint.
Summary: I have used many portable sound systems in the past, and while most of them are great in the area of portability they lack in one thing, sound quality. While this unit may not be as portable as say the iHome iP29 or others in that class, the sound this Altec Lansing iMT800 produces is untouchable at this current time. The sound that comes out of this unit is very full sounding, unlike cheaper small speaker systems. The two 1" tweeters and the two 3" mid range speakers produce very clear sound and with the help of the two 5.25" side firing subs this sound will easily fill a large room. I currently use the Bose Companion 5 speakers for my computer and I would have to say that when it comes to music this unit from Altec Lansing sounds better then Bose's $500, the only thing the Bose will win in is movie sound. I know these two units are not in the same category but I just want to show you how great the sound is in this unit.
I absolutely love what Altec Lansing did with the design here. It is retro boom box without that boasting, overbearing boom box look from the 80s. The integration of the three silver handles are great, especially because you will be carrying this around. The silver sliding protector that "locks" your iPod into place is great because it prevents your iPod from falling forward and out of the unit if someone were to tip it over, protecting the iPod adapter from snapping. The placement of the speakers look great and if you look at the pictures you will see that the subwoofers are on a slant, firing towards the rear of the unit. This is not only cosmetic but it prevents the subs from drowning out the tweeters and the mid range speakers, while still providing spectacular levels of bass. The LCD screen is black with orange text and it looks great while staying with the retro look.
As far as connectivity goes, I have never used a portable unit that provides 3 input sources. It has one dedicated iPod connecter and then two 3.5mm audio input jacks so you can connect any MP3 player or other audio device.
I have only had this unit for about a week but so far I have used it on the beach, for an outdoor party and as a home stereo and I have not had a complaint under any instance.
The only complaint that I have is the fact that to use it off of AC power you must use 8 D cell batteries. I have not purchased anything in the past 10 years that uses 8 D cell batteries and I am not sure why in late 2009 anything would require something like that. If price was the issue I would have been happy to spend another $50 or so for one that had a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery or something. You do get about 30 hours of playback with the batteries however 8 D cell batteries is not very cheap. I have already went a head and ordered rechargeable D cells in hopes of saving some money on throw a way D cells.
All in all I am very impressed with this unit and the only reason it didn't get a 5 was because of the D cells batteries. You can buy this unit with confidence, knowing that the quality is there in both build quality and sound. -
"What you need for your outdoor or indoor activities" on by thatchman1
Pros: Well built
Good "boom box" throwback sound
No interference from iPhone like many others
Well thought out remote controlCons: Price
Adjustment to the type of sound it produces (big boom!)
No storage spot for cables for other external MP3 playersSummary: In the day and age of iPods, home theater systems and great speakers available for the computer, there is still that spot that gets left out... washing the car! Playing in the yard or at the beach! Outdoor picnics, activities, camping, playing basketball or other outdoor sports, etc.! If you also have that empty space and always need to keep the tunes cranking, you may be interested in this device.
Let me get to the point. Do I have heartburn that it costs $299? Yes. Do I think it's a great product? Yes! I think this product is perfect for those who do a lot of outdoor activities, beach, park, etc. or the mobile exercise or Yoga instructor who wants to bring along a unit that can play lots of music you may have on your iPhone/iPod. As well, the weekend garage tinkerer would also enjoy this device and get a lot of use from it.
About the unit itself:
The unit itself is not huge. It has a very modern industrial design, has very convenient carry handles both on the top and on the sides of the front. It's also light weight enough that you can grab it with one hand and carry it around. It sits very solidly and you can roll it around without damaging it. It's not a rubberized "on the job" work radio, but a pretty awesomely designed MP3 player and radio. It seems very durable, the speakers look rubberized (definitely not the cardboard speakers of days gone by...) And it has a convenient spot to keep the remote control in the unit so you don't lose it. It has a great bar that is movable that protects the iPhone/iPod. It slides all the way from the top to the bottom so you can access any of the touch features of the phone/device, but slides to the center when you're done to protect the glass screen. -
"Awesome sound - bad reliability and service" on by MonroviaBrian
Pros: - Amazing sound
- Fairly portable for its sound quality
- Screen display of iPod song & artist dataCons: - Bad design of adaptor plug - mine broke in 2 years
- Altec Lansing will not support or fix their products out of warranty (for a fee or not)
- Limited remote (doesn't access full iPod menu)Summary: While it worked, I loved this unit. It has deep bass and can play very loud and distortion free. It was what I used outside for parties for music & dancing. However, for nearly $300 to die in 2 years due to a design flaw (the unit was never abused, dropped, etc.) and to find out Altec Lansing does not repair its products after warranty has driven me away from buying another or buying anything from Altec Lansing. I would warn not to buy the 800, and not avoid the 810 unless someone can confirm the design flaw has been fixed. Otherwise consider your purchase price what you are paying for a 1 year disposable product.
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"Great little boombox for your iphone/ipod/mp3 player!A+" on by lamah421
Pros: Great sound.
Deep bass!
LOUD!
Long playtime on full volume and D batteries. (10-12 hours on standard D-cell batteries)Cons: Not the prettiest box out there.
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"Amazing, room-filling sound. Very clean and solid bass" on by EdEllks
Pros: Extremely good sounding unit. I purchased this for my wife to use when teaching her Zumba classes because the stereo in the studio wasn't very good. This thing seriously shakes the room. The remote is excellent since she can pause between songs, skip o
Cons: Doesn't play nice with the iPod Touch 4G, but the 3G devices worked great.
The power connector became an issue recently, and caused this to die on my wife. She's had it for 2 years. The power connector is mounted directly to the circuit board inside, nSummary: The cnet cons are just assinine. I guess it gives credence to the speakers in that he had to really scrape the barrel for cons. The only valid point is "Pricey", which this was before it came down to around $200. Seriously - who wants an AM radio when they have an iPod? Does anybody listen to AM radio anymore? About the "no video output" comment - they're speakers - very good ones. It's not a projection studio where you'd need video outputs. If you want to use rechargeable D cells, then by all means, buy some.
Due to the unit dying, I just ordered the upgraded iMT810 since Altec Lansing had it on sale for $240. Will review that unit when it arrives and gets a decent amount of play time under its belt.
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