Review by Andy Leuterio
Oh joy, another iPod accessory! Isn't it great that Apple has come up with such a lovable, useful, and eminently iconic mobile music device such that it's practically created an industry for all manner of accessories? And this time, Altec Lansing, one of the giants of the iPod speaker market, has come up with the Goldilocks solution. See, the cute iM4 with its folding design is very handy but lacks that loud-volume "oomph." The boombox iM7, on the other hand, sounds great and looks retro cool, but at more than 16k, isn't exactly on the affordable end of the budget spectrum. Plus, it weighs a lot, probably more than one of our staffers!
This iM9, on the other hand, packs sufficient wattage for credible party sounds; yet it's light enough to be toted on long trips, AND it only costs P9,495. Whattadeal, right?
Getting it to work is as easy as can be. Put your iPod into the rotating, cassette-style dock, press the power button, press Play on your iPod, and BOOM(!), you're jammin' brotha! And for those who've gotten a little tired of the trademark "Apple white" of countless iPod accessories, the iM9 comes in '80s-shtic black. I actually kinda remember the big Sharp radio I had back in the days of big hair and, ah, Topsiders with this thing. Style-wise, it's actually nothing hip to look at since, well, what actually looked cool back in the days of David Hasselhoff, right? The thing basically looks like a plastic box with a little folding base at the back so it can stand by itself, the power and volume buttons are at the top? and that's it.
As expected, sound quality is somewhere between the quirky tinniness of the iM4 and the authoritative grooving of the iM7. The lack of a subwoofer rules out any true let-it-rip-and-bring-out-the-booze kind of rocking, but for small parties and an all-nighter at the beach, the iM9 sounds just right to us. There are four speakers enclosed in the thing, and Altec Lansing's MaxxBass technology provides sufficient bass for up to, say, intensity 8 when the sound becomes less music than just plain distorted noise. Power can either come from a wall outlet or four "C" batteries, and it's rated at more than 24 hours.
It'll accommodate the iPod Mini, the Nano, the Photo, the Video, and those with dock connectors. The one-size-fits-all cradle comes with detachable plastic adapters so late-model iPods won't look lost inside it. Frequent travelers, take note: it comes with a nifty backpack! Plugged into a wall outlet, it'll also charge your iPod, while an input jack allows you to connect other devices such as CD and DVD players. For those who've always wanted the mobility of the iM4 and the sound quality of the iM7, this is Altec Lansing's best compromise yet.
GRINS
? good sound quality
? compact and reasonably light design
? friendly price-point
GRIMACES
? uninspired form factor
? sounds good until you REALLY crank up the volume
THE LOWDOWN
Credible-sounding iPod speakers for the traveling audiophile.
