CNET Editor's rating: 8.0 out of 10
Reviewed by
Jasmine France
Review date: 07/29/05
The good: Seamless integration with any dock-connecting iPod; eye-catching design; includes remote; charges the iPod while plugged in; works on AC power or batteries; impressive sound with thumping bass; auxiliary line-in port for use with other audio devices.
The bad: No meter display for bass, treble, or volume adjustment; a bit too bulky for ultimate portability; remote can't navigate through menus on the iPod.
The bottom line: The Altec Lansing iM7 offers good sound quality, flexible listening options, and handy features, making it a solid choice for any iPod owner in the market for a complementary sound system.
Altec Lansing has been churning out portable speakers for the Apple iPod and other audio devices long enough to have it down to a science--at least that's what the company's latest iPod-ready product would have us believe. The inMotion iM7 portable audio system is one of the best sound systems we've seen designed for Apple's champion MP3 player. In fact, the iM7 is comparable to the much-extolled Bose SoundDock, yet at $249, it'll cost you $50 less.
The IM7's iPod dock is reminiscent of the tape decks on early boomboxes.
The IDEO-designed Altec Lansing inMotion iM7 certainly isn't wanting for a sleek, sexy design. Not only does the system complement any iPod's form with its ice-white trim and wraparound silver grille, it stands out with a unique cylindrical style that's rooted in the boomboxes of the '80s. Front and center is the neat push-and-release tape-deck-like iPod cradle, which accepts any dock-connecting iPod as if it were a cassette; not to be left out, iPod Mini owners can use the included form-fitting adapter. Plus, as long as the iM7 is plugged in, it will charge your iPod while it's in this snug compartment. On either side of this slot, behind the protective grille, are two 1-inch tweeters and two 3-inch midrange drivers. A 4-inch side-firing subwoofer and a 4-inch passive radiator sit behind the screens on either end of the cylinder.
The iM7 comes with a wafer-thin infrared remote control.
Flip the iM7 around and you're greeted with a rubber-lined slot that serves as a handle (albeit a somewhat uncomfortable one), a narrow niche for the included IR remote, and a host of in/out ports. There's an auxiliary line-in for connecting other audio devices, a headphone output, a DC power input, and even S-Video and composite-video ports for use with the photo-friendly iPod. Power and volume buttons rest along the top, while compartments for eight D batteries reside underneath the system. At 16.7 by 6.5 by 6.5 inches and 11 pounds with batteries installed or 8 pounds without, the iM7 is a bit large and heavy at for on-the-go travel, but it's ideal for picnics, barbecues, and the like. If you want to cart the unit around, Altec Lansing offers a couple of accessories to simplify the task: the inMotion iM7 shoulder harness ($49.95) and the inMotion iM7 shoulder pack ($49.95), both available in August. Taking the iM7 out of the country? No problem. The unit's modular AC adapter includes three snap-on plug adapters.
Once you pop your iPod into the iM7's specialized dock compartment, the volume control defers entirely to the sound system. That is, you can control the volume with the buttons along the top of the iM7 or those on the remote but not via the Click Wheel. Other controls available on the remote include power, bass and treble toggles, play/pause, and track skip and reverse. The bass and treble controls can make a considerable difference in the sound, but unfortunately, there's no display on the iM7 itself, so there's no visual indication of the levels. It's not a huge deal, but it would be nice to have a meter for this and the volume. One thing the remote cannot do is navigate through the menu options on the iPod; you must make your selection first on the player. Since we prefer to play our entire library on random, this wasn't too much of a hassle in our testing.
The Altec Lansing inMotion iM7 is a solid audio performer in just about every way. The system gave us no noticeable background hiss, provided crystal-clear highs, and delivered dynamic sound across the board. Perhaps most impressive, though, was the deep, tangible bass that reverberated infectiously through surrounding material containing any amount of air. The unit also pumped out surprising volume levels in our tests--definitely too loud for the small room we were in. However, the highest volume also brought about our one complaint: Bass-heavy tracks became noticeably muffled. Finally, if you decide to take the iM7 off the plug, you can expect to get 8 to 10 hours of battery life (estimated).
(Originally posted on CNET Reviews)
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Actually Have it!
I ordered from the Altec Lansing web site and received the IM7 today. What a beautiful design; this was designed ...
I ordered from the Altec Lansing web site and received the IM7 today. What a beautiful design; this was designed by IDEO, the company behind the original Apple Mouse and lots of other cutting edge stuff.
The iPod clicks in easily to the pop-out loading drawer (a la a cassette deck).
Now, I also have a Bose Sound Dock, and the sound of the IM7 blows it away, IMHO. The bass response is worlds better. Even my wife was impressed!
This is a pretty large unit, and pretty heavy (the bass drivers have to be pretty beefy to deliver this kind of sound). But, it's easy enough to carry it to the pool or around the house.
I would be hesitant to bring it to the beach as the loading mechanism is exposed.
It's not cheap, but I think that it's worth it for the superb sound and gorgeous design.
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by stomachdoc (see profile) -
June 21, 2005
22 out of 22 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Stiff competition for Bose Soundock!
I've heard the Bose Soundock and think the IM7 will even the field as both are similar in sound ...
I've heard the Bose Soundock and think the IM7 will even the field as both are similar in sound clarity The IM7's deep bass is amazing from a boombox and those who like higher treble won't be dissapointed either!
Don't worry about the 4-6 week disclaimer as I received UPS tracking info 2 days after placing order from Altec Lansing! Good instruction manual and fast set up. 2 year warrenty if you register online within 30 days! Looks are futuristic and will be the talk of the party, inside or out! I use primarily for my home workout so no more sweaty earbuds to deal with.
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by nvlystd (see profile) -
June 14, 2005
11 out of 11 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Impressive package with all the right features, none of the flaws
This system has everything that previous Ipod speakers may have lacked in one way or another. The bose sounddock is ...
This system has everything that previous Ipod speakers may have lacked in one way or another. The bose sounddock is expensive at $300 and completely unportable with it's constant need to plug in, just like the JBL on stage. Furthermore, this unit has a remote which JBL is also missing. It allows pictures to be displayed in a seamless integration...and it outclasses previous inmotion speaker's with it's sound quality (according to James Kim at least) and the abiility to charge your ipod. What's not to like?
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by Artbox61 (see profile) -
June 3, 2005
6 out of 10 - Good SOUNDS GREAT! (but scratches my ipod photo too!)
This thing cannot be beat! Great bass response! Clear vocals. About as much spatial imaging you can get with a ...
This thing cannot be beat! Great bass response! Clear vocals. About as much spatial imaging you can get with a unit of this size. It is just terrific.
Except for one thing: I am getting some light scratches on my 60 gb iPod photo from it. Not anything deeper than one would expect from putting your iPod in the pocket of your jeans. You have to look to find them but they are definitely there. For $250, it really should scratch my $400 ipod at all! That said, it sounds good enough for me to put up with it. If you're not anal, the scratches are just mildly annoying.
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by bubbajpeaworth (see profile) -
July 18, 2005
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Outstanding Buy
I'm a big bose fan and went to buy the bose IPOD player. I listened to the two, same ...
I'm a big bose fan and went to buy the bose IPOD player. I listened to the two, same song, side by side in the store. No question, everyone that listened agreed. The altec has a fuller richer sound. PLUS it can run on batteries for the once a yr picnic. AND it has a nice remote w/ separate vol, bass and treble controls. Plus it's $50 cheaper. Hard to beat it.
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by amielp (see profile) -
July 18, 2005
6 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Stunningly beautiful design with concert quality sound!
Ordered this from BestBuy.com (they are on sale right now, hurry) Monday (July 18, 2005) evening, it just arrived ...
Ordered this from BestBuy.com (they are on sale right now, hurry) Monday (July 18, 2005) evening, it just arrived a few hours ago. Next day shipping only 11 bucks? Sold!
I felt like a kid on Christmas morning when I opened this up. The box does provide quite a bit of ooh and ahh factor, so it should do well in the retail sector. I bought this item without seeing or hearing it first, but I do own the iM3 already and if this was anywhere near as good as the iM3, I really couldn't go wrong.
Let me address the possibility that this unit can scratch your iPod. Bottom line is, 5 seconds after you take your iPod out of the box (unless you are wearing gloves), your iPod is marked with fingerprints. The first time you insert your iPod in a holster or case, it acquires minor scratches. Any accessory you buy for your iPod has the chance of scratching your iPod. If you want a virgin iPod never touched by human hands...don't take the iPod out of the box, just look at the box.
When my iM7 arrived, I fought the urge to just jam my iPod in the cradle for a test run. I decided to examine the mechanism a bit. I opened and closed the cradle several times and played with the ratcheting mechanism. I tried inserting my iPod at the widest setting, then ratcheting the cradle closed, it is still possible to get scratches, but less likely this way then sliding the iPod in and out. I will say I have a 30GB iPod Photo and can see how a 60GB model with the extra depth, might be a little snug.
Apple likes to change the size of the iPod, it seems, on a quarterly basis. Altec-Lansing is trying to make this product work with every iPod ever produced, hence the design compromise. If there was an iM7 model built custom for each iPod model, they would cost up to $400.00 each to compensate for the increased design and distribution costs. This is why a custom piece of plastic we stick our iPod in at home (dock) costs $40.00.Speaking of docks, you can scratch the bottom of an iPod just by placing it in an Apple produced dock.
The sound quality is, hands down, the best I have ever heard from a TRULY PORTABLE iPod sound system. I define truly portable as being able to carry the entire unit comfortably with one hand. The highs are great without being overly "wispy", the bass is not earth shattering, but more than adequate for just about any type of music you wish to listen to.
I do find the unit to be a little on the weighty side and I haven't even put 8 "D" batteries in it yet. The rubberized handle fits my hand comfortably, the garage or dock for the remote is an ingenious idea. My only criticism of the design would be to have an indicator that the remote is working and that bass and treble are going up and down. Volume indicator would be nice so when I press play, I don't get blasted with sound because I forgot to turn the volume down last time I used it. Even something as small as the single LED blinking to indicate when the unit is receiving the IR signal. I also would rather have a pop up handle, it would make me feel more comfortable when transporting $650.00 worth of hardware in one hand. My iM3 came with a nice faux velvet case, this was more expensive and much better looking, I really think for $250.00, we should get a padded case.
I own several small power inverters which I will use in various boats and cars to power the unit. This way I can crank my tunes and charge the iPod at the same time. DC power cord would be nice, but I think I have that issue covered.
The unit is packaged with remote (and battery), several clever power adapters for use outside the USA, AC adapter with fairly long cord, user guide in 10 languages (wow), and a 1/8" to 1/8" patch cord. To prove Altec-Lansing is listening, people were complaining how short the patch cord was with the iM3, now the cord is roughly 15ft long. Ask and you shall receive.
I think this would look great on any desk in any office, especially if that desk is occupied by a PowerMac G5, the two look like they are related. It certainly would be a conversation piece in any home.
Number one question I got today when walking around with the iM7. "What in the world is that?" I told them it was an air filter for a diesel engine. Please Altec-Lansing, make me a padded case for my iM7, so I don't have to continually answer stupid questions.
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by bluntedboy (see profile) -
July 20, 2005
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Absolutely Incredible Sound !
I own 2 Bose SoundDocks (one for my bedroom and one for my office) and the InMotion iM7 sounds at ...
I own 2 Bose SoundDocks (one for my bedroom and one for my office) and the InMotion iM7 sounds at least as good, and costs $50 less. It is now one of my two favorite iPod accessories. The other is my Etymotic ER-4P MicroPro earphones.
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by rogmanfoo (see profile) -
July 12, 2005
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 out of 10 - Perfect All thats needed
Looks great. Sounds great. and so what if theres no radio, who listens to radio anyway if they have an ...
Looks great. Sounds great. and so what if theres no radio, who listens to radio anyway if they have an ipod. and xm is the way to go anyway. this is the most perfect ipod speaker system yet. with this, you can throw away that 10 year old home speaker system sitting on you desk. and well worth the price.
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by ipod expert (see profile) -
June 3, 2005
4 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular A Little Disappointed At First
I was a little disappointed at first. My iPod Nano wasn't seating correctly using the Nano caddy that came ...
I was a little disappointed at first. My iPod Nano wasn't seating correctly using the Nano caddy that came in the box. I saw here that another reviewer had a similar issue (see: scubadiver59 April 27, 2007). I emailed Altec Lansing's customer service and they got right back to me. Apparently the nano caddy that came with my im7 purchase was fitted for the 1st Generation nano, but that the 2nd Generation nano, which I owned, had slightly different specs and wouldn't seat correctly. The email response from the Altec Lansing CSR pointed me to a site where I was able to order, for free, the correct nano caddy. It arrived in about 4 days and fit perfectly. The im7 sounds and looks great. It's great for parties when you set your ipod to randomly play your playlists.
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by joeybe123 (see profile) -
September 11, 2007
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
7 out of 10 - Very good Decent system...except for the Nano Caddy
As long as you don't plan on carrying your iM7 anywhere it's a decent system; if you do, ...
As long as you don't plan on carrying your iM7 anywhere it's a decent system; if you do, beware that the Nano caddy is quite useless since it lines up the connector about 1/8in too far to the right and you can't connect your Nano to the iM7. So, if you carry the iM7 around you could lose your Nano as it will probably fall out if not damage your iPod connection port. I haven't contacted Altec yet but I'm going to so I can find out if they have a fix for this problem.
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by scubadiver59 (see profile) -
April 27, 2007
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