Altec Lansing inMotion im500

Manufacturer: Altec Lansing Part number: im500

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$73.98 - $82.99 at 6 online stores

CNET Editor rating:
3.5 stars Very good
Average user rating: 2.0 stars out of 2 reviews

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: If you're an iPod Nano user who likes to pack light and thin, most certainly check out the nice-looking and -sounding Altec Lansing iM500 speaker system.

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CNET editors' review

Altec Lansing inMotion im500

price range: $73.98 - $82.99

Reviewed by: James Kim
Reviewed on: 08/21/2006
Updated on:03/11/2008

The good: The Altec Lansing iM500 portable speakers are superthin, attractive, durable, and very portable; can be powered by AAA batteries; include line-in port and cable; can be used as an iPod dock with a standard USB cable; excellent sound quality for the size.

The bad: The Altec Lansing iM500 would be better with a remote control; it's a tad pricey; flimsy design when no iPod is docked; dock is designed only for Nano; line-in port is not standard 3.5mm; no white version.

The bottom line: If you're an iPod Nano user who likes to pack light and thin, most certainly check out the nice-looking and -sounding Altec Lansing iM500 speaker system.

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Editors' Note: The rating on this review has been lowered from 7.7 to 7.0 due to changes in the competitive marketplace.

We've gotten our hands on a wide array of portable speaker systems designed for the iPod, but we haven't reviewed one that was quite as thin as Altec Lansing's $130 inMotion iM500. The splendid-sounding iM500 measures only 0.67 inches thick when closed up for transport, so you can pretty much stick it (or slide it) in any bag, backpack, or carrier. With a pleasing design that matches the black iPod Nano, these speakers look as good as they sound, though the speaker set could be better with a remote control.

The iM500 speaker system measures about 8.5 by 5 inches (when closed), weighs 12 ounces (without batteries), and looks and feels, as Altec Lansing markets it, "impossibly thin." An elegantly minimal design that closes up flat and snag-free doesn't hurt. Pressing a button in the center of the grille opens the base (which measures about 2.5 inches from front to back), which includes the iPod dock connector port and power and volume buttons on the front. When the posterior base opens, it reveals standard mini USB, mini auxiliary, and AC power ports.

Only 0.67 inches thick when it's closed, it's slimmer-looking in person.

Dock your iPod Nano, and you have a very attractive system; the thinness of the Nano and the iM500 play off of one another. When docked, the speakers are very stable. The iPod Nano actually sits in an indentation on the iM500 making the whole system even sleeker. The tiny puffy-style volume buttons are easy enough to use, though we definitely were itching for a remote control (no dice). The iM500 comes with a basic leatherette slip-on case; the wall wart-style AC adapter shouldn't take too much additional space.

Though the system is designed for the iPod Nano, we were able to force a regular 5G iPod onto the dock; while you can get away with this, we don't recommend it, as it could damage the dock connector.

The iM500 is actually a little unstable without an iPod docked; if you use it as your bedside speaker set, for example, and the Nano's not docked, chances are the iM500 will be knocked over if you gently brush up against it. It also comes in black only (by far the better color for speakers), so your white Nano will certainly stand out. Needless to say, the dock also charges the iPod and (very) conveniently, you can connect to a computer via the standard USB port. Forget your proprietary dock cable? No worries, if you have the iM500 and a friend with a USB cable.

A white iPod Nano docked with the black iM500.

We appreciate the line-in port, which allows you to connect any other audio device (including your laptop), though we don't love the 2.5mm micro jack input, which is much less common than the standard 3.5mm mini jack. Altec Lansing includes an 11-inch micro-to-mini cable--remember to bring this along on trips. Making the iM500 truly portable are the two battery compartments on the back, which hold three AAA batteries each. The system is rated to last about 10 hours per change of batteries--not bad.

When opened, the iM500's backside features standard mini USB, power, and auxiliary ports. Also notice the two battery compartments.

The iM500's pretty and waify looks wouldn't count for much if the system didn't sound good, and it does. You get quite a bit of oomph for the size of the speakers. Though they are definitely personal-size speakers, the iM500 can pump. They really shine when it comes to clarity and balance. The two full-range drivers pump out surprisingly good bass, too. Wynton Marsalis's trumpet soared divinely in "Bourbon Street Parade," while Dexter's electronic "Mr. Blunt" blared throughout CNET's cubicle district without breaking up (though some electronic music sounds a little tinny). Acoustic- and vocal-centric music such as Regina Spektor worked well with the iM500. Sound is certainly comparable to Logitech 's bigger $150 (list) mm50, so the $130 price tag shouldn't be too off-putting.

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Average user rating: 2.0 stars out of 2 reviews
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Specifications

Manufacturer: Altec Lansing
Part number: im500
Description: Okay, so your iPod nano is the coolest thing since the discovery of electricity. Want to know the second coolest thing? Then introduce yourself to the inMotion iM500 for iPod nano. It's compact, lightweight and super-thin just like your iPod nano. So you can take it with you... wherever. And it features two custom, full-range drivers, plus built-in-bass-enhancement technology for stunning, surprisingly clear sound. You can plug it in or choose battery power. And it syncs and charges your iPod nano.

General
Product Type Portable speakers with digital player dock
Width 8.5 in
Depth 0.7 in
Height 5 in
Weight 12 oz
Enclosure Color Black
Packaged quantity 1
Miscellaneous
Included Accessories Adapter cable, Carrying case, Power adapter
MP3 Player Compatibility IPod nano
iPod Compatibility IPod nano
Speaker System
Speaker Type Active
Controls Power on/off, Volume
Connections
Connector Type 1 x Audio line-in, 1 x Docking station

Manufacturer Warranty
Service & Support 1 year limited warranty
Battery
Type Standard battery - AAA type
Required Qty 6
Power
Power Device Power adapter - External
Run Time (Up To) 8 hour(s)

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