The Good: XT1 Laptop Speakers

Altec Lansing's USB-powered XT laptop speakers are a great example of how an existing product can actually be rethought for portable usage and not simply given a battery pack and repowered in the name of "mobility." The XT1s are compact stereo speakers that are plug-and-play USB compatible in terms of both audio drivers and power. Simply unpack the speakers, plug them into an open USB port on an OS X Mac, and you've got sound. No AC adapter, batteries, or special drivers to fuss with.

The speakers are tall, thin, "minitowers" packed with AL's high-output neodymium microdrivers. XT1s are rated at 1.5 Watts RMS (0.75 Watts/channel @ 7.7 ohms) of power at a frequency response of 100-20K Hz, which means they're got going to rattle the roof off your hotel room when you hook them up to a PowerBook for some home-away-from home tunes. That being said, the XT1s sound exceptionally good for such a small package - bass response is lacking, as one might expect from the cabinet size and 100Hz low-end cutoff point, but highs are surprisingly clear and I was hard pressed to get these minitowers to distort even with my iBook turned all the way up. The all-digital connection afforded by the USB connection probably helps in this regard. The XT1s do lack the overall sonic richness of "full-sized" desktop speaker and 2.1 sattelite/subwoofer systems, but viewed as an easy to pack second set of speakers, they really brought a smile to my face.

Altec Lansing did a great job of packaging the XT1s, as well, enclosing them in a compact black nylon, semi-rigid travel case. Included in the case are a retractable USB cable and a braided cable to connect the two speakers, as well as removable speaker stands. The XT1s have an integrated, glowing blue power switch and a stereo input jack should you want to run an iPod or other sound source through them (though the speakers still must be connected to a USB computer for power). The XT1s won't replace your desktop speaker system, but if you love music, travel alot, and don't want to be limited to headphone listening or the tinny audio of built-in laptop speakers, they're definitely worth a closer look.

The Not So Good: inMotion iM3 iPod Speakers

Where the XT1s succeed in combining mobility, sound, and design, at a reasonable price, the iM3 iPod speakers fail when it comes to sound and price. One of the most compact entries in Altec Lansing's extensive line of inMotion iPod speaker systems, the iM3 is a one-piece, two-enclosure system that's only 8 by 5.4 by 1.2 inches big when folded flat. The iM3 snaps open into an L-shape that leaves room for an iPod between left and right sets of two "custom-designed neodymium 28 mm microdrivers" each. Even though the confguration is technically stereo, the left and right speakers are positioned so close to one another as to keep imaging and separation at a minimum. No real matter though; the iM3s overall performance is underwhelming. While one cannot realistically ask too much of speakers this small and thin, for close to $200 I did expect a lot more. The overall sound is best described as "thin" - everything is compressed into the mid and upper range of the frequency, and the general feeling of music coming from the iM3 is crowded and shallow. By point of comparison, hooking the same audio sources up to a $149 Tivoli PAL is like night and day; music coming through the Tivoli is infinitely clearer, richer, and more satisfying. Granted, the PAL is more akin to a double-thick brick than the iM3s slim paperback book, but both are portable audio systems at similar price points, so the comparison is justified.

Where the iM3 excels is on the design front. The system is imminently portable, and the folding mechanism is clever and practical. The iM3 comes with a wireless wafer-like remote, AC adapter, softside carry case, and adapters to fit nearly every iPod ever made including the shuffle. For $179, one could reasonably expect the iM3 to include rechargable batteries. It does not - 4 AA batteries (optional) are required to power the unit sans AC wall pack. The iM3 also coordinates very well with the looks of various iPods; the white plastic body and chrome mesh speaker grilles are quite attractive.

Good looks notwithstanding, I cannot in good faith recommend Altec Lansing's iM3 inMotion iPod speakers, which is a shame because so many of Altec's audio systems are so easily recommendable. Unless you want the aboslute smallest, best-looking speakers for your iPod and don't care about the sound, you'd do best to look elsewhere.

Altec Lansing's XT 1 laptop speakers retail for $99.95, and the iM3 iPod Speakers are $179.95. Their entire line of home and portable audio products is available direct through their online store or through major online and brick-and-mortar retailers.

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