A review of the Altec Lansing iM7

Posted on 31 March 2007 | No Comments

Filed Under: Product Reviews

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For the last month or so we’ve had the Altec Lansing inMotion iM7 sitting in the kitchen playing steady shuffle of songs from my iPod as well as Amy’s iPod and I can’t heap enough praise on this product. It is an iPod dock and sound system whit a modern tubular design that looks almost as good as it sounds. And while not tiny and portable how you might think of it, the iM7 is easy to move and will function just about anywhere.

Over the weekend, we took it outside to enjoy on the deck and it performed just as well. It was (however) the sound quality of the iM7 that sold me. The unit sounds great at both low and high volumes and pumps out awesome bass for a unit its size thanks to a powerful subwoofer. The iM7’s bass is (IMHO) much more powerful than the Bose SoundDock’s and it is adjustable via the remote. Sound clarity is great and the bass is not muddy even at high volumes because of two pairs of woofers and tweeters which give the iM7 a sound that is comparable to that of many home stereo systems.

Other features on Altec Lansing’s iM7 portable iPod “sound-dock-boom-box” include a wireless remote, a plethora of inputs and outputs on the rear of the unit that include video output for iPod (S-Video), and optional battery mode which provides up to 10 hours of operation time. Because it is a docking station, you iPod charges as you listen too!

Even though the iM7 weighs in at 10 pounds (without iPod or batteries) it has a soft rubber grip on the back of the unit that makes it very easy to carry around (and I know it will be going a lot of places with us this summer). The iM7’s video outputs on the back also allow it to function as a video pass through and provides direct output of photo slide shows. In addition, the back of the iM7 also has a nifty nook to store its remote so you don’t have to worry about losing it. The power cord isn’t all that long, but if you plan on taking the unit outside to supply jams for your party, suck it up and just use an extension cord.

Overall, we love the Altec Lansing inMotion iM7 iPod speaker system and dock. It’s sleek and simple design, killer sound, ease of use, and affordable price (it lists for $50 less than the Bose SoundDock) make it a winner in our book.