Altec Lansing inMotion iM600 Portable Audio System for iPod | 
| Brand: Altec Lansing
List Price: $149.99
Buy New: $95.23
You Save: $54.76 (37%)
New (21) Used (4) from $70.00
Rating:  271 reviews
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.3
Dimensions (in): 11 x 2 x 6
Warranty: 1 Year Limited Warranty
MPN: iM600
Model: iM600
UPC: 021986953494
EAN: 0021986953494
ASIN: B000OFSN4G
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com Product Description
With 17 total watts of power, the compact and portable Altec Lansing iM600 Sound System gives you full optimized stereo sound from dual two-inch neodymium drivers, so you can enjoy your favorite iPod tunes at home or work. It features a built-in FM receiver, as well as an on-board rechargeable Lithium-ion battery that provides over seven hours of battery life before it needs recharging. The iM600 also boasts an Altec Lansing engineering innovation called the Stereo Field Expander, or SFX, which makes the speakers sound further apart than they actually are, resulting in a heightened stereo effect. For added convenience, the stereo FM radio can double as a clock radio with station presets, LCD display and telescopic antenna for clear reception; simply plug it into an electrical outlet (the AC adapter is included). Superior bass enhancement technology means you can enjoy quality bass without a subwoofer, and the input jack makes it a snap to connect a second device, including CD, DVD and MP3 players. There's even a composite video out for playing your videos and photos for iPod on most TVs, while the built-in iPod dock allows for quick and easy data transfer and recharge. Additionally, this model syncs and charges all dockable iPod models. Lightweight and easy to move, the iM600 conveniently folds up to 11.0 x 6.0 x 1.7 inches (WxHxD), and weighs just over two pounds, so you can truly take it anywhere. It comes with a wireless remote and AC adapter, and is fully compatible with iPod models that have the alarm clock and sleep timer features. What's in the Box
inMotion iM600 mobile speaker system, wireless remote, iPod docking adapters, AC adapter, user's guide, and quick connect instructions.
Product Description
plays audio from all docking iPods * two 2" full-range Micro Drivers with neodymium magnets * built-in docking station with high-speed USB connection (cable not included) * composite video output * minijack mono output for optional subwoofer * minijack audio input * FM tuner with four presets * built-in clock displays time on LCD * built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery provides up to 7 hours music playback *
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| Customer Reviews: Read 266 more reviews...
 The Beat of a Different Drummer: 3 Way Ipod Dock Comparison September 7, 2007
C. Kelleher (new york, ny United States)
828 out of 859 found this review helpful
Three Way Comparison, Bose SoundDock vs. Griffin Amplifi vs. Altec Lansing IM600:
Design and Features:
Bose Sound Dock: Cabinet made of plastic. Appears to have two 2.5" acoustic suspension (enclosed) drivers under a metallic grill, with a whole bunch of added physical structures that look to be waveguides and / or signal processors. Bose keeps details on this pretty much obscured, but wattage estimates I've seen on the net put power output at roughly 50-60 watts and based on my own comparative experience, I would agree. Some commentators think the unit has four drivers rather than two, but I see only two beneath the grill and I am not going to disassemble the unit. Some Bose haters on the net claim frequency response on the SD is capped at a mere 10,000 kHz, which I personally doubt, as treble rich music I've played on this sounds fine, and no reliable net source makes this claim. Ipod docks in a front-mounted bay. My 5.5 G 30 GB feels rather loosely supported, but no major issues.
No line-in or out. Indeed, no console controls at all except a volume up and volume down button. Simple remote, though very reliable and with good range. The power wart is bizarrely large and bulky, plus is also in two sections, making it seem like you're going to be powering up a railgun or supercollider rather than a relatively low powered music player. The design is sturdy and attractive overall, but the lack of any special features whatsoever is dismaying, perhaps symptomatic of Bose's condescending "electronics for idiots" philosophy. Charges Ipod as long as it is docked, when playing or when off.
Griffin Amplifi: Cabinet made of wood, looks like small shoebox. Has two 2.75" drivers front mounted and a bottom mounted 5" woofer with a bass port. Griffin in the worst Bose tradition refuses to disclose many tech statistics on their unit, but my power estimate puts this at about 30-40 watts, not really much different from the Bose. (To sound twice as loud needs a 10 times (1000%) increase in wattage, so the Bose advantage of maybe 33% more power should not really give much real world benefit.) Frequency response per mfgr is 50-16,000 kHz which seems a bit unbelievable on the low end, but feasible enough on the higher end. Ipod docks on top and sticks awkwardly out of the unit like a control tower, but fit is snugger than on Sound Dock which makes me feel more reassured.
There is a line-in and not much more. Big blue-lit knob controls on-off and volume. Remote is a copy of the Bose's with the same simple functions. Range and aiming tolerance is inferior to both the Bose and the Altec, but certainly adequate. Annoyingly, the Amplifi only charges an Ipod docked in it when the Amplifi is on; if the Ipod is docked and the Griffin is turned off, no charging. Either Griffin's engineers are idiots, or they decided to save a few pennies in the design.
Altec Lansing IM600: Smallest unit, with plastic cabinet and cool fold up dock that also has on / off switch. Has two 2" acoustic suspension drivers, and a separate subwoofer out line that I did not use. Also has video out and line-in ports, plus a decent FM tuner and telescoping antenna. Tons and tons of features in comparison to our other competitors. Plus unit has an internal rechargeable battery which lasts for roughly 7 hours, and an "SFX" stereo expander DSP switch. Altec is honest enough to give the power stats on the unit of 14 watts. Though this is less than either other dock, as stated above the actual volume difference is not reflected in the numbers. Frequency range is not specified, but it seems to go as high as either of the other competitors, with perhaps less bass extension. Front mounted dock that gently leans the Ipod against a reinforced acoustically neutralized spot on the unit so vibrations will not affect the Ipod during playback.
IM600 also has a beautiful backlit display which stays lit while the unit is plugged in to AC power. The Altec charges Ipods as long as there is an AC connection, whether or not the Altec is turned on. The IM600 does not charge Ipods when the dock is running on its own rechargeable battery. The remote is also IR like the others in the test, and is somewhere between the Bose and Griffin in terms of range and responsiveness. Remote lets you control SFX mode and access four radio presets. (Though if you lose the remote, you will have no preset control at all, so try not to do that.)
Sound:
Bose: Excellent deep bass, controlled and accurate, never boomy. Mid-range is emphasized, so guitars and vocals sound especially fine. Treble appears a bit less impressive, but trebly stuff like Vivaldi and Tallis sounds just fine. The Bose sounds better with rock and jazz than with classical, but not dramatically so. The Bose sounds equally good at both low and high end, and the unit can be played at max volume with no distortion, probably due to Bose's manipulation of the source signal. Nevertheless, the Bose sounds very good at all volumes and with virtually any type of music. The Bose can also fill up any small or medium room with sound, and can even be a decent sound system for a reasonably quiet large room. Stereo separation was the best of all three speakers, unimpressive when compared to a formal stereo with speakers a couple of yards apart, but certainly very much a feat from speakers separated from each other by less than a foot. Detail is excellent with many-layered music like works by Nine Inch Nails and Dead Can Dance being expertly and precisely performed.
I am no fan of Bose, finding the sound from their home theater systems to be artificial, inaccurate, compromised, pricey, and over-hyped. However, in the case of the SoundDock, with the goal of creating generally acceptable sound from lossy sources, Bose has executed the concept impeccably well. The music as played may not be dead-on accurate, but it is not noticeably deficient and sounds loud, detailed, and clear at any volume. Kind of like McDonald's fries, the SoundDock is by far the jewel in the rather uneven portfolio of Bose equipment. Even if you hate the idea of Bose, or have disliked their other audio products, the SoundDock may well amaze you.
Griffin: Bass is about as good as the SoundDock, maybe lower extension, but roughly the same precision and balance. Griffin is to be commended for not going crazy and letting the big 5" woofer run roughshod over the sound of the Amplifi. The big woofer does not make the Amplifi sound better than the Bose at the low end, but on the other hand it doesn't sound worse, and it is also much cheaper. Griffin was not aiming to beat the Bose here, but rather to equal it with a lower price and simpler design. Mid-range is another strong point here, and treble is also a bit lacking, like in the Bose, but not too much so. Classical pieces still sound very good on the Griffin.
Where the Amplifi does lose ground to Bose is in the fancy stuff. Stereo separation is non-existent, and detail is nowhere near as precise as on the Bose. This sounds like a big loud mono speaker. Low volumes especially lose a lot of fine subtlety, and distortion is heard at the very highest volumes (though to be fair, no one would really play this unit that loud, as it is probably 100 dB or more.) The acoustically tuned all wood cabinet adds little to the sound signature of the Amplif vis a vis the plastic cabinet of the Bose. The lack of stereo separation, detail, and full clarity throughout all volume ranges is where the added cost of the Bose is most evident and justifiable. Most users will like the Griffin though; it mimics the sound signature of the Bose convincingly, has a retro wood cabinet design, and has at least one important feature that the Bose lacks, a line-in, all of this at a street value of 1/3rd of what the Bose goes for. This will make the Amplif a great solution for most users, especially those on a budget. However, the added price of the Bose does create a noticeably superior sound in at least some aspects.
Altec Lansing: The IM600 takes a different path than its rivals, aiming for a more treble oriented sound, with adequate bass and very good mids. The IM600 sounds crisp and detailed, but lacks the low end punch of the Bose or Griffin. The 600 has a separate subwoofer out line and a 3" sub is available separately from Altec Lansing for $50. No idea how it sounds. This is the best of these three units for classical music reproduction, but most music sounds fine on it. Even bass heavy music is more than acceptable for most listeners; you just don't feel the low end as prominently as you do with the other two docks, but depending on your expectations, this may be just fine.
Stereo separation is not especially strong on the Altec, to be expected when the drivers are all of 7" apart. The SFX mode is helpful in this regard, and does give some stereo sound effect, and really does not hurt sound reproduction in any way, so I normally leave the effect on. Stereo is far more noticeable than the Griffin, but less pronounced than the Bose. (However, even the Bose offers far less stereo than one might get from properly placed PC satellite speakers, let alone a true home stereo system...) Clarity and detail on the IM600 is excellent, rivaling the Bose in many cases. Brass and drums sound a bit more real and crisp on the Bose, and this plus the better low end will give the nod to the SoundDock over the IM600 for most listeners, unless you listen to nothing but classical. The IM600 distorts a bit at maximum volume, but not terribly so. It sounds as good at low volumes as it does at normal (medium level) settings.
Value:
Bose: Normally listed at $300 and almost never discounted. The new "portable" SoundDock just came out as of this writing and sells for $400. If Bose can maintain this exceptionally high price for the newer model, SoundDock prices may stay at $300, but if the newer unit needs some price adjustment, the original SoundDock may fall in price (or even be discontinued.). I purchased my Bose as a reconditioned by the factory model for $250 and then caught a sale at the Bose store for an added 10% off, $225 total. I think Bose stores are the only place where you can get the "factory renewed" models for the lower price.
[...]
Summary:
Bose: Probably not worth $300, the price I paid of $225 feels like about what the SoundDock is worth. The sound is audibly better quality here, though probably not two to three times better than the Griffin or the Altec, which is what the pricing would indicate. The lack of a decent feature set makes the Bose seem like even less of a value. Again though, if style, quality, simplicity, and excellent sound is your goal, and price does not matter that much, the Bose is a fine choice. Special note to all the Bose haters: take a listen to this before lumping it in with such atrocities as the Acoustimass and StereoEverywhere technology. The SoundDock sounds unusually good, does not mangle realism of the sound unpleasantly, and is really the cutting edge of what can be done with reproducing Ipod sound from a small one-piece unit.
Griffin: Aims for the SoundDock's sound signature, and generally succeeds. Lacks a bit of polish in both physical and sonic characteristics, but overall is an excellent value. If you want Bose, but can't afford it, the Amplifi will not leave you with many regrets. The wooden cabinet and big bass driver are not utilized very distinctively, but there are no glaring missteps here either. However, if you can afford the SoundDock, the Griffin has no real advantages as its clone philosophy and minimal feature set offer no advantage over Bose except cost. The bigger and better sound of the SoundDock justifies the added cost as long as price is not the main consideration.
Altec Lansing: The excellent design, wonderful feature set, and portability of this unit distinguishes and separates it from the other two. Sound is generally well done, crisp and appealing, and the treble emphasis gives the Altec its own sonic niche. The power difference in watts is not really noticeable except if you are trying to fill up a big room with sound, and why would you be doing that with a wee tiny Ipod dock anyway? Most users will be very happy with the IM600's sound and the quality FM tuner is just the icing on the cake. If you are on a budget, I would say get the Altec as it sells for roughly the same price as the Amplifi, and has many more features including portability. The IM600 has somewhat less bass than the Griffin, but better stereo sound and detail clarity.
 Great Sound, Light, Folds Up Nicely July 15, 2007
J. Weber
104 out of 107 found this review helpful
I tested about 8 different brands and models of these type of systems in a store at high volume. For its size and price, this one got the loudest before distorting, with excellent sound balance. The FM receiver is handy. It is very lightweight and folds up into a convenient carrying shape. Highly recommended.
fits the bill perfectly August 13, 2007
Ike17055 (PA, United States)
96 out of 98 found this review helpful
Like others, I looked at many models. I bought this unit along with IPod for traveling to my weekend cabin, hoping to replace the bulkiness of my SONY CD player and three cases of disks. It is exceptionally portable, plugs into wall or goes outside on battery, has FM receiver so my wife can listen to college football on weekends, and we attach it to her computer/DVD to watch movies in the evening. The sound quality is excellent, filling the living/dining area for movies or music. Definitely competes with the old bulky system with no compromise. Plus Amazon price was incredible. For our needs, this could not be better. I am planning to take it on vacation with us this winter.
 Dead Battery... September 12, 2007
SliceOffTee (Highland)
50 out of 64 found this review helpful
I think this is a great sounding system for such a small form factor. Not as dynamic as the Bose system but can fit easily into a suitcase. The FM radio is not as good as the iPal (I also own one) at pulling in weak stations but the iPod dock and remote make up for it. Now for the bad news: the battery refused to hold a charge even after 2 days on AC. I got a RMA from Altec Lansing ( I should have returned it to Amazon) and returned it to the company. One and a half weeks later I called them (Altec Lansing) and was told that I was on a fulfillment list for backorders: the item was unavailable without an estimated due date. So now I paid for an item that I can't use and don't know when I'll get it. I will not buy Altec Lansing products in the future.
Amazing sound in a small package April 3, 2007
esb
27 out of 27 found this review helpful
This iPod system is very powerful. Turn it up to max volume & you'll hear no hint of distortion. And at the size of a small book, it's very convenient for traveling (especially when battery powered) or for tabletops. It also includes an FM tuner which most other systems lack.
This system is much better than the comparable Logitech system at the same price - better sound, LED layout, FM radio. And I think iM600 sounds better than the $250 Bose system. Great value
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