13 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
Best iPod Boombox Under $200
Date of Review: Apr 9, 2006
The Bottom Line: The iM7 is the sweet spot of iPod docking/speaker stations. With a protective internal pod-holder, the ability to play very loud, this is the current docking station to beat.
The Altec Lansing iM7 is $100 less than the popular (and overpriced) Bose docking station. While Bose has the reputation, it's impossible to find it discounted below the $299 list price. I paid $190 for the iM7 from buy.com, and it can be found at Costco for even less now ($180 last I checked).
Listening to the iM7 and the Bose side by side, you don't hear a lot of difference at low volume but once you crank them both, the iM7 wins out. There is much more bass and volume from the iM7, with little distortion considering it's compact size.
The iM7 is an attractive white and grey-grilled tube that nicely approximates the iPod "look". There is a dock for any ipod that can use a docking station (almost all the iPods). I have the new 30gb video iPod and it fits just fine thanks to the thoughtful addition of an adjustable dock on the iM7.
The sound produced by the iM7 is enhanced by side firing bass speakers which impress everyone who has a chance to hear this unit in action. Turn it way up and adjust the bass down a bit to keep distortion to a minimum and this boombox is perfect for a party on the patio. The included remote allows you to adjust volume, bass and treble, but without any visual (LED) indicator of what setting you are changing these to, you have to rely closely on what you are listening to while you adjust. Nice touch by Altec is the little slot on back of the unit that stores the remote. Helps to avoid it lying around and being misplaced.
If more accurate musical reproduction is your thing, but you don't need window-rattling volume, consider the speakers and docking stations offered by Klipsch. They consistently garner the highest ratings, although they are more expensive than the iM7 and don't play as loud and are not as imminently portable.
The iM7 can be carried around by the small but serviceable handle cut-out in the back of the unit, but loaded with batteries, the unit gets very lopsided and care should be taken when carrying. There is a terrific, but overpriced, carrying case for the iM7 that allows you to carry it like a shoulder held duffle bag. The unit fits snugly into the bag and it's protected for travel by the nice padding inside the bag.
One last thing: The iM7 charges your iPod when it is docked and the unit is plugged in. This is a great feature to keep your iPod on full charge without having to undock it.
