#1: Altec Lansing T612 Reviews

Discount Altec Lansing IMT620 InMotion Classic Portable IPod Dock With Rechargeable Battery And FM Tuner

When my order arrived, I was startled by the HUGE box. Then, I opened the package to find a much more petite, well-protected box. Much like cracking a series of nesting dolls, I finally opened the last box to find a impossibly small sound-system. In the past, I have been disappointed by small products claiming "big sound." The results were always loud, but "tinny." With two other attempts at finding a satisfying sound scattered around my house, I had little faith that the Altec Lansing would prove any different. I am happy to say, I was wrong. The sound produced by this system is full and lush. What a pleasure to hear such rich notes from such a (genuinely) portable item!!

When I first ordered this particular model, there wasn't even a photo. How surprised was I to find a remote-control in the box!! What a nice, convenient touch! It fits nicely in-hand and has a rather impressive range. And, as noted in another review, there is a slot (in back of the dock) in which one can store the remote ... which is especially fantastic for traveling!!

The orange display is a welcome (cheery!) change (which I have not seen with other brands!) The scroll is large enough to see at a distance, but not blindingly large (as has been my overall experience with other brands). I like my display to function as a means of gathering information, not as a full-on night-light (Haaa!) This fulfills that desire nicely. As far as other aesthetics: the appearance is SUPER clean and stream-lined. It is not distracting to the eye (like two other docks I've tried that were covered in buttons and superfluous display options).

Yes, there are "better systems" (for triple the price). Yes, there are "fancier" systems (with options one may never actually use). Even still, this dock fits my personal needs and exceeded my expectations. Amazingly lightweight, the Altec Lansing inMotion is highly recommended to those wanting the lushest sound for the most reasonable price. Buy Altec Lansing IMT620 Lowest Price, Order Now! [Click Here!]

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Buying Altec Lansing M812 Octiv Air Wireless Speaker System With Dock For IPod (Black)

The Altec Lansing M812 Octiv Air is a slick looking iPod dock/speaker unit that sounds great, but should only be purchased by those needing a wireless unit.

HARDWARE
The iPod dock itself is a pretty neat looking piece of black plastic with removable iPod dock seats. There is a Standby button on the front that syncs the dock to the speaker, along with a few LED indicator lights. On the back are the inputs for the AC adapter power supply, an AUX jack, and an FM antenna input. The dock itself isn't huge, but it's big enough that it would have been nice if there was an FM antenna built inside the thing. You do not get any FM reception unless you hook up the antenna, but if you do, the FM signal came in clear for me. The stereo AUX jack works well, and they include a short 1/8" stereo cord so that I was able to hook up my Zune (without being able to change tracks on the Zune via remote) or stereo system.

The speaker is a beast that I underestimated. The thing is heavier and bigger than you might imagine from looking at pictures online, but it sounds nothing short of spectacular for something its size. There are a few buttons on the side of the speaker to change the volume or input, or tracks and there are settings on the back of the speakers to switch it to wall or table mounting, or stereo/mono selection. There is a small LED display in the middle of the speakers as well. The remote control sensor is also next to the LED display.

SOUND
This thing sounds great. There are only a few iPod docks that sound as good as this one. But don't be mistaken, these speakers can fill up a large room with ease, they have adequate bass for something this size and the mids and highs are crystal clear. Very high marks for sound.

USABILITY
The Octiv Air is simple to set-up and use. Plug in and turn on the speakers first, then plug in and turn on the dock. The unit automatically syncs up. It's easy to drop your iPod in the dock, or hook up a Zune or stereo through the AUX jack and cable provided. The remote is simple and doesn't have a lot of functions on it, but it's comfortable and easy to use. There's no battery option for the dock, so know that both the speaker and the dock need to be near a power outlet as they each have their own power sources. One bonus is that if you have a home theater surround sound speaker system and appropriate speaker wire-to-1/8" stereo adapters you can hook up your surround sound system to the dock and then use the wireless speaker as your rear left and right speakers for your theater system. When I tried this trick it worked, but I wasn't sure if there was a very slight delay for the sound that had to come out of the Octiv Air (working as my rear surround speakers). Still, if you can figure it out, it might work for you.

PROBLEMS/SHORTCOMINGS
As I mentioned before, it would be nice if there was an internal FM antenna. Also, there are a few other minor gripes. One, the remote is kind of long in shape and doesn't have a lot of functionality. For the price you could argue to either give me a smaller remote, or give me some more capabilities with it to cycle through iPod menus. Second, the IR sensor is only located on the speakers. It would be nice to have another sensor on the dock itself so that I could point the remote to either piece to change volume, tracks, etc.

SUMMARY
The Octiv Air is a great system, and the sound is top notch. If you need a wireless solution because you have limited space for a dock, yet don't want small, cheapy iPod speakers, then this is definitely a great option for you. However, at this price you could theoretically buy another great iPod dock or even a $250-$300 home theater surround sound set-up with a receiver and built-in iPod dock and get great sound and more functionality. Don't get me wrong, I love this unit, but it's only for people who don't want to compromise on their iPod speakers AND need that wireless ability.
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Where To Buy Altec Lansing T612 Digital Speaker For IPod And IPhone (Black)

I've been researching portable iPhone speakers for a few weeks and trying out a few at local stores, but I never found one that met my criteria: EQ controls (at least bass and treble), not too expensive, not shoddy, reasonably powerful (I plan to take it to outdoor events), and GSM-shielded (some of those events are out in the boonies where there's only EDGE coverage). I soon discovered that there are very few options that meet the last criterion, let alone the others.

I had considered an iHome iP1, but in the final analysis, it was too bulky and expensive for my purposes. I had been reading the reviews of the various Altec Lansing offerings and none but the T612 really struck my fancy. However, I could not find any local shops that carried it. So, I took a leap of faith and ordered it sound-unheard. Thus far, it appears to be money well spent.

The first thing I noticed after pulling it out of its packaging was how solid it felt. I definitely have no concerns about wind blowing it over. The metal speaker grill and rubberized plastic parts give it a real quality feel. I do wish some thought had been given to storing the remote, but there's is plenty of space between the speakers and the stand to put some Velcro and store it there; it could even be hidden behind where the device docks.

I plugged it in and plugged my iPhone 3GS into it and the phone immediately started charging. After three or four dockings, I have yet to see the "unsupported" message on the iPhone screen. It still does not come with the dock insert for the iPhone 3G/3GS, so I had to do what everybody else did: remove the iPhone 2G insert. However, since it uses a standard Apple insert, I'm hoping to be able to pick up a set of inserts at one of the local Apple stores, even though they're white. I might try dying one of them black since I'll have three of them. The "free" insert from Altec Lansing is out of stock and the shipping price went up to $5 each; the three-pack of inserts from Apple is only $9.

The sound is quite good. It's a little lacking in the mids, but the highs are crisp without being tinny and the bass is as good or better than most other products I had a chance to listen to, even at the neutral EQ level. The sound quality remains good to the volumes at which I'm likely to listen, which is all that matters to me. One nicety is that my iPhone's EQ is turned off automatically when I dock it and then reverts back to the previous setting when undocked.

It would be nice to have a full featured remote, but I mostly listen to playlists anyway, so the forward/backward track functions that the remote does support are sufficient for my needs.

I found it disconcerting that Altec Lansing's more recent products all seem flimsy and cheap. Thank goodness the T612 is still a part of their lineup. I highly recommend it.Buy Altec Lansing T612 Lowest Price, Order Now! [Click Here!]

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