Portable iPod speakers

Compact iPod speakers, some with battery

The most popular speakers right now are portable iPod speakers, which typically cost between $75 and $150 and are small enough to toss in a bag or briefcase. Portable speakers typically pump out enough sound for a bedroom, home office or patio.

We found the best reviews for the Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 (*Est. $120), an affordable 13-inch-wide speaker dock that supports the iPod and iPhone. The speakers use GSM shielding, so there's no need to put your iPhone on airplane mode. The Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 has four speaker drivers, a 10-hour rechargeable battery and an included travel case. This iPod speaker system comes highly recommended from Jeremy Horwitz at iLounge.com, one of the most prolific reviewers of iPod speakers. Horwitz says the Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 is the "best-sounding portable speaker in its price class," thanks to clear, balanced audio at both low and high volumes. J. Walker Clarke at Audioholics.com calls the sound quality "excellent," and he recommends the Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 in a roundup of portable iPod speakers. What Hi-Fi?, a British magazine, also recommends the Anywhere 2, calling it a "superb buy." Other reviewers give it high marks for value and portability, because it weighs less than 3 pounds.

However, experts point out that the Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 has some downsides, namely the remote. Jeremy Horwitz's remote arrived with a dead battery, and several reviewers at Amazon.com complain that the remote dies after several weeks. We also saw a few reports on user-review sites that the Pure-Fi iPod speakers turn off unexpectedly when the volume is low. While most experts praise the sound quality, Jon Phillips at MacLife says the Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 has "blah" sound. Overall, though, most reviewers say the Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 is a great choice for a portable iPod speaker.

The Altec Lansing inMotion iM600 (*Est. $100) also earns several recommendations for offering good sound quality in a portable package. It can be powered by either an adapter or by its built-in rechargeable battery, which boasts seven hours of playback. It's compatible with all iPods except the Shuffle, but it lacks iPhone compatibility -- a feature that is rapidly becoming standard for newer iPod speakers (the Altec Lansing inMotion iM600 debuted in 2007). The iM600 has received excellent reviews from experts at iLounge.com, CNET and Macworld, but these older reviews don't take into account the latest technology present in newer iPod speakers. Still, reviewers say the Altec Lansing inMotion iM600 has excellent sound quality in an aesthetically pleasing frame.

Compatible with iPods and the iPhone, Altec Lansing's inMotion Max iMT702 (*Est. $170), a model that experts think will eventually replace the inMotion iM600, gets mixed reviews. The Altec Lansing inMotion Max includes an FM radio and a rechargeable battery with 3.5 hours of playback. Sound quality is good at most levels, but two experts note distortions at maximum volume. Bass response is also lacking. The Altec Lansing inMotion Max iPod speaker gets top honors in a test of five models conducted by The Boston Globe, but owner-written reviews are not as positive. Some owners at Amazon.com are impressed with the sound quality, but many others report quality problems.

Initial reviews are highly positive for Altec Lansing's brand new inMotion Classic iMT620 (*Est. $150), a portable iPhone- and iPod-compatible speaker dock -- reviewers like what they see (and hear) so far. The Altec Lansing inMotion Classic is small and lightweight, and it has an integrated handle and rechargeable battery. Donald Bell at CNET says his first impressions of the iPod speaker are "excellent." The inMotion Classic gets high marks from Bell for its "crisp" sound quality and five-hour battery life. Charlie White at Dvice.com says the inMotion Classic provides excellent sound, and it works perfectly with the iPhone 3GS. Overall, he says it's "one of the best iPod docks we've seen and especially, heard." Some reviewers think the price is too high, but White says it's worth it.

Bose offers a portable version of its popular SoundDock, known as the Bose SoundDock Portable (*Est. $400). Reviewers say the portable version offers good sound quality, but they think it's overpriced. The SoundDock Portable isn't the smallest portable iPod speaker, but it includes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery so you can move it from room to room or take it out on the patio. Jeremy Horwitz at iLounge.com thinks the sound quality will please all but the most demanding audiophiles, but he thinks the price is too high. Tim Gideon at PCMag.com has a similar reaction to the Bose SoundDock Portable, and reviewers at CNET and Macworld also balk at the high price. Donald Bell at CNET thinks the Altec Lansing inMotion Max iMT702 has comparable sound quality, with more features and a lower price tag.

Also on the expensive side is the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Mini (*Est. $400), a newly announced portable version of the popular Zeppelin iPod dock (reviewed below). The Zeppelin Mini has a very different design from the original Zeppelin -- it no longer resembles a Zeppelin, for starters -- but it carries on the minimalist look. It's about half as wide as the Zeppelin, which spans a whopping 25.2 inches. It's also rounder in shape and includes a docking arm that rotates 90 degrees; the Zeppelin Mini looks like a small lectern. It also adds a USB connection for audio streaming from a PC or Mac. The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin (*Est. $600) has received many positive reviews over the years, so experts are understandably excited about this new product. Reviews for this speaker will be included in a future update to this report.

For ultimate portability, reviewers love the Altec Lansing Orbit MP3 iM237 (*Est. $30). This diminutive speaker weighs only 6.7 ounces and connects to an iPod or iPhone via the headphone jack. The speaker uses three AAA batteries for up to 24 hours of playback, and it comes with a protective travel case. The Orbit MP3 iM237 (3.4 inches wide by 2 inches high) is a half-inch taller than its predecessor, the Altec Lansing Orbit MP3 iM207 (*Est. $20), and reviewers say the sound quality is better. Experts say not to expect terrific audio from such a small iPod speaker, and David Carnoy notes sound distortion at high volumes. Still, many reviewers say the Altec Lansing Orbit MP3 is one of the best choices among ultraportable iPod speakers. James Hutchinson at PC World (Australia) says the quality is "surprising," and J. Walker Clarke at Audioholics.com says the sound is "remarkably good and plenty loud." Roman Loyola at Macworld also picks the Altec Lansing Orbit MP3 as having the best sound quality among the six mini iPod speakers he tests. Because it uses a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack, the Orbit can also be used with laptops and other MP3 players.

Boombox style iPod speakers: portable, but heavy

The retro boombox style of the Altec Lansing Mix iMT800 (*Est. $300) makes some reviewers cringe, but this iPod dock delivers where it really counts -- with excellent sound quality. The Altec Lansing iMT800 has just been released, but initial reviews are excellent. The boombox is GSM shielded, so it works perfectly with the iPhone and you can still receive calls and texts. Sound quality is outstanding, and Bill Palmer at iProng magazine says the Mix is "by far the best-sounding portable stereo system for iPhone and iPod currently on the market at any price." The Altec Lansing Mix iMT800 also boasts a PCMag.com Editors' Choice award, where Tim Gideon says the sound quality is well worth the price. David Carnoy at CNET is also impressed, and he calls the Altec Lansing Mix "one of the best iPod speaker options out there."

The Altec Lansing iMT800 Mix is technically portable -- it has several integrated handles and a reported battery life of 30 hours -- but at 20 inches long and 10 pounds before you add batteries, you won't want to lug this speaker around for long. Reviewers are also unimpressed with the remote, and some would prefer a rechargeable battery instead of having to constantly replace eight D-size batteries. And then there's the design. Some reviewers really can't stand the boombox look, and others think it's merely OK, but no one really loves it. Jeremy Horwitz at iLounge.com says the Altec Lansing Mix "wraps beautiful speaker technology in a whole lot of ugly, cheap-looking packaging." He later goes on to refer to it as "aesthetically depressing," even though he acknowledges that the sound quality is impressive with good bass power. If you can look past the exterior, reviewers are nearly unanimous in recommending the Altec Lansing Mix.