There are many speaker docks in the market for iPods, but not all of them are suitable for use with an iPhone. Altec Lansing says the inMotion Max is designed for use with the iPhone, which means it has the relevant GSM signal shielding built into it. That said, how does this speaker dock stand up to the competition?
Design
The inMotion Max measures 310x52x193mm, which is small enough to fit nicely into any environment. Its industrial-style design includes the right and left sides of the speaker system, which have been made to resemble metal bars with exposed bolts with most of the front covered in a perforated black plastic speaker grille. This we found to be quite thin and fragile.
At the bottom of the unit is a spring-loaded dock with a universal Apple connector that pops out from the bottom. The top of the unit is occupied by a glossy black strip with a 1.75-inch orange backlit LCD at its centre. It is also where the touch-sensitive controls are for the speaker system: power, input source, volume, back/forward, and a switch for the ESS (Expanded Sound Stage) sound enhancement.
Four 50mm speakers are found behind the grille, the top two units are full-range drivers, while the other two are passive radiators that are supposed to give a better low frequency response. The unit leans on a flip-down stand located on the back, which also reveals the connectors for the FM antenna, auxiliary input and DC power socket.
Features
The speakers sport an alarm clock, FM radio and an infrared remote control that operates the radio and the iPod/iPhone playback. The speakers also include a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery that is rated for 3.5 hours of playback, so you can easily move the speaker dock to any location without having to tap into the mains. The inMotion Max isn't too bulky for carrying between rooms, but its size would be too big for serious travelling.
The rear 3.5mm auxiliary port comes in handy should you want to connect a second audio source, but the cable isn't included.
Performance
Altec Lansing bundles four power socket plugs and six different adapters for different Apple iPods and iPhones.
Installation is straightforward: you plug it into the mains, install the correct dock adapter and then slot your Apple device in. We docked an iPhone 3G into this system for the purpose of this review.
The inMotion delivered bass in big quantities, although it wasn't well-defined or deep enough, given the unit's small size. The mid-range was handled nicely with vocals, strings and horns sounding smooth. However, the lack of high-end detail was noticeable and the audio output turned muddy and undefined with certain heavy metal tracks.
That said, for a small speaker system of this size with only two active drivers, the audio quality was commendable. The set was loud enough for outdoor listening, and the sound started to distort after we had pushed the volume past level 30 (the Maximum volume level for this speaker is 40).
The sound stage for such a small speaker is commendable with the ESS feature on, giving a more natural and less monaural speaker sound. The virtual sound stage feels more like a proper pair of speakers, but when we tested it out with live orchestral ensemble recordings, the ESS induced an unnaturally wide sound stage which ruins the listening enjoyment somewhat.
When a call comes in on the iPhone 3G, the music playback pauses and is replaced by the phone's ringtone, but it will not function as a hands-free speakerphone. When the call ends, the music will resume from where it was paused.
FM radio reception is pretty decent, though the inMotion supports only four memory presets. The speaker also functions as an alarm clock, although it would be entirely dependent on the iPod/iPhone's alarm, as the speaker lacks a clock or alarm of its own. And you will have to keep the unit turned on for the alarm tune to be played through the speakers. That said, it shouldn't be a problem as the dock will charge the iPod/iPhone only when it is running on AC power.
Conclusion
At AU$449, it's a little pricey for an iPod/iPhone speaker dock and has less audio-related features than we expected. However, it has agreeable sound quality as well as being portable. If a decent-sounding iPhone-compatible speaker dock is what you're looking for without the stellar price tag of high-end systems such as those from B&W and Bose, this will suit the bill just fine.
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