Altec Lansing inMotion SoundBlade Bluetooth A2DP Speaker/Speakerphone (Black)

Reviews of Altec Lansing inMotion SoundBlade Bluetooth A2DP Speaker/Speakerphone (Black)

1.) Really powerful speaker for its compact size
Reviewed by: Road Warrior Woman Boston MA
Rating:
The SoundBlade looks pretty small but it sounds amazingly good. It folds flat so it's easy to tuck into a laptop bag. Connects wirelessly via stereo Bluetooth to your mobile phone or even to your laptop (with a dongle, if you don't have stereo Bluetooth built into your PC). Or you can just use a regular 3.5mm connector to connect to your laptop and forget the whole Bluetooth thing. Basically, it's a very good portable speaker.

In addition to being a music speaker, the SoundBlade also works as a speakerphone so you can link it to your mobile phone and take your calls out loud.

All in all, a very handy little piece of technology for the road.


2.) Simply put..One Great Product!
Reviewed by: Clay Bonham Jr.
Rating:
I bought this product to use with my iPod Touch 2G with 3.0.

I can now start a playlist, put the iPod down in the house, and place the speaker anywhere, with the outside table on the porch being where I wanted to use it the most working just great.

Sound is great, the range is also great, I can use anywhere in my house, and it will reach into most of my yard with the iPod in the house.

Once I recieved it I found out quickly how well it can be used with a phone, it works great with my wifes iPhone, and my blackberry.

As someone that works in a IT related field, the uses for this would be great in a conference room, a home office, or on the road in a hotel room.

Construction quality is first class, as is the sound quality.

I would highly recommend this product to anyone, with ether wanting to use as a portable sound speacker for music, or as a speaker phone.


3.) Good. Easy. Way Cool.
Reviewed by: gmoo
Rating:
Just received this SoundBlade and am very happy with it. Looks good, very easy to set up, good sound in my small house. (Haven't tried it in the car yet.) Well designed, not too large, built-in stand. Love it. Comes with power cord, plus cable for non-bluetooth devices.

I looked at a docking station/speaker, and am very glad I went with this. Wireless is wonderful! I will really use my MP3 player now.

4.) Outstanding Product
Reviewed by: reydan Omaha, NE
Rating:
I was a little nervous to purchase the Altec Lansing Soundblade, because Bluetooth is a relatively new technology for me. I received a Cowon S9 MP3 music player for Christmas, and it boasted of A2DP Bluetooth compatibility. I have other Altec Lansing products, and they have all been stellar performers, so I took the plunge. I am amazed at how simple the setup was. It took me about a minute to read the instructions and another minute to establish a connection... no wires. The speaker has good volume and sounds good at either extreme. There is good bass even at low volume. I have an advantage with the Cowon S9. It has a built-in equalizer, which allows me to shape the frequencies to suit my taste. The buttons on top of the sound blade allow me to adjust the volume, pause, play, and skip songs without reaching into my pocket for the MP3 player. The Soundblade is thin (1 inch thick) and stands vertically with the aid of a pop-out stand, which takes up very little space on my office desk. The craftsmanship is excellent. The dark gray grille finish is perfect, although I'll admit I don't really care for the black shiny plastic on the sides and back. You guessed it... fingerprints. Bottom line - if this ever breaks or gets stolen, I'll buy another without hesitation. It's an awesome product.

5.) Amazing sound from such a thin unit!
Reviewed by: Bron Mechanicsville, VA USA
Rating:
Wow! Even after careful research, I was a bit apprehensive about what the sound quality would be like with this unit. Simply put, it is amazing! The unit is very thin and fairly small, but it puts out quite loud sound with amazing quality. I was quite surprised by the great bass output. Quite a feat for speakers in such a thin cabinet.

I was able to unpack it, pair it with my laptop, and listen to music in about 10-15 minutes (most of the time was getting my laptop bluetooth turned on and ready to pair). The unit is very simple to set up and operate. I read another review that objected to the tones it gives when you setup pairing mode for bluetooth, but they are not that loud and they are very helpful. You only have to pair once with any device anyway. It paired easily and works like a champ.

I have not tried the phone functions yet, but other reviewers gave them good marks, so I expect they'll work fine. The unit seems well made and feels solid. Comes with a little slipcase cover, aux cable, and A/C adapter. Some ask why not a rechargeable battery and that would be nice, but I am happy that it uses AA batteries. I use rechargeable AA's and I can have a fresh pack charging and 6 in the unit and swap 'em out easily. And internal rechargeable batteries do eventually die and have to be replaced. Remember the ipod fiasco?

But, it's the sound, baby! This little unit rocks. It's not a boom box, but for normal listening it is quite fine and the tonal quality is excellent. All in all, a great product. I like it so much, I'm buying a second one. Thumbs up!


6.) works with iPad and Iphone
Reviewed by: J. Verville Superior, Wi USA
Rating:
Couldn't be happier. Very good sound quality and bass response. I bought re-chargable AA batteries (it takes 6) to make this unit truly portable. Bluetooth paring worked effortlessly with my iPad and iphone. Buy this unit; you will not be sorry it is well worth $50 in my estimation. So much better than having wired speakers.

7.) o i love it nothing better it works very well with my cell phone thanx
Reviewed by: wendell tx us
Rating:
ilove my new bluetooth speakers thay work very very well and thay get good and loud and sound very nice to when thay get up loud thay are easy to make work no prob thanx

8.) BLUE TOOTH plus IPHONE 3G. ALL I NEED.
Reviewed by: quetzalcali NoHo, CA USA
Rating:
if you were waiting or on a high tech bass speakers and sounds like u are @ a club then spend some money. but for this bluetooth speakers boy o boy, carry it every where i go is just what i need it..

9.) Excellent Bluetooth Speaker
Reviewed by: Naresh Chowdhary
Rating:
This is a very good product..sound quality is amazing..looks pretty good..being thin, it does cover much space on the table... range is around 10-15 ft...bluetooth connectivity is very fast.. has 3.5 mm input for audio..overall,,very good

10.) Listening to it now...Love it, Exactly what I wanted!
Reviewed by: V. Davis Texas
Rating:
Exactly what I needed. I can play my MP3s or Pandora from my phone or laptop and the sound is much better than I would get on the original device. Plus I also plug it into my TV, which the sound is pretty low on, and I can actually hear the TV without being right next to it. It's like having a stereo system in one little device. No it's not a sub-woofer, but the clarity is crisp. No complaints. I love it. I haven't used it with batteries yet.

11.) Cool & Technologic
Reviewed by: NUgurel Austin,Tx
Rating:
I needed and searched to buy an Iphone Speaker just like this, then I saw it in Amazon.com, produced by Altec Lansing. There is nothing wrong with the device and its connection via Bluetooth to Iphone. It is very easy and quick after the first time paired. The sound is excellent which gives a reasonable result even for quite different types of music.
Thanks to Altec Lansing and thanks to Amazon.com[[ASIN:B0013YYOCW Altec Lansing Soundblade Stereo Bluetooth Enabled Mobile Phone Speakers]

12.) Best Multifuntion Speaker Device
Reviewed by: John P. Ehret Tempe, Arizona United States
Rating:
I have an HTC Dream/T-Mobile G1 Android OS phone. I mainly use the SoundBlade as a wireless speaker with a program on the Android Market called "Sleepy Time" that has all of the normal sound effects you'd expect from an $80.00 white noise sound machine to help with blocking out sleep distractions. Also, I'm a podcast addict, so its nice to be able to listen to my favorite podcasts wirelessly over bluetooth on a quality speaker without having to use wired adapters to connect to my stereo system, my Motorola S9's or the OEM ear buds.

The speakerphone sound quality is excellent. It also has a 3.5mm line in on the back near the AC adapter port. I'm looking forward to getting a laptop and using the SoundBlade as it's speaker system!

13.) Go get one!!!
Reviewed by: Z Los Angeles, CA USA
Rating:
I bought this at the Deal of the Day for $49.99. The reason I got it is because my Apple Touch 3g (with case on) does not fit on my current Altec Lansing im600. And I don't really want to remove the case everytime I need to use it.

I'm happy with the sound quality. It's not as loud as the im600, but it'll do in our house. Plus what's great is it's BLUETOOTH FEATURE. I can listen to my songs on my Apple Touch and DO other things in my Apple Touch at the SAME TIME since it's not sitting on the dock like my other im600.

The only 1 negative star is it's not pairing with my BlackBerry Curve phone. But it's ok since I didn't buy it for the speakerphone feature. Don't believe on the bad reviews. It's great item as long as you're not paying more than $60 for it!

Sorry, made a mistake it does work with my BlackBerry Curve! It took a while for me to figure it out. I also was able to connect it with my Black Macbook that took awhile too; just make sure you select "headphones" not headset in setting bluetooth in your Macs. Now I give it 5 stars!!!

14.) Works Great with iPhone 3GS
Reviewed by: K. Rose
Rating:
Was looking for an inexpensive bluetooth stereo speaker unit to use with my iPhone. Was plesently surprised at the ease of use to connect, the sound quality and the interface with the phone's voice control features. Would not hesitate to recommend.

15.) AltecLansing SoundBlade Fun For Travel
Reviewed by: mitch10 San Francisco, CA USA
Rating:
I purchased this as a Gold Box special to augment the speakers on my laptop. The build quality is quite nice, the speaker screen seems fairly rugged compared to a lot of travel speakers. The bluetooth connects with no problem to my laptop and phone but not to my year old MP3 player (old version of BT.) I decide to take it on a recent weekend outing into the woods with some friends. I streamed music from my Tilt2 phone by bluetooth and from a Creative Zen player via the cord. Both sounded great considering the size. Speaking of the size, it fit easily in my shoulder bag and even in my sister's purse! We were all laughing that she came with her own personal sound track because you couldn't tell where the sound was coming from. I only ran if for about 4 hours on some rechargeable batteries so I can't say how long it will last, but it didn't give any sighs of pooping out. The sound didn't fill the forest, but it was still loud enough for our picnic and a group hike. It was more than sufficient back in the hotel room. I will definitely be bringing it on most trips!

16.) Portable BT speaker of reasonable Price and Excellent quality
Reviewed by: Thiyagarajan Chennai,India
Rating:
Very Handy and good sound reproduction for the size.Connectivity between Laptop/Mobile phone not very difficult.Once get used,thereafter becomes simple.I will certainly mention that of all the recent purchases,I would rate this product as The BEST.More useful to listen music while browsing.Volume is controlable from the unit as well.I havent tested the battery life, as I am using with main power only.Would certainly recomend to others who use more time in front of the computer,some diversion with good music.Ofcourse there is certainly difference in hearing thro computer speakers and ALTEC LANSING inMOTION Speaker.There is a pouch available for easy carry along with lap top.

17.) Beat my expectations
Reviewed by: Edward A. Neiley East Greenwich, RI
Rating:
I have this speaker mated to my iPhone via bluetooth. The battery life of the speaker long outlasts my iPhone battery even with a mophie juicepack air battery pack installed. Excellent sound and very easy to set up. Well crafted. I love it!!!

18.) Excellent for the Apartment or Office
Reviewed by: Paul Wash DC
Rating:
Excellent product for the apartment and or office. Kicks out a lot of sound. If using with a Palm Pre- you must disbale the Wi-Fi or it will not work.

19.) Use for bluetooth laptop speaker
Reviewed by: Gloria E. Wilson Albany, Ga.
Rating:
I use this with my Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop..easy to install on Vista....just go to Control Panel, select classic view, then select Bluetooth to pair...then select Sound and pick this as the default.....I got this for 49.00 ....sound is great for that price.

20.) Great for iPhone small drawback, but excellent value
Reviewed by: Happy Customer
Rating:
I was considering giving this item 4 stars, but for an extra dollar or a free iPhone app it does exactly what I wanted, and well... and that is not the products fault... really this is an Apple problem.

I tested this out with both an iPod Touch and an iPhone 3G and both worked great. Pairing was easy, but you do need to read the simple instructions. Like I said the only issue is an Apple problem with the alarm clock as it only plays ring tones, not music. So if you download he right App it will then wake you up to music and not just a ring tone. The sleep timer built into the Apple clock app plays music until your designated shutoff.

I had a Logitech Pure Fi Anytime, that was garbage. It could not dock with the iPhone case on and the connector broke quickly. I really wanted it to work.

This devise allowed me to use the same charger I usually use and get the timer and the alarm clock and regular music to play. Best of all you can pickup your phone and control it like normal.

This is ultra portable and well made. Don't expect ear shattering sound... but it can fill a bedroom comfortably and clearly... and that is all I needed. I have not really used it for outdoor purposes, but I expect that it work fine at a picnic table or two.

As a speaker phone it is average, which was an unexpected bonus for me.

If you want to play your iPhone through a bedroom speaker system that is portable this is good call.


21.) Altec Lansing inMotion SoundBlade Bluetooth A2DP Speaker/Speakerphone (Black)
Reviewed by: Rerun Van Pelt
Rating:
I bought this at $50 as a Gold Box Deal and I got value for money. Most of my music is on my mobile phone and I normally play music in my car or at home using the phone speaker or connect it via a cable.

I heard about bluetooth headsets so I started looking for bluetooth speakers. I came across several and I chose the SoundBlade for 3 reasons: price, aesthetics and portability. On all these aspects it did not disappoint. $50 was a bargain for bluetooth speakers. It looks classy and I can place in on my bookshelf, office desk, or anywhere at all and it would be blend right in. It's really thin and light plus it comes with a soft carrying case that protects it. Being powered by 6 AA batteries means that I can never run out since AA are available EVERYWHERE. It also comes with a power adaptor which has several plugs so that you can switch depending on the sockets available in your region plus it works on either 110-220v (auto volt, no need to toggle any switches).

As for sound, it will never beat a pair of BOSE speakers but you'll never find one priced at $50. At the discounted price, the sound does not disappoint. Remember, these are portable speakers, they are not meant to replace high-end home theater equipment.

I would not have bought the product at the original retail price of $129. But at 50% off, it was worth my $50. If you're a frequent traveller like me, then this would be perfect for you too.

22.) Great item! Highly recommend!!
Reviewed by: KWshopper
Rating:
I got this item a few days ago, and already love it! The Bluetooth synched easily with my iPhone 4. The sound is fantastic to be coming out of such small speakers. I purchased this to use at the beach, but have already used it a million times around the house before I left. I am pleasantly surprised with the quality of this product, I will recommend it to all of my fellow iPhone users as a portable option for great sound.

23.) Very good, not great.
Reviewed by: ctelder
Rating:
Over the past month I have owned/compared the Yamaha NX-B02, Parrot Party, and Altec Lansing Soundblade (Amazon's return policy makes it easy). The Soundblade is very good, but I thought the Parrot was the best (and kept it while returning the other 2). You can read my reviews for the other 2. For the Soundblade, it certainly was put together well with excellent features (speakerphone and can control the music player somewhat) and design. It played the loudest, but had the least impressive bass of the 3 and had the most distortion of the 3 in the upper frequencies. I realize that no speaker system this size will sound great, but the Parrot (using bluetooth) and the Yamaha (using line-in) sounded better. For moderate listening volumes, it certainly was adequate. I also felt like the Parrot was a little more portable for what I'm using it for (back deck and pool), although the Soundblade would probably be the best for travel (thin).

24.) Best in Niche
Reviewed by: f2x Ohio
Rating:
What I was after:

- Amplified Loudspeaker
- Highly Compact & Portable
- Dual powered (battery & mains)
- Wired & Wireless connectivity

To sum it up: The whole point of a product like this is to get the best possible sound in the least possible space with the highest degree of flexibility.

The Altec Lansing SoundBlade was the best fit.

This speaker gets about as loud as the speaker gets on a typical television, so it can actually fill a room. Unfortunately, you cannot adjust the tone, as it tends to be a little too bass heavy. When you max out the volume of your source and on the speaker, distortion is quite noticeable. For the most part, listening to audio at reasonable levels actually produces a very clear and rich sound that suggests a sophisticated piece of hardware.

The Bluetooth connectivity may be tricky for people new to the technology, but once you understand the process of pairing it with your unit, it's a snap. With a clear line of site I've managed to move it a full twenty feet from my laptop before I experienced any dropouts with the device.

It's not just for iPods or Zunes. It's agnostic towards the brand of audio player you are using, so it can easily be used with any standard 1/8" audio output jack. Once the wired connection is made, the wireless functionality is automatically disabled. Your favorite MP3 player is going to sound great.


The estimated 24 hours of use for 6AA batteries seems about right. Having a built in charger might have made it seem more convenient, but when you value portability, replaceable batteries actually make more sense in the long run. Having the option to plug in the speaker to standard AC power makes for a nice backup plan too, and there's nothing that says you can't use your own rechargeables.

The thin, sleek design is a major plus. It's a flat, smooth rectangular unit. The glossy black finish allows the SoundBlade to easily slide into your laptop carrier, briefcase, or backpack. The built in kickstand latches securely in place during travel and provides exceptionally stable support on any flat surface when you take it out for use.

The price is a bit fierce, but I have yet to find anything else that meets or exceeds all of the above criteria

Bottom Line
-----------
Pros:
Good sound
Excellent portability

Cons:
Unable to adjust tone
Expensive

25.) Great little speaker
Reviewed by: Diana L Phoenix, AZ USA
Rating:
This speaker turned out to be a good purchase. I was looking for a speaker that would transport easily. Since it's so flat, I can add it to the laptop bag without creating much bulk. The sound it produces is pretty good for a speaker that size. The reason I rated it as 4 stars is that I had a bit of a problem at first, since my computer operating system is Windows XP. My laptop has internal bluetooth capabilities, so I thought I could connect the speaker as easily as I connected my bluetooth mouse.

NOT SO! It seems that Windows XP (and maybe Vista too, based on other reviews), doesn't have the A2DP drivers necessary to connect a bluetooth speaker (or headset). They say that Microsoft removed them from the operating system due to problems with hacking. Other reviews said that all I needed to do was download the WidComm drivers and everything would be fine. My experience wasn't so easy. WidComm was purchased by BroadComm, and I don't think BroadComm allows the drivers to be downloaded for free. BroadComm has a website where the drivers are offered, but it kept wanting to upgrade my computer for a fee.

I ended up purchasing a bluetooth adapter for $20 (even though I already had built-in bluetooth capabilities), and everything worked after installing it. The adapter installation installed the WidComm drivers fine, and it doesn't interfere with my built-in bluetooth system, so I'm happy.

Oh, and Altec Lansing wasn't helpful at all. Other reviews for headsets (which use the same A2DP drivers) indicated that their products came with a CD containing the A2DP drivers necessary for the product to work with XP. But this speaker doesn't come with any CD, and when I called Altec Lansing, their customer service department was very abrupt, informing me that the speaker will only work if my computer has the A2DP drivers installed. Hello! I already knew that! How difficult would it be for them to package their product with the necessary drivers?

26.) Been waiting to use with my iphone -- I like it
Reviewed by: Mickey Sacramento, CA
Rating:
Up until just recently, the iphone would not function stereo BlueTooth. But with the software update, I took the leap and purchase the inMotion SoundBlade. Generally works well, sounds good and battery support frees the power wire issue.

I like it.



27.) Nice speakers - really should have a re-chargeable built-in battery
Reviewed by: Raj
Rating:
Speakers sound great, bluetooth setup is easy, and it's very thin. My ONLY gripe is that rather than use AA batteries, why not have put in re-chargeable ones? Seems like it shouldn't be so hard for the expense.

28.) Nice unit ... a few quirks...
Reviewed by: JimBob NC
Rating:
At the current price I consider this unit a fine deal!

I expected it to be slightly smaller, but honestly did not pay attention to the posted dimensions when I purchased it. I find the sound quality to be quite good, but don't have real high-fidelity ears.

Bluetooth pairing to the iPhone 3Gs was no problem.

The volume of the speakers can not be controlled from the iPhone (or if it can I can't figure out how as the part of the screen where the volume control would be located just lists the BT connection, so adjusting the volume requires being in front of the speakers ... no big deal.

With the 3Gs when playing music the fast-forward and rewind buttons on top of the unit to not work.
The pause button works but not the track forward/back fast-forward/rewind buttons. I send an e-mail to Altec-Lansing asking about this problem a week ago but have not heard back yet.

Overall very satisfied, would give it 5-stars except for apparent malfunction of buttons on unit.
Waiting on resolution of that now....

Update:
I finally heard back from A-L on the "fast-forward and rewind" buttons on the unit.
(Some would call these track-forward / track-back... anyway)

The entire body of the answer I got back from A-L was as follows:

"The Apple products do not support track forward or track back functionality via Bluetooth as of this time."

I don't know what would happen if they were supported at a later date as I have no idea if the firmware of this unit can be upgraded....

Anyway, I like it, I'm keeping it, but there was no mention in the manual that these buttons would not function with "Apple products".




29.) Missing a little oomph
Reviewed by: CA
Rating:
This portable bluetooth speaker works great for casual listening. It's compact size, about the size of a small book, makes it very easy to slip into a backpack or suitcase to take with you on a trip to the beach or in a hotel room. The only thing missing is some good bass. I didn't expect much for the price I paid but a little more bass would be nice.

30.) Great device at the special price!
Reviewed by: Ralph O. Richards
Rating:
Received the unit last Friday. Very nice system. It was easy to pair with my iPhone and the sound is good for the size & type of device. Quality look and feel. Time will tell. My Wife, who I bought this for, is VERY IMPRESSED with the sound quality and look of the speakers. Great buy at the discount price. Wouldn't pay full price

31.) Very Good Sound Quality
Reviewed by: Me North East US
Rating:
Looks and sound good. Have not traveled with it yet. Wil update after using it on travel. Seems fragile and heavier than I expected. Not to say that it is bulky, just heavier.

32.) Easy to use, decent sound
Reviewed by: Mighty
Rating:
I wanted some speakers for playing music before and after hockey games in the locker room, played from my Palm Treo 755P. My choice of music is generally hard rock and borderline metal. Disturbed, AC/DC, Metalica, Boston, Rush.

Prior to these, I had tried some speakers similar to the Altec Lansing M604 or T612. Those speakers sound great. But, they're not battery powered, which was inconvenient. And, those others do not have bluetooth. Finally, they are substantially larger than these. All that said, the larger speakers do have much deeper and clearer bass.

These speakers are far smaller. They slip easily into the side pocket of my hockey bag. The totally wireless operation is *very* convenient. Bluetooth matching was straightforward. Actually using the speakers is easy.

The sound is decent. Certainly Good Enough. But as I said above, these speakers do sound noticeably smaller than the others. They suffer only in comparison to speakers that weigh three or four times as much.

One minor quibble is that the battery doors pop off very easily. I have to fish around in the pocket for at least one of the doors and sometimes the batteries themselves almost every game. I'll probably tape them down. But I'm trying to figure out something that won't scrape off, and that can be reused, rather than digging out the tape every time I have to change batteries. Fortunately, the battery life seems to be pretty good.

While I had no trouble connecting with my Treo, one of my teammates tried to connect with his iPhone. He tried for about five mins before giving up. Possibly, my phone was still connected and was blocking his. We didn't have time to troubleshoot it more right then.

I bought them at $88. At the time I'm writing this they're on sale for $49. At the lower price I would not hesitate to recommend them for very casual listening in a poor listening environment like a locker room or a room in your home. I'm not sure, but I expect that these small speakers would have trouble filling a large space.

33.) Altec Speaker
Reviewed by: I. Matter Las Vegas, NV
Rating:
This product is exactly what I was looking for. I wanted something (simple, inexpensive) to take to our condo to listen to my music. The quality (construction) of the speaker is very good but the sound is only adequate. If you're looking for a "fine" stero sound buy something else. For the money I paid and for what I intend to use it for, it's great. I highly recommend it. It was extremely easy to sync my iPhone to it and it works as promised when a phone call comes in. It's going to be a great asset, without being too expensive or complicated, while I'm at the condo. I received it in a timely manner and it was packaged very well. Knowing what I know, I would not only purchase this speaker again....but I would use this seller too.

34.) very good for my purpose
Reviewed by: G. Ceranic
Rating:
I bought this unit so that I could speak to members of my family for long periods of time while working on my computer. It works very well for this purpose. Most of the speakerphones on cel phones leave a lot to be desired. I usually get echos and people tell me to turn it off. People do not know that I am using the Altec Lansing speakerphone. It was easy to setup and it works seamlessly with my Samsung A767 Propel cel phone. It's a little larger than I expected but the pop out stand keeps it upright. I have not tried to use it yet with batteries or for music.

35.) Great product for the price!
Reviewed by: J. Barizo San Diego, CA
Rating:
This was my first Bluetooth speaker and was quite impressed by the sound quality. Except for its book-like size, I would have given it 5 stars. For the price, however, the Soundblade is a good buy. I've used other Altec Lansing portable speakers before. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a Bluetooth speaker for the iPhone/iTouch/iPod or laptop. I have a MacBook Pro and it worked well with all three.

36.) inMotion SoundBlade review
Reviewed by: michael.1223 California
Rating:
I am very satisfied with my purchase. It is very portable and easy to set up. It paired very well with my Droid and my wife's Droid Eris. The sound is more than adequate for where I use it; workplace, garage, & on vacation. I have been asked by several co-workers about it and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

37.) Good speakerphone with easy connectivity.
Reviewed by: Gadget Enthusiast
Rating:
I purchased this device primarily for its speakerphone functionality. I work from home and attend extended conference calls on a regular basis. Wearing a conventional or even a Bluetooth headset is just not comfortable. This is a good substitute for headsets.

One of the best qualities about this device is its quick and easy connectivity. I've been able to connect to four devices so far (cell phone, iPod Touch, Bluetooth enabled laptop, and even an old cassette player, using an old RCA audio cable). There's almost instant recognition each time I try to connect to a new Bluetooth device. I've even connected two devices at the same time (the cell phone and the iPod Touch). When the music streams from the iPod, if there's an incoming call, the music automatic mutes once the speakerphone's been engaged. The Bluetooth range is very good too.

As for the speakerphone's sound quality for phone conversations, I am impressed with how clear the sound comes through on my end, but the audio quality is not as good on the other end, as my sister can testify. She says the conversation always sounds slightly muffled on her end. I've found where I position the device during conversation makes a big difference. As for audio quality for playing music, I must say it's not the best sounding device out there. I'd rate the quality as acceptable for a small size room.

Here are some quick points about this device:

PROS:

+ Quick and easy connectivity.
+ Good Bluetooth range.
+ Portability.
+ Clear audio quality for phone conversations on the speaker end.
+ Relatively inexpensive for all its functionalities -- I purchased it for $49 from Amazon when it was a Gold Box deal.
+ Great accessories. This device actually comes with varous international travel adapters.

CONS:
- Slightly muffled conversational quality for people on the other end of this device.
- Not the best sound quality for streaming music. This is definitely not for audiophiles.

SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS:

= Add a remote. I'd like a remote with just the basic functions (volume, on/off...etc.)
= Enable audio setting adjustments.
= Some type of light indicator for muting the phone. Right now there's no way to tell if the speakerphone is on mute.

Overall, I am satisfied with the purchase. I am certainly happy for not having to tether myself to the cell phone anymore!

38.) good speakers for the casual listener
Reviewed by: carioca Portland, OR USA
Rating:
These speakers are great for casual music listening. Not a boom-box type of speakers. Works well for me because all i wanted was a set of speakers that I could connect wirelessly to my cellphone and listen to music in my bedroom. Never had an issue connecting using bluetooth to my palm pre. When receiving a call, i could easily switch between these speakers and the phone. However, the switch was done on my phone, not on the speaker set. Sound was good, but again, it probably won't have enough power to entertain a large crowd. Thin and very stylish as well.
Two issues that can be annoying are the beeping (to tell the user that it is ready to be connected or that is has connected thru bluetooth) and the occasional power-off when I disconnect from bluetooth thru my phone (i have yet to find out why this happens).

39.) Good, but some usability issues.
Reviewed by: RG Atlanta, GA
Rating:
I'm enjoying the SoundBlade. We bought it to replace the Bose SoundDock. We were looking for something more portable and the SoundDock remote is not very useful for controlling an iPhone from across the room.. Typically only used it when traveling. So SoundBlade is great for that, BUT I cannot control the volume from my iPhone. Seems that is an issue with the Bluetooth profile on the SoundBlade since the iPhone does control the volume on my Bluetooth headset.

I cannot say the sound is as good as the Bose, but it is close enough for me AND the Bose cost $300 while the SoundBlade cost $49.

40.) nice product
Reviewed by: Terry Washington DC
Rating:
The product was delivered quickly and worked as promised. The price was good as well. I particularly like using it with my cell phone but have a little trouble getting the radio to work (it does work eventually but you have to play with it a bit). This problem might be the phone not the speaker.

41.) Great for the price
Reviewed by: Douglas M. Smith Tulsa, OK USA
Rating:
For the price, you can't beat it. I wanted something that I could listen to in the kitchen and out on the deck, and it delivers. I wish the sound quality was better, but a comparable Sony with these features would be about 5 times the price - and I'm not sure you can get a bluetooth Bose, even at 8 times the price. I also wish the bluetooth signal was stronger: I end up physically docking my iPhone to it just so I don't have to worry about the signal going out. All in all, though, if you're looking for a portable system that is easy to transport and use - and you want to save money - this is it.

42.) Great sound and blue tooth convenience
Reviewed by: J. Cornett Georgia, USA
Rating:

Great sound in a small, attractive package. Bluetooth wireless convenience for enjoying my playlists as well as Pandora, etc. Have not really tested battery life but so far it seems pretty good. I am retired but I am sure the speaker phone convenience will have broad appeal for business use. A slick little product with a surprising sound quality!

43.) Great overall design, not so good audio quality.
Reviewed by: BUC Caracas, Venezuela
Rating:
I have not tried the battery life on these speakers yet, but the overall design, and the full range of features makes it a great portable speaker system.

I have both the Altec Lansing Backbeat 903 and 906 (I alternate their use) and even when I dont consider myself audiophile I have a good ear. Those headphones have an EXCELLENT audio quality and I have a really hard time to differentiate the sound from wired headphones.

BUT the Altec Lansing inMotion SoundBlade have a so-so audio quality. For some songs they are adequate, but for many others you will hear a noise in the mid-high frequencies that can be annoying when volume is up. That translate in 1 star off

I will keep it. It does have many features on it side. Portability is way better than the Sony SRSBTM30 (a possible alternative), and rated battery life is also better. Phone versatility, and full A/V Remote Control support for my BB Storm 2 (and most BB) make them worthy of 4 stars...

Wish it sound better... but I can live with it

44.) It sounds better using a lower volume
Reviewed by: Adil Vaz Lages, SC Brazil
Rating:
A well built, very portable speaker. The pairing with my IPhone was very easy. Still did not use the speakerphone feature, so can't really talk about it. The sound quality is quite good, but close to full volume there is noticeable distortion. All in all, I'm happy with the product.

45.) nice for the price
Reviewed by: gmac
Rating:
plays well blue tooth is iffy
for fiffty bucks it does a nice job sound is nice and traveling very nice for the iphone

46.) not bad, could be better
Reviewed by: A. Guy Los Angeles, CA USA
Rating:
i picked up this little speaker today. the sound was not bad on low to low-mid volume, but when you turn it up to mid-high to high volume, the sound is really hard to listen to. controls are easy to use.

One design problem i encountered...why would the designers put the aux-in and power plug on the back when it could have so easily been put on either side of the unit, allowing the soundblade to remain flat when using external power. i was hoping to hang up the speaker flat against the wall, but i can't because the power plug sticks out.

i paid $45 for it...i would have felt better paying about $30 for it.

47.) look out iphone users
Reviewed by: W. Jett Phoenix, AZ USA
Rating:
couple of things to know, the iphone will not control the volume of the soundblade its a deal breaker for me, very annoying short coming. Also if you have other bluetooth devices connected to the speaker it won't accept another bluetooth source until you disconnect the the first one. But you can't tell that the speaker is connected or not. The pairing is a little clumsy. Sound is better than average but turn the EQ settings off on your ipod/iphone and the soundblade will sound better, otherwise it will sound overdriven and distorted.

48.) Not-so-easy to connect
Reviewed by: WRING Sacramento, CA, USA
Rating:
Just wanted to share my setup with this product. I bought a dongle so I can play itunes from my dinky Acer One laptop using this omgawesomesauce Bluetooth Technology. Well, after almost tearing my hair out and wanting to return the product, I finally figured it out.

First off, this product cannot handle more than 1 connection. I don't know why, but it can't. The little one-page manual that came with it is not much help either, you need to read the longer version. Anyway, to reset the connection from the speakers, hold the button with the phone icon and the light will turn orange/red. NOW you can connect. I made the mistake of pairing the speakers with my phone first, then drove me insane trying to figure out how to pair it with the netbook. Also make sure to install the software. Don't be stubborn, just do it.

The sound sounds ok. It's no BOSE.

49.) you can't play a guitar thru it
Reviewed by: valerie hancock
Rating:
ok, probably not many are thinking about playing a guitar thru it .... i bought it for mp3, laptop, AND to plug up my guitar thru an effects box headphone out while i travel. nice portable speaker for mp3 and laptop, but for the guitar, there is a delay in the sound from when you strike a string and when you hear the tone. Latency! in a speaker! who knew? :<

50.) Not bad for an over priced speaker phone
Reviewed by: deejaydoug Pittsburgh, Pa
Rating:
I purchased the Altec Lansing inMotion SoundBlade Bluetooth A2DP speakers from Amazon. I own other products by this company. But I must say I was very displeased with the sound quality of these speakers, both as Bluetooth and hard wired. I bought some JBL small travel speakers that don't pump as much volume as these do, and the JBLs are 1/3 the price of the Altec Lansing speakers. The JBL speakers have better high end and cleaner sounding bass. I gave the small JBL speakers to my Wife because I was looking for a bluetooth system I could use with my phone. I do like the ability to take calls and listen to music on my cell phone, and the Altec Lansing inMotion SoundBlade Bluetooth A2DP speakers work well as a speaker phone. I would suggest that if you buy them, don't expect great audio quality. I know that these speakers are small, but I've seen smaller, less costly speakers produce cleaner sound than the mud produced by this product.

51.) Convenient form-factor but less-than-expected audio quality
Reviewed by: Michael Burton San Francisco, CA United States
Rating:
I'm looking for a simple speaker to use as my main bedroom speaker. It should work primarily with my mac computer, but also occasionally with my iPhone.

I bought the Altec/Lansing Soundblade as well as the Sony SRS-BT100 and compared them to see if either could become my primary home speaker system.

Overall, I found the Soundblade's audio to severely underperform my expectations. And like other bluetooth speakers, it suffered from a few bluetooth-related "quirks" that made it annoying to use, although the bluetooth connection was generally more reliable than I expected. Its form-factor and battery capability was quite nice, but I wouldn't consider using it as a primary speaker in the home. I ended up returning it and keeping the Sony.

Below are my notes:

Unlike the Sony, the Soundblade has a convenient re-connect feature: when you power it on, it will automatically attempt to reconnect with previously paired devices, meaning that listening to music through the speaker is a simple one-button operation with many devices. Push power and you're done. However, it doesn't behave well when trying to use with both a laptop and an iphone in that it seems to only re-connect to the most recently paired device. If you want to switch, you have to shut off or disable bluetooth on the recently paired device and then try to reconnect from the other device.

Unlike other bluetooth speakers, the Soundblade emits an annoying "radar ping" continuously for about 10 seconds every time it powers up as it looks for things to connect to. Even after the connection is made and sound start coming out, it continues to "ping" for awhile.

Despite the complaints, bluetooth reliability was higher than I expected. Unlike other users I'm not trying to push the distance between devices -- they're line of sight and within the same room, but i only occasionally had a problem while simultaneously using my apple bluetooth keyboard and bluetooth magic mouse and simultaneously backing up over my 802.11g wireless network in SF, where there tends to be a lot of wireless interference. Usually it was fine, but once or twice I had a problem. Note that this is going to be a problem regardless of whether you use this BT speaker or a different one.

I also noticed an occasional degradation in my wifi performance while streaming music. If you're serious about bluetooth music, you might want to consider switching your network over to 802.11n-only (and dropping your 802.11g devices like the iphone) so you can operate on a different frequency. The latest airport extreme is a great choice for this as it can operate on both frequencies simultaneously. I expect that this will fix all my performance problems.

Sound quality is lower than I expected. It's significantly better than my laptop speakers, but it's fairly tinny. This is a portable speaker you'd take on a picnic to listen to your ipod, but maybe not one I'd listen to my music every day in my office. And that picnic probably shouldn't have more than 5 friends or so because I'm not sure the SoundBlade could keep up with a large party. If I had to peg it to a number, I'd say the sound I got out of this thing is roughly what I'd expect from a $20-$30 wired speaker. The drivers are only about 1.5x2.0 inches despite the size of the enclosure, which is too thin to develop much bass or fill a room.

The Soundblade has a feature that lets it act as a bluetooth headset. If you're specifically buying the speaker for that purpose, then I imagine it could be pretty cool (although I didn't try it). However, as a music speaker, this feature was really annoying. I'd be listening to music from my iPhone, then pick up my phone to answer a call from my friend only to find that I couldn't talk to them through the phone because the Soundblade was acting as the headset. There doesn't seem to be a way to turn this off, as far as I could tell.

If you're wondering, the volume control on this speaker is independent of the mac volume control.

Form factor is great for taking places. Very thin, and then base folds up into the device with no detachable parts.

No auto-power-on. No auto-power-off either as far as i can tell. I would have liked it if the speaker would turn off after 20 mins of inactivity or something, but no such luck.

No delay between audio and video when watching movies. I'd heard reports about delays with some bluetooth speakers, but I encountered nothing noticeable here.

52.) After owning several Altec speakers, this one is a disappointment
Reviewed by: Janel DĂ­az
Rating:
Pros: nice slim design, good speakerphone capabilities, easy to pair with your bluetooth device, good battery life, good wireless range.
Cons: horrible sound quality, low power for the price you are paying.

After owning several Altec speakers, I decided to buy a pair of these because of the bluetooth technology, and all the Altec speakers that I had gave a very good sound quality, until I tried these. The sound of these speakers are awful. To give a comparation point, they sound like a 96 kbps MP3 file. And they lack bass compared to other portable speakers. Also, they don't have sufficient power for me. It's only loud enough to fill a small room. For comparation, if you have heard the Altec im600 at 50% volume, that's the max volume this one can give. Using the provided aux input don't improve sound quality. In fact, it sounds worst. You hear the annoying noises comparable to static on FM.

On the positive side, the speakerphone feature works as advertised. I could hear very well the caller and they could hear me even from feets away. Design is very atractive, been nicely finished, slim and light.

If you are planing to use these with your iPod/iPhone and don't mind about speakerphone capabilities, you better buy the Altec Lansing im600 or the Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere 2. They cost you more, but they are the best portable iPod speakers in my opinion.

53.) Good Speaker, Bad Microphone
Reviewed by: Fred Rose Overseas
Rating:
Speaker sounds good. Pairing was easy. The mic however is disappointing. I tried to use this device with iChat and Skype to no avail. I ended up using it as a regular speaker for music instead. If I had the chance i would've returned it but i had to make a trip and now i'm over the 30day period.

54.) Disappointed - audio distortion and fickle bluetooth connections
Reviewed by: merlin erehwon
Rating:
Based on the two Altec Lansing inMotion desktop speakers that I already own, I bought this Soundblade, expecting it to be at least the same audio quality, but it is worse. It can be loud, whether thru bluetooth or wired, but the sound distortion at high volume is worse that the cheap unknown brands that you can buy for $[...]. It is like trying to listen to speeches at a park, where the PA system is loud; you hear voices, but unable to make out what the speaker is saying. Sound reproduction from soundblade is unclear and has that "boomy" characteristic. Only at mid volume, and with woman voice can you catch the speech.

I bought this 3rd Altec speaker for the Bluetooth feature so that I can stream music and lectures from my MP3 player to the soundblade without the tangling wires. Firstly, the bluetooth range is very short, about 15 ft with unobstructed line-of-sight. It drops connections frequently. Forget about the built-in mic; it is too soft and choppy to use with Skype on my Macbook. Have to frequently reset the speaker for each time that I connect Macbook to Soundblade. (I have a Samsung bluetooth speaker that flawlessly connects to the Macbook automatically.)

Since it performs poorly as a speaker and poor bluetooth, it is just a over-priced speaker. But since I bought it brand new from eBay for $[...], it is not worth the hassle and shipping cost to return it, especially with an eBay vendor. What happened to the audio excellence that made Altec Lansing famous decades ago?

55.) Clear, yet low volume; terrible mic
Reviewed by: luquien Phoenix, AZ, USA
Rating:
The speaker is clear, but not as loud as I had hoped, still, much better than the speakerphone on a mobile. The microphone is only slightly better than the one built into my Samsung Instinct. If you sit close to this unit, and talk directly to the Mic port (tiny hole), the other party can hear me....but, if I try to sit at my desk with the speaker a couple of feet off to the side, the other people miss a good deal of my words and I keep having to repeat.

Buy this unit only as a supplement to your mobile's speaker, perhaps to play music or watch videos and only at low or moderate volumes....do not buy it to use as a speakerphone.

Bluetooth setup was a snap; very easy.

56.) Does not work with 1st Gen iPhone
Reviewed by: GMA
Rating:
The item was advertised as being compatible with iPhones however once received it would not work. I contacted Apply support only to find out that my 1st generation iPhone was not compatible with the item. Bottome line, be sure your iPhone is compatible before purchasing.

57.) sound quality not high enough
Reviewed by: C. McAdams Oberlin, Ohio United States
Rating:
I am returning this because the sound quality was not what I'd expected. I have an AL inmotion speaker system (@ 4 yrs old) that is very good. I thought it would be great to have a bluetooth version. It's just not good enough.

58.) iPod/iPhone users beware. The worst sound quality. Distorted, muffled, and cracking sound
Reviewed by: Account_2065067
Rating:
The Soundblade I received was new and purchased/returned in April 2010.

CONS:
1. Sound quality is the worst. The sound clarity/quality is better on the iPhone speaker then it is on these speakers. If you play the volume any higher than the minimum, it will sound distorted, crackled, and muffled. I even played through all the equalizer settings on the iPhone. I tried pairing the device again. I made sure there were not any other bluetooth devices around. I also tried on 2 different iPhones. The sound quality is just plain terrible. I'm not even talking about bumping music. I just want to listen to my music at a nominal level, but it's still terrible. I tried from 1 feet away, 5 feet away, 10 feet away.
2. When you receive a call and finish your conversation, the music does not continue playing.
3. Bluetooth pairing is fickle.
4. You cannot control the volume from your iPhone.

PROS:
1. It's thin.
2. It helped me discover the Sony BT100 Bluetooth speaker which is 100x better as they sound like they are playing CD quality music. They were more expensive, but a no contest in comparison.

59.) Begins and end with the looks --- worse than a bad date!!
Reviewed by: TeeKei San Francisco, CA
Rating:
I'm not a big 'review' guy, posting-wise, but admittedly I always read reviews before purchasing anything. That said I'm rarely surprised when I do receive my purchases as my expectations have already been set by said reviews. However, after receiving and testing out the Altec Lansing InMotion SoundBlade, my expectations were completely blown out of the water --- in a very bad way, so bad that I had to post something to offset all the positive comments on this product.

When first coming across the SoundBlade on Amazon.com, I was very excited. It looked sleek, the product images were beautiful (kids breakdancing, SoundBlade displayed, etc.). And of course the overall reviews were positive, some noting that the sound quality was 'decent'. Being a tech geek, I knew that the sound quality couldn't compare to larger let alone wired speakers, considering streaming over bluetooth has only been around for 5 years --- let's just say I didn't expect the audio quality to compare to my home theater system.

After receiving the product, I will say I was excited. Packaging was nice; it was compact and I knew it would look sleek. And sure enough it was. Very well designed, and I felt the quality in the construction. But it ends there.

Pairing it was easy (but rather annoying with the overly loud beeps, but I saw some comments about it so it was what it was). Once I paired it with my iPhone, I immediately played some tunes. That's when I was 'surprised'. My immediate reaction was, "is this a defective unit"? I made sure it was plugged in (to ensure it wasn't a power issue) and tried it with another bluetooth phone. The audio hissed and cracked at every high treble note; my mono speaker on my Macbook Air sounded 100x's better! Thinking it was defective, the final confirmation was to connect it via an auxiliary cable to ensure it wasn't a bluetooth issue. To my surprise, the speaker WAS NOT defective as there was a significant improvement in audio quality. However if I wanted wired speakers, there are plenty of options for a fraction of the price.

In addition, another feature that sold me on the SoundBlade was the long battery life. Although I won't ding Altec Lansing as my finds are not as thorough, I found that streaming music via bluetooth required a full set of lithium batteries as the alkaline batteries didn't seem to hold a stable enough BT connection (the SoundBlade with suddenly shutoff).

The end all is if you want a sleek looking device sitting on your desk and impress passerbys, this is the way to go.

60.) The Worst, don't bother Get the Sound Matters!
Reviewed by: 3GOLDENS EARTH
Rating:
I would not bother on this model. Tried them out for a day or two and they sounded like muffled waffles that had too much syrup poured on them!

Bluetooth connected and disconnected randomly. Sound was not solid, but tinny.

Get the Sound Matters speakers I reviewed today if you want a good solid pair of speakers that will work and last a long time.

Sorry Altec, but you blew it on this one!

61.) Wireless Cell Phone Music Speaker
Reviewed by: Patty M. Cheney West Fargo, ND, US
Rating:
I bought this as a friend had the exact same one and it worked great with her cell phone but I planned on using it with my ITunes on my laptop and could not get it to work at all. Actually I could not get it turned on and stay on, don't know if it was defective but my friend said hers was so simple and I am the computer techy person out of us. I just got frustrated with trying to get the unit to come on and it did not read the usb that I bought with it for it, there are certainly better speakers then this thing.

Features of Altec Lansing inMotion SoundBlade Bluetooth A2DP Speaker/Speakerphone (Black)

The Altec Lansing inMotion SoundBlade Bluetooth A2DP Speaker is designed to untether you from your cell phone, letting you take a call or listen to music in comfort. With Bluetooth support, the speaker doesn't require any cables, and setup is extremely easy. With this unique speaker by your side, you can listen to music or take a call with crystal-clear sound every time.

Amazon.com Product Description--Posted October 14, 2008 The Altec Lansing inMotion SoundBlade Bluetooth A2DP Speaker is designed to untether you from your cell phone, letting you take a call or listen to music in comfort. With Bluetooth support, the speaker doesn't require any cables, and setup is extremely easy. With this unique speaker by your side, you can listen to music or take a call with crystal-clear sound every time.

The Altec Lansing SoundBlade: uses Bluetooth for wireless stereo and doesn't require any cables; features custom-built drivers for a full-range sound; functions as a speakerphone thanks to the built-in echo-canceling microphone; and has a shielded design that prevents any buzz from the cell phone.

SRS TruBass technology provides satisfying bass despite the small size. View larger.

Big, Clean Sound from a Small, Svelte Body
Forget about clumsy headphones: The SoundBlade gives you big, full-bodied music in a conveniently diminutive package. Using two custom-built 2.5-inch full-range neodymium speakers enhanced with SRS Trubass technology, you'll get sound that's crystal clear with the perception of deep, rich bass. The shielded design means there won't be any speaker buzz from the cell phone.

And at just one inch thick, you easily can bring the SoundBlade around with you and start an instant party wherever you are. When people finally figure out where the music is coming from, they'll wonder how the all that sound fits into such a small space.

No-Hassle Setup, Thanks to Bluetooth
The SoundBlade doesn't require any cables to connect to your phone; instead, it works wirelessly, making set-up a snap. Just pair the phone and speaker together, and they connect automatically.

Please note that the SoundBlade's wireless feature requires mobile phones with A2DP Bluetooth technology. The A2DP protocol, or Stereo Bluetooth, allows for the wireless transmission of full stereo sound.

Once paired, you can use your mobile phone like a remote control for the speaker, changing the volume and managing other functions. Conversely, the speaker also can be used to control the music functions on your phone. (The wireless control feature is compatible with phones using the AVRCP protocol.)

Built-in Microphone
The SoundBlade has a built-in, echo-canceling microphone that transforms your phone into a crisp-sounding speakerphone. The microphone also is sensitive enough to allow you to use your phone's voice-activated dialing from up to several feet away.

The SoundBlade also has an auxiliary input that allows you to connect other MP3, CD, and DVD players. It runs on either six AA batteries or through a wall outlet via the included power adapter.

The Altec Lansing SoundBlade is backed by a one-year warranty.

What's in the Box
SoundBlade speaker, power adapter, 3.5mm male-to-male extension cable, nylon pouch, user manual.

You won't need cables with the SoundBlade--it can play music wirelessly from your cellphone.

1.) Bluetooth speaker untethers you from your cell phone, letting you take a call or listen to music in comfort;
2.) Two custom-built 2.5-inch full-range speakers deliver a strong performance; voice-activated dialing picks up your voice from several feet away;
3.) No cables to connect; automatic pairing between your Bluetooth mobile phone and the speaker;
4.) Auxiliary input allows you to connect other MP3, CD, and DVD players;
5.) Runs on either 6 AA batteries (not included) or via included power adapter; 1-year warranty;

Package Height x Length x Width: 14 in. x 14 in. x 8.5 in.
Package Weight: 3 lbs.

Accessories for Altec Lansing inMotion SoundBlade Bluetooth A2DP Speaker/Speakerphone (Black)