As a frequent traveler I'm always on the look out for a portable (smallest I can find with decent sound) speaker system for my iPod/iPhone. My main interest is personal listening in a hotel room. Although there are lots of small speakers out there, the problem is if you make it too small it sounds like crap! I'm a fan of the AirCurve acoustic speaker by Griffin, but I also like powered speakers too. My continuous search led me to the iMainGo 2 Handheld Speaker Case for iPhone and iPod. First off, there is nothing really iPhone/iPod specific about this case. It should work fine with just about any phone or MP3 player. There's a standard mini plug that goes in your device's headphone/line out jack so it should work with just about anything including your laptop or iPad.
What I like best about this speaker is that it's powered by standard AAA batteries that last about 30 hours on one set/charge. It would be nice if it were AC powered and had a dock connector to charge your iDevice, but I can live without that for portability, battery power and price. It's already hard enough finding enough plugs in a hotel room. Not having to plug in the speaker to use it is actually a good thing.
It sounds good too
One of the things I was most impressed with is the sound of this speaker in comparison to other portable systems I've tried that cost more and are bigger.
If you're looking for something small that sounds good and works with just about any device you carry, this is it.
You can get the iMainGo 2 for about $39 here.
Also works as a great bird caller when placed in a tree.
I prefer the JBL On Stage IIIP Portable Speaker Dock for iPhone 1G and iPod. It runs off 6 AA batteries. But it can also run off AC and charge your iPhone or iPod at the same time you are enjoying the music.
Nice compact size.
As an alternative I would suggest this: A year ago my daughter got me the portable speaker called Livespeakr (http://www.livespeakr.com/). I don’t work for the company, but at $70, rechargeable LI-on battery, and multiple viewing angles for movies and games in addition to great sound, you should check them out. Even the package the unit comes in is a work of art.
How loud are these? Would they be OK for a room presentation for a small meeting (<10 people around a small table)?
Yes Chuck, no problem with 10 people around a table.
Bought these little speakers Terry covered on his Tech Blog recently….much more than $39.00 worth of amazing little speakers …a bargain with quite respectable sound ! COMPACT!
Thanks Terry!
check out some amazing speakers here: http://www.ilovespeakers.com/