• Speakers

Altec Lansing T612

The fundamental basis of the iPod range is music. Yet it seems that year by year, less and less emphasis is being placed upon the actual audio of Apple devices. iPod Speaker dock combos are essentially just that, you plug you iPod (or iPhone, more on that later) in and play your music through the inbuilt speakers. It is a formula that works well, except, often, the sound quality is dreadful. Altec Lansing saw a gap in the market here. An iPod dock, that works with the iPhone, doesn’t cost an arm and a leg and sounds great. And they have filled that void exceptionally well.

Design: The overall design of the T612 mimics that of an Apple designed product. But my main problem with it is the production materials, the use of textured cheap metal coloured plastic in place of aluminium is a decision that I feel is a bad one, it detracts from the overall look of the device and really makes the expensive device look cheap. Other than that however, the design is top notch, matching your gorgeous iPhone or iPod perfectly.

Sound: The sound quality is where the T612 really excels. It clearly has great drivers behind it, and for such a small device, really does pack a decent amount of bass. When the volume starts to get turned up though, the quality starts to turn down and the lack of a subwoofer really starts to show through, though that really is the price that has to be paid to get a fairly thin, portable device.

Portability: Although the T612 cannot be battery powered, it is small enough to take with you when going on holiday, just don’t forget the power adapter.

Compatibility: Another area where the T612 really shines through is in compatibility. It is the first dock/speaker combo to have Apple certified iPhone compatibility, meaning it is significantly shielded against GSM interference to affect any music listening. As well as iPhone compatibility (all three generations), the T612 also supports any iPods with the dock connector, in short, all of them except for shuffles.

Final Thoughts: Overall, the T612 is a great device and the iPhone compatibility makes it damn near worth the $199 asking price. That combined with the sound quality and design makes it not quite a bargain, but certainly good value.

Cost: $199.99 US

Available from: online and most brick and mortar electronics retailers

Compatibility: iPhones, iPods (other than shuffles)

Final Score: 8/10 – Recommended