The iPod economy, as dubbed by Steve Jobs in a recent keynote, has been thriving ever since the incarnation of the original 1st generation model in 2001. There have been iPod wannabes and even iPod fakes, but nevertheless, nothing can stop the almighty Apple iPod. Today, I take a look at the latest and greatest in the iPod speaker business, the inMotion iM5 and iM7 from Altec Lansing. This review might not get into all the nitty-gritty features, but can offer a slight opinion on whichever you may have your sights on, I didn’t highlight much of either of the systems, and got quickly to the point.

First off, let’s highlight the differences between the two. The iM5 is made for the traveler in mind, in a small, light, and compact casing, along with a carrying case; it’s perfect for the music listener on the go. On the other hand, the iM7 is made for the typical living room or study. No matter which type of music listener you are, these speakers are great for any use.

The iM5, at first sight, doesn’t look like much, but packs a whole lot of power into a small package. Although it doesn’t include a subwoofer, which tends to make things sound a bit tinny, all music sounds excellent on the compact iM5. When accessing the iPod’s click wheel with one hand on the iM5, the iM5 tends to tip over due to it’s small rubber grip on the bottom of the unit. The system includes different power adapters for various power sockets in varying parts of the world.

If you’re an audiophile, the iM7 doesn’t stop there. It offers rich sound, and true bass with its excellent subwoofer and doesn’t disappoint any user, even those who own high-end home theater systems. In it’s cylindrical shape, it is quite easy to tip over when trying to access the push-toggle iPod dock with one hand, and therefore, requires two hands to open the iPod dock without tipping the unit over. The iM7 includes a remote for easy access to the iPod’s controls and also includes various power adapters for whatever country you may be in just like its smaller version, the iM5.

Both of the inMotion iPod speaker systems offer room filling sound that can please both the newbie music listener and the high end audiophile. Even though they can tend to tip over when used, this can be solved by using two hands to operate the systems rather than one. If you’d like to be on the go when using either one of these speakers, they both accept batteries as a source of power if you prefer that instead. The iM5 and iM7 are available today from the Apple Store or any brick-and-mortar store.

iM5 Rating: 4 out of 5
- Music may sound tinny due to lack of subwoofer.
- Portability of the unit is excellent; lightweight and compact.
iM7 Rating: 5 out of 5
- Tends to tip over due to small rubber feet on bottom of unit.

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