INTRODUCTION

    As a constant traveler, portable music is a strong part of my trip thanks to my Windows Mobile device, a 2GB microSD card and a pair of headphones. What’s always missing is a simple way to listen to it without the need of headphones once I’m in the hotel or at work. Though some hotels do provide, in most cases, a small gadget for customers to listen to music, it’s funny to know that just recently they evolved from the bed side radio to a small CD player. My device’s speaker or even my laptop’s speakers aren’t a good solution either and I know many of you would enjoy a solution if you prefer an iPod or other MP3 players which don’t even count with anything built-in to help out. Altec Lansing’s Orbit claims to be a portable solution that renders great sound for needs like these. Is Altec Lansing correct on their claim? Read on to find out!

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WHAT’S HOT

    Following on Altec Lansing’s product features, the Orbit offers the following specs:

• Ultra-Portable Speaker system for iPod and other MP3 players
• Sound clarity with depth, musicality is powered by acoustic tayloring
• Fusion360 technology which is an integrated cone design with a speaker for 360° sound
• Long battery life which renders up to 24 hours on 3 AAA batteries
• Shock-resistant, durable enough for constant traveling

    Sadly, I couldn’t find any specs on weight or size, but I hope our comparison images give you a good Idea of how big the device is.

SETUP
(all images link to higher resolution)

The box is pretty low end, not really appropriate for shipping, but at least the contents arrived intact. What you get is the Orbit, which plugs into your device through a 3.5 mm Stereo plug. It also includes a nice rugged 2.5 mm adapter for some mobile phone options.

The battery bay is at the bottom. Simply slide the cap to the left, lift and remove.

Once the batteries are installed, You’ll notice the ON-OFF switch to the side. You must slide the whole exterior lining of the speaker to turn it on or off.

PRODUCT FEATURES

Design and Player Option

    I must say that at first, I didn’t consider Altec Lansing’s focus on the device to be interesting for my needs. It wasn’t until I started using it for a day that I noticed this was truly a smart thing to carry around. If anybody remembers what a boom it was back in the 90′s for you to purchase your first sound card and buy some PC speakers, you’d wonder why after so many years since the laptop came to town, nobody had offered a light and portable option for its small built in speakers which in most cases are all but good.

    In my case, I must be honest in stating that I’m not much of an MP3 player fan since this would only amount to an extra device I’d have to carry around. If you’d want a small, light option, you’d get an ugly monochromatic screen, if any, with lousy storage. Probably the new, smaller version of the iPod Nano could be my first dive into this arena, but for the sake of the review, I’ll use both my laptop and phone.

I must say the Orbit became my perfect Laptop companion. It’s small enough to fit in my laptop’s case yet offers much better sound quality than my built-in speakers do.

Sadly, the 2.5 mm jack doesn’t work for me. I had to purchase a mini USB adapter at Amazon.com to get my Herald going. Palm and other mobile device owners won’t have a problem.   

    I can’t be tough on Altec Lansing for not including a mini USB-Stereo adapter since a large majority of the current mobile device’s out there use a standard 2.5 mm jack. But, considering our site concentrates mainly on Windows Mobile device’s where the trend is mainly inclined to HTC’s stubborn idea of keeping the mini USB option, it would be nice for Altec Lansing to include an extra adapter. I know many Motorola Phones since the RAZR have been making the mini USB plug more of a standard so this would allow them to face the new tendency out there.

    Design wise, I must say I’m very pleased with the device’s build quality. It does feel strong and still keeps its glossy finish after carrying it for more than a week in my laptop’s case where scratches are easily found. I also like the cable loop holder which will guarantee it won’t tangle or be damaged by something else. The only thing I’m honestly not fond of the On-Off switch since the twisting feel sometimes gives you the sense that you’ll end up breaking it if you twist it too hard.

Sound Quality

    Altec Lansing did do a good job on sound. Fusion360 technology truly is a treat if I’d have to compare anything built into both my devices against the Orbit. I now even tend to forget about turning on my room’s stereo system and simply use my Herald connected to it. I’m probably not an expert, but I do have a bit of a trained ear for good sound and the outcome is clear music and the bass quality is definitely good as long as your Orbit’s batteries are well charged. Considering my room is a long 12 x 20 foot long bedroom, this is pretty acceptable performance.

Battery Life

    Here’s probably the only thing that disappointed me about the Orbit. I don’t mind the need for AAA batteries, but I do mind the fact that the Orbit has no built options for a wall connector. When you mix batteries with sound, you’ll notice that sound slowly deters when they begin to loose charge. Even if they are at their mid-charge level, you’ll still have to begin lowering your volume to not damage the speaker because of the bass impact once combined with low battery charge. A built in battery or a battery charger module are really not necessary, but Altec Lansing should’ve at least considered a mini USB to USB connector for keeping the Orbit On while using it with a PC or a mini wall connector for external power when available. That way, batteries live longer and are used only when needed. 24 Hours of battery life equal to 6 days of typical use, so keep those extra dollars ready because you’ll need to buy batteries every week if you plan to use it regularly. After my typical use, the Orbit gave me exactly a week’s worth of life where sound began to worsen after the first 3 days.

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HELP SUPPORT

    The Orbit is a pretty simple device. You’ll probably not be in need of anything else than the image manuals included in the box, but if you’re interested, Customer Support is available in their web site.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

    All you’ll need to get going is 3 AAA Batteries, a device compatible with a 3.5 mm or 2.5 mm Stereo audio jack. Anything other than these audio options would require you to purchase an adapter.

BUGS AND WISHES

   
I didn’t find anything I could consider a bug, but I find such potential on this device, I do wish some things were improved:

• Add an option for a wall connector to save some precious dollars worth of batteries
• Move the On-Off switch to a typical button for longer durability
• I would’ve enjoyed a longer cable for the audio jack; the device has enough room for an extra loop for the cable holder
• Add some sort of LED light for a battery indicator to allow the end user to know when to change them
• Consider an option for joining two Orbits together; I’d be the first to buy an extra one since my Laptop has two audio jacks, but my mobile device and many other laptops don’t

PURCHASING

   
Altec Lansing offers the Orbit for $39.95 which I would consider a fairly decent price for its sound quality. It would be a total bargain if my wish list was covered at some point in time. US customers can purchase the device at Altec Lansing’s web site. It was a tough surprise for me though because the web site does track your IP address and once it noticed I was based on an international location, it didn’t give me an option to buy it.

PROS

• Great sound quality
• Highly portable
• 
  

  2.5 mm stereo adapter included

• Elegant finish, yet rugged for traveling

CONS

• No wall charger available
• No miniUSB to stereo adapter
• Sound deteriorates when batteries are low

Value
Ease of Use
Features
Overall

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OVERALL IMPRESSION

    After a couple of weeks as my companion, I have come to be fond of the Orbit. It’s already found a designated spot on my travel bag for my long rides. I do hope they do go back to the drawing board to bring a better version 2 in the future, but in the end, even with all of its downsides, I must congratulate Altec Lansing for this neat new concept and solution for our traveling needs.