Sleeker speakers
ALTEC LANSING IMT320 INMOTION SPEAKER SYSTEM
£37.50, www.amazon.co.uk
Among other virtues, Altec Lansing’s super-reliable, universally compatible addition to the inMotion range comes with a cover that doubles as a stand. Two full-range neodymium drivers give pure, distinct full-spectrum sound and good bass, and the trademarked Audio Alignment system offers good balance. Lasts up to 24 hours with four AA batteries; comes with an AC adaptor.
BOSE SOUNDDOCK PORTABLE DIGITAL MUSIC SYSTEM
£349, www.bose.co.uk
One of the top dogs of portable speakers, this beauty from Bose offers the usual eight-hour rechargeable lithium-ion battery. What’s less usual is the spacious sound and trademark slim design, which makes for an easy portability – the docking station even rotates out of sight for easy transit. Compatible with iPod and iPhone.
JAMBOX WIRELESS SPEAKER
£127, jawbone.com
This is truly the hipster of portable speakers, resembling the season’s latest must-have clutch bag. For something so compact, the sound it makes is impressive: with output capacity of 85 decibels, you can crank this baby right up. Jambox is powered by a pair of proprietary, highly sophisticated acoustic drivers, unmatched in their ability to produce extreme high and low frequencies from a single, ultra-small dome speaker. You can use your phone while it streams music, podcasts and sporting events.
X-MINI MAX V1.1 CAPSULE SPEAKER
£39, store.x-mini.com
A portable speaker for people in the know, this X very successfully bridges the gap between “ultra-portables” and boombox. Using the same 36mm drivers as the popular Mini 1.1, it delivers rich loud sound in a smaller package than the Max II capsule. Open and angled drivers enhance sound and give a richer bass output. The “Buddy-Jack” function means you can connect one mini capsule to another.
PHILIPPE STARCK PARROT ZIKMU
£999, www.iworld.co.uk
Another statement speaker (not portable at 3.5kg), this beauty has analogue hi-fi input so you to connect your CD players or TV set. A floor-level sub-woofer transmits a rich sound that’s intense but not overpowering. The iPod/iPhone dock uses Apple’s digital encryption chipset. Transfer is entirely digital and supports all digital formats, including Apple Lossless. Works with Bluetooth and older equipment, too.
LIBRATONE LOUNGE AIRPLAY SPEAKER
£1,099, www.johnlewis.com
A gorgeous specimen from the Scandinavian sound-masters, we’ve included this one not because it’s portable (it isn’t), but because it’s really rather fabulous. In conjunction with a wireless connection near the speaker, AirPlay lets you control your entire library from your iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC. Fix the speaker 20cm from a flat wall: the sound waves then reflect off the wall to give you a 360° sound experience.
VEHO 360 PORTABLE CAPSULE SPEAKER
£14.95, www.veho-uk.com
A very cute machine, this super-small but powerful speaker works with any iPhone or MP3 player and most mobile phones as well (anything else with a 3.5mm headphone socket). Comes with a built-in USB cable and a built-in 3.5mm jack with dual-volume control. No unseemly wires either: for an inexpensive speaker, the Veho Capsule is very good looking and the sound isn’t half bad.