We may love portability, but there is no doubt that the sound that we get from our laptop’s teeny weeny speakers are less than desirable. Indeed, a pair of high quality earphones can be considered a necessary expense when one uses a laptop. But what when you do not want something stuck in your ears for hours? Speakers are then necessary, right?

Altec Lansing, one of the most known names in the world of speakers, has recently launched a new ultra-portable set of speakers especially meant for laptop users. Dubbed the Altec Lansing Orbit USB Stereo Speakers (IML247), the gadget is described by the manufacturer as being “engineered for the multimedia user whoan on-the-go audio solution with plug and play simplicity.”

The Altec Lansing Orbit USB Stereo is indeed convenient for when you’re on the road because of its size. As you can see in the image¹, one half of the speaker set is less the size of a CD. Yup – there are two speakers but they can lock together for easy set up or carrying around. As you can also see in the image, the speakers come with stands so that they can be set up on your desk, your hotel bed, or wherever you are.  And with the stands, you can set up your speakers to face the direction you want them to with ease.  With regard to portability and design, these speakers seem to be top notch.

When it comes to sound quality, though, Geek.com reviewer Jennifer Bergen has some issues. She claims that the bass doesn’t really come out and that there are songs wherein you cannot distinguish the instruments from the voice. More so, performance also deteriorates at high volumes and high notes.

That being said, the Altec Lansing Orbit USB is priced at $49.95.  That is not cheap, and one would expect to get good quality for that price.  If it weren’t for Bergen’s observations, I would not hesitate to pay $50 for Altec Lansing speakers.  The brand, after all, has been churning out excellent quality speakers for years on end.

If you are in the market for new portable speakers, I would suggest considering the Orbit USB, but if you can test one first, you ought to.  That’s what I am going to be doing myself.

1. Courtesy of Geek.com [↩]

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