Altec Lansing inMotion Classic Review: Turn Your iPhone Into An iBoombox

With the hundreds of identical iPod docks on shelves confusing shoppers and angering hi-fi makers in equal measure, it takes a brand like Altec Lansing to introduce a bit of refinement to a cluttered market.

The sleek and stylish inMotion Classic is an all-in-one portable solution for both the iPod and iPhone (thanks to included adaptors), bringing an FM radio, 5 hour rechargeable battery and booming speakers in a compact (328mm x 50mm x 152mm) device.

The cool factor comes in with a robust, multi-purpose handle which acts as a stand when the inMotion is placed on a table, flicking up to become a handle for carrying it down to the local beach party and easily tucked away underneath for transport.

An LCD screen displays the artist, song and battery life, whilst the full-feature remote (which is cleverly hidden in a compartment at the back) lets you DJ from a safe distance.

When plugged into the mains, the inMotion Classic even charges up your iPhone as it plays, whilst the striking design also allows for playback without that buzzing interference which plagues iPod docks.

After a couple of weeks of daily use, we’ve found the handle to be a revelation as the inMotion Classic is picked up and shunted around all corners of the office on a regular basis, whilst having somewhere to stow away the cute and versatile remote means that we haven’t even lost it yet!

The iPhone does not quite dock in the machine securely enough to pick the inMotion up without fear, but the controls on the top of the Classic are large and responsive enough to pause and skip tunes at the slightest touch.

The radio was fine with FM but lacks support for AM, with the old-school antenna making a big improvement to audio quality on the more pirate-y stations in London.

Spotify is spreading like a virus on the iPhones of Team Omio, so streaming songs over wi-fi is the usual way of getting our musical fix.

A strange fault that we found was that the inMotion sometimes didn’t realise that music was playing (as it is through an app as opposed to the iPod functionality) and would go to sleep.

However, this was only an intermittent issue, and the majority of times we found the inMotion Classic would keep playing for hours without incident, equally through a second audio source with the auxiliary output.

Audio quality is nothing less than amazing, and you realise the difference between the iPhone’s own tinny speakers and full bass from a dedicated system.

The compact size, portability and ease of use the Classic brings has left the office Bang & Olufsen languishing in the corner, as the inMotion easily delivers rich, balanced sound around the entire room.

Once again, the premium that Altec Lansing are becoming renowned for is bourne out in the quality of the product.

The retro-futuristic looks, array of features and audio quality set the inMotion Classic ahead of the pack, and will easily become a permanent party fixture when taking music on the move.

The Altec Lansing inMotion Classic will be available from October, at a cost of £129.99 at Amazon.co.uk and the Apple Store.

Tags: altec lansing, classic, inmotion, inmotion classic