Top 10 portable speakers

(Credit: Logitech)

You want to take your tunes on the road, but headphones don't always cut it, and even the smallest home speakers and receivers/amplifiers aren't portable. Technology has come to the rescue with a new breed of portable speakers that sound a lot better than the tinny models you might remember from the Walkman days. These useful devices are the hot ticket for travelers, dorm rooms, the beach, or the office; they plug into iPods, MP3 players, and laptops' headphone jacks, with sound that can easily fill a small to medium-size room.

It's also true that you can get much better sound with a decent set of headphones, which are even more portable and have deeper bass, superior treble detail, and better stereo imaging. But headphones are best appreciated alone. Portable speakers are ideal for social settings where you want to share your tunes with a few others or when you're milling around your hotel room getting ready for a night out on the town. Below you'll find the Top 10 contenders that have been reviewed by CNET. Some are perfect for frequent travelers, while others are best suited for the office or trips to the beach, and all of them have the option of being powered from built-in or replaceable batteries.

1. Altec Lansing InMotion iM7: The iM7 is a great modular and portable sound system for iPod owners.
2. Altec Lansing inMotion iM600: Altec Lansing has been in the iPod speaker market longer than anyone, and it shows. The inclusion of a rechargeable battery and an FM radio makes the iM600 incredibly versatile.
3. LG Portable Stereo Speakers MSP-100: If you're looking for ultracompact speakers that don't sacrifice on sound quality, LG's Portable Stereo Speakers MSP-100 fits the bill--and it won't break the bank.
4. Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere: It may not be the most compact portable speaker on the block, but the Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere offers useful extras and great sound for an affordable price.
5. Yamaha NX-A01: The Yamaha NX-A01 won us over with its minimal design and sound quality, but don't expect it to blow the roof off.
6. Logitech PlayGear Amp: The Logitech PlayGear Amp is a great audio solution for users looking to get more sound out of their movies, music, and games on the PSP.
7. Altec Lansing InMotion iM4: The Altec Lansing iM4 finally delivers the bass we've been craving in small portable speakers, and they're not iPod-centric, so you can use them with any MP3 player.
8. Creative TravelSound Zen V Portable Speakers: For frequent fliers who own Creative's Zen V MP3 player and don't want to be stuck listening to clock radios, the TravelSound Zen V is a fine choice.
9. Bushnell TravelTunes for iPod: The Bushnell TravelTunes Portable Speakers for iPod are an obvious choice for the outdoor enthusiast--or anyone who spends a lot of time in the backyard. Just keep in mind that weather protection for the iPod itself is not part of the package.
10. Logitech mm32: Frequent travelers who want to release their music from the confines of an MP3 player should seriously consider the Logitech mm32.

[chiragmehta]

What about the Bose Sounddock?

Does it qualify as a portable speaker? Is it worth the 400$?

[MaaikeKock]

Creative TravelSound

That looks real nice!

[weidner6]

Where is the iMainGo?

How could the iMainGo not be on the list? It should be near the top. Inexpensive, good sound, and portable. Heck, it even got a 8.7 review on cnet and it wasn't on this list?

[Jasmineflower]

No editors' review

The iMainGo doesn't have an editors' review (a requirement for inclusion in this story), though the 8.7 user rating does make it look promising! :)

[moretroops]

... that have been reviewed by CNET.

That's the critical phrase here. There is one portable speaker that CNET has
NOT reviewed -- the Harmon Kardon Go+Play -- and it unfortunately happens
to be the best. I have the number one on this list (Altec Lansing) and it's quite
good. It's not close to as good as the HK though.

C'mon CNET, get it together.

[ittesi259]

Horrible writing

What I hate about CNET and every other tech review site is sentences like this it will connect to iPods, MP3 players, yadda yadda yadda. Lets stop the brand preferences....an iPod IS an MP3 player. Why does this get seperated out like its somehow different? It just helps foster the stupid kids who get an MP3 player for Christmas and say "This is an MP3 player, not an iPod." Even though they do the EXACT SAME THING.

[SlanderPanic]

Transform and ROCK OUT

Where's the <a href="http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9759264-1.html">Optimus Prime iPod dock</a>? Surely, this is the coolest set of iPod speakers this year!