Altec Lansing have unveiled their newest inMotion iPhone/iPod dock and speakers, their smallest yet. The inMotion Compact (iMT320) folds down to “as small as a book” to allow for easy transport. When assembled, it shows some off sleek lines and can run off 4AA batteries or AC power. It’s also GSM shielded to prevent buzzing in the speakers from the cellphone, and comes with a soft leather-like cover that doubles as a stand. If you love its look, but don’t have an iPhone/iPod, it comes with a 3.5mm auxiliary jack for other devices. It will be available February 2010 for $80.

[Via Cult of Mac]

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The quality of portable iPod/iPhone speakers is decidedly mixed, which is why the Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 ($100) is such a great find. Many affordable iPod speakers aren’t shielded to work with the iPhone, so you can’t listen to music without putting your phone in airplane mode. The Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 is ‘Works with iPhone’ certified, and it offers excellent sound quality at an affordable price.

The Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 is compatible with all iPhone and iPod models, and it will charge these devices while they’re docked (although not when the speakers are running on battery power). Five universal dock adapters are included in the package, each one labeled for its appropriate iPhone or iPod. The adapters snap into the speaker pretty easily, but they are extremely difficult to get out again. I didn’t actually put the adapter in when I first started using the speakers, and my iPhone fit fine and I was able to keep the case on. With the adapter installed, the fit is a bit too snug to keep the case on.

Unfortunately, the adapters don’t come out easily. The adapter has a small slot on the back, and Logitech customer support recommends slipping something into that slot and prying it out. I tried various instruments and was finally able to pop it out with the tip of a pen. My advice: don’t bother with the adapters if you think you’ll want to take them out someday. Both my iPod and iPhone work fine and are stable enough without them.
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Skullcandy, a company most known for its headphones, also makes a speaker dock that works with iPods and the iPhone. When I took the Skullcandy Pipe Speaker Dock ($40) out of the packaging, I wasn’t expecting much. The dock is tiny, and it can barely support the iPhone without falling over backwards. Even so, this speaker dock packs a surprising amount of quality into a small and affordable package – if you’re willing to accept its many limitations.

The dock is about the length of a pencil, and it can run on AC power or four AAA batteries. I was initially skeptical about the chrome design, but the Skullcandy Pipe Dock doesn’t look out of place on a desk or nightstand, and it has a very small footprint. However, it attracts fingerprints like mad, so try to avoid touching it if you can.  The included remote is light and feels cheap, but it works well as long as you point it directly at the dock. I had no trouble using it to adjust volume, skip between songs or pause my music.

Now, here’s the rub. Even though the Skullcandy dock is marketed all over the Internet as a speaker for iPods and the iPhone, it’s not ‘Works with iPhone’ certified, meaning you have to put your iPhone into airplane mode to prevent interference. If you don’t, you’ll hear GSM buzz and static on a regular basis. This is a drag since you obviously can’t receive calls when the phone is disabled. I even get buzz when using the dock with my iPod nano if my iPhone is nearby.

So, you can’t make or receive calls on your iPhone when using the Skullcandy dock, or use Internet radio apps like Pandora, but the dock does work well when the iPhone is in airplane mode. Given how low my expectations were, I was pleasantly surprised with the sound quality. This is no audiophile’s speaker dock, but for a tiny, $40 dock the sound is much better than expected. Music is warm and rich at moderate volumes, although you’ll want to avoid loud or bass-heavy music, as the bass is pretty thin.

It also seems that the range between volume levels is too wide, as there were many times when the volume was either too soft or too loud and I couldn’t get it quite right. There’s also an extremely faint, but noticeable, static between songs, but it’s not noticeable when playing soft music. Overall, though, I was very happy with the sound and found the dock to be a great desktop companion.

Conclusion

We can recommend the Skullcandy Pipe Speaker Dock, but only for those who want a cheap speaker dock to play in a small office or dorm room, and who don’t mind putting their iPhone into airplane mode. Everyone else should spring for a more expensive dock that’s ‘Works with iPhone’ certified.

Skullcandy Official Website

Skullcandy Pipe Speaker Dock for $40 at Amazon.com