Altec Lansing iML247

Altec Lansing Orbit USB Stereo iML247

There's a common conundrum in the realm of portable speakers. Portable speakers typically either sound poor, or sound good, but are not actually very portable. Altec Lansing's Orbit USB Stereo iML247 is not going to win any audio awards, but at $49.99 (direct), much can be forgiven, particularly because this speaker set is so well designed. The Orbit USB Stereo features two separate computer speakers, which draw sound and power from your PC via USB; that means no batteries, and no need for a charger. (The downside is that the speakers can't be used with an iPod or any non-USB sound source.) Travelers looking for a simple sound solution should definitely check out the Orbit USB Stereo, but if you want a quality audio experience or a versatile one, this is not the system for you. Visually, the Orbit USB Stereo continues the industrial look of Altec Lansing's speaker offerings, like the Expressionist Ultra MX6021 ($199.95, 2.5 stars). Each speaker has a shades-of-gray plastic shell that houses a single 1.7-inch driver, hidden beneath a black plastic grille. When the two speakers, which (unfortunately) feature hard-wired cables, snap together to form one long speaker with sound coming out of either end, their cylindrical contour measures roughly 2.6 inches across by 9.5 inches long, and weighs 12.8 ounces.