iPods and portable digital media players might be just the thing for packing your tunes with you wherever you go, but sharing earbuds is no way to bring them to other people, much less pump them into the air with any authority. To that end, Altec Lansing is hoping folks looking for a (somewhat!) portable iPod speaker solution will consider its new Mix iMT800 digital boombox, which features a 5.25-inch subroofer and a rack-style design that belies the company’s normally fairly-staid design style.
“The Mix is the genuine ‘next generation’ boombox for the way music enthusiasts are playing their music today,” said Altec Lansing product category director Ed Benforado, in a statement. “With rugged style and high end sound, the Mix is perfect for those ‘unofficial DJ’s’ who like to start their parties with sound.”
The Mix features a 5.25-inch side-firing subwoofer, two 3-inch midrange drivers, and two 1-inch high-end horn-loaded tweeters, so the Mix can bring some heavy bass while keeping the rest of a track respectable clear. The unit also features a 7-band graphic equalizer for tweaking the sound (with four EQ presets), along with separate bass and treble controls. And LCD display handles the settings, along with displaying artist and track information; the unit also packs an FM receiver with four station presets.
The Mix is certified for use with iPhones and iPods, but also offers two auxiliary inputs for other devices so friends can easily plug in and share their tunes—the Mix ships with two aux cables (and a clip-on remote). And while the unit does run off an AC adapter, there is a battery option, just like old-school boomboxes: Altec Lansing says 8 (yes, eight) D cell batteries will get you up to 30 hours of music. We’re thinking those aren’t 30 hours with cranked volume, though. And the Mix features rack-style handles so you can move the party around with you—although you might want to be careful of your back, since the unit looks to weigh around 10 pounds…and that’s without being packed full of D cells.
The Mix iMT800 should be available now, and has a suggested retail price of $299.99.
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