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Anyone who owns a laptop knows that listening to music through the built-in speaker is less than ideal. It’s tinny and tiny and doesn’t do much for anyone looking for a prolonged listening period. And extended time with headphones—no matter how comfortable —can be a drag. True music and video buffs then, look to invest in portable speakers. There are three new entries on the market; we put them through their paces.
About the size of a large burrito from your favorite taqueria, the OnTour has an inspired design. Running on either four AAA batteries or AC power, this truly portable system has a sliding protective shield that covers the speaker. Slide it back and press one of the two touch volume controls (+ or -), and the speaker turns on. To power down, touch both controls at the same time (or simply shut the protective shield). To play, plug one end of the provided 1/8" stereo cable into the back of the device (next to the port for AC power) and the other end into your computer's audio out port. Voila; you’re set and ready to rock ‘n roll.
 It simply does not get more portable then that. In fact, our only complaint in that regard is that there’s no place to put the 1/8" to 1/8" cable when on the move (a little nook would have been nice). The sound is about what you’d expect from a small portable speaker, slightly tinny but imminently serviceable for those times when you’re away from your desktop system, or when wearing headphones is not appropriate (a lot of the OnTour’s sound deficiencies can be fixed with some trial and error with iTunes EQ setting). It handled movies well, and was very rugged (we dropped it often, yet it still managed to drop beats).
We love that the speaker’s volume control is separate from the computer’s system sound, and that set up is as easy as putting in batteries (or plugging in the AC power), plugging in a cable and pressing play. Of course, worrying about finding a power outlet or having fresh batteries is a negative compared to the USB powered speakers’ “unlimited power” edge, but we were pleasantly surprised by the batteries’ performance (we listened for eight hours straight using Duracell rechargables without losing the tunes). Overall, OnTour is an excellent system for anyone who travels, or just needs a little out-loud sound all the time.
www.jbl.com/ontour | $100
Unfortunately, we’re not sure we’ve ever seen a less elegant design for a portable speaker system. There are three (count ‘em, three) cables that can be involved at any given time, all tangling and wrapping around your laptop after set up. The first cable connects the two satellites to each other, the second, a USB cable, connects the right satellite to your computer for power and sound (a pain if you have an iBook, with the USB port on the left side of your machine) and then an optional third, a 1/8" to 1/8" audio cable that plugs from the right speaker into the audio out port (see above complaint for iBook owners).
 There are two ways to connect the XT1 to your machine. The easiest is to use the audio cable to connect your computer to the speakers via the speaker's auxiliary port. The second way involves using the USB cable for both power and sound. To do this, you’ll need to go into System Preferences>Sound and select the device in both the Sound Effects and Output tabs (a process not explained in the manual or online, a potentially frustrating oversight for many USB sound accessory neophytes) and then connect the USB cable; in our tests, it was then necessary to restart our machines to have the changes take effect. Even after it was installed and properly selected in the Sound panel, we'd still occasionally need to unplug, then replug the speakers after waking our computers from sleep (if not, we’d get a distorted mess blasting from both satellites). It’s not exactly your machine. The easiest is to use the audio cable to connect your computer to the speakers via the speaker's auxiliary port. The second way involves using the USB cable for both power and sound. To do this, you’ll need to go into System Preferences>Sound and select the device in both the Sound Effects and Output tabs (a process not explained in the manual or online, a potentially frustrating oversight for many USB sound accessory neophytes) and then connect the USB cable; in our tests, it was then necessary to restart our machines to have the changes take effect. Even after it was installed and properly selected in the Sound panel, we'd still occasionally need to unplug, then replug the speakers after waking our computers from sleep (if not, we’d get a distorted mess blasting from both satellites). It’s not exactly the most artful, or convenient, way to provide sound on the fly.
Another knock is that the volume control on the right speaker allegedly controls your computer’s system sound instead of acting independently; unplug the speakers and your laptop speaker will blare. Power off the speakers and it mutes your system sound. We use the word “allegedly” because the controls periodically failed to work when connected via USB (we had no problems with the volume and power controls when connecting via the audio cable). We wish they had been able to keep the speaker and system volume controls separate.
The sound of these speakers is richer than the JBL and Kensington sets (it handles both music and film with ease), but not by much, and certainly not by more than the hassle and price justify. We love Altec Lansing’s desktop systems, but these speakers are a mystery. They’re portable in name, size and carrying case (a lovely compact black unit) only, and certainly of limited good to anyone who wants to share sound at the drop of a hat with a quick, easy setup. An unfortunate design kills what could otherwise be an outstanding set.
www.alteclansing.com | $130
Considered the “budget” option for those looking for a portable speaker set to take on the road, the PocketSpeakers actually packs a punch for such an inexpensive model. The clamshell design, when closed, reminds us of the hood portion of a model car (a silver Jaguar, to be exact) and when open, looks like a big, mobile Motorola flip phone. You’ll know when it’s connected to the USB port and powered on when the four “headlights” glow blue. Brightly. As long as the lights are glowing, sound will play (whether the speakers are closed or open). There is no way to turn the speakers off other than to unplug the device.
 To setup, you’ll need to go into System Preferences>Sound and select the device in the Sound Effects and Output tabs. (Instructions describing the need to change these settings in order to enable “plug-and-play” were included in the paper packaging, but not online.) A small dial located on the top of the left half of the device controls the speakers’ volume, and when the USB cable is plugged in, the plug acts as a stand to keep the device somewhat upright.
The plastic construction of the PocketSpeaker leaves a little to be desired (it feels breakable; definitely don't want to accidently step on this little guy) and we worried that the hinges might snap if opened a little too forcefully (not going to take to being hyper-extended). It, out of all three portable speakers tested, had the tinniest sound, but it was not so bad as to be a distraction (in fact, it was hardly noticeable when watching movies; music on the other hand required a somewhat more forgiving ear). Frequent travelers looking for speakers to keep them company on trips, however, will probably appreciate this set.
www.kensington.com | $50
–JA'QUON SCOTT
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