Hands-On Review--mm22 Portable Speakers for iPod

When you are not using your 20GB iPod color while traveling or toting some photos or presentation to show, does it just sit around recharging or maintaining its charge? If you want to listen to music or podcasts but not with a set of headphones or earbuds, maybe a set of portable speakers is what you need. There are many portable (and less portable) speaker systems for iPods but most are fairly expensive. We recently ran into an inexpensive set of easily portable iPod speakers at our local Best Buy, the Logitech mm22 Portable Speakers for iPod for $59.99, and decided to give them a try.

Logitech's mm22 Portable Speakers for iPod unit comes with a set of iPod "cradles" or brackets, an 8" stereo minijack audio input cable, a 24" stereo minijack audio input cable, an international AC adapter, a quick start users guide, a travel case and a 2-year limited warranty. The mm22 speaker unit can be used with all iPods but it does not have a cradle for the iPod shuffle or the new iPod nano. The included cradle fit our 4G 20GB iPod perfectly and seemed unlikely to cause any scratches on its surface.

The mm22 speaker unit also works with four AAA batteries that, of course, are not included. The mm22 stands up via a folding chromed metal stand that is shaped like a loop. There are three exposed cables if one plugs in the iPod as well. The unit folds up for travel to become slightly larger than two iPods. All of the parts fit neatly into the twin-zippered travel case.

Four micro speakers provide the sound from the mm22 speaker unit. As might be expected from micro speakers, the bass is not particularly rich. However, we think the sound is acceptable with our 20GB iPod color, certainly better than from a laptop or the average clock radio found in most hotel rooms. To get much better bass, one might have to invest at least another $100 for larger speakers but with more weight and overall size as well. The convenience of the mm22 speakers due to their small size is their best selling point. Still, while small for four speakers, it seems to us that the mm22 speaker unit could have been designed to be even smaller and lighter thus greatly increasing its utility in trade for the reduced sound quality from micro speakers.

In summary, we think the Logitech mm22 Portable Speakers for iPod unit at $59.99 is just okay, i.e. the sound is generally okay, the design (look) is a bit less than okay, the size and weight are just a bit less than okay, the travel case is a little bit better than okay and the price is a bit better than okay as well. If you have a good set of headphones that provide great sound, the only reason to get the speakers is to be able to listen to music or a podcast and reduce the chance of not hearing a telephone ring or doorbell chime. [Bill Fox]