Altec Lansing Nobi Review
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Besides handsfree devices for mobile phones, there are other accessories currently offered on the market as well. One such example are the music speakers, which let you share your favorite tunes with your friends at a party or on the beach.
Altec Lansing, founded 1941, is an established manufacturer of audio devices. In 2005, Plantronics, which is one of the leaders on the mobile accessory market, buys the company, but lets it keep the name.
This is a review of the Nobi model, which is mainly intended for Nokia’s XpressMusic series, but can be used with other devices as long as they have a 3.5mm jack.
The package contains:
• Altec Lansing Nobi
• Hand strap
• User manual
Design and Comfort:
Nobi is a rounded unit, designed to allow the music to flow in all 360 degrees. The manufacturer has achieved that by employing two loudspeakers, located on the wider sides. They are covered by metal screen protectors, which allow the free flow of the sound. On each of the other two sides, we have a strap hole/hanger. It could be that besides with the strap included in the package, those could be used with another, double one as seen on cameras.
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Side View | Strap Hole |
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Power Button | Battery Lid |
On the bottom, we have the battery lid, on which you can attach the cable with the 3.5 mm jack when you are not using it so it’s out of the way.
The device’s dimensions (7.4” x 2” x 7.2” (187 x 52 x 184 mm)) and the weight (0.63 lbs (280 grams)) are nothing extreme and even though you can’t put it in your pocket, the Nobi will easily fit in backpack or a suitcase. You could also have it blasting at max volume hanging from your hand, but don’t expect to be everybody’s favorite guy/girl. The device sits firmly on any flat solid surfaces like desks or tables.
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The manufacturer claims that the Nobi is impact resistant and would satisfy even the users with the highest requirements.
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2 Comments
2. user-gretta (unregistered) posted on 11 Nov 2008, 06:57 0 0
Though I've only tested it in a mall and only around 10 minutes of listening, I've found it to be a mediocre product. I tested it while I was within the mall, with a bit of people going around, think of it like being in a full (but not packed) Starbucks or any other restaurant; Not too noisy, but it sure ain't quiet. There I found it to be lack the power, you'd need to be around a 1/2 a foot away from the thing to hear it loud and clear. That brings in another issue, the sound clips on a pretty low frequency. I think that's why the spec sheet in the altec lansing site doesn't mention the exact frequency response of this speaker. Try to listen to music which is a bit heavy on the drums, or a vocalist that has a big voice, and you'd hear what I heard. This increases the problem of it already having weak power, you'd need to lower the volume to avoid clipping. All in all, this is good probably in situations where you'd be reading a book in a quiet room, eating somewhere where there aren't a lot of people, or when going to sleep. Try this on a very busy mall, or in noisy streets, and you'd end up immediately pocketing the thing.
