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We tested four portable speaker systems suitable for presentations. All weigh less than 2 pounds and can be had for $100 or less, but the similarities end there.
Whenever a traveling presenter is asked to make a technology trade-off, sound quality is usually the loser. Ultraportable projectors and featherweight notebook computers are technological marvels, to be sure, but rarely is there anything marvelous about the sound from their anemic speakers. And patching in to a meeting room's sound system is a crapshoot at best.
Thanks to the demand from the users of iPods and other hard-drive music players, a new breed of small-but-powerful lightweight speakers have appeared, and presenters in need of reliable, high-quality sound no longer have to compromise. Advances in speaker technology and data storage have fueled both the availability of, and demand for, high-quality portable sound solutions. More multimedia-driven content in electronic slideshows, interactive CDs and DVDs, and other media have also made punchy sound a higher priority in business.
The review process
To find out what's out there for the mobile presenter, we tested four portable speaker systems ' that are new to the market and similar in price and weight. Each package was evaluated in the following categories: design, features, portability, sound quality and overall value.
The sound-quality evaluation consisted of a microphone test, playback from a DVD movie, a narrated Microsoft PowerPoint show run from a notebook, and several musical selections from different genres (Brahms to Brubeck to the Beastie Boys) played from a portable CD player as well as an Apple IPod.
In addition to comparable weights and prices, these sound systems have similar line-in connections and can operate on batteries. But the similarities end there. There are plenty of different design characteristics and features to take into consideration. For example, the Logitech mm28 speaker offers a low price and a no-nonsense design that anyone can hook up. If space is an issue, the Creative TravelSound 500 easily slides into a pocket or purse. Both the Altec Lansing and the JBL speakers we reviewed produce rich sound, but again, offer varying designs and features.
The choice really depends on your needs as a presenter. So consider how you intend to use the loudspeakers, how , much you...