I've been trying a lot of different portable speakers lately with my iPad. While the best of the bunch may be the Jawbone Jambox, it comes with a hefty price tag of $199.
I see friends of mine here in Atlanta using more affordable portable speakers, but they tend to be space eaters and don't sound half as good as the Jawbone product.
I reecently had the opportunity to try the iHome iHM79 portable speakers connected to my iPad and was pleasantly surprised. Right out of the box they were easy to set up and didn't take up much space.
The speakers can expand from two inches in height to just under three inches by twisting and lifting the top of the unit. This exposes an accordion-style vacuum that is designed to create better bass output. The iHM79 speakers claim to have a "low frequency response beyond size," and they worked well in a both a large and small room.
Another plus with these speakers was battery life. They charge by plugging them into any USB port and they lasted well over 10 hours on my watch. The cord between the speakers is about 25 inches long and that lets you space them out far enough to give you some surround sound in your office. They can also be paired together as the bases of speakers are magnetic. That is one way to really save on space.
They will work with iPods, iPhones, iPads, laptop and desktop computers, handheld game systems, other audio devices equipped with 3.5mm audio jack. A carry case and cord wrap are included in the packaging.
These speakers have won a couple awards in 2011, and one in 2012 already from Top Ten Reviews.
I must like them because they are still on my desk. They are available online for less than $50 from some retailers. Give them a try, they might be small in size, but they are big on sound.
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