Altec Lansing M604 Portable Speaker System for Zune

Manufacturer: Altec Lansing Part number: M604

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$329.99 at 1 online store

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Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 7 reviews

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Manufacturer info

Description:: Your Zune is ideal when you're on the go. But when you're hanging around the house, wouldn't it be great to fill the room - any room - with incredible sound? Introducing the Altec Lansing M604 powered audio system. It's the complete package: Striking good looks, plus rich, clear sound from its four custom-designed speakers. What's more, the M604 is surprisingly affordable, so you can still send the kids to college. Just place your Zune into the M604's built-in dock and enjoy.

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Amazon.com Store profile \| Buy now	Rate this store See store profile	See Site	Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price	$359.94 Your best price Shop now as of 09/04/2008

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CNET editors' blog post

By Jasmine France, 11/28/06

OK, so it's not exactly "my" Zune accessory. More like CNET's first Zune accessory. Or at least the first one that seems pretty decent. (I'm sorry, but the cases I've seen so far seem to do nothing but add bulk to the already bulky Zune.) When first asked if I'd like to write up something on some Zune speakers, I was skeptical. After all, while I haven't been as vocal about this yet as with my aversion to the iPod, I don't like the Zune...not that I've given it much of a chance, but the lack of backward compatibility really irritates me. I will have to actually use it for more than five minutes before I roundly abuse it, though. But I digress.

I may not like the iPod very much, but that doesn't stop me from writing about its plethora of accessories. I decided it's only fair to give the Zune the same treatment. Enter the Altec Lansing M604, a rather minimalist speaker system that's closely related to the iPod-friendly M602. The system is dominated by a large, single speaker grille, which serves to camoflage 2 2-inch full-range drivers and 2 1-inch tweeters. A centrally placed cradle accepts the Zune player, which charges while docked, or you can snap on the included universal adapter, which protects the dock connector and lets you place any MP3 player front and center.

Along the top edge of the M604, Altec Lansing has provided basic controls: power, volume up/down, and bass and treble buttons that switch the mode of the up/down keys. The speaker system has no display for monitoring levels, but a useful LED system provides a solution. A row of green LEDs sits behind the speaker grille. When you adjust volume, bass, or treble, the LEDs light up accordingly, then go dark after you've finished your adjustments. This is a small but welcome feature. The M604 also includes an IR remote, which adds some rudimentary (play/pause and track shuttle buttons) playback controls. As the Zune's screen is large and fairly easy to read at a distance, it'd be nicer if the remote also included some menu browsing capability. Also lacking is any way to shuttle through FM radio stations, though it is kind of odd to have the headphones (read: antennae) plugged in while the Zune is docked in the speaker.

A couple of final notes: first, the brown Zune, which I personally find rather ugly anyway, looks a bit incongruous plugged into the M604, as the speaker is black with silver accents. Also, cursory testing reveals that the speakers sound very good--as well they should for 200 smackers. Stay tuned for a more in-depth review.

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User reviews

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Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 7 reviews

Showing opinion 1 to 7 out of 7

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4 stars

Great.. when it works

by ekatona on April 19, 2008

Pros: great sound

Cons: bad connectivity

Summary: Got this as a gift with a Zune, and it worked for a while, but have had consistent problems with the docking of the Zune connection as well as just ...

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Summary: Got this as a gift with a Zune, and it worked for a while, but have had consistent problems with the docking of the Zune connection as well as just even the power connection. Worked great when it was up and running (after significant frustration of jiggling wires) but can't say much more.

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

Very Good for Price I Paid

by balcanon on December 29, 2007

Pros: Good sound, nice and portable

Cons: Remote is limited, sounds tinny at low volumes

Summary: I only paid 49.95 at buy.com for this speaker system and it is a steal at that price. It is a little quirky with the order that you ...

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Summary: I only paid 49.95 at buy.com for this speaker system and it is a steal at that price. It is a little quirky with the order that you must follow to turn on the system and the Zune, but once figured out this system is easy to use and is surprisingly good at medium and higher volumes. A great accessory for using your Zune in and out of the house.

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

I think it's wonderful!

by gothgirl2025 on February 6, 2008

Pros: nothing to add here for the moment

Cons: nothing to add here for the moment

Summary: I got this for my hsband for christmas and he loves it to death! He listens to it all the time. Grreat sound too!

Summary: I got this for my hsband for christmas and he loves it to death! He listens to it all the time. Grreat sound too!
8 stars

Great little sound dock!

by PDubs on February 4, 2008

Pros: Easy to move, has video out, pretty good sound quality for a dock

Cons: Limited capabilities with remote

Summary: All things considered, it's a pretty good system. Easy to move around and take with you if needed. I wish the remote could control more than just the sound ...

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Summary: All things considered, it's a pretty good system. Easy to move around and take with you if needed. I wish the remote could control more than just the sound and current song, but other than that, great product with plenty of volume.

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9 stars

Sounds great out of a minimal form factor. Just works

by deitiphobia on December 17, 2007

Pros: Remote control is very handy. Zune looks great in cradle. Sound is very good and allows for Bass & Treble adjustments from remote and speakers. Can be used with other Ipod or other MP3 player.

Cons: You can only skip back and forth between tracks, no menu control.

Summary: I bought this to replace my clunky 3 speaker setup which had wires going everywhere and was nearly impossible to move. This unit has a small form factor and looks ...

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Summary: I bought this to replace my clunky 3 speaker setup which had wires going everywhere and was nearly impossible to move. This unit has a small form factor and looks great on my nightstand in the bedroom.

It comes with an adapter that covers the Zune port and allows you to place any MP3 player there. You use the AUX audio input in that situation (cable provided).

I love that you can control Bass & Treble from remote along with volume, power and skip back or forward.

Got this unit from woot.com for only $45! What a steal. Even at $99.00 this unit would be great for office, kitchen, bedroom or anywhere limited in space.

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6 stars

It has good sound and volume control. Video output jack in the back.

by patrickstevens on February 24, 2007

Pros: Aux input. LED volume indicators. Two peice power supply.

Cons: No navigation of Zune with remote.

Summary: I like it, however it was not worth $200 to keep without having full Remote navigation and control of my zune. I can do better with a Zune dock for $...

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Summary: I like it, however it was not worth $200 to keep without having full Remote navigation and control of my zune. I can do better with a Zune dock for $49. I sent it back.

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8 stars

Excellent for $35 (on sale)!

by Jivedaddy on February 7, 2008

Pros: Very simple and attractive

Cons: Distorts at extreme volume settings

Summary: I picked this up at Office Depot on sale for $35, mounted it on the wall near our thermostat (center of house). Works great! Could go a bit louder, but ...

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Summary: I picked this up at Office Depot on sale for $35, mounted it on the wall near our thermostat (center of house). Works great! Could go a bit louder, but still suffcient.

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0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

Showing opinion 1 to 7 out of 7

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Specifications

Manufacturer: Altec Lansing
Part number: M604

General
Product Type Portable speakers with digital player dock
Width 13.9 in
Depth 5.4 in
Height 8.2 in
Speaker System
System Components 2 x Tweeter, 2 x Speakers
Speaker Type 2-way - Active
Nominal Output Power (Total) 60 Watt
Max (RMS) Output Power (Total) 60 Watt
Response Bandwidth 60 - 20000 Hz
Signal-To-Noise Ratio 70 dB
Output Level (SPL) 100 dB
Magnet Type Neodymium
Audio Amplifier Integrated
Connectivity Technology Wired
Built-in Devices Digital player charging dock
Controls Treble, Bass, Power on/off, Volume
Speaker System Details
Speakers Included 2 x Portable speaker - 2-way - 60 Watt - 60 - 20000 Hz - Wired
Driver Details 2 x 1 in Tweeter, 2 x 3 in Speakers
Connections
Connector Type 1 x USB ( Mini-USB Type B ), 1 x Docking station, 1 x Composite video output ( RCA phono ), 1 x Audio line-in ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ), 1 x Headphones ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm )