Altec Lansing iMW575 Life Jacket 2 Bluetooth Speaker Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Speaker, Hands-Free Extended Battery Outdoor Speaker, Ultra-Portable 10ft Range, Blue

Update: Ended up loving this speaker but as of 2021 the battery completely died. Purchased in 2014. These units are not designed to let the user easily change the battery. I have been looking around trying to find the special lithium ion battery pack (two taped together) with a 3-pin plug. But I will eventually find one or learn how to wire one myself, because this speaker is top-notch. My original review was ever so slightly meh, but only because I was coming from the perspective of a boom-box/wired speaker user and this was my first blue tooth. Compared to Alexa and other bluetooth speakers in the family--there's no comparison, this one wins.Back to my older review:DESIGN: It's striking--it comes in several colors as well as basic blackIt's light weight and you can easily pick it up and carry it aroundNOT JUST WATER-RESISTANT, IT'S WATERPROOF, YOU CAN DROP IT IN THE POOLThis was the selling feature for me. I can take it out by the spa or to the local poolIT'S GOT A LOT OF PADDING, YOU CAN DROP IT AND IT WON'T BE RUINEDSOUND QUALITY : IT'S PRETTY GOODI won't say that I have ever heard great sound from a Blue-tooth speaker, or from small footprint speaker like this, but it's very good for Bluetooth.I got this unit because I have an Ipod charger/jambox made by Altec Lansingthat unit rocked, but it's not working anymore.So I got this and while I can't claim it has fabulous stereo sound, it has great sound for a Bluetooth small speakerIt is larger than some, and so has some speaker separation, but it's too small to give a full stereo soundPURCHASE THIS ONE OR ANOTHER ?Hard to say, depends on how much of an audiophile you are and what you want it for.My awkward wired computer speakers give me better sound for music--bluetooth is lossy--you lose some quality--wired speakers are always going to sound better.But I don't always want to set up speakers with every computer and this is WIRELESS. So, this unit is nice to haveand it's also WATERPROOFIt's also PORTABLEit's also SHATTER PROOFBUT, IT'S NOT CHEAP.Even on Cyber Monday I paid over $100 for this.If you just want to listen to music a bit and you don't blast it, for the price, I would recommendPhotive Cyren Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker--it's running around $40 now and I think I got it for closer to $30 on saleI got that one for my Mom for Christmas, and while she mostly listens to talk radio--streaming from her Kindle Fire, it's decent for music for the price.I would say buy this if you need the design features, or if it's not a dent to the budget, because the bigger size gives a bigger sound, but maybe not big enough for the price difference.BOTTOM LINE: it's pretty good for blue-tooth, and it's not bad for it's size--the stereo--it's bigger and probably better at higher volume than the other unit, but if you are on a budget and don't need any of the specialized features--you won't be using it where it could fall several feet to a hard surface or fall in water, you could go with something cheaper.Take this review with several grains of salt, as I still prefer wired speakers or a larger boom box sound, and so maybe I am not on the same page as some of the other reviewers, who seem to really like this one.Update: 4.29.16I really do like this speakerIt's holding up beautifully--it handles being used outside by the spa and in the garden--you can lightly rinse it off.The sound is great compared to other wireless, blue-tooth speakersFIND IT ON SALE--it it was on sale for me near the holidays.

So far so good, these speakers sound okay. It was easy to pair to my iPhone 5s, and I'm sure it can pair even easier with the newer smart phones out there. The controls are as basic as it gets. Hold the power button until it announces that it is now turned on and paired, hold again until it announces that it is powering down, or let it sit without a signal and it powers off by itself. The chassis is obviously incredibly durable, and so far it has survived the elements wonderfully (just make sure the rubber seal by the charging port is in place). The Altec Lansing commercials have been convincing enough, this is as close to invincible as a speaker can get. The only issue I have found was that the signal became choppy and the song cut out when my phone was too far away. Honestly, the connectivity range is pretty short. That might just be the media device, but anyway, I like the durability and it is perfect for the outdoorsman who will not have to worry about the speaker breaking.

To Altec - I am stumped on what rating to provide. I really want to like this speaker. I wouldn't call myself an audiophile but because i lack the technical mumbo jumbo but I can say I love good quality sound. I have very nice home theater and I have all aftermarket equipment in my vehicle... Point Being... I am Picky with my sound. Wife thinks i am ridiculous but that's another story. I bought this last week to take on our family vacation to the beach. (I am hoping for a response from Altec that instructs me to download a Firmware update to remedy some of these issues just as Fugoo has done) Here are my thoughts: ** The Good - The RUGGEDNESS is great! Drop/Water/Sand/Mud Proof is really nice. The sound quality is really good when in a quiet room. The speaker isn't omni-directional but i knew that before i bought it. I am currently running the EQ a little flat with a slight curve up towards the highs. Once again... Sound quality is great (relative to size) when there is not a lot of background noise. However, i bought the speaker to be used outdoors in social settings, not a quite romantic dinner. This brings me to the Bad - Unless the speaker was within 6-7 feet in front of me at the beach, the volume was so low i could barely understand the lyrics. I would love (need) more volume. I am aware of the size of the speaker and am taking that into consideration. My Jawbone BIG Jambox isn't much bigger than my Life Jacket but the volume is so much louder. Of course the jambox isn't rugged at all! I REALLY dislike the woman's voice screaming at me at full volume telling me the Unit is 'Powering On/Powering Off/Connected' etc. Why does she have to be so loud? Connectivity is poor. i would loose connection if (iphone5) was not in direct line of sight and within 8 or 9 feet. i couldn't set the phone behind me and place the speaker in front of me or it would lose connection. As i am sitting here writing this i have the speaker hooked up to my laptop using the 3.5 AUX cable and although i am listening to iTunes through the speaker, the speaker has powered off twice (i type slow). If i am using the speaker, why is it powering off? I haven't tried the charging USB, i didn't attempt to submerge or verify it floats. I just sat the unit in the sand in front of me with little care that my family couldn't hear the speaker because i was pointing it directly at ME! Yes, i was a little selfish. I even constructed a little ampitheater in the sand and placed the speaker directly in the middle in hopes to get a little more volume (yes i know i am a dork).Summary - This little thing has HUGE amounts of potential! I am not cursing it although i picked out more negative than positive. Really, it's supposed to be rugged/loud/ and sound good! I am just one voice but my suggestion for a firmware is the following: Please provide for greater volume without loosing clarity and introducing distortion (like Fugoo (much more expensive)) - Lower the woman's voice to a whisper! PLEASE! She doesn't need to be yelling! - Connectivity, you're smarter than me, figure out a way to strengthen the connectivity. - While using AUX chord and listening to music via laptop, the unit should NOT be powering off.*** UPDATED - Customer service responded to me personally and very promptly. For that alone i give the unit one additional star. If and when they follow through, I will revise the rating again. In Short - it sounds as if my unit might not be up to standards. Unit should not turn itself off when playing, the connectivity is supposed to be MUCH stronger, and shouldn't have any volume issues. Regarding the volume of the womans voice - it will always match the volume of the speaker. It was recommended to lower volume of speaker before shutting off to control the volume of the womans voice during initial Pairing or Start Up...

Nice to have some music anywhere you want without worrying about it getting a bit damp. Sound is certainly good enough for the size and price.