Review: Altec Lansing Bluetooth Soundblade

Of the many additions to cell phones through the years, one of the best things has been the adding of the ability to carry around music and make it as accessible as any iPod or Zune. But unlike MP3 players, we also expect to be able to take calls and listen to tunes without having wires trailing all over the place. Which is where Bluetooth technology came by, bridging the gap between the cell and the headset. But all that changes once you get home, since then you either have to keep the headset on or do without. Or go one better by getting Altec Lansing’s SoundBlade: which surprises not just because its small 1” thick flat-panel design accommodates a speakerphone and Bluetooth electronics, but because of the impressive quality of the two custom designed full-range speakers that have been folded inside.

The glossy black look is complimented by a dark grey grill (why it says “inMotion” on the front and “inMotion SoundBlade” on the back is a mystery), and stands courtesy of a back panel that flips down to reveal the AC plug and a mini-input for an MP3 player, etc. Where the Bluetooth comes into play is to pair the cell phone with the ‘Blade to stream music to it. And since there’s a built-in mic, it also functions as a speakerphone; answering, rejecting calls and dialing out.

But for all this to work, the Bluetooth syncing has to be easy and kick in every time the cell phone comes into range – which is a pretty short distance, as in about a foot away, but closer is better. Small icons on the ‘Blade light up during the sync, with a Blue/Red indicator light flashing in conjunction with beeps as you push buttons and then select Bluetooth activation on the phone (remember to choose stereo headset and hands-free settings). Once this was done, I was able to hear callers on the SoundBlade with a lot more detail than holding the phone to my ear. Everyone I had spoken with said that my voice came through without any distracting echoes. And playing music was as simple as pressing a few buttons on the ‘Blade (you can pause as well as move forwards/backwards through a playlist).

But how does the music sound, you ask? Really good is the answer. Altec makes some pretty fine speakers and I can’t fault the ones here: the sound was clear and with a power all out of proportion to their size and amplification. Of course the level of compression of the MP3 music plays a part, but even so the vocals were clean and crisp, and with a surprising stereo separation. Add to that a bass response that, even though it’s enhanced through SRS TruBass, got a thumbs-up. I also tried connecting a portable CD player directly to the SoundBlade and the quality of the sound reproduction was quite dynamic. And let me add that I never heard any of the static or hum that some speakers are prone to if they’re not properly shielded against the interference that cell phones put out.

Taking the SoundBlade with you is easy enough (the AC plug’s tiny too), and even using it in a car isn’t such a stretch. Of course portability has a price – in this case a whole mess of ‘AA’ batteries to fill two compartments in the back – but you can get up to a day’s use (if continuous) which is pretty reasonable, and of course you probably won’t be leaving it on all the time anyway. Altec even tosses in a drawstring pouch. Being freed from wires when listening to music at home is a big plus, but all of the BT tech wouldn’t mean jack if there wasn’t such a powerful soundstage for the music. Make no mistake – it’s the speakers that make the SoundBlade worth having.