Altec Lansing traces its history back to 1927 when audio was first introduced in motion pictures with the release of The Jazz Singer. The technology required was developed by the engineers over at AT&T’s Western Electric, who later went on to form Altec Lansing.
Currently owned by the Infinity Group, Altec Lansing started off with the production of loudspeakers and is today is a leading manufacturer of home and professional audio devices.
Altec Lansing is no stranger to the Bluetooth speaker market having previously launched the Orbit, Soundblade, XLSoundblade, XL Jacket and Jacket.
After 3 weeks of using Altec’s newest offering, the rugged and classy, Life Jacket , it can easily be recommended as your BEST bet among speakers within the $100 range.
Clad in a soft rubber outer jacket which makes it shock proof, the top of the speakers contains the “NFC wireless check-in” and 3 bold buttons-power, volume up and down, while the rest needs to be controlled directly from the device. The rear of 2”x6” speaker has a micro USB jack, a 3.5mm Aux-in jack, and a full USB jack, all covered by a rubber flap to protect them against dust and water.
Pros:
- Super durable: water/shock/dust proof
- Super connectivity (NFC pairing and 3.5 mm aux jack). Can remember upto eight devices so you don’t have to unpair one device to connect another.
- Wireless call answering with voice confirmation, caller id (announced by the speaker!) and speakerphone. Also, there’s no need to disconnect while taking calls. Compatible with Android, Blackberry and Apple devices.
- Great sound compared to Cambridge, Jawbone and Dre Pill rivals which even cost a tad more. Crisp and clear audio almost at all volumes. Good, deep bass with very little distortion at high volumes. The aptX sound coding provides excellent CD quality sound over the limited bandwidth allowed by wireless sound.
- Not only does it charge conveniently, but the 2 Li-ion batteries and in-built USB ports allow you to actually charge your phone or camera—from the speaker!
Cons:
- No handle or clip.
All in all, these speakers are pretty perfect.
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