iMainGo XP: Big, portable sound for your iPad 2

The iMainGo XP delivers big sound on the go for your iPad. With a clever design and relatively easy setup, the iMainGo XP is a great accessory for enjoying entertainment on vacations, picnics in the park, or even adding sound to portable business presentations.

The good

Using Portable Sound Laboratory's sx149 digital music amplifier and four 38mm titanium-coned neodymium high-output speakers pumping out 10 total channel watts, the iMainGo XP's sound is perhaps surprisingly big and vibrant. It is easy to fill any space in the house, your hotel room, or a good radius at the park.

The rechargeable lithium ion battery makes it easy to keep your iMainGo XP charged and ready to rock out and you can expect around 8 hours of playback, even at high volume. The system also has two headphone jacks in case more than one user needs a more subtle sound approach.

The iMainGo XP fits both the iPad 2 and the original iPad. It accomplishes this by including a snap-on plastic backing for your iPad 2 that makes up for the case differences between the iPad 2 and the iPad. The fit on my iPad 2 is snug and secure. Standing it up on its side (using the speakers as feet) or the included robot arm stand works great.

All the buttons and ports are still accessible on the iPad while it sits in the case. The iMainGo XP uses the headphone jack to extract the iPad's audio, which leaves the 30-pin dock connector available to be plugged in to power or synced while in use--a nice feature.

The bad

There is not much to say in the negative about the iMainGo XP, though some of the design choices are a bit odd. The slide-to-lock feature that keeps the speakers folded against the case can be tricky to maneuver. And, the speakers have to be folded at the same time in order to lay flat and be locked down if you're leaving your iPad in the case, but these are minor issues.

Overall

If you're looking for a portable sound solution for your iPad, the iMainGo XP is a great accessory. The audio quality is above average for a portable speaker system and the battery life is more than reasonable for the level of sound it produces. You can order the iMainGo XP directly from Portable Sound Laboratories for $119.95.