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Review: Altec's Orbit Stereo USB PC speakers

While the sound quality of the Altec Lansing Orbit Stereo speakers isn't likely to blow you away, the travel-friendly and affordable USB speakers do sound significantly better than the internal audio found on most laptops.

David Carnoy Executive Editor / Reviews
Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.
Expertise Mobile accessories and portable audio, including headphones, earbuds and speakers Credentials
  • Maggie Award for Best Regularly Featured Web Column/Consumer
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David Carnoy
Altec's $49.99 IML247 Orbit USB Stereo speakers are travel friendly. Altec Lansing

Altec Lansing already offered a single housing monaural speaker in its Orbit line of portable speakers. But now it's doubled up with the latest model, the Orbit Stereo--a pair of USB-powered speakers that snap together into one long tube when not in use, so you can tuck them into a suitcase or laptop bag.

While the IML247 Orbit Stereo speakers aren't tiny, they are fairly lightweight, weighing 12.8 ounces, and you don't have to carry around any sort of extra power adapter. They also cost an affordable $49.99, which is $15 to $30 more than what you'd pay for the mono Orbit USB speakers.

If you're looking for something truly compact that sounds OK and puts out more sound than your typical laptop speakers, those single-speaker USB Orbits may be your better bet. But if you want a bit more punch to your presentations (or travel entertainment) and true stereo for watching movies or music in your hotel room (or wherever), the Orbit Stereo is the way to go.

Read the full review.