Logitech announced today their first speaker system designed specifically for the iPod, the portable mm22. The mm22 offers stereo sound via four (2 left, 2 right) neodymium microdrivers which the company says produce rich, smooth sound with tremendous depth for their size.
Although the system doesn’t provide the familiar iPod dock base—you connect your iPod via its headphone jack—it does include cradles in three different sizes which accommodates any size iPod except the iPod shuffle. (The iPod shuffle, as well as any other portable player with a 1/8” headphone jack, can still be used with the mm22; these players just may not fit in the included cradles.) Logitech also includes two audio cables: a 10-inch cable for connecting your iPod or other portable player, and a 24-inch cable for connecting the system to a desktop or laptop computer. The mm22 can be powered either by batteries or via an included international (110V–240V) AC adapter, and an included hardcover carrying case holds the speakers, AC adapter, cables, and your iPod.
Ray Weikel, Director of Product Marketing for Logitech’s Audio Business Unit, said, “Other portable speakers on the market are either very expensive or sound like an old clock radio. Logitech developed the mm22 portable speakers to provide people with a compelling mid-range product that combines quality and an affordable price.”
At 9.8 x 5.9 x 2.0 inches and only 12 ounces (including batteries), the mm22 appears to be a direct competitor to Altec Lansing’s inMotion systems. With an MSRP of $79.99, the mm22 fills a gap in the portable iPod speaker market, where most competing products list for $100 or more. The system will be available in the U.S. and Europe at the end of March.