Inbox:Having a portable media player like an iPod is one of the perks of modern life. But when you want to share your music with others, the prospect of sharing earphones is much less appealing. That's why I went in search of the perfect set of (affordable) mobile speakers, writes Mike Butcher.
The original Nokia Mini Speakers MD-6 are still among the best in their class. This pocket-sized speaker system has a full sound and takes four AAA batteries. It has a cable that tucks away neatly and Nokia claims it will play music for up to 27 hours. A bonus is the built-in FM radio antenna.
Nokia also offers the Mini Speakers MD-4. These are possibly the smallest speakers I've seen, and they are also among the best for sound. The compact stereo speakers have high-quality audio and take four AAA batteries.
The Sound Efinity S200 Mini Speakers are small, compact and better than average for bass tones.
You can either use AAA batteries or a USB plug, which is handy if you want to hook the speakers up to your laptop. They also have their own volume control.
IMainGo's speakers are a clever take on the speaker system, interfacing with an iPod but also enfolding it inside protective zip case. A clear plastic back panel also lets you control your iPod without unzipping it from its enclosure.
The sound is passable and the four AAA batteries give the speakers up to 30 hours of life.
The Tripod portable speakers have a cleverly designed three-way system that folds down into a neat little unit and runs off just two AAA batteries.
The speakers can be used with most standard MP3 players, but I wasn't blown away by the sound.
The iStuff Companion speakers deliver a decent 800 milliwatts of sound from dual 50mm speakers for the relatively cheap price of about €18. But here's the knock-out punch: unusually, the iStuff speakers require no batteries at all and, like most speakers in this class, can be used with any device that has a 3.5mm headphone jack output. Not having to worry about batteries is a bonus with anything portable.
So the iStuff Companion speakers and the neat Nokia Mini Speakers MD-4 turned out to be my picks for portable sound. Happy travelling.
