Altec Lansing-T612 iPhone Speaker Dock

IMusic for the iEars

With the iPhone hysteria due to hit the region already, it's probably a good time to go into the accessories that you'll probably want for your spanking new phone. Seen here is Altec Lansing's T612, a iPhone speaker dock that's also compatible with your iPods and of course, the newest iPhone 3G.

IDock

Setting up was definitely easy to do, just plug in the power cable and the unit's good to go. There's no real need to assemble the dock for your iPhone as it already comes set up, though you will have to switch the dock connector around if you want to use either a iPod or the iPhone 3G (as the 3G is slightly thicker).
While the overall design is good to look at, the unit did have some stability problems as we found out when testing. Rest assured that it's not as bad as it sounds: the T612 won't topple over while you're using it, but it's still strange the unit wasn't actually lying flushed on our table top.

IUse
Using the T612 was definitely a simple affair, just plug in your iPhone or iPod, hit the play button and you're all done. Volume and track controls (limited to stop, play, forward and rewind) were conveniently located on top, and glowing blue LED indicator lights displayed the current settings. Bass and treble settings can also be adjusted using the same controls. The included remote control is basically a rehash of the controls found on the unit, and unfortunately doesn't offer any option to navigate the iPhone's more complex menu options. If you need to choose a different playlist or select a specific song, you'll have to walk over to the unit and manually interact with your iPhone or iPod.
IHear

Design and usability issues aside, the real crunch test of the T612 comes down to how well it handles music playback and we're glad to report on a job well done on Altec Lansing's part. If booming bass is your cup of tea, then the T612 will come with sugar added.

Even at the lowest volume, the bass was still audible and clear, though the middle setting for the bass sounded flat while the maximum setting was too "boomy". We found that a setting of four lights gave the best bass performance overall. Being designed for the iPhone, the T612 also comes magnetically shielded from the iPhone's signals and switches off when a call is detected. While this doesn't actually work that well seeing as how you'll have to walk over to physically answer the call, it's as optimal as can be, given the circumstances.

IBuy

Given its retail price of S$329 , the Altec Lansing T612 is a somewhat expensive product that does its job well, albeit with some minor flaws. If however, you have the spare cash and an urge to enjoy decent music playback via your iPhone, then the T612 may be that high-end digital music player for you.