Altec Lansing Orbit Stereo Speakers Review

Design & Build Quality
Out of the box, the Orbit looks very reminiscent of the Logitech Z305, sharing the same sound-bar design. However, these speakers are much more than meets the eye, as a simple twist separates the two speakers and reveal the cabling needed for connectivity. Thankfully, Altec Lansing remembered to include metal foldable stands on each of the speaker, and have small rubber grommets to ensure stability. However, on the slightly negative side, that is pretty much the only parts of theses speakers that is metal. Although the plastic housing is made out of very thick and durable ABS, they are styled to look metallic. I would have preferred it to be actual metal for a better sense of solidarity, but for the asking price I can't be too picky.

Attached together, the Altec Lansing Orbit USB is similar in size to two stacked 355 ml pop cans together. In comparison with the Z305, it is considerably stubbier, but only weighs a tid bit more. This warrants great portability as it can be stuffed into a backpack without any problems, and the weight shouldn't be more noticeable than a bottle of water.

Here's a pile of cables. And Orbit has no retractable cables.

After separating the two speaker units, the USB connector and 3.5mm interconnection cable can be found wrapped in storage compartments in the right and left speaker housings respectively. This is a superb configuration to bring to a pair of highly portable speakers, as the left and right units can be replaced independently if lost or broken. However, this does reveal a flaw in the functionality of the Orbit USB speakers, as it lacks the diverse functionality found on the Z305. While the Logitech features headphone out and on-unit volume controls, the Orbit is restricted to its only function as to being USB speakers. It also means you won't be able to connect the Orbit to an iPod or any other sources with 3.5mm headphone jack. Now, let's see how they perform.