The Altec Lansing Orbit MP3 portable speaker system is compact, stylish, reasonably priced, and nicely designed. But none of that would matter if it didn't also sound good. But it does, and, in fact, it sounds really good for its size (see picture below) and price (S.R.P. of less than $40). 

Here's how I evaluate small, inexpensive, portable speakers for iPods, iPhones, MP3 players, and/or notebook computers: 

The first and most important consideration is the sound. I don’t expect cheap portable speakers to sound as good as expensive desktop speakers or even more expensive portable speakers, but I do expect them to at least be listenable. If they aren't at least listenable nothing else matters. All the clever design features and nifty bonuses in the box (cables, adapters, batteries, cases, etc.) can't compensate for bad audio. 

On the other hand if they sound good -- and the Orbit definitely does -- then those thoughtful touches make them even better. In this case (pun intended), those extra touches include a sweet little nylon carrying case with carabiner clip (see picture below), nicely designed integrated storage on the bottom of the speaker for its built-in cable, and long battery life.  

My biggest (and really, my only) complaint is that the 8-inch integrated cable is a bit too short. I jerked the speaker off the table more than once while trying to answer a call or change songs. And while it would be nice if the speaker turned off automatically some time after you disconnect it from the audio source, I don't really expect a feature like that in such a small and inexpensive speaker. 

Speaking of price, although the Orbit lists for $39.95 I just saw it on Amazon.com for less than $30 with free shipping. 

Finally, while some might complain that this single speaker doesn't deliver true stereo sound, most portable systems with two separate speakers have the two speakers so close together that they don't provide true stereo anyway. Plus, because there are two of them, they almost always contain smaller drivers, which means worse mid-low and low frequency response than the Orbit MP3. Which is to say I think this speaker provides far better low-mid and low frequency sound than any of the other little portable "stereo" speakers I've heard.       

The Bottom Line

I don't know of any other sub-$40 portable speaker system that sounds as good as this one. And the nice carrying case with carabiner, good battery life, and cool design are like icing on the cake. If you're looking for a speaker in this price range, this is it.