When I saw the i2i Folding Portable Speakers in the Aerielle booth at Macworld Expo my first thought was, "how cute... kind of like stereo speakers only smaller." 

They even looked like little stereo speakers from the backside:

And I thought the way they folded up for transport was pretty clever, too. 

Other niceties included four AAA batteries, a velveteen drawstring carry pouch, and a 3.5mm to 2.5mm converter cable for those unfortunate enough to have non-Apple audio players or phones.   

But (you know there's always a "but")...

While the sound quality certainly doesn't suck, it's not so great either. I think if I hadn't just reviewed the Altec Lansing Orbit MP3 speaker (here) and that speaker wasn't sitting on my desk and making it ever-so-easy to compare the two, I might have thought the i2i Folding Portable Speakers were OK. Not great but OK. Alas, when I listen to them side-by-side, it's glaringly obvious that the i2i doesn't compare with the low and lower midrange response of the Altec Lansing  speaker. 

That said, the high-mid and high-end response of the i2i Folding Portable Speakers was quite nice. But, at least to my ear, because there were barely any lower frequencies coming out, the i2i speakers sounded thin and more than a little "tinny." 

To be sure it wasn't just my personal bias, I conducted a little A/B test for my wife, my son, and a couple of friends... and every single one preferred the Altec Lansing speaker, using words like "fuller," "more realistic," and "punchier."

One thing to consider is that this is a true stereo speaker system and the Altec Lansing is not. On the other hand, with the speakers permanently connected with less than three inches between them, the i2i's don't really offer much separation anyway.  

Finally, the Altec Lansing Orbit MP3 claims a single set of three AAA batteries will last up to 24-hours; the i2i claims that its four AAA batteries will power the system for just 5 hours.

One last thing: Although this system lists for $39.95 I just saw it on Amazon.com for $30.78 with free shipping. 

The Bottom Line

Unless you don't much care for lower frequencies or absolutely love the design of the i2i Folding Portable Speakers, you'd probably be better off with the Altec Lansing Orbit MP3 for around the same price.