Altec Lansing inAir 5000

Altec Lansing has decided to jump on the bandwagon by launching its own high-end AirPlay speaker. Conceived primarily for wireless playback via iOS, the inAir 5000 nevertheless has the potential to become a much more open product by allowing playback from any computer (Mac or PC), as long as it's running iTunes or a solution such as the versatile Airfoil.

Design: Tear Drop Shape

At nearly 50 cm wide, 20 cm tall and almost just as deep, the inAir 5000 is no half-measure kind of device with as bold a design as the now-classic Zeppelin. Its tear drop shape is not exactly of the most common.

To keep the facade as minimalist as possible, all the controls and ports have been moved to the sides and back of the speaker. This is counter-intuitive at first, but it doesn't take long to get a hang of. The volume is on the right; the source controls, ports and auxiliary device inputs/outputs are on the left; and the everything else is in the back. If needed, the speaker can connect online via Ethernet. The inAir 5000 doesn't have an actual dock, but there is a dedicated USB connector (cable included).

It comes with a rather spartan, yet aesthetically-pleasing remote control (see inset), and there's an iOS app for remotely activating the equalisers, although you don't need it to otherwise use and control the speaker from your smartphone, tablet or computer.

Audio: Full Sound

The audio components are fairly classic, as iOS docking stations go: it has a boomer and tweeter for each stereo channel and one woofer for both. Usually, that's enough to get a balanced sound without sacrificing stereo rendering or room coverage. Whether or not that's the case is here what we're about to investigate...

Despite the occasional 10 dB variations between frequencies, the inAir 5000 has a good-quality and fairly well-balanced audio rendering. The bass is strong and punchy, without too much drag on the bass. The impacts are swift and clean, and never give off that strange sensation of reverberation often found in this range. But beware of close walls: the lows can quickly become intrusive, depending on the shape of the room. If that happens, just move the speaker a few centimetres away to correct the angle.

The mids are just as present and well rendered. Here there's nothing to complain about. The highs are also present and precise. But watch out when you turn up the volume, because the highs have a tendency to move to the foreground and become a bit aggressive. But it's nothing overly dramatic. The stereo rendering becomes a bit spotty in the 1- to 10-kHz range, but again, this doesn't particularly degrade the overall sound.


Even with the slightly buldged facade, it's a far cry from the broad-open angle of the Zeppelin or some of Philips' two-speaker kits. You sense the limits of the unibody structure at times, but the coverage should be just right for a medium-sized room.

In sum, this is a return to the big-time for Altec, which has nothing to envy of the competition. The only major flaws are the same ones you find with all high-end docking stations: they will never replace a hi-fi stereo system. But that's a choice for the consumer to make.