If you believe the saying that you get what you pay for - then you certainly should not expect much from this pair of folding speakers from Inspire (about $2 on Amazon). However, you may be pleasantly surprised how much power this little device has.

Of course, you should not expect to be able to crank it up really loud, but the overall sound quality is really decent for such a little speaker. It folds up nicely too to fit into your purse, bag, or picket.

“OK, so you want to play your two hundred dollar iPod to someone on the move. These little speakers will surprise you, as you take them out of your pack, unfold the unique design, plug in your iPod (or whatever sound device, it has a standard mini-plug), and bang! you have a sound system. So, it doesn’t rival the quality of my 34 speaker six amp system at home. But it is surprising how well these little guys do sound. A steal at six bucks. Everyone I’ve used them on has been very impressed. A plus is that they are amplified speakers, so you don’t get the “barely there” sound of passive speakers out of an iPod. They run off a standard USB port for power, I use my iPod power adapter, which was a mistake, as I have to decide which batteries to run down if I use it for music at night (I sleep better with music playing). I would suggest going ahead and getting the inexpensive power adapter, that way you could keep the iPod charged even as you listened to powered speakers.

Most of the time, I use them at a friend’s house, and depend on the four AAA batteries that will run this puppy for some time, even at louder volume levels.

True audiophiles may put these down, but for the average person who’s best sound system is in thier car, they work great. I would give it five stars, except for the lack of bundling both the USB cord and power supply, and because it really will let you down for the low frequencies. It is not a true audiophile speaker system. It is, for the price, one of the best deals on external iPod speakers. (again, it will work with any device with a standard mini-jack, I only use iPod as a term for generic MP3/CD/DVD/Laptop etc.)

These probably are better speakers than are found in most laptop computers, so they are a good choice for that use as well. The cord is a bit short, even for an iPod, it just barely stretches out enough to get to the top of the iPod. This is because of the ingenious storage system: the cable wraps around the battery/amplifier case and locks in place with a small tab on the jack.

I’ve seen the same speakers in systems that cost five times what this one does, which was $5.88 plus tax and shipping, so it came to around ten bucks in the end.

What it isn’t: A high end audio system.

What it is: An impressive device that is a great design for portable audio. Sounds bigger than it is, you probably won’t have to turn it all the way up. Rugged enough to be tossed about in a backpack. (I do sometimes wish it weren’t as chunky folded up, but this design easily protects the speakers. Too big to carry in a pocket, you’ll need some kind of bag to carry these everywhere, like I do. You’ll hear more on the standard iPod earbuds, but at least you can share your music, and most people I play it for couldn’t tell a high end audio system from a tin can, so for the money, it’s really all you need.”

Amazon.com: Inspire Universal Black Folding speakers for ALL iPod, Zune, Zen, Sansa and more: Unknown: Electronics

The bottom line is this: These are great little speakers at a bargain basement price.

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I cannot help it - I just have to include this review of outrageously somewhat expensive Shure SE530 Sound Isolating Earphones ($449.99 on Amazon) - just so you know that this stuff exists.

If you’re passionate about audio, you deserve the legendary performance of Shure earphones. You know the saying “you get what you pay for” - and in this case it is so true. The sound quality is exeptional, the buds are sleek-liiking, and they feature a thick, durable cable.

Just read an excerpt from the CNET Reviews - it will tell you all that you need to know if you are shopping for top-of-the-line MP3 player headphones with unlimited budget:

“Of course, the star of the show with the Shure SE530s is sound quality, which we expect to be stellar in a $500 pair of earphones. These ‘buds definitely live up to their lofty price point. In fact, our listening tests inspired frequent bouts of desk dancing, much to the amusement of neighboring editors. The Shure SE530s sound fantastic, pure and simple, but where to begin? First, the ‘buds offer excellent passive-noise isolation, assuming you achieve a proper seal with the ear, which shouldn’t be a problem given the aforementioned array of fittings. The seal also allows for deep, tight bass response–it’s enveloping without being overwhelming, and there’s no distortion. The highs are sparkly, and music overall has impressive clarity–even during frantic hard rock riffs, we could pick out the varying sounds. Detail is certainly not lost to these ‘phones, either. You can even hear a chair squeak in the recording of Jamie Cullum’s “Photograph.”

Shure SE530 Sound Isolating Earphones Headphone reviews - CNET Reviews

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The idea of portable music has been around for a long time. First perfected by Sony’s legendary Walkman, then followed by the CD-based Discman, the current and best incarnation is the MP3 player. MP3 is simply an encoding method for music, which takes a CD-quality track and compresses it – at the cost of a small loss in quality – into a much, much smaller space. This makes it possible to record hundreds of tracks in the same amount of digital storage as a single CD-quality album.

Digital music has completely changed the way many people view hi-fi equipment, demanding that we re-think our preconceived ideas of size, shape, function and flexibility. The remarkable thing is that the biggest changes in this arena have been caused by one of the smallest devices: Apple’s iPod.

Harman Kardon Portable Speakers System with Dock for iPod

When considering external loudspeakers for an MP3 player, it’s tempting to imagine cheap little speakers connected through the earphone socket, producing tinny sound at barely audible volume. Well, that’s a very long way from reality. Since the size of the device now has little to do with the quality of music it stores, an iPod can in fact be used as the basis for an entire hi-fi system. Not only that, but it’ll play video, too.

With that in mind, there are a lot of options available to consumers. Starting at the lower end there’s the small speaker set designed for travel. These are generally very light and small, often fitting in the palm of a hand. They’re designed to use minimal power, so that they can run off four or six AAA batteries, but they usually come with a mains adaptor for use in hotel rooms or at home. Connection is via the headphone socket, though some work with Bluetooth as well. Most of these little systems have carrying pouches and pack away very neatly.

The Creative TravelSound range, for example, provides up to 30 hours of music from one set of batteries, at the cost of having very little bass. If quality is more important than battery life, there’s the Philips SBA290/05 which will run for around 10 hours, but gets consistently good reviews from buyers, most notably on the sound quality question. Combining battery life and sound quality is also possible – but it costs more. A good example is the JBL On Tour portable system which is frequently at the top of reviewers’ lists: small, light, 24 hours of play and sound that doesn’t distort even when it’s turned right up.

Altec Lansing iM207 Orbit-MP3 Speakers for iPod and MP3 Players

Around the middle of the range of available systems are larger speakers and docking stations which give much better quality sound and volume, but are less portable. They’re designed to be mains-powered, though at a push could be considered for battery-based use. Obviously, this kind of quality and flexibility comes at a price, with most systems costing two to three times as much as a purely portable system.

A great example in this range is Gear4’s Duo system: specifically designed as an iPod docking system, it comprises two speakers. Clipped together, they make a 38W system for home use on mains power. What’s clever is that one of the speakers recharges itself while plugged in, then detaches and becomes a portable, battery-powered 18W speaker for travel use.

At the other extreme, there are very high quality, powerful, non-portable docking stations: these are effectively hi-fi systems without any playback device. The iPod is inserted directly into the system (“docked”) and becomes the heart. Sound quality and volume can be truly impressive, much the same as with traditional systems.

Home-based docking stations range enormously in price. Toward the lower end are devices like the JBL Radio Micro: it adds powerful speakers, allows the connection of any stereo device via a standard headphone-sized jack, has an RCA output for video, a remote control and can charge a docked iPod.

Up at the other end of the spectrum are full-blown home stereos, like the JVC UX-DM9DB, a made-for-iPod system that contains not only a docking station, but a CD player, 500-track memory and DAB tuner.

JVC NXPS1 Audio System with iPod Connect

Regardless of which type of external speaker system interests you, it’s definitely worth doing a little research before a purchase: there are so many on the market – in every price range – that consumers are spoilt for choice.

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MP3 players have revolutionized the way that we listen to music today. They are compact, convenient, and affordable, so we no longer have to fumble about for bulky CD and cassette players. Since MP3 players typically do not come with speakers, people use headphones and earbuds to listen to their favorite tunes or audio books.

One disadvantage of using earbuds and headphones, especially when listening to loud music, is that it can hurt your ears if you do that on a regular basis. It also makes it difficult for you to concentrate on other sounds and tasks at the same time, such as participating in a conversation.

A pair of external speakers that you can attach to your MP3 is a useful accessory that may come in handy in these situations. Both portable and regular speakers allow you to share your music with your friends and family, while paying attention to other sounds – a conversation, a door bell, or a ringing phone.

External MP3 player speakers come in different sizes, shapes, and prices. You can choose between compact and lightweight portable speakers or large box type models that weight more than fifteen pounds. The bigger speakers will typically produce louder and better quality sound, so you’ll be able to enjoy your music in different parts of your home and yard.

Some speakers are powered by batteries, providing full mobility, others need to be plugged into an electric outlet. MP3 speakers also differ in terms of extra features. For example, some models come with an alarm clock, a radio (FM/AM), a remote control and a CD player. However, most people opt for MP3 player speakers that are just speakers.

Typically, MP3 player speakers can be attached to docking systems that also recharge the MP3 player batteries and which can also be connected to your computer.

Read more MP33 player and speaker reviews on MP3 player speaker site. Also read about portable MP3 speakers.

MP3 players don’t normally come with inbuilt speakers, but you can use portable speakers to get a great musical experience. The good thing is, you don’t need to disturb your neighbors when you are listening to songs, and you don’t need to buy costly systems for listening to quality music. These make even more sense in these economically turbulent times, when you can get good quality music at a much lower price and the whole system allows you to share songs with your family and friends in a convenient manner.

Before purchasing portable speakers for your MP3 player, you should take note of compatibility issues, i.e. make sure the speakers you are planning to buy are compatible with your MP3 player. If you are going to a store to buy your speakers, this isn’t generally such a problem, but if you plan to search for great deals online, then you certainly need to research them up before you buy them.

You should also determine where exactly you plan to use your portable speakers and from this you will address the issues of size and weight. Usually, you will have to make some a compromise between the quality, size and price of the speakers, so once you decide where you most need to use your player and speakers, you will be in a better position to make this decision. I recommend that you choose the best quality of speakers that you can afford and the biggest size that you see yourself comfortably carrying, and ensure the batteries last long enough when fully charged, according to your needs.

While searching for portable MP3 players, you should read some user written reviews about the product. In addition, you could take the advice of your friends who may have some positive or negative experiences to share about their speakers. Choosing a reputable brand is always recommend to ensure a great quality product. There are also great deals available online with many merchants using e-commerce to sell their goods. Check these out before you finally purchase your portable speakers.

Visit the MP3 Player Speaker Blog page to read more, including the previous post, MP3 Player Speakers: A Useful Accessory for Listening Convenience