Looking at the rear of iM414 you can see the power connector that states it needs a 5Volt DC power source which is included with the unit.  Next to it is the Auxiliary hookup that we spoke about earlier.  At the bottom you can see the slide out panel where you can install three AA batteries so you can use this device without electricity which a cool extra feature.

Here is power transformer that will supply the voltage to the iM414, with the 115 volts AC that enters the power transformer the voltage is filtered and regulated so that what leaves is 5 volts.  The transformer states that it is rated at 600ma, which is slightly over 1/2 amp.

Testing and Conclusion

Our test was done in a very unscientific manner, but I think it give a pretty good indication of the quality of the device.  Here is how it was done,  The Altec Lansing iM414 was set on a table next to a Bose Wave Radio, the test subjects which was composed of my wife, son and myself were seated in a chair approximately 6-feet from the radios with the back turned towards them. 

Our first test was a comparison of the playback quality of the FM radio.  We set both device to the same stations and checked to insure the reception was as close as possible to each other.  The type of radio stations we used for the test are Christian easy listening, Heavy Metal, and Classical.  Here is how the test end up.

The second test was find out how well the Zune sounded played back through the iM414.  To try and duplicate this same setting using the Bose I connected the Zune to the Auxiliary jack on the Bose Wave Radio.  The country music we listened to was Big and Riches newest album, the pop music was the Grammy hit from 2007 and the Classic 70's was Cher's Greatest hits.

Surprisingly the results came out the same on this test, I am beginning to believe that my son is capable of hearing a wider range of music than either my wife or I are capable due to our ages compared to his. This inadequacy does bode well for the Altec Lansing iM414, since in our official test it came out the winner.

The overall quality, sound reproduction make this a perfect device to have if you wish to add another dimension to your Zune player.  Altec Lansing makes a number of these devices including ones for the iPod so you will definitely want to check out their selection.  Combine this with the fact that the iM414 can be used with the wall plug-in or the concealed battery pack and it just makes the unit more desirable.  Perhaps the best thing is the fact that at $99.95 this unit is far cheaper than similar models for the over-priced iPod.

A special thanks to Altec Lansing who provided this sample,
and big shout out to Kim F. who helped coordinate this review.