JBL - Onstage Docking Station for iPod Review

A few years back when I was looking for some external speakers for my iPod, I looked high and low for a compact set that would not take up too much space on my nightstand. The JBL OnStage iPod Speakers fit the bill. They are relatively small with a low profile, recharge my 4th gen Apple iPod and had great reviews all over the web. I was not looking for roomfilling sound, which the JBL OnStage does not deliver (noise - yes, great sound - no), but as bedside speakers, they work just fine. I even use my iPod as an alarm clock!

I should note that being a dad with small children, I was looking for a unit where the speakers were protected from probing curious fingers. The JBL OnStage fit the bill wonderfully on that front - the four drivers are covered in a non-removable steel screen.

In a pinch, I've even used the OnStage as external speakers with my laptop (there is an aux in on the back of the donut). Come to think of it,if you use the OnStage as external speakers with a computer, you can hook-up the iPod sync cable to the back of the unit and use the OnStage as a dock to sync with iTunes.

Perhaps the features that I like best are the aesthetics and simplicy of the JBL OnStage Speakers. The are only three controls on the unit: volume up, volume down and the power button. The volume buttons are touch controls that do not move. In two years that I have had the unit they have performed without a hitch.

Sonically the JBL OnStage Speakers neither blow you away nor desparingly underwhelm. The sound is on the bright side without a significant floor. I had to play with my iPod's equalizer settings to get a more balanced sound of the speakers. I also wish the power transformer was built into the donut instead of having to deal with another wall wart.

The latest version of the OnStage (OnStage II) comes with a remote control. It would be interesting to compare the my version of the OnStage with its latest incarnation to see if the engineers at JBL managed to get better sound out of the unit.

The current versions also come in black. There is also a "micro" version of the OnStage. The unit comes with a number of dock adapters that fit the various versions of the iPod.

Overall, for the money ($130), I was expecting better performance, though I haven't come across another external speaker with the form factor of the JBL OnStage that could match or exceed its sound. Design and usability get 5 stars, it's the sound quality that drags down the overall star rating.