JBL On Stage Micro Portable Speaker Dock for iPod (Black)
by Harman Kardon
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List Price: Our Price: $79.99 You Save: $19.96 (20%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $30.01 (click here) Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of JBL On Stage Micro Portable Speaker Dock for iPod (Black)
Customer Review: Best Bang for Your Buck
Summary: 4 Stars
The On Stage Micro is great for it's price point! I bought this before going on a month-long business trip to Europe. To date it has exceeded all expectations, both as speakers for my iPod and as external speakers for my laptop.
Pros: 1) This unit puts out very good sound for its size. It had no problem filling my hotel room. 2) It's size (6" dia x 1.5") travels very well. It is the perfect size to use as a base to make your iPod a travel alarm clock.
3) You can have both the iPod playing and have a laptop hooked to its mini-plug input at the same time and get sound from both. The remote works well, even with my iPod touch (Gen 2).
Cons: 1) Needs an EQ tweak. It's a bit heavy on the bass which can make the sounds muddy at times. 2) The speakers will begin to distort well before max volume is reached. I personally don't think louder is better if the speakers begin to sound poorly.
Customer Review: Muddy and distorted sound at any volume
Summary: 1 Stars
I returned this item the day after pulling it out of the box because the sound was muddy and distorted at any volume. This review is 1-star for the product, but I'm still 5-stars on Amazon service and return policies. I don't expect small speakers to be great, but this was ridiculous. It was so bad that this unit must have been defective because other reviewers talk about "crisp" sound. I have the older bigger "donut" JBL SoundStage and love it, but it does not charge my newer iPods and can't run on batteries. BTW, this one did come with an AC power cord.
I ordered this as a refurbished unit from Warehouse Deals fully aware that it was not in totally new conditions. That's the seller name that Amazon uses to handle products it can't sell as new because of damaged packaging or if they've been returned. I hope they throw this particular unit in the trash and not send it out again to someone else.
Customer Review: Sounds incredible with a little help.
Summary: 4 Stars
My wife got one for her iPod. The JBL interfaces perfectly with the iPod and right out of the box the sound was better than expected. Lots of presence for such tiny speakers. Here's a trick we found out: Don't place the JBL directly on a hard surface, such as a desk top. You get too much reflection of the treble, and weak bass. Just place it on something that's a little sound absorbent: upside down mousepad, placemat, etc. Just not too soft like a towel, it should have a fairly flat surface because the unit does rely on some reflectivity from the base. Anyway, it clears up the bass and softens the treble noticeably. Placed in that manner, this thing produces sound quality well beyond what's expected from such a small, inexpensive unit. A lot of great audio names have been bought out and now produce junk (Altec-Lansing, Fisher, etc) so it's great to see JBL is still designing superior products.Customer Review: Suprisingly good sound
Summary: 4 Stars
I spent hours researching this thing and read every review on Amazon. The upshot: the sound is quite good, better than i was expecting, definitely fills a room. It can get pretty loud - a reviewer said she was worried about her neighbors, and she's right, this can definitely reach neighbor-bothering levels (assuming you live in an apartment).
Probably if you're looking in this price range you're not an audiophile, and you shouldn't be expecting amazing bass. It's decent enough, definitely, especially considering how tiny, stylish, and portable this unit is. The bass is adequate, but will certainly not blow doors off when you pump your gangsta rap.
I was able to find it for $50, and you should be too, just takes a little elbow grease. For that price, this itty-bitty guy packs impressive volume and sound quality, but don't expect it to sound like a $400 Bose.
Customer Review: It's okay for the way I use it...
Summary: 3 Stars
I wanted a small ipod (I have a 4th gen Nano) speaker dock for my kitchen and for that purpose, this is fine. I do have several complaints that I saw mentioned in other reviews. One, there's some annoying sound distortion in songs that are heavier on the bass or where the singer has a lower voice. Two, sometimes my iPod charges while docked, and sometimes it doesn't. I can't figure out what to do to get it to charge every time I dock it. I have no problems getting it fully "seated" onto the connector, so that is not the problem. I do like that the sound is good enough for my kitchen, and it has a small enough footprint that it doesn't take up much counter space.
I bought the version of this speaker in black, for about forty bucks less than the color versions. I'm happy enough with it for what I paid, but I would be much less so if I'd paid more for one of these in a color.