3. JBL On Stage II: But Is Design Its Only Strength?

• AudioStation for iPod
• • Surplus Inventory
  • $94.99

A beautiful little dock

JBL knows design, which shows in its iPod dock design. This compact, round unit will easily find a place in your home. With its remote control, which lets you navigate in the iPod’s menus, the device is very simple to use. However, the volume control buttons leave something to be desired from the standpoint of ergonomics. They’re too sensitive, and controlling the volume turns into a bit of a game of chance.

Compact but sedentary

Despite its small size, you won’t be able to take the JBL On Stage II with you when you’re on the go. The system operates only on AC power. That’s a shame, because it’s one of the most compact iPod docks we tested, and it would seem logical for it to have been designed with nomadic use in mind. The dock is universal, with a 3.5 mm jack for plugging in any compatible audio source.

Less-than-ideal sound quality

As you might expect, this model has very limited sound quality. But given the small size of its four speakers, that’s not a surprise. The bass is crackly and the highs are weak. On the other hand, this system has fairly impressive power for its size.