Having recently launched myself for the first time into the world of iPod, I thought I would share my non-technical opinion of the set of JBL speakers I purchased to go with it. These speakers are available from the apple online store, for $179 (!) or from Ebay, where I paid $35 for a brand new, shrinkwrapped set including postage. Amazing! The going rate seems to be $30-50 for a new set there, though don't expect to see the promised warranty!
The
JBL On Tour Music Box is a small, portable speaker set designed to be carried on the go with your iPod or laptop. It is powered by 4 AAA batteries, or by a provided AC adapter. The batteries last a good long while so using rechargeables is a handy option. The build quality of the set seems a little flimsy to me, mainly the sliding lid seems fragile. I did also manage to snap the catch on the battery compartment when opening it for the first time, but the compartment stays shut without it.
The unit measures about 22cm by 10 by 4 high, and is very compact and light. It comes with a little drawstring bag to protect it. The speakers have a slide out cover which forms a stand for them - very nifty. They are available in black or white. I was surprised when I saw the unit, by its compact size, and was somewhat disappointed, before I turned them on, not expecting much sound from them.
Plugging them in requires opening the unit, and placing the normal small stereo minijack in the back. This is a little fiddly, and you have to remove the jack when you want to close the cover. My set also came with a set of 4 "rock plugs" which allow you to use the speaker with several mobile phones. The speaker does not act as a dock/charger for the iPod.
The sound from this tiny box just about blew me away! My initial reaction was, WOW! How do they do that? It was quite loud, rich and and well rounded for such a small set. A little tinny in the upper treble, but this was taken care of by fiddling with the equaliser in iTunes on my MBP. Unfortunately the presets on the iPod don't allow for the same customisation and so result in a slightly less balanced tone. The documentation states they are acoustically designed to use a hard surface to maximise the sound and this is indeed the case. They use twin drivers for the technically minded but and output 3 watts per channel. The two speakers are very close together, so stereo effect is not great but OK. More technical than that I cannot get, I'm afraid.
The volume levels are suitable for a good sized single room. Not rave party material but adequate for most of my needs as a classroom music teacher. In a hall I would need a better setup. The only fault I had with the sound was when playing soft classical music. The soft strings were not picked up very loudly in the quietest parts of the music.
Overall I find these speakers madly overpriced on the apple store, but at $35 - $50 they represent a fantastic buy - by far the best quality portable for that price, and incredibly handy. I am pleased with my purchase.
