First impressions: glossy, sleek and sexy
I love my iPhone, my iPod and music. I also love any self-contained amplification system that will free my precious playlists from the sonic prison of my earphones and launch them into the big wide world where they belong. In other words, I am a sucker for a sound dock, or, as JBL define it, “a portable music loudspeaker”. I have a Bose in the bedroom, an Intempo in the living room (super cool design, gets lots of “aaahs” at parties) and a Creative Labs ‘TravelSound’ in the kitchen … so when Leila asked me to do this review, I nearly bit her hand off, as I don’t, as yet, have a sound dock for the iPhone.
What’s in the Box?
- mains adapter
- dock adapters + identification chart
- remote control
- 3.5mm stereo jack for connecting external devices
- travel pouch
- instruction manual
The remote comes with basic functions – no treble or bass adjustment – and the ability to navigate menus, from the top level all the way down – a breeze, although I wasn’t too fussed about the feel of the remote’s controls, which were a little too rubbery for my liking and demanded to be firmly pressed under the thumb.
What’s on the Box?
Remote Control: basic functions + menu navigation
“… for iPhone … “. There it is, right at the top - “… for iPhone … “. It’s actually part of the product’s title, so you’d believe it to be the case … wouldn’t you?
Additionally, the box is covered in photos of the iPhone (not the iPod, I checked, the ‘Call’ icon is clearly displayed) duly positioned in the loudspeaker.
Working my way down the box, the device is described variably as a “Loudspeaker for iPhone …”; “Compatible with [the] iPhone …”; and “Works with the iPhone”.
It is not, apparently, made for the iPhone, as a list of gizmos for which it is made excludes the iPhone completely.
Missing from the box is any reference to the iPhone 3GS 32GB which implies it is a) neither “for”, “compatible with” or “works with” this unit; or b) that it could just be old packaging that needs updating – but that doesn’t seem plausible, as this loudspeaker is supposed to be a new model and the iPhone 3GS has been around for quite a while now.
Thankfully, it does refer to my model, the iPhone 3G 16GB, yet confusingly, the dock adapter guide only refers to the 1st Gen (4GB) and 2nd Gen (8GB) iPhones, which begs the question: will my iPhone even work with the dock adapter supplied? Hmm.
So where is this heading? Well, the second I insert my iPhone into the cradle on the appropriate dock adapter (fits, although a little too tightly for my liking) than my iPhone delivers the message (and I paraphrase) that this loudspeaker device is not [after all] compatible with the iPhone and would I like to turn on Airplane Mode to help with noise reduction?
For a new gizmo, it’s not the most auspicious of starts. To be honest, I think even JBL are confused as to what they have produced with this loudspeaker dock.
The iPod Classic (5G 80GB)
I tested the unit on a variety of genres to assess performance at different frequencies: Robbie Williams; Muse; Muddy Waters; Neil Diamond; Monteverdi
Ibiza? Pah! I have a IIIP ...
The amplification of this model iPod using the JBL On Stage IIIP was very impressive … so impressive, in fact, that I got quite carried away with my video review and, with a bit of editing, one video became two (the censored version and the uncensored version – more of this at the end of this review!). Robbie’s voice dripped honey on ‘Bodies’, Muse was bold ‘n’ bassy on ‘Plug In Baby’ and Muddy’s rich, baritone drawl damn near had me drooling.
It wasn’t until I reached Neil’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ that I encountered a sound that was less than perfect for a dock of this size. This is a remastered track and there was a discernible hiss on the acoustic verses, which was eradicated when the band kicked in on the chorus. On the plus side, the brightness of the chorus brought back memories of seeing the Big D live in concert under a starry sky a few years ago.
Then onto Monteverdi’s ‘Cantate Domino’, and a mellifluent treble transported me, in the realms of my imagination, from seat to sky and almost had me soaring with the angels.
An excellent start all round, then.
The iPhone 3G in Call Receiving Mode
Jack in the box .... external devices catered for
I have to say, I approached this with trepidation and no small degree of skepticism. I mean, having already been informed that the IIIP was not compatible with the iPhone and needed to be in Airplane Mode, my hopes weren’t high. You may be asking why I even bothered even assessing its performance without turning Airplane Mode on. Well, to put it bluntly, we are talking about an iPhone – there is a reason we are carrying an iPhone and not an iPod and that is to receive calls and IMO, any device worth its salt that is bold enough to describe itself as a “music loudspeaker for iPhone”, should, in fact, be just that. You shouldn’t have to turn your phone’s operation off in order to hear a good result. You may need to be available for calls when you are listening to the device. Airplane Mode is … well, it speaks for itself. Of course, you might choose to enter that mode to maximise battery performance for gameplay, but you should never have to put your phone in Airplane Mode to optimise the performance of an external device which claims on its packaging to be “for” the iPhone. That’s just being cheeky!
OK, rant over. The result? I was pleasantly surprised. Okay, the amplification lacked the same “oomph” on the iPhone in Call Receiving Mode, and the sound, though by no means remarkable, was pleasing to the ears. In fact, the hiss that was so noticeable on ‘Sweet Caroline’ when played on the iPod was barely perceptible on the iPhone.
There was some modulation on Muse – not enough to ruin my listening experience on the one track, but it might be an issue when listening to an entire album. The bass was cancelling out the treble and it was as though someone was playing with the volume control, turning it up/down/up/down. This was the only truly dodgy moment of this particular test.
The sound was perfectly acceptable otherwise.
The iPhone in Airplane Mode
Music purists will like this. The bass is muted – no modulation on Muse this time – the sound even across every track. If the iPhone’s iPod had an EQ setting, then this would be described as ‘Flat’ – a pure sound, but subdued. It’s all down to musical preferences … as a rock chick who likes a good bass, I like my devices to have more power. I even listen to classical music in ‘Dance’ mode in order to brighten the sound (I sense I’ve just blown my chances of reviewing for Classic FM.) I didn’t dislike this result, but it did nothing to turn me on, either … it was pleasant. Nothing jarred. There is nothing to criticise.
Verdict
Travel pouch big enough for IIIP, Pods + accessories (but not my make up).
As far as portable loudspeakers go, you’re certainly not going to get one as travel-friendly as this in terms of dimensions. It won’t weigh your case down or cause any inconvenient bumpy lumps in your suitcase. It should even fit with ease in your carry-on.
When it comes to performance, much depends on your musical preferences.
If you are going to use this system primarily with an iPod*, then I would not hesitate to recommend it. The results were excellent. The bass was extremely powerful for a sound dock of this size and there was no distortion, even at high volume. My only criticism would be that the volume could go a little higher, but then, the likelihood is you will be playing it outdoors or in your hotel room, so maybe JBL have shown some social responsibility by limiting the power of this device.
If it’s the iPhone you are wanting to purchase it for, then it really comes down to your musical tastes. If your preference is for easy listening, jazz and classical, then you should be very pleased with the quality of the output. If you’re into rock, pop, metal, punk – anything requiring a heavier bass – then you could well be disappointed … but this is a travel system, after all, and for the amount of time you will probably spend listening to it, you will probably find it adequate. If you buy it expecting an iPhone boombox you will be very disappointed, and my advice in this instance would be to shop around or invest in an iPod*, if you haven’t already got one, and take that on vacation with you, too.
JBL do need to be consistent on their packaging and printed matter – the box is out of date and is full of discrepancies and the dock adapter guide inside the box also needs updating to reflect more recent iPhone models.
I award the JBL On Stage IIIP 3 Sticky Fingers (out of a maximum of 5) – a great purchase and highly recommended.
My ToffiAppl video reviews at http://bit.ly/dhqYay complement this article – hear the system for yourself!
* Tested only on the iPod Classic 5G 80GB
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