I researched the choice of iPod docks/speakers for a couple of months before deciding on JBL for affordable quality together with innovative design. It then took me another month or so to narrow down which model fit my requirements. The specs on this particular On Stage were almost exactly what I wanted. I sacrificed the extra speakers in order to have the dual battery/adapter power options but the flexibility was worth it. The sound is great for what I need and I love that it takes up so little room wherever I take it. The RC was just an added bonus. JBL On Stage Micro II Speaker System for iPod / iPhone (Black)
Great sound within the room you are in. In addition, I like the low profile so I don't have this huge speaker dominating the landscape of my living room. However, If I were to have had the additional $, I might have chosen the next model up b/c I have to turn the volume way up to hear it on our back porch. In the future it will probably find its way into a smaller room , IE office, but for now it's great.
Amazing sound for such a small unit. I like the fact that it is portable but also comes with electrical cord. I did a lot of research before purchasing this item and I am very pleased with my selection.
I wanted something compact for my office, but wanted good sound and features. This little JBL unit delivers on both counts. The highs and mids sound really good, but obviously it lacks the low end response, which to me wasn't an issue. I like having the remote, and having the choice between AC or battery power is great. I've had it for over a year now and have not had any issues with it whatsoever.
I did a lot of research before buying this unit. I basically wanted something to plug my 4th-gen iPod Touch into at night, to use as a sound machine. I've just been using the iPod's own internal speaker for this purpose, but it's pretty tinny and the iPod discharges quite a bit overnight. I figured the better frequency response, and overnight charging provided by a unit such as this would be a good solution.
I really wanted to like this unit. It is elegantly designed, and looked good on my nightstand. Unfortunately, it was next to impossible for me to plug my iPod Touch into it. I had to work very hard to get the Touch into the unit the first time (after which it worked fine, though the speakers in the On Stage only sound as good as a decent AM/FM desktop radio). However, I knew I would need to be able to get the Touch in place in the dark and without fiddling, so I tried again, in order to practice. The second time, I COULD NOT get the Touch plugged in on the device. At one point I decided I was being too wimpy, and man-handled it a bit. Well, the Touch didn't mount, but I did manage to bend a very thin piece of metal inside the Touch's port (I was able to bend it back into place with a pocket knife). Sigh.
On the other hand I was able to plug an iPod Classic into the unit with no issues whatsoever. I was *also* able to plug my Touch into my B&W Zeppelin unit with no issues. My theory is that the dock port on the Touch has tighter tolerances than other devices, and perhaps that is only an issue when trying to plug it into the JBL On Stage device. Or possibly, my own Touch's port has an issue I've created in plugging it into the USB cable (though I'm a pretty careful guy in general).
The sound quality, in my short evaluation, struck me as basically that of a clock radio, or a little better. That would have been just fine for my purposes. I could tell immediately that I would have been satisfied with the better frequency response of this unit compared to the Touch's own speaker. That's a pretty low bar to clear, but for the cost and design of this unit the sound quality is fine.
So, in essence, YMMV.
The JBL On Stage Micro II speaker dock is a compact portable audio dock. Many other resembling names and designs by JBL make comparison somewhat confusing for buyers. I was looking for a really compact dock for iPod / iPhone with power, battery, Aux input, sync features at a low price. I found the On Stage Micro II.
After using for 2 weeks with iPhone-1, Shuffle, iPhone-3GS and iPhone-4 my review is below:
Pros:
1) compact and light
2) runs on battery and AC power
3) very good sound for such small size
4) syncs easily while on AC and battery
5) power save / standby feature
6) remote control
7) dock works with iPhone-4 with Apple rubber case on
8) supports other audio devices with Aux input
Cons:
1) dock needs getting used to and is shaky
2) iPhone-4 shows messages "not optimized for this accessory" but still works!
3) remote works only when pointed from straight ahead (obviously not RF)
4) battery compartment lid design is difficult to open /close for frequent use
5) charges docked iPod / iPhone always when on AC power
6) Aux-port shuts down every 15 minutes or so when playing iPod / iPhone
7) poor battery life, less than 4 hours with 4-AAA NiMH 900 mAh batteries
If you wish to use your iPod/iPhone docked with AC power always, this may work for you. Beware this will reduce the life of your iPod/iPhone battery. The Aux cable mode shuts down every 15 minutes or so. So my rating drops to 2. - Ipod Docking System - Ipod Accessories - Docking Station - Ipod Speakers'
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