Customer Reviews

JBL On Stage II with RF Remote

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Last summer I purchased an iPod Mini 6GB to ease the stress and boredom of an intercontinental flight. It sounded great with Sony noise-canceling headphones and served its purpose well. However, since then I haven't used it much. So with the advent of the iPod speaker docking stations, I saw the possibility of saving my investment. I wanted one that was cubicle compatible, since I'm unable to use my computer for music CDs. With that in mind, I began my research.

I ran across the JBL On Stage II with remote. Its compact size and clean styling were appealing. It didn't look like it would overpower my desk or irritate management, and it was small enough so I could put it away in a drawer or cabinet if necessary. Also, the remote expanded the placement options on my C-shaped desk surface. Finally, most of the reviews I read were positive (although the earlier model apparently had some issues). Even though I was tempted by the Klipsch Audiophile iGroove Stereo, I went for the On Stage II.

Setup was quick and easy. First, I popped in the plastic adapter for the iPod Mini. Then I plugged in the power cable and inserted my powered-down iPod. Finally, I hit the power switch on the back of the On Stage II, turned my Mini on, and was in business. Since I had to place the On Stage II out of arm's reach, the remote proved its worth right away. I can control the volume so my office mates aren't disturbed (or crank it when they aren't around), and pause it to take a phone call. Of course, I still have to wheel over and manually navigate my iPod to a desired playlist.

The remote is a bit larger than the average flash drive, and it has a clamp on the back so you can attach it to your shirt (I'd prefer a magnet so I could stick it on my metal cabinet cover). Keep an eye on the remote, because it blends in with a busy desk. That, combined with its tiny size, makes it somewhat easy to misplace. The battery is already installed, so it works right out of the box. The manual claims the CR2032-type battery will last for one year under normal usage. To change it, you'll have to remove 3 tiny Phillips screws on the remote's back. It also has a side-mounted on-off switch, although I wonder if the switch can stand up to repetitive use.

I tried out some mp3s of Steely Dan, Boston, and The Alan Parsons Project. Whether the mp3s were compressed at 128kbps or 192kbps, the music was clear and crisp. However, at times it sounded tinny and lacked significant depth. If you like deep, pounding bass with "Anvil of Crom", or demand audiophile quality, you'll be disappointed. For home use, I'd go the Klipsch route. But for background music in an office setting, the diminutive On Stage II is more than adequate flair.

These speaks sound very crisp and sharp with detail for high frequencies. They lack depth on the low end sound but it is acceptable for me. I actually prefer the high-end optimization versus low-end thumping.

I like the general round design. What's really nice is that it projects the sound all around. Many of the in-line type of speakers seems to mute a bit when you move away from the front of them. This design is far more omni-directional.

Lack of battery doesn't concern me since I'm looking for a product that can travel to hotel rooms but I will always be near a plug when I need them. Have my ipod with headphones for when I'm mobile.

The RF remote control is awesome. It is so much better than infrared line-of-site designs like the Logitech mm50s.

The glaring weakness of this design though is the transformer. First off, it is huge and heavy. It seems to weigh as much as the speakers. Secondly, it is 110VAC only transformer. Seems like every other transformer is 110-240VAC but NOT this one. For something near $30 I can order a "european version" but that is only for 240VAC. They need a universal power transformer and it would be nice if it was a bit more compact, or at least would work world-wide even if it is huge. That's the one thing that made me return this other wise very nice product.

Recently my husband and I spent a few nights at a nice hotel which kindly supplied the room with a JBL ONSTAGE speaker system for iPods. I was delighted, as I had my iPod Video with me and I was able to really put it to the test. The sound coming from that small unit was nothing short of amazing. I found it to be well balanced, the separation was great and it had plenty of nice clean volume without distortion.
Since then I have tested many other, larger speakers for iPod and keep coming back to this one. For the money and portability factor, it's a small miracle. I'm looking forward to owning the ONSTAGE 2 with remote...can't get much better than that!

For such a small speaker system, the JBL II produces a pretty good sound. I am VERY pleased with my JBL
PROS
(1) Remote control. If you are working out it is nice to be able to change the volume, pause and skip songs!
(2) Easy touch volume. There is volume control on the speaker system...very nice.
(3) Speaker system can be used as a docking station to recharge battery
(4) Set up for most Ipod versions. You get the attachements for these versions. It is nice because I have the nano, but we have used different Ipod versions with it as well.
(5) PORTABILITY! I take it with me EVERYWHERE in my house. Even in the bathroom, the moisture does not seem to affect it.

This is an excellent product. I have had mine for about 6 months and I have no complaints. I highly recommend this unit!

I ordered this product for my husband. In the past we could only listen to our IPOD either on the computer or with headphones. Now we can take it any where in the house. The device is small and easily portable. Some days it may be in the kitchen but mostly downstairs in the workout room. The sound quality is great. My husband can be in the basement with it on and I can easily hear it at the other end of the house. The remote is very user friendly. The nice thing is that it automatically charges while it's sitting in the base. I highly recommend this product.

I LOVE this speaker system. The sound quality is superb, the price is right, the size is compact, and the quality of the equipment is superb. If you're picky about sound quality this unit will be music to your ears! :-)

First I ordered the Altec Lansing inMotion iM5 Mobile Audio Dock from the Apple store. The sound was very disappointing. The depth of sound was, well, shallow...and it distorted very easily, even at med-high volume. I returned that and went to Target and bought THIS, the JBL ONSTAGE 2 with Remote. WOW! There is tremendous depth of sound, the remote works great, and you can "shoot" it at the system from any direction. Even at very high volumes, the sound doesn't distort. This is one great speaker system. If you have very discriminating ears (and taste), you'll love this.

First off, I have to say awesome customer service from Amazon and www.techdepot.com
When I ordered it through Amazon, I was told that it would take 8-9 days to ship the speakers. I was totally surprised to recieve it the day after I ordered. The speakers are very light and portable. Very easy to use. Just plug it in, use the adapter for your iPod. It comes with adapters for Ipod Nano, video, mini and I cant rememebr the other one. It charges your ipod instantly.

The audio quality is crisp and clear considering the size of the unit. The speaker heads are aligned in a circular form which makes the sound resonate around the room in all directions.

The remote is tiny, buttons are huge and has an incredible range since it uses RF technology. I was sitting in the bathroom and controlling the volume of the speakers in the living room.

Great buy !

I've had these speakers for a few months now and I love them, they're very small but the sound they give off definitely isn't. The best part has to be this tiny remote that works from pretty much any room, I think it's within 50 feet. Mine didn't come with a nano dock adapter so my nano could fit into the port, I emailed JBL and explained this to them, within 2 hours the nano adapter had been shipped to me, no questions asked...2 hours! How's that for costumer service, it's very refreshing to see a company has their stuff together. I definitely recommend this product, not only is it a great product but the company is too.

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I bought the JBL On Stage II (in black) after comparing many competing systems. Dollar-for-dollar, I found it to be the best *ultracompact* iPod speaker/dock currently available. In addition to serving its primary purpose, it also doubles as external speakers for my computer. Here are some of the pros and cons:

Pros: Intuitive and elegant design; small footprint the size of a mousepad; charges your iPod as it plays; line input for use as external computer speakers or for connecting other audio devices; standard iPod cable plugs directly into the unit so you can sync while your iPod sits in the cradle; feather-touch volume controls. The small RF remote has a clean button layout, excellent range, and does not need line-of-sight with the base unit. Although weak on bass, overall sound is surprisingly rich (considering the size, which is an important caveat) with decent stereo separation.

Cons: Weak bass; bulky AC adapter; unit runs on AC power only (lacks battery option).

Overall, this is an excellent micro system with in-cradle charge/sync capability and good overall sound at a reasonable price. Note, however, that the AC adapter is massive, so consider other options if portability is your top priority.

Two quick tips for new owners: (1) there is a power button on the back of the unit (easy to overlook), and (2) remember to insert the plastic adapter piece into the dock for a better fit (should have been included with your iPod, but replacement pieces are cheap).