JBL On Stage IIIP Portable Loudspeaker Ipod Dock

Review: JBL On Stage IIIP Dock Review

Our team of self-appointed experts has taken it upon themselves to locate and review the best iPod Docks on the market right now! Since their inception, iPod/MP3 docks have become one of the dominant forms of music playback in the world, so its only right that we play guardian to your wallet and give you the low down on which ones sound great and, conversely, which ones will have you reaching for the earplugs.

Introduction

At first glance, the On Stage IIIP isn’t anything like as impressive as some of the other dock’s we’ve reviewed here. Its relatively small, shaped like a doughnut and yet somehow still costs about £60 when brand new. Because of this, the On Stage IIIP is probably the most overlooked iPod dock we’ll be reviewing in this series.

Despite this, it’s actually a pretty nifty (booyah!) little number, but it does bring with it its own set of problems, as we’ll see. First, let’s get the good news. The best things about this particular dock are thus:

1. It’s very small and as such doesn’t take up much space.
2. The sound quality (when you consider the size of the speakers) is amazing.

As you know, bigger speakers don’t necessarily produce better sounds. I have a cheap iPod dock that rattles and fuzzes its way through tracks that my Apple headphones reproduce with astonishing clarity, but in terms of the current docks on the market, bigger usually means better.

In terms of extra features, the On Stage IIIP really doesn’t offer that much, however, this does mean that your £60 isn’t going on a bunch of features that you’re never going to use. Undeniably, it’s nice to “get everything” as Larry David once opined in a particularly funny season one episode of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’, but its totally not necessary if all you’re after is a couple of tunes to help a few beers go down smoother. Plus, Larry gets moaned at for not knowing how to use any of his additional purchases, and nobody wants that.

Anyway, the point is that your hard earned £60 is being spent completely on the speakers. This allows JBL to provide you with terrific sound quality at an affordable price. By all accounts this product is high performance and very nicely made.

It is compact (being especially designed with travel in mind), but not all that light.  Its not super heavy either (it weighs about 75g more than the StreetParty), but its enough to be an issue.

Hardware / Design

The biggest problem with the On Stage IIIP is the design. While the sound is, as we’ve said, actually very good (especially for smaller speakers), the major design flaw is that this dock looks and feels like a much more portable iPod dock, but actually weighs a bit too much. There are a lot of customers who buy this dock because they want better sound than a smaller, cheaper model and yet still want to travel with it. Whilst this dock looks ideal, its weight is a bit of a problem.

Now, while you might complain that it weighs less than your Kindle or Tablet PC, you have to factor bringing these gadgets along with you as well. After all, you’re so gadget dependent that you’re bringing an iPod dock on holiday, a Smartphone and/or an iPod is already a given, then, so how much more can you really add to your luggage weight?

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Tags: iPod Dock, JBL On Stage IIIP Portable Loudspeaker Ipod Dock, Docking Station

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Customer Reviews

Honest reviews of the JBL On Stage IIIP Portable Loudspeaker Ipod Dock from previous customers

"I received this yesterday and at first I was disappointed by the size but....wow!...it really fills a room up with sound. I purchased it to take with me camping, hotels etc. and it should be fantastic."

Review by Rebecca Holden

"Sound quality is good and they are very light, you can take around your place without a problem to have music wherever you need them. If you are looking at having a low price, good quality nice looking speakers, this is definitely the best option to go for."

Review by Leo Wood

"Very good product. No down falls. My mum is a techno geek and she decided to get it for her itouch and the sound is so clear and crisp that I decided to get one for my boyfriends dad who got the yellow ipod nano. Overall this product hasn't given us any problems and great sounding music. I deff recommend this product to others."

Review by John Wheeler

"I use this mainly for podcasts and audiobooks and it is perfect. It plays very loud and the sound quality is very good (for the price). My kids also use it for their audiobooks. They like it because they can take it from room to room and it is sturdy and stable. I would highly recommend this product."

Review by Jacob Stevenson

 

See all 127 Customer Reviews

We encourage you to read them prior to making your final purchasing decision.