- Compatibility: iPod mini; iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G; iPod classic 3G, 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G; iPod touch; iPhone 1G, 3G, 3GS
- Charges your iPod or iPhone, even when not connected to the computer or the system is off
- Proprietary JBL Phoenix and Ridge speakers provide 2 x 6 Watts of crystal-clear audio
- Digital alarm clock with large backlit display, battery backup--wake to AM/FM Radio, iPod, or iPhone
- 3.5mm auxiliary input for external audio devices
Now, there are two major flaws. One, the clock has an irritating, high-pitched humming noise. This shows it has poor quality. It should not make any noise. Two, the sound is too loud. At it's lowest volume, the sound is very loud. I like to sleep with the music on. With this clock, the volume is too loud at it's lowest setting to sleep.
So, since this product is priced as a premium product, it does not offer any value. There are two flaws that you should not have to deal with at this price point.
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I feel bad for docking stars (mostly) based on price, but there is just no way I could give this a perfect rating when the retail tag says $199.99. No, there's nothing overtly wrong with the product, and it does sound extremely good for such a small device, but at that price there are numerous other options. Here's some of the major aspects worth talking about:ABOUT THE SOUND
Yes, it sounds good. It has a concert-y, live effect that provides lovely acoustics and fills up any room despite its small size. The sound is crisp and emits no distortion, even playing at loud levels. *BUT* no, it isn't worth the price tag. Though the sound is big, it's also bassless and kickless. BOSE products are a splash more expensive, but if you want your music to have any kind of thump, that's the brand I would recommend. The JBL sound is airy and captivating, but not a perfect representation of the music like BOSE can create with the same size speakers. Check out this product: Bose SoundDock Series II Digital Music System for iPod (Black)
ABOUT THE PRICE
Yes, for $200 you could buy yourself decent 7.1 surround sound speakers, so why spend that much on this? Well, size is the big advantage here. It is INCREDIBLY nice to be able to get room-filling music without the mess of wires that comes with surround. No it doesn't sound quite as good, but it is convenient. I'll leave it up to you to decide if it's really worth it or not.
ABOUT THE FEATURES
Comes with an awesome remote that works at long distances, alarm clock, AM and FM radio that picks up stations crystal clear. You can edit the brightness and contrast of the backlight to fit your needs. Works on a plug-in or with 3 AAA batteries. I have no complaints about these features, they are all quite nice, but I will say that if you are strictly operating it on the AC outlet and the electricity should go out, or if you have to unplug it for whatever reason, all memory will be erased. All radio presents, the time, the day, everything gone! I would recommend keeping some batteries in there even if it's plugged in.
One other complaint: I can't swear that it isn't my cord's fault, but when I connect my non-iPod mp3 player to the system, I sometimes get some static-y sounds and have to adjust the plug a bit before it'll play clearly. I haven't noticed a problem with other audio devices, but my audio cord is kinda old so it *could* technically not be JBL's fault.
OVERALL: If size is important to you, and you're willing to spend big bucks on a small speaker system with big sound, I would go ahead and splurge for a BOSE. JBL does an okay job at recreating what BOSE does best, but it's still a ways off from perfection. At a significantly discounted price, I do think this is a good system though. The sound is very impressive not perfect, but extremely impressive. It amazes me that this little gadget can fill up my house like a live concert. I just wish it wasn't so light sounded and could bump with kicks and bass.
Read Best Reviews of JBL On Time Micro Speaker System for iPod (Aluminum) Here
Summary While billed as a "micro", this device isn't that small it is more like a table top clock radio that fits well on a corner table. It sounds better than almost all clock radio's, but not by a mile. For its size, I'd have expected a built in small sized subwoofer so bass is lacking. JBL dropped the ball on this device when it comes to usability an exact opposite of something that Steve Jobs would design and something I'd expect "Coby" to market..Using this for the last 3 months, I've noted a couple of cons -
1) There are 8 round buttons that look the same making it confusing to determine which one to press.
2)The small buttons are shiny chrome with backlight symbols that are supposed to tell you which one is which. Oh well the shine from the chrome overwhelms the backlight and you can't make out those symbols.
3) The buttons require a firm press and click loudly enough to wake up a light sleeper!
4) The clock display is dot matrix and shows the day of the week instead of the date. We are rarely confused about which day it is but frequently confused about the date. I could not find a way to make the clock display date and I suspect that this is because displaying date requires more sophisticated logic as opposed to just the day.
5) Evening, under CFL lighting, the display auto-dims, but dims so much, that it is almost invisible.
6) Cheesy, easy to lose remote (I've already lost mine). It'd have been useful to have a remote dock on board.
7) Overpriced I might consider this for a clock radio if it was priced in the two digits and the clock could display the date.
Neither a pro nor a con Angled display means that you need to have the device below your eye level. Keep it on a high shelf and you won't be able to read the time.
Pros -
1) Can sound pretty loud with more than room filling sound.
2) Dot matrix display on clock blue and white looks nice.
3) Good as an alarm clock and a place to dock your phone for the night and charge it.
4) Auto backlight control on clock makes it very visible in daylight.
5) Internally, the electronics are quite sophisticated (yes I have opened up mine to check).
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I just received this JBL Alarm Clock today and set it up in my bedroom, where it is intended to be used. Setup was easy and self-explanatory. I did not use the owners manual at all.The small foot print and extraordinary design was just what I was looking for. I have other JBL devises used as Ipod or Iphone docks and was surprised at all the bad unnecessary reviews.
This Alarm clock was designed for bedroom use, not to be used as a stereo replacement. The sound is exceptional, the dock works great, Alarm clock has many setting for your personal wakeup desires.
The only thing I have no use for is the remote control, which is poorly designed with too many options and hard to read in low light situations. I chose this clock for its design with all the buttons in front instead on top with other devises. This way, if you have to hit the snooze button, just turn and it's right in front of your face. If you need a remote control to do that, loose 150 lbs. and you can do the same. Overall I am glad I purchased this clock radio and would highly recommend it.
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