I only bought the JBL OnStage II speakers because I got a fantastic price on them. I paid only $55 which includes the sales tax and the shipping and handling! Considering that the average price of these speakers tend to be over $100, I got them for a steal!

The OnStage II system is a complete mini-speaker system for your iPod that includes a basic remote and a dock connector pass through. Overall, the speakers do a good job of reproducing sound from a docked iPod. Having these speakers for over a week, I was able to compare them to my Logitech mm50 and mm32 speakers.

Price

MSRP is $129.95 although I paid $55 from a special from Office Depot online after a coupon. Note that there are three versions of the OnStage. The original OnStage had no remote control. The 2nd generation of the OnStage added the remote capability (note that the product was still often labeled as the OnStage system although the product code listed it as the OnStage II). JBL recently touched up the design (where you place the iPod is now in the center of the donut shaped design) and slightly enhanced the speakers and kept the remote... this design was officially called the OnStage II (there are two colors available for the current OnStage II system).

I have the 2nd generation OnStage system (officially called OnStage on the box but product code labeled OnStageII.

In the Box

Inside you get the OnStage speakers, a small basic remote, an AC power adapter, and several cradle molds/adapters (for the iPod Mini, the iPod Nano, and original iPod 30/40GB in size, video iPod 60GB/color 30Gb/original 10/15/20GB, and color 40GB/60GB). A small pad is included to modify one of the adapters to fit the Video 30GB iPod. Note that all the cradles are clearly labeled as to which iPod it will accomodate. A short male-to-male auxiliary input cable is also included. Two small manuals are included, one the OnStage speakers and one for the remote.

The JBL OnStage speakers

No matter how you look at the JBL OnStage speakers, it looks like a large white donut. The iPod connects into the front of the unit where you attach the cradle mold of choice into the area. The front of the unit has two touch area to control the volume of the speakers. The very back of the unit has the power switch, the power port, the line-in port, and the iPod dock connector pass through port (to allow syncing of you iPod with your computer while in the OnStage). The only LED is a green one on the power button.

The dimensions are Diameter – 7" (175mm); Height – 2" (50mm). The weight is a hefty 1 lbs. Because of the shape, the speakers are quite sturdy and stable on a variety of surfaces. The center of the speaker unit is just a hole... you could put a small vase into this area for aesthetics.

It has Four Odyssey™ Neodymium drivers (two on each side of the iPod).

That's pretty much it.

The Sound of Music

Overall, the OnStage speakers produce clear crisp sound for most situations. The speakers are best for a small room and might just cover a medium room. It's major weak point is the bass response. It is weak and at times non-existant. The midrange respense was above average. The OnStage had overall worse sound than the Logitech mm50s (due to the lack of a bass response) but better than the mm32. It did fine in most other situations. Note that there was some distortion and static near the maximum volume.

iPod Shuffle units and other non-iPod MP3 players can be plugged into the OnStage through the short auxiliary input cable. You can plug your iPod unit this way, but sound was slightly worse than using the dock connector.

Volume

The OnStage speakers will easily fill a small room with sound and could fill a medium sized room although you will note distortions and line noise near the maximum volume. The maximum volume was lower than the mm50s.

Unlike the mm50, the OnStage does not change the volume setting on the iPod. However, like the mm50 there is no indicator for the volume level on the unit. I would suggest using the remote to adjust the volume from a good distance away when you first use the OnStage speakers.

Portability?

The OnStage speaker is not a portable unit per say. Although you can easily pick up and the speakers from home to office or elsewhere, the OnStage requires to be plugged into an AC power source to operate.

If you really wanted to make the OnStage portable, you could buy a car battery and a DC power inverter. However, that setup is several times heavier than a solution like the Logitech mm50 or mm32... and probably just as expensive.

Cradle

The number of cradle inserts JBL included in the package will assure a snug fit for any iPod released (except Shuffle units) to date. However, the cradle ill fits non-iPod MP3 players due to the iPod dock connector plug in the cradle.

Note that the 2nd generation Nano fits quite well into the Nano cradle.

Remote

The 2nd generation OnStage speakers included a remote that was functional from at least 15 feet away. The remote has 5 buttons and a hold switch. The buttons were play/pause, fast forward, reverse, increase volume, and decrease volume. A basic but effective remote.

JBL specs

From the website:
Power Output 6 watts per channel
Frequency Response 80Hz – 20kHz
Input Impedance >5k ohms
Signal-to-Noise Ratio >80dB
Voltage Input 120 Vac U.S. (100 Vac Japanese, 230 Vac Europe optional)

• Odyssey® Transducers — The four aluminum-domed transducers are driven by powerful neodymium magnets. This design provides a full, rich-frequency response from the lowest bass to the highest highs.

• COE (Computer Optimized Equalization) — The JBL On Stage system equalization has been computer-optimized to provide a rich, complete soundstage.

• OCT (Optimized Compression Topology) — The JBL On Stage utilizes a proprietary compression technology to ensure clean, accurate sound at high-output levels.

Final Thoughts

At the full price, the OnStage faces stiff competition where the competition often has significant advantages over the OnStage at the same or similar price points. If discounted, the OnStage represents a strong value and above average iPod speaker system although lacking true portability.

Other Reviews

Logitech mm50 portable speaker review

http://www1.epinions.com/content_246962687620

Apple 5th generation "Video" iPod 60GB review

First generation iPod Nano 4GB review

First generation iPod Nano 2GB review

Second generation green iPod Nano 4GB review

Second generation black iPod Nano 8GB review

Recommended: Yes