JBL On Stage IV iPod Speaker Dock Review

JBL, a US audio electronics brand is known for their stylish set of speaker products produced over the years. Their On Stage series has enjoyed a number of eye-catching designs but their fourth generation seemed to go a little over board. Check it out.

The JBL On Stage IV looks like something that got salvaged from an alien spaceship. It’s mainly composed of glossy plastic interwoven upwards against folds of silver metal speaker grills housing four Odyssey drivers culminating to the transparent dock that lits up when powered on top. It’s a design that can definitely make you do a double take and probably keep your tongue tied as well.

Conspicuously hidden at the back in a small piece of exposed fold is the Power button along with the AUX input, a miniUSB port, and the DC port to power it up. The AUX input allows you to use the On Stage IV as speakers for non-iPod/iPhone products, like laptops and other music players. The miniUSB port lets you hook this to your computer so that you can sync your iPod/iPhone directly from it. You can also use this without cables by way of six AA batteries that you put on a compartment on its underside.

A small IR remote comes included with the On Stage IV and can be used to control volume, navigate between tracks, or access the menu from as far as about 15 feet.

This speaker predates the new iPod/iPhones and their Lightning port so you’re stuck with your old Apple products if you want to dock it here. A plastic dock adapter which you can fit onto the dock is included so you can place your device on top and just connect it via an audio cable running towards the back.

Sound quality wise, the four drivers are angled outward giving this speaker good room coverage, louder than what I think it’s capable although sound slightly distorts at a high volume. Sound profile is definitely midrange focused. Bass  was lacking for our taste but it excels in the clarity and richness of its treble.

The On Stage IV is not a compact speaker which you can place in that spare space on your shelf. It’s a speaker that needs to have space created for it and is is meant to be seen and talked about. JBL is banking on its design and brand for you to purchase it for Php5,495 because in terms of sound quality and output, there are slightly better but plain-looking options out there that costs a little less.

JBL On Stage IV iPod Speaker Dock Review

Capdase Beats SOHO Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review

Everything hot nowadays come in portable form, even sound systems. Gone were the days that you need to lug a huge component to fill a room with “boom boom boom”. Now, a device the size of a fist is enough to get a party going—and it’s even wireless. This fist-sized device I’m talking about is the Capdase Beats SOHO portable Bluetooth speaker.

Capdase, better known for its iPhone and iPad shells, did a total turn-around on the Beats SOHO. I wasn’t expecting anything from them, but after this, I was left with a wonderful taste. Interested? Read on for our Capdase Beats SOHO portable Bluetooth speaker review.

Design

There’s not much room to go around when designing a portable speaker. There’s the square design, a cylinder design, there’s the hexagon, and there’s the more common circle—which, by the way, is the Beats SOHO’s form. Good thing Capdase was able to pull the design wonderfully.

The top’s composed of a smooth, flat mesh protecting the 40mm full-range speaker driver. The body meanwhile is 3/4 steel and 1/4 plastic (the base), the latter housing all the critical components of the speaker. And to top it all off, the Capdase company logo at mid-center. Wonderful paint too.

The Capdase Beats SOHO is surprisingly heavy for its size. Normally you’d expect similar-sized speakers to feel plasticky and weigh like a hollow rock, but the Beats SOHO can actually physical cause harm. That’s how heavy it is. To that effect, it feels that it’s built with premium materials.

The base is packed with switches that control the speaker: A forward/backward/pause/play/volume up/volume down switch, a power/bluetooth/AUX switch, a LED indicator that flashes multiple colors, and a discreet mic hole. Directly behind these switches is the charging port/micro USB hub/AUX port. And at the bottom part is a non-slip grip, useful when playing bass-rich sounds on max volume.

Performance

Pairing the Beats SOHO was very easy: Read the manual for a couple of minutes, powered it on, paired it with my trusty Android, and I soon found myself playing beats. To this I say Bluetooth integration worked flawlessly and operation silky smooth.

Sounds from the Beats SOHO was definitely a pleasure to the ears, considering that it’s just mono. It reproduced sounds wonderfully* with full bass enough for a whole classroom. This mean machine can play BEP, Skrillex, and David Guetta easy. The only problem I’ve noticed was when I started playing metal on it; it wasn’t as top-form as it was. Still, it was a pleasure to the ears.

*Sound reproduction also depends on the quality of the file being played

The device’s Bluetooth range was approximately 27 feet when I tested it, house walls included. It theoretically could perform better in a more open space.

Battery Life

The Capdase Beats SOHO portable Bluetooth speaker, at full charge, ran for approximately 7 hours at 3/4 volume. Charging meanwhile takes approximately 2 hours (I used a smartphone charger).

Others

The device includes a multi-plug cable composed of a USB jack, a micro USB jack, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

Verdict

Easy operation, portable, and premium feel. These are the three things that makes the Capdase Beats SOHO Bluetooth portable speaker stand out from similar products in its size and price range. Capdase executed this device beautifully, and we’ll try to keep on the lookout for more.

The Capdase Beats SOHO Bluetooth portable speaker is currently priced at P1,950.00. It’s a fair price, and if I had something extra I’d buy it for personal use. Who doesn’t want decent beats while using a smartphone?

The Capdase Beats SOHO Bluetooth portable speaker is available at the following stores and locations:

Quicksound, Astrovision, Astroplus, Powerhub, Beyond the Box, Digital Walker, Digital Hub, SM Appliance Center Makati, and and SM Appliance Center Fairview

Capdase Beats SOHO Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review