JBL ON BEAT Black

The JBL Onbeat isn’t a flawless iPod dock. It’s natural sound signature is good to have but the lacking punch in the lower frequency range is bound to be a problem. We wished it wouldn't have distorted at higher volumes. Price wise, it’s not very cheap...

Pleasant design; Plug & Play operation; Supports all iOS devices; Vertical and horizontal orientation; Fast charging

Audio breaks at high volume; Underwhelming bass at high volume; iPad tilts downwards in horizontal orientation

There are no equalizer settings for the full-range transducers, so you might want to change that setting on your device itself. For playing Trance, Indie and regular pop I found the ‘Electronic’ EQ on the iPhone 4 to be the best for the JBL OnBeat.

Good build quality ; Coherent design ; Will hold an iPad

Bass falls apart at high volume

Small and well-built, the JBL OnBeat offers quality at a price competitive with its rivals. However, its diddy drivers struggle to dole out enough low end at high volumes, meaning they're only suitable for relaxed listening, not for powering a party or...

Smart design; simpler material sounds well organised; works with Spotify

Weak sound; not nearly enough bass; harsh treble; loses cohesion easily

Very stylish to look at ; Produces very nice sound at moderate volume ; USB port allows syncing with your computer while the iPad is connected

Up close it feels flimsy ; Sounds awful at higher volume

Other bells and whistles include a USB port, so that you can connect it to your computer and actually sync the iPad while it's charging — a very nice touch that's not included by many manufacturers.