![]() You can connect any Bluetooth device to Bluetooth speakers (including Androids, Macs, PCs, iPads, etc etc.), you can hold the device while it is playing music, and you can even in the case of some of the devices like the Charge, continue to charge the device. While it is nice to have a dock that charges my iPhone 5 while I’m listening to music, the advantages of Bluetooth far outweigh the negatives. I’m surprised a remote didn’t come with this it would have been a nice addition. It plays perfectly just as it should, and its simple volume and power buttons work as you’d expect. Popping the iPhone 5 on the dock is extremely easy (and with Lightning you can even get crazy and put it on the dock backwards!). In the rare case you need to take the OnBeat away from an AC outlet, it has 4 AAA battery slots underneath to keep the music going for 5 hours. which is to say on the high end of smaller speakers. JBL has provided an additional USB charging port out the back, as well as an AUX in and out so you can hook up any type of audio device (even a JBL Charge).Īs far as sound quality, it is on par with the Flip, above. Unfortunately, as you can see in the gallery above, iPads and iPad minis can’t fit onto the JBL dock, so this is strictly for iPhone 5s and new iPod touches ( strike one!). JBL’s OnBeat is the latest in the line of iPhone docks from JBL and the first generation with a Lightning connector. ![]() Since I have same-branded products, I thought it would be beneficial to also review a Lightning Dock and compare it to the utility of a portable Bluetooth speaker. You still can’t go wrong with the Charge I recommend it highly. Also, while the cylindrical shape is often nice, it is a bit bigger than many of the portable choices out there and can roll away if you are trying to put it on a moving car’s dashboard or boat’s flat surface for instance. The only downside is that it doesn’t have a speakerphone mic for making calls (get the Big Jambox or Mini Boombox for that). Even with traffic, lots of wind, and plenty of background noise, I was able to hear music incredibly well - and that was at about 3/4 volume. I put the cylindrical Charge in my bike’s water bottle holder and went for a ride (yeah, I’m that guy). It blows away the comparably priced Beats Pill in volume and gives you sound close to the much bigger Big Jambox and full-sized Logitech UE Boombox. ![]() It also comes with a nice fabric case to store it in, but it isn’t nearly as nice as the one Beats provides for the Pill. With the battery alone, you could charge your iPhone 3-4 times with the aptly-named Charge. ![]() The 6000mA/h battery is so big that JBL gives you a USB port that can keep your other devices charged. That’s more than double the Flip and a few hours longer than even the Logitech. ![]() I left this playing all night and it was still playing on about half volume 12 hours later. The battery is easily double and then some of the Flip. It charges via Micro-USB instead of a proprietary connector (so use your Mac or a spare port in your USB hub or any of the other trillion USB ports around). It is an improvement on the Flip in almost every way. Just when you thought JBL was going to be a pointless flop in the Bluetooth speaker arena, along comes the JBL Charge and totally redeems the company’s efforts. ![]()
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