JBL On Tour Portable Music Box

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Julie

October 05, 2004

Product Requirements:
Device:
Any audio device with a 3.5mm earphone connector

Personal audio devices are at the top of my favorite gadgets list. I love my iPod (yeah, I know you are all sick of hearing that by now...) and it goes with me everywhere I go. The thing is, sometimes I don't want to wear my earbuds. Sometimes I want to share my tunes with those around me, be it in my home office, or at my day job in my cube. For those times, I really don't want to let other people use my earbuds... can you say eeeeew? So, I've been on the lookout for a nice set of speakers. Nothing too big, too loud, or too expensive. They had to be jussssst right. I'm happy to say that I think I've found what I'm looking for in the JBL On Tour Portable Music Box from Harman Multimedia.

Hardware Specs

Input: 1/8in (3.5mm) Mini Stereo Jack
Drivers: Two Odyssey™ Neodymium drivers
Power Output: 3 watts per channel
Frequency Response: 100Hz – 20KHz
Input Impedance: >10Kohm
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: >80dB
Voltage Input: 100 – 230 Vac, 50 – 60 Hz
Dimensions: Width: 7 x 3.5 x 1.4in (175 x 88 x 35mm)
Weight: 12 oz (350g)

Package Contents

On Tour Portable Music Box
AC Adapter
3.5mm audio cable
Drawstring cloth bag
User guide

Taking a page from the Apple style book, the JBL On Tour looks like it was made just for the iPod. Constructed of white plastic with polished chrome accents, and smooth curves, I was already loving this product before I even had the chance to turn it on.

When the cover is closed the On Tour doesn't look like any set of speakers I've ever seen. If I didn't know what it already was, my guess would have been pretty far off the mark.

To open the cover, you just press the edge with your thumbs and slide it back. Once the cover is open, the two speakers and volume controls are revealed. Closing the cover will power the unit off. The speakers have metal grills over them and on the right side are two volume buttons and two status LEDs. The volume buttons are labeled + and - respectively (pressing both buttons at the same time produce a Mute function). The top LED glows amber when the batteries are low. The bottom LED glows green when power is on, and flashes green when there is no input signal.

The On Tour can be powered using the included AC adapter, or with 4 AAA batteries (not included). The battery compartment is accessed by turning over the speaker and sliding the arrow to the left. A set of batteries should last approximately 24hrs while playing music at normal levels. Not bad! But, I would be much happier if the included AC adapter had the ability to charge an internal battery pack.

Although this speaker set looks like it's an iPod accessory, it will work with any audio device that has a standard 3.5mm audio jack. Of course, the iPod does, so that is the product I tested this set with. Connecting the iPod to the On Tour is simple. Just slide open the cover, plug in the AC adapter (if you haven't installed batteries) and plug in one end of the included audio cable. Connect the other end of the audio cable to your audio device, turn it on, press one of the volume buttons on the On Tour and enjoy the music!

Upon first glance at the speakers, I was thinking that they would be too small to provide quality sound. Luckily I was wrong. They have great sound for such a small set. That said, you shouldn't expect the On Tour to sound like full sized speakers. Sound quality is very clear and maybe just a bit too crisp. As for bass, this little set can deliver some thump. Volume levels max out quickly using the + button, but adjusting the volume on the actual audio device connected to the unit can increase levels dramatically. I was very surprised at how loud I could crank them up.

Although listening to music through the iPod / On Tour combo does not deliver sound as full and rich as listening to the same tunes through the iPod and earbuds, the On Tour produces very good sound that is enjoyable to listen to for long periods of time. In addition to digital audio device users, I think this product would be great for notebook users who either travel a great deal, or don't want a whole 5 point surround sound system hooked to their computer. I guess it's true what they say: Good things do come in small packages.

 

Price: $99.95

Pros:
Compact package
Great sound for a small speaker

Cons:
Not rechargeable
Somewhat expensive