But if you want a speaker that will make your iPod sound as good in a room as it does through headphones—and can afford to spend three times as much—hold out for the Bose iDock.
- JBL Creature Speakers resemble a friendly creature from another planet.
- Sheathed in a sexy shade of red aluminum.
- Easy to set up.
- Compatible with Mac and PC desktops and portables, iPods, MP3 players, and Walkman units.
- Costs under $100.
- Sound quality is only decent.
- Volume doesn't go up very high.
- Could be more iPod friendly (and charge while it plays).
- Unique design.
- Compatible with many computers and portable music devices.
- 8 watts per satellite.
- Dimensions are 9" x 9" x 9".
- Owner's manual can be conveniently downloaded as a PDF.
Initially, we were stymied in that we couldn't figure out how to turn up the sound. The knobs on the large JBL Creature unit seemed they would suit that purpose. But after glancing at the clear, well-written instructions, we realized there is a touch volume control on one of the smaller twin satellites... and voilá. What came out of them didn't sound like Carnegie Hall... but it didn't sound like the New York City subway system, either. The knobs on the large unit control bass and treble.
We tested JBL's Creature II on both a 60 MB iPod and an iPod Shuffle. Connected to the larger iPod, the Creature's sound was reasonably good and seemed to become warmer and more pleasant to listen to the longer we kept them connected.
While technically compatible, the Creature and the iPod Shuffle did not make such sweet music, unfortunately. An audible buzz could be heard from one of the twin satellites, so that particular combination is not recommended.
