JBL On Time 400iHD Speaker Dock for iPod

iPod speakers are a dime-a-dozen. There are big ones and small ones; black ones and red ones; some with alarm clocks, and many with built-in docks. As one might expect, you don't have to look hard to find models with integrated FM--and even AM--radios, but if you must have cutting-edge tech, HD radio with iTunes Tagging is where it's at. Among the handful of models offering this feature is the JBL On Time 400iHD, a tabletop speaker dock with JBL's signature space-age design. At $300, the On Time is anything but cheap, but the plethora of features and excellent FM radio reception may make it worth it for some.

The JBL On Time 400iHD looks like a scaled-down spaceship with its oblong footprint and tapered ends. The unit measures 14 inches long by 5 inches deep by 3 inches tall, so it's neither the most compact tabletop unit we've come across, nor is it too large to fit on the standard nightstand. A gray, cloth speaker grille, which conceals two Phoenix transducers, wraps around most of the shiny black body. The front panel has a 3-inch monochrome display that is backlit in bright blue, while the back edge houses inputs for the power adapter, the line-in cable, and the radio antennas (two FM and one AM are included). An iPod dock and a glut of buttons take up the top of the unit. The tactile keys are raised and easy to press, though the speaker is slow to respond at times, and we think the snooze "bar" could stand to be about twice the size that it is.

In addition to controls on the unit itself, JBL includes a remote that can control the full array of functions. A mode button (indicated by a music note icon) lets you switch between auxiliary line-input, iPod, AM, and FM. In iPod mode, you can use the remote to start and stop playback, skip through tracks, and navigate among the player's menus. The remote may also be used to access the speaker's menus and adjust settings such as the display or date and time. When listening to another audio source, control is limited to volume and power, while FM or AM radio mode lets you scan the band as well as access and adjust presets.