JBL On Stage 400P review

Additional features are scarce, to say the least. The On Stage 400P offers integrated tactile volume buttons, which are situated next to the iPod dock. JBL also includes a small plastic remote that offers full control of playback from up to about 20 feet away. (It operates on the IR spectrum, so you must be in direct line of sight with the device for it to work.) The remote consists of the full array of keys: menu, back, up/down navigation, track FF/RW, play/pause, mute, and volume up/down.

The JBL On Stage 400P doesn't offer many features on the surface, but behind the scenes, it packs in a digital amplifier and digital-sound-processing (DSP) technology. No doubt both of these features contribute to the impressive audio quality offered by the speaker. In fact, we were surprised by the amount of low-end thump produced by the unit; bass response is very good, especially for a speaker this size. Highs weren't particularly shimmery in testing, but the clarity and detail is definitely there. The midrange seemed slightly deficient, perhaps not quite as warm as we prefer. Still, overall sound was good, and it remained balanced across a variety of genres. The On Stage 400P is a good "everyman's" speaker dock, making it a solid--and cheaper--alternative to the Bose SoundDock.