JBL On Stage IIIP

Pros: Small footprint. Attractive, sophisticated appearance.
Remote control does everything but wipe your rear. Incredibly efficient.
Easy to transport ... 6 AA batteries last for 12 hours.
Best of all ... the sound quality!

Cons: The print on the remote control buttons is hard to see. That is honestly the only negative of which I can think. In the scheme of things, a very small gripe.

Summary: I use my JBL Center Stage IIIP with my generation 4 iPod Nano. There is a lot of mis-information out there regarding compatibility. Some speaker systems out there will only play, but not charge, this new Nano. My daughter purchased another brand of speaker system and her system plays and charges her 3rd generation iPod Nano, but it will not charge my 4th generation Nano. So, I went to the nearby Apple store at "The Shops at Willow Bend" in Dallas to make sure I bought a system that was fully compatible with ALL generations of Nano including my gen 4. This speaker system is COMPLETELY compatible with my iPod Nano 4th generation. In the box, it comes with several adapters for older generation iPod Nano's, but I just used the adapter that came with my generation 4 ipod and it fits perfectly on the dock. My Nano fits securely in place using that adapter. When you buy an iPod Nano, be sure to hang on to the adapter that comes with it, but in case you lose it, they are available from Apple for a small charge.

If you want a speaker system for playing at parties, for large rooms, make the investment and get yourself a Bose system. I am a big Bose fan. You won't regret the extra money well-spent. But if what you need is a small, portable, attractive speaker system that will literally fit anywhere and has amazingly good sound quality ... the JBL Center Stage IIIP is absolutely a perfect choice. This particular JBL speaker system fits my needs better than any other system ... and I checked them all out. I recommend looking at how you will use a speaker system and then buying accordingly ... big, quality sound for a large room or parties - Bose; high quality sound at more modest volume levels that you can place on a nightstand, computer workstation, bathroom, bedroom, etc - JBL Center Stage IIIP.

Let's face it, this is a very small speaker system for NOT a small amount of money. When I got home and plugged in my Nano to this JBL and played the first song, a sense of relief and satisfaction came over me. It really is worth the money. The clarity of the sound is just great. You can understand every word in the lyrics being sung. And that is something I normally could not decipher some of the time with other speaker systems. I'm not going to tell you a thunderous bass eminates from this tiny system, but I was surprised to find that the bass is definitely there. That's a break-through coming from such small speakers. I don't know how JBL did it, but I am grateful.

When you are playing an iPod on a speaker system, you do not want to have to touch the iPod itself. Some speaker system's remote only perform limited functions. This little remote DOES EVERYTHING. I've been able to fully run up and down my Nano's menu screens using the remote. Never have to touch the Nano itself. There is space directly on top of the JBL to place the remote (behind the Nano) when not in use. And you'll want to keep it there when not being used because you do not want to lose this very small remote ... the Center Stage itself only has volume control buttons on it, whereas the remote does everything.

In the C-Net review of this system they mention the volume control being too touchy or in some cases not sensitive enough. Specifically, what they mean is that if you use the volume control on the system base itself, the increments increased or decreased with each touch of one of the buttons are larger increments than what will occur when you touch the volume controls on the remote. Personally, I like the larger increments you get from one touch of the volume control buttons on the base unit. But the volume control on the remote works fine, you just have to touch the volume buttons several times to get the same impact you'd get from using the base unit buttons. But I do agree with them that the remote's volume control is kind of sensitive. I have no issue with the base unit's volume control. Both volume controls work ... just differently.

As I type these thoughts, I have my JBL playing. So very glad I made this purchase. It meets my specific needs perfectly. Only you can determine what your needs are, but the JBL Center Stage IIIP is a valid option for many people.