The audio quality is quite good and gets loud enough to use during backyard barbeques, though you wouldn't be able to take it to a picnic unless you had a power outlet nearby for the transmitter; the product would be better if the speaker itself had a line-in port. You can also adjust bass and treble levels. After pressing the sound mode button, the unit displays bass and treble musical notations in annoying dots to denote the setting you're adjusting, which most people won't understand right away.
Like any good iPod accessory, the transmitter dock charges your iPod while it's in the cradle. You can also connect the transmitter dock to your computer to sync your iPod while it's in the cradle as well as connect a secondary audio source to the system, allowing you to play music on another set of speakers along with the Oregon Scientific iBall. Additionally, you can switch between listening to music from the iPod and a different audio source, such as a CD player. If you have an audio/video cable--such as the one that came with earlier iPod Photos--you can connect the transmitter to your TV and view a slide show of photos stored on your iPod while music is playing.
The Bose SoundDock may be the high-water mark of iPod speakers, but the Oregon Scientific iBall adds a new level of mobility.
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