Product: mStation Orb 2.1
Price: $129.99(USD)
Link:www.mstation.com
Rating: 3/5
When it comes to dockable iPod speaker systems, I’ve seen no shortage. Likely, neither have you. They come in all shapes, all sizes, and all prices. The $129.95(USD) mStation 2.1 Orb fits in the category of original shape.
The 2.1 Orb (2.1 for left and right audio and a subwoofer) comes in seven colours: White, Black, Blue, Green, Pink, Red, and Silver (matching the colours of the old, 2nd generation iPod Nanos). The Orb is about 8 inches in diameter and fits nicely on a small office desk, taking up minimal room.
The Orb’s docking station allows pass-throughsyncing with iTunes but connecting the included USB cable into the back of the device and into your computer, as well as a stereo mini cable for pass through sound for your computer or other devices.
The Orb also includes 6 docking cradles for a snug fit, depending on which iPod you want to use in the device as well as a 10 Key IR remote, with the following functions: power, volume up, volume down, next song, previous song, play/pause, treble up/down and bass up/down. The remote features pretty much everything you would want in a remote for a device like this, but I found at times had minimal range when not pointed directly at the IR sensor.
The sound on the Orb is fairly good when in the middle volume range, but lacked greatly for low-volume and distorted (expectedly) at very high volumes. While the high-volume distortion was not a huge deal, considering I would rarely use the device at the volumes that resulted in distortion, I was disappointed with the low-volume output from the Orb. Unlike other high-end audio systems like the Bose Sounddock, the Orb emits a low sounding hiss when some audio devices are plugged in, such as older generation iPods.
The only other disappointing factor was that the Orb cannot share inputs with its stereo input and dock input. So don’t expect to listen to your iPod while hearing systems sounds off your computer. Or don’t expect to simply have the convenience of watching a DVD on your computer through the Orb and then switch on your iPod. While not a huge issue, this is an inconvenience and takes away from the usefulness of the device.
For $129.99, the Orb is a pretty good value for its price. Its stylish, takes up little space and generally sounds very good. The bass and treble controls help greatly when listening to different styles of music. Most live music requires the bass be brought all the way down just to make the music audible. The bass and treble controls are a great feature and simple one that has been overlooked in many devices, including the much more expensive offerings by Harmon/Kardon or Bose.
Take a closer look at the mStation Orb 2.1 and see if you can find a colour thats right for you.
For as long as I can remember, any new computer I bought, I stuck with the built-in speaker system. Last month I had a chance to try Focal’s new consumer 2.1 speaker system and boy was I impressed – and not just by the sound quality.
