JBL OnBeat Xtreme

I was sitting down for some coffee and a little chitchat with my friend RJ when he suddenly brought up the question that set the tone for the morning’s discussion.

He had asked me, from an audiophile point of view, what would I recommend as the perfect docking station for today’s line of Apple gadgets like the iPad, the iPod and the iPhone.

Over the last few years, since Apple had become a byword in compact, easy to lug around gadget technology, I have had my share of docking stations and the reason why I kept switching to the next model out was, as one true audiophile would point out, the quality of audio being transmitted by these nifty convenient speakers.

Answering RJ’s question, I would recommend JBL’s OnBeat Xtreme, a stylized docking station that turns your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch into a dynamic, room-filling stereo system. Purchased at the ‘harman house’ store in Dubai Mall, my OnBeat Xtreme model has been customized for iPad and iPad 2, yet its innovative rotating dock connector also works with the iPhone and iPod Touch.  The unit also comes with Bluetooth wireless speakers that can connect to other Apple multimedia devices when they are detached from the dock. The JBL OnBeat Xtreme can also be used for hands-free calling through Apple’s FaceTime or Skype. The JBL speaker phone works with Bluetooth-enabled phones via a built-in microphone, while the sound is enhanced through digital sound processing (DSP) and echo cancellation. The best part is that it also works with Android smartphones, tablets and wireless MP3 players.

The wireless speakers emanates impressive sound from dual Atlas bass drivers and Ridge tweeters, optimized by DSP equalization. You can also control the docking station’s settings through an exclusive JBL OnBeat Xtreme app available free through the iTunes App Store. This innovative app lets users manage their favoriate playlists and EQ settings for a truly custom audio experience, and even set an alarm or a sleep timer. The JBL OnBeat Xtreme ships with a versatile RF remote control, eliminating the need for line-of-site music management so users can even adjust volume and song-skipping from another room.  

The JBL OnBeat Xtreme iPad dock supports advanced A2DP and AVRCP Bluetooth profiles for interference-free operation, and uses the higher-quality AAC codec – supported by Apple’s iOS devices, gaming consoles from Sony and Nintendo as well as Android smartphones – for superior audio streaming.

Besides a built-in 30-pin connector for iPad docking, the JBL OnBeat Xtreme includes a standard 3.5-mm input jack to connect with other music players and smartphones and a USB port for firmware updates and iTunes synchronization.