Duet II Two-Piece Desktop Speaker System
Company: JBL
www.jbl.com
Retail: $99.99

There are more iPod speaker solutions out on the market than the entire Mymac.com staff could ever cover in a reasonable time period. Obviously, there is a market out there, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many solutions. So what does JBL have to offer with the Duet II Desktop Speaker System? Well, I’ve spent about 6 weeks trying to find that out.

So let’s get the errata out of the way. Testing for the Duet II was conducted using a 1st generation iPod Touch, a 1st generation iPod Shuffle, a 1st generation Sony PSP, and a 13" Macbook. I tested the Duet II in an open room (both the bedroom and office) and in an enclosed space (bookshelf).

So first impressions: the Duet II is easy to set up and easy to use. Basically, there are only three pieces to the unit; the adaptor, the left speaker, and the right speaker.

Everything pretty much plugs into the left speaker and the system connects to the sound source with a 3.5 mm mini stereo jack compatible with just about every electronic audio device out on the market. There is only one control, also located on the left speaker. This is the power/volume dial located on the top of the left speaker. This control is well-integrated into the overall design of the unit, which is very sleek and modern. There is one LED power indicator light at the base of the speaker, in case you’re like me and forget to turn off the speaker power after you’ve unplugged your device. The speakers are about 4" in diameter and 10" high, and while not heavy, they could double as bookends if space is at a premium.

So how’s does it sound? For it’s size, I was very happy with the overall performance of the Duet II. I felt that the system delivered good performance over the entire sound spectrum, and I ran it through it’s paces using podcasts for normal speech, a couple of fiddle and violin concertos for the high end, and some trip hop for testing the low end base performance. In all cases the system delivered sound comparable to a good pair of headphones. More importantly, there was no distortion when the speakers were set to higher volumes, which is sometimes an issue with smaller speaker systems.

My wife, on the other hand, felt that the sound was kind of "tinny", and at lower volumes (and depending on the equalizer setting on the sound source), I can’t deny that there was some of that "tinny" sound that you would normally associate with small/portable speaker systems. It was also more noticeable when the speakers were in an open environment. I found that I got the best sound performance when I had the speaker volume above mid-level, the equalizer on the sound source set to "bass boost", and the speakers placed in a bookcase where I could get a little sound reflected from the bass output located on the back of each speaker.

So what are the drawbacks? Well, the main one is the cabling – there’s just enough for about an 8 foot separation between the left and right speakers. This is not a problem if you’re planning on putting them in a bookcase or on a desk, but you won’t be able to put one in each corner of a room (unless it’s a small room). The other issue may be price. While I feel the JBL Duet II delivers good performance for the price, there are other speaker options out there for iPod users that are cheaper and will also double as a charger while you listen to your music. Of course, the systems I’m referring to are limited to iPods only, and the Duet II offers more flexibility for those looking for a small speaker system they can use with almost any audio device.

Mymac rating: 3.5 out of 5

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TuneBuds Mobile for iPhone
Company: Griffin Technology
www.griffintechnology.com
Retail: $39.99

I think I need to start this by saying thanks to our editor-and-chief for allowing me to borrow his iPhone 1G to test the functionality of Griffin’s TunebBuds Mobile earbuds. Without his assistance this review wouldn’t be complete, and if this review wasn’t complete, it wouldn’t be fair.

So why do I say that? Well, to be frank, the sound quality of the TuneBuds is less than stellar. While I’m not a hardcore audiophile, I do enjoy a full range of sound from my audio equipment, and in the case of the TuneBuds, I found that the low-end response was almost non-existent. Now the mid-range and upper-range is fine, which is okay if you plan to use the TuneBuds as a headset for your iPhone, and I think this really is the market that the folks at Griffin are targeting.

So to clarify a few things before I go any further, testing for the TuneBuds Mobile earbuds was conducted using an iPhone 1G (a la Tim Robertson) and a 16 GB iPod Touch 1G (mine). For all you first generation (1G) iPod Touch owners, this is not the product for you. The basic functionality of the TuneBuds Mobile is not supported by the 1G Touch, and the sound quality of the TuneBuds Mobile doesn’t match that of the stock earbuds provided by Apple. I also need to point out that the Griffin has posted the compatibility information on the TuneBuds Mobile page of their website, and the 1G iPod Touch is not on that list.

Now, having said all that, I’m not saying that this product is bad. I own several products from Griffin Technology and enjoy them all. Were I looking for an affordable head set for my iPhone, or a set of earbuds with a built-in control dongle and microphone for my 2G iPod Touch, the TuneBuds Mobile are an effective, affordable solution.

So what is there to like about this product?

First of all, product presentation. Griffin has sheathed the cable for the TuneBuds Mobile in a braided nylon material. This does a great job of reducing the tangling and gives them a cloth-like feel that reminds me of a pair of boot laces – good boot laces – not the cheapo ones that fray and break after a few months wear and tear. They also provide three different sizes of interchangeable ear cushions, so you can pick the size that fits best for you. Finally it also comes with a coin pouch-sized zippered storage case, so you can keep the extra ear cushions and earbuds in your pocket without worrying about getting them tangled up in key chains and pocket lint.

Secondly, I really like the simplicity of the control dongle/microphone. The dongle has only one button, but with it you can do most of the functions you need to control your iPhone. If you’re listening to music, one touch will pause and play the current track. If you don’t like the current track, double click the control button to hear the next track. If a phone call comes in while your listening to a song or podcast, single click to answer the call. Don’t feel like having a phone conversation? Simple hold the control button for 2 seconds and the call we be sent to voice mail. And while I didn’t actually hear the how I sounded on the other end of the conversation while I was testing the TuneBuds Mobile, I was told by the listener on the other end of the conversation that the sound quality of the microphone was fine.

So overall, the TuneBuds Mobile earbuds works as-advertised, and offer an affordable headset/earbud solution for iPhone users, albeit at a compromised sound quality.

Mymac.com rating: 2.5 out of 5.

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