JBL On Tour Plus

The JBL On Tour Plus is a compact portable speaker designed with the Sony PlayStation Portable in mind, though it is equally suited to any audio source, including MP3 players, laptops, and even desktop PCs. It's got an integrated sliding cover, a glossy black finish, and a rugged carrying case, so it's sure to turn heads when you're on the go. The speaker also comes with a plastic attachment mechanism for the Sony PSP that lets you stand the gaming device on top of the speaker to share your gaming and movie experience with friends.

Crafted in glossy black plastic and trimmed in chrome and matte silver plastic, the On Tour Plus measures 7 by 3.5 by 1.3 inches and weighs just 12 ounces. A pair of 1-inch neodymium drivers are covered by small metal grilles (the On Tour Plus is capable of producing 3 watts per channel). To the right of the speakers, you'll find the volume up/down buttons. An integrated cover slides back to reveal the speakers, and rubber strips along the bottom keep the unit from sliding around.

On the back, underneath the cover, is a port for AC power. There's also a battery compartment for four triple-A batteries for when you're on the road or aren't near an outlet. Next to the power port sits a line-in jack, and there's an included audio cable to connect any audio source via its headphone jack. JBL thoughtfully provides a zippered rigid ballistic nylon case that holds the speaker, the folding PSP attachment, the AC adapter (secured in Velcro straps), and the audio cable.

Operation is very simple. With the speakers powered up, just connect your MP3 player and hit play. If you press the two volume buttons simultaneously, the On Tour Plus goes into mute mode. When it's running on battery power, doing this turns the speaker off. The PSP holder has rubber strips to keep your PSP in place (standing atop the speaker), and it is adjustable to achieve an optimal viewing angle. You can also put whatever MP3 player you have (I used a 30GB iPod) in the holder, though not every device fits perfectly.

The On Tour Plus is a little louder than you'd expect from a speaker with such small drivers, but the sound won't exactly fill a room. As for audio quality, the highs are emphasized almost to the point of sounding harsh, and there isn't any low bass to speak of, though the upper bass is strong enough. The mids have enough detail for many music types. Apparently the speaker doesn't handle a lot of complex, loud music very well. I noticed that Led Zeppelin's "Good Times, Bad Times" became a bit of a mess by the middle of the track. Still, vocals and horns aren't too tinny and the overall listening experience is pleasant.

Given the size and price of this speaker, I'm pretty satisfied with its performance. The unit's design is solid, compact, and attractive, and it matches PSPs and black iPods very well. This is a good choice for portable indoor sound in smaller rooms.