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So put that on the wish list for next year, Onkyo. The SBX-300, meanwhile, is a significant upgrade from the typical less-than-$200 speaker dock. The "iOnly Bass" name might be nothing more than a come-on to headbangers who have never heard of Onkyo - and just to be sure, the company affixes a "Powerful Bass" sticker to the SBX-300's bass.
When an LED indicator light shines green, it's Super Bass 1. Next stage, orange, is Super Bass 2. With most music, the SBX-300 away from a wall, Super Bass Lite sounds emaciated. Super Bass 1 is better, though sometimes boomy. Super Bass 2 is even better, though occasionally overbaked depending on the music.
Bass, as measured using a test tone, reached about 55 hertz - comparable to a small bookshelf speaker - and even lower with Super Bass 2 engaged. The SBX-300 has two full-frequency drivers, each 41/8 inches, no tweeter dedicated to higher frequencies. Yet backed by 20-watt Class D amplification and some Super Bass, the SBX-300 sounded full-bodied, at least by speaker-dock standards.
Full text
Most speaker docks, built exclusively for diminutive iPhones and iPods, hang a no-trespassing sign when an iPad walks by. That's no way to treat the world's most popular tablet.
It only complicates the search for the speaker dock that not only seats an iPad but also sounds good.
Onkyo's iOnly Bass, model SBX-300, manages both in a distinctive little package with a distinctive i-Compatible name.
We'll just call it the SBX-300. At $249, Onkyo has found some middle ground between flimsy little plastic docks and high-end aspirants like Bowers & Wilkins' huge-wingspan Zeppelin Air ($600)
The SBX-300, in contrast, is not even 18 inches wide, 7 high and 6 deep. It weighs less than 8 pounds. It does not look cheap, however, with a brushed-aluminum base and arching carry handle, a retractable dock and a peek-a-boo LED display hidden beneath a black cloth grille.
The iPad, once mounted, looks like a clownishly big head on a little body - almost too big for the SBX-300. The docking tray retracts with a simple push. Closing it requires the additional step of sliding a nearby switch, then pushing the tray back into the locked position.
The retractable plastic tray seemed almost too delicate for a force-fed iPad.
Other concessions to pricing soon become obvious. The looks-portable SBX-300 is indeed easily transported around the house, but it has no battery power for more mobile outdoor use. It has no Airplay, Apple's in-demand wireless technology that all but makes a dock obsolete - the iDevice, including an iPad, transports the music over a home network to the speaker.
So put that on the wish list for next year, Onkyo. The SBX-300, meanwhile, is a significant upgrade from the typical less-than-$200 speaker dock. The "iOnly Bass" name might be nothing more than a come-on to headbangers who have never heard of Onkyo - and just to be sure, the company affixes a "Powerful Bass" sticker to the SBX-300's bass.
The user actually gets three options: Two levels of "Super Bass" and no bass enhancement, which I'll call "Super Bass Light."
Unless the SBX-300 is backed against a wall, where its two rear ports supplement the bass, activating one of the Super Bass modes is mandatory. Do it either with the mini-report or a push-button below the rest of the onboard controls on the SBX-300's right side panel
When an LED indicator light shines green, it's Super Bass 1. Next stage, orange, is Super Bass 2. With most music, the SBX-300 away from a wall, Super Bass Lite sounds emaciated. Super Bass 1 is better, though sometimes boomy. Super Bass 2 is even better, though occasionally overbaked depending on the music.
Bass, as measured using a test tone, reached about 55 hertz - comparable to a small bookshelf speaker - and even lower with Super Bass 2 engaged. The SBX-300 has two full-frequency drivers, each 41/8 inches, no tweeter dedicated to higher frequencies. Yet backed by 20-watt Class D amplification and some Super Bass, the SBX-300 sounded full-bodied, at least by speaker-dock standards.
Like the bass modes, volume changes are also noted by the LED indicator bars. The five volume bars, with seven incremental (and unmarked) increases before the next level illuminates, allow plenty of experimentation but make it harder than docks with numerical displays to lock into a specific volume.
When discounted below $200 - online retailers like Amazon.com stock it for as low as $168 - the SBX-300 moves into the elite class of inexpensive docks that accommodate an iPad and combine good looks with good sound. At that price, the brushed aluminum is a bonus.
What: Onkyo iOnly Bass (SBX-300) Dock Music System
Price: $249, onkyousa.com
Hot: A speaker dock that accommodates an iPad (and iPod or iPhone), decent sound, easily transportable.
Not: No battery-power option, no Airplay for wireless music.
Information: www.onkyousa.com
Photo (color); Caption: Onkyo iOnly Bass (SBX-300) Dock Music System
(Copyright 2012 by The Daily Press)