JBL OnBeat Rumble Review- Huge Sound That Will Impress

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If you are in the market for a speaker dock that offers a Lightening connector and wireless connectivity and you want big… no… huge sound you’ll want to check out the JBL OnBeat Rumble. The OnBear Rumble is a large speaker dock that serves up even bigger sound. At $399 it is a pricey, but impressive, offering. Check it out.

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The JBL OnBeat Rumble loudspeaker dock is a Lightning connector dock that also allows you to wirelessly stream audio over Bluetooth with HARMAN TrueStream connection technology. The speakers built-in subwoofer delivers huge sound and, thanks to the, free JBL MusicFlow app, you can use your mobile device to browse music, edit playlists and set equalizer settings. I’ve been tremendously impressed with the dock since it arrived a few weeks ago. Let’s take a look at it on video and then walk through the specifics so you can decide if the OnBeat Rumble is a worthwhile investment.

Here are some audio samples.

What’s in the box:

• 1 JBL OnBeat Rumble loudspeaker dock

• 1 in-line power supply

• 1 AC cord (region-specific)

• Warranty cards

• Quick-start guide

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The OnBeat Rumble has two 2 1/2” speakers and a 4 1/2” down-firing subwoofer. It pumps out 50 watts of power: 2 x 11 watts (full-range); 1 x 28 watts. The sound is… massive. And the down-firing subwoofer “delivers big, bad, low-distortion bass to keep everyone dancing all night long.”

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Buttons are kept to a minimum. There’s a power on button, an audio input button, volume up and down buttons, a Bass booster and a “Club” button that gives the sound an additional kick. Additional audio tweaks are possible using the JBL OnBeat app.

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The design of the Lightning connector is a key feature of the OnBeat Rumble. It lets you play music from the current generation iPad, the iPhone 5, and the current generations of the iPod touch and iPod nano. Of course it also charges the device while it is docked.

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We’ve seen docks that are specific to one iOS device or another. Thankfully the design of the OnBeat Rumble’s dock allows for the use of any iOS device, many of them with cases.

And if you don’t want to dock your device, or you are using a device that does not have a Lightning connector, you can enjoy your music via “high-quality AAC Bluetooth streaming”. The OnBeat Rumble’s Bluetooth features what JBL refers to as “HARMAN TrueStream technology”. According to JBL,

HARMAN TrueStream tech guarantees the best possible listening experience when you stream audio via Bluetooth wireless connection. Our products always use the most current, most advanced wireless-technology option to ensure the highest-quality sound, no matter what application or source device you use.

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If you don’t want to use the Lightning connector or the Bluetooth streaming you can connect to the 3.5mm Aux-In port on the back of the speaker. While you are at it you can use the USB port that sits on the back to charge your device.

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JBL has tuned the OnBeat Rumble so that you can listen at high volume with minimal distortion. Their proprietary Slipstream port technology is specifically designed to let you listen to loud music with a ton a bass with minimal distortion.

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Add in the free JBL MusicFlow app and you can browse your music, create and edit playlists and adjust your EQ settings.

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The JBL OnBeat Rumble is an impressive speaker dock. It makes a visual statement thanks to its bold design and bright color. Once you turn it on and begin streaming music the OnBeat Rumble shows itself to be as memorable as it is bold. It gets loud, offers amazing bass and, most importantly, it sounds great. At $399 the JBL OnBeat Rumble is a pricey option but you get a lot for the price. If you are willing to spend just under $400 for a new speaker dock it is worth a look. Learn more here.

MSRP: $399.99

What I Like: Huge excellent sound; Lightning connector, Bluetooth and 3.5mm Aux In connections allow for multiple input formats; USB charging port; Flexible Lightning connector accepts all current iOS devices and folds out of the way when not being used

What Needs Improvement: Makes a big, bold statement that some will love while others will not; Not for those who don’t like bass

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.