Customer Reviews
Great unit, but shop around for best price 
2008-04-16
This puppy has a great sound for what it is - a micro unit. Don't expect it to sound like $500 speakers, because that's not what it cost. Speaking of which, definitely shop around. My buyer's club (BJ's) had it for $100, and I managed to get the last one, a display model that turned out to be perfect, for only $40. Even Amazon's price, though, is worth it for what you get. Two negatives kept me from rating this 5-star - 1) Volume -- it's not deafening (but again, it's a micro unit). The Bose is a little louder, a lot more expensive. 2)The adapters -- they give you half a dozen, for different iPod models. But the one for nano doesn't fit my 3G nano (too small). As others said, however, not a biggie because you don't really need the adapter for function. It provides stability only, so just be careful. I'm writing JBL to send a proper adapter -- we'll see.
Excellent sound & performance 
2008-04-07
I bought this about a month ago and have been very pleased with the overall performance and sound quality. Not only does the speaker have a unique look but it also delivers premium sound and is loud enough to fill a room with good music and suprisingly good bass. I like the portability and the remote control works for both the loudspeaker and the iPod.
I would defininitely recommend this unit, great value and performance.
a steal for the price 2008-03-08
for the sound, looks, size and price its a steal. It has crystal clear treble from the "halo" and great bass from the subwoofer on bottom. I own a bose 321 and the jbl radial sounds just like it only with slightly smaller sound. Also has auxillary inputs on the back and comes with a sweet remote. PAID ONLY $165. Sounddock from BOSE cost $270. Crank up the volume-sound quality stays excellent(definitely sounds just as good as bose). I listen to metal, rock and classic rock on it. Actually gave me a headache it gets so loud. ROCK ON.
Great Value 2008-02-25
I first heard this radial at an apple store and it has been on my wishlist since. Finally the price dropped to what I believe is reasonable so I added it to my ipod accessories. I do remember listening to the Micro and it wasn't nearly as good. My review won't be much different than what others have said. Now that this radial has come down in price, it is a great value. The sound quality is great for such a small package. There is no bass disortion and the highs are crisp and clear at fairly high volume levels. I am still amazed at how much bass comes out of this little box. It by no means overpowers the mids and highs, but is just right for my listening pleasure. I look forward to have friends over and having them guess at the size of the box this pleasing sound is coming from. My guess is they'll think it's hooked up to a subwoofer somewhere. I can clearly hear the difference between good and bad quality mp3's. If only I could get my truck to sound this good for the same price...
Very, very pleased! 2008-01-23
I tried to buy this from the Apple store, for my new iPod, but neither stores in my area nor Apple online store had it in stock, so I purchased it from Amazon. (I'm not pleased that the day after I received it via Fed Ex last week, Amazon dropped the price from $269 to $229... don't know whether to shoot them or myself.)
In terms of the product, I am very happy with it. I have a small house and the unit is in my office/guest room. The sound easily fills the house, very crisp and clear, and to be honest, it has more "boom" than my small place can handle. I could definitely use it in a larger place. It's also extremely appealing visually... not as important but still very pleasing. Finally, the remote control works great and is a big plus, especially when I'm working. I like to have music playing much of the day, and remote control allows me to continually be starting new albums without having to get up and manually handle the iPod.
Awesome speaker! 2008-01-15
JBL Radial delivers clean, powerful high and mid-frequency sound and plentyof deep, distortion-free bass from a compact device with almost unlimited versatility. As a music system, JBL Radial stands alone. As a computer peripheral, it replaces and upgrades your external speakers and subwoofer. As a multimedia entertainment center, it even sends your iPod photos and video to a TV monitor. JBL Radial incorporates the iPod Universal Dock adapter, and is compatible with most docking versions of the iPod, including Nano and 5G versions. A stereo mini jack connection allows you to enjoy high-quality audio from a variety of other devices, including the iPod shuffle, MP3 and CD players, satellite radio, desktop and laptop computers. The wireless RF remote control provides the freedom to enjoy your music from across the room or in another room, or outside, from up to 20 feet. With full access to your iPod you can easily change tracks, browse libraries, adjust settings, and scroll through extras. JBL Radial utilizes a proprietary compression technology to ensure clean, accurate sound at highoutput levels Drivers One low-frequency neodymium and four Odyssey full-range drivers Power Output - 2 x 15 Watts, 1 x 30 watts Connections Main connection - iPod-docking connector Auxiliary - 1/8 inch (3.5mm) Mini stereo jack Video Out Frequency Response - 40Hz - 20kHz Input Impedance - More than10k Ohms Signal-to-Noise Ratio - More than 85dB Voltage Input - 120V AC U.S., 100V AC Japanese, and 230V AC Europe Dimensions - Width 12 x Height 10.5 inches (305mm x 267mm) Weight - 2.5 pounds (1.2 kg)
Thousand dollar sound for a small fraction of the cost 2008-01-12
I was shocked when I heard it. It fills my large family room with full-throated sound: clear highs and rumbling bass. Piano music sounds like some one is sitting at my piano, pipe organ shakes the walls! It puts my Logitech Pure Fi to shame. The remote is confusing, but the wonderful sound makes it a great bargain anyway. I bought another for work.
Work but problems out of the box 2008-01-02
Purchased this for my wife's b-day. I first used an mp3 player with the supplied cable and the sound was fantastic but the remote did not work. In the manual it says it only works with a docked ipod. I then tried using the supplied dock plates with my wife's Nano and the alignment is off and cannot get it docked using the plate. This was still ok since it fit snuggly without it. Unfortunatly, the remote still did not work. Again reading the manual it states either reset the ipod or replace the battery. After doing both, it still did not work. I am now sending it back and will update when the new one arrives. Had the remote worked I would've given it five stars because the sound quality is that good. I can't wait to receive the new one to start enjoying great sound from her ipod.
Follow-up: I received my new one Jan. 29 and again it had problems. The AC adapter did not fit snuggly and after listening to music for about an hour the plug vibrated loose thus losing power. I again had to ship it back for another unit. I received the new one and finally am enjoying great sounding music. I would still give it 5 stars if not for the fact of the aforementiond problems. The sound will absolutely blow you away.
Very pleased with my purchasse 2007-12-28
I bought this speaker after reading a review about it in Consumer Reports. Their opinion was that the JBL had the edge on sound over Bose. This is my first ever ipod speaker and I couldn't be happier. I find the sound to be simply amazing.
Completely Satisfied 2007-12-04
I bought the Radial 6 months ago after researching the most popular loudspeaker docs (Bose, Klipsch, and JBL) for my wife's ipod. I am very happy that we decided on the JBL. Since purchasing the Radial we have had the opportunity to play it side-by-side to the Bose. The JBL has superior base, more volume, and better over-all sound quality. I have been impressed at the level of sound quality that comes out of this small apparatus (and its pretty stylish). Completely satisfied - love it!
