Sound quality: JBL's OnBeat Rumble had good overall sound quality, and it would have been even better if not marred by the oppressive bass. (Bass has lots of impact and goes fairly deep, but it's very pronounced, thumpy, and lacks definition.) Midrange is even with a touch of graininess, and treble is extended but somewhat pronounced and a bit sizzly. Whatever room ambience (the sense of an acoustic space, such as the hall or room in which a recording was made) is recovered is mostly overwhelmed by the bass, though the sound still manages to remain fairly open. We found no significant difference in sound quality whether we used a wireless Bluetooth, an iPod dock, or wired connection. The OnBeat Rumble provides a decent volume level in a small to medium-sized room.
Ease of use: The system's ease of use is good overall. Bluetooth pairing was easy, and the speakers' on-console controls were generally easy to use and generally well marked, though muting the audio requires pushing the volume up and down buttons simultaneously, which isn't obvious. The speaker doesn't come with a remote control; this isn't an issue if the speaker is close by or if it's being used with a mobile Bluetooth device that's acting as a remote, but it could be inconvenient in other situations.
