The world of iPod, iPhone, and iPad peripherals isn’t getting any simpler, and Harman International has just thrown another accessory into the ecosystem, announcing its new JBL OnBeat Speaker Dock. The OnBeat Speaker Dock is designed as a premium speaker set for Apple’s i-devices, and while it works just find with iPhones and iPods, it’s really meant to cradle iPads: not only is the dock designed to serve as a functional base for Apple’s popular tablets, but the dock can rotate so iPads can be used (and viewed) in either portrait or landscape orientation, so users can watch video or other entertainment on the dock while enjoying an improved audio experience.
“Imagine what moviegoers must have felt when they heard sound paired with film for the first time in history. This is what we hope to accomplish for the next era of entertainment experiences with products such as the JBL OnBeat for the iPad, iPhone and more,” said Harmon consumer division president David Slump, in a statement.
The JBL OnBeat Speaker Dock features Phoenix full-range transducer speakers with “computer-optimized” DSP equalization that can create a detailed soundstage for a variety of audio types, including music, video, and games. The speakers are rated from 70Hz to 20kHz, and there’s an aux input connection to accept audio from other sources via an 1/8th-inch stereo mini-jack. An optional composite video cable enables users to send video content from the dock to a television, and there’s a USB connection so users can charge and sync devices when connection to an iTunes music library. The dock is designed for the iPad, but ships with brackets that enable users to adapt it to the iPhone and iPods. And, of course, the OnBeat Speaker Dock charges docked devices.
The JBL OnBeat speaker dock should be available in April for $149.95 in any color…as long as it’s black.
