Technology Review: ION Jukebox Dock Retro Speaker

JukeBoxDock

When using our smartphones and tablets it’s all fun and games till the battery runs down and it needs charging.  It’s fair to say that the time they are charging can be the most boring part owning one of these devices, so there is obviously ways to make money out of chargers.  This is probably why companies create docking systems that not only charge the phone or tablet, but also work as speaker systems too so that while the device is charging it can still be of some use.  Gala Casino to celebrate a new Rock ‘n’ Roller themed slot machine they’ve added to their site sent a docking system in the shape of a ION Jukebox Dock Retro Speakers for the iPod, iPad, iPod Touch and Android devices, although the Android devices don’t charge, they just connect through a wire at the back to share the music and use the docking systems speakers.

The dukebox itself looks good, and fits the Rock ‘n’ Roller theme quite well, I’ll admit I wasn’t prepared for the size of it, but if it’s going to hold an iPad it is going to be quite a size.  The docking mechanism is on the front of the ION Jukebox Dock Retro Speaker with the charging dock easy to use.  With an iPad, with its added size it sometimes can be fiddly to connect to but you soon get used to it. Once it’s in you just have to load up the music on the device and the speakers spring to life, with the smaller iOS devices it’s much easier to attach.  There is no software or user interface on the docking system itself so all music options and volume choices are made through the device.  For Android tablets and phones it’s possible to connect to the speaker system the old fashioned way with wires, this of won’t include charging but I’m sure that goes without saying.  With the ability to wire to the speakers this also means other devices other than phones and tablets can also connect, but be aware on what the docking system was designed for and I’m sure you’ll know the quality to expect.  Also take note that the iOS devices supported for the ION Jukebox Dock Retro Speaker are the iPhone up to the iPhone 4S, iPad 1 and 2, and 4th generation iPod Touch because of the changes in chargers with newer versions of the Apple devices obviously, so if they don’t have the correct charging mechanism they too will have to connect through the back of the system.

The sound quality is quite impressive, as the ION Jukebox Dock Retro Speaker itself costs around £80 it’s obviously not going to sound as good as the premium speaker systems and it’s not go all the snazzy extras like Wi-fi and Airplay, but for charging and playing music it does what it does well.  The sound is quite has enough bass and the music has enough clarity to be quite pleasant.  Along with the speaker system, the jukebox itself does light up, and for fans of the Rock ‘n’ Roller look it’s obviously something quite novel that they will enjoy.

Whether you buy docking systems for their look, for the sound quality or even just as a charger you as the owner are going to go for a certain style that you like.  For the fans of the “retro” look, or dukeboxes or even something novel that can sit in the corner of the room the ION Jukebox Dock Retro Speaker is going to be a good choice, there is even a little addition of lighting to add to the effect although it may have been nice to have the option to turn the lighting off, but that’s just a small issue really.  If you are looking for a speaker system for your device whether it be to charge them up or not, the ION Jukebox Dock Retro Speaker is a novel design, and if it meets your taste provides a decent quality sound for the price.

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