Installation, Testing and Comparison
Once unpacked, the mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb is easily connected for iPod play back. The AC power cord is connected to the Orb and the proper dock plate needs to be affixed to the top of the mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb. That is all it takes to get the mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb rocking. Press the power button on either the mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb or on the remote to start playing your music.
If you wish to use the Orb as a dock connector, just affix the USB or Firewire connector to the back of the speaker.
For testing, I used the mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb in conjunction with a 60GB iPod Video and a 1st Gen iPod Nano. For comparison, I used my Bose SoundDock to gauge the sound quality from the mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb.
Now I realize that the Bose is a tough customer to compare against the mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb. I personally find most Bose products to be middle of the road in terms of sound quality. The saying no highs, no lows, must be Bose is fairly accurate from my experience.
One of the first advantages that the mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb has over the Bose SoundDock is that it can function as an iPod dock. Once connected to a PC or Mac, the Orb acts exactly as an iPod dock allowing you to sync, play music and charge.
The truest test for any speaker setup is how they sound when playing music. For testing, I played some hard rock, acoustic guitar, and classical through both the SoundDock and mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb. Now keep in mind this test is very subjective. So like any stereo product, the best way to decide if you like a stereo product is to listen to it yourself.
When I first fired up the mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb, I found the sound to be very flat. Using the remote to adjust the treble and bass; I was able to brighten the sound up. Compared to the Bose, the mStation is definitely the weaker product, but that does not mean the sound is bad. In fact, when I asked my six year old daughter which speaker sounded better, she actually picked the mStation. I told you it was subjective.
Listening to the different music genres, the mStation sounded best with the acoustic rock/classical end of the spectrum. One advantage the mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb has over the Bose is the ability to tinker with the treble and bass settings. So you can make the music sound more to your musical tastes.
The remote control is rather limited in its scope. The remote can play/pause skip forward or backwards with tracks on the iPod. You are unable to scan your library or navigate your iPod with the remote and your mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb. This is pretty standard for most iPod speakers with remotes. Other than the treble and bass buttons, the Bose remote has the same control functions.
Replacing the dock connector is simple; there are two notches on either side of the connector. Place your fingers on each side and lift up to swap out the connector.
The one thing I found the mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb to be lacking in was the ability to use batteries. I wish that mStation put a battery compartment at the bottom of the housing for some C batteries to allow this speaker system to become truly portable.