The JBL On Tour Mobile is a compact and lightweight portable speaker system. Featuring a standard 3.5mm stereo mini jack, a sliding, protective cover, which doubles as a stand, and the ability to run either off either AC power or standard AAA batteries, the On Tour Mobile has good features, but is unfortunately let down by average sound quality.

The best aspect of this device is its design. Finished in an all-black glossy plastic with chrome ends, the On Tour Mobile has a sliding cover that protects the speakers, and which doubles as a stand when it's open. It also has rubber strips on its base, so it sits firmly on most surfaces. Sliding the cover open reveals two, 3W drivers and two small volume buttons. Pressing both buttons at the same time mutes the sound.

The unit's sound quality is average. Not surprisingly, the On Tour Mobile lacks bass and, as this can't be adjusted on the unit itself, you'll have to use the preset equaliser settings on your input device. While the unit does handle music adequately at lower listening levels, when the volume is turned up over the halfway point, distortion becomes evident and dramatically deteriorates the sound quality. As the bass distorts, the sound becomes overly muddled, but at lower levels the sound is clear and crisp. As such, the speakers are adequate, provided you are listening to them in close proximity.

The On Tour Mobile has a stereo mini-jack connection, so it can be used with a number of audio devices including, iPods, MP3 players, notebook computers and PCs. Conveniently, JBL also includes both a 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter, as well as an adapter for most Motorola phones. Also in the sales package is an AC adapter, a standard 3.5mm audio cable, a drawstring carry case and four AAA batteries.

Conveniently, the On Tour Mobile has an auto-off feature; the unit goes into sleep mode when the cover is closed or when there is no audio input. It resumes as soon as the cover is opened again, or when the volume button is pressed. The unit also remembers what the volume level was set to before it was turned off, and resumes playback at that same level.

The unit's battery life is rated at approximately 24 hours of continuous playback by JBL and an orange LED between the volume buttons flashes when the battery power is low.