The mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb is a one-piece speaker and docking system for iPods (and other devices). While it looks more or less like a colored bowling ball, it is actually a decent compact stereo system available in seven spiffy colors:

Photo courtesy of mStation.

Technically, there are two 2-inch front-facing drivers, a 3-inch rear-facing subwoofer, and a 30 watt (RMS) power amplifier inside the Orb. Its only controls are a set of six buttons in front of the iPod dock. Those buttons are: on/off, volume down, volume up, next/fast forward, previous/rewind, and play/pause.

The included infrared remote control has that same set of buttons plus an additional set of controls for bass and treble.

Photo courtesy of mStation.

On the back of the Orb are line-in, mini-USB 2, FireWire, and DC power ports. The USB and FireWire ports allow you to use the Orb as a docking station to sync your iPod with your Mac or PC. The FireWire port is an especially nice touch because it lets the Orb support older iPod models, which many newer peripherals do not.

While there's little else to criticize, I wasn't completely happy with the sound quality. Don't get me wrong -- it doesn't suck and it may be that I'm somewhat spoiled by listening to higher-quality (and more expensive) speakers most of the time. But the Orb just didn't sound as good as I'd hoped given its 2.1 speaker setup and what should be more than adequate amplification. But I found the sound a tad coarse, with midranges sounding slightly harsh and highs and lows that weren't as clear and clean as I'd have liked. Furthermore, at higher volume levels I heard a small but noticeable amount of distortion. Fiddling with the bass and treble controls made things better but I never achieved the clear, clean, full-spectrum sound quality I was hoping for.

What You Get in the Box: Orb speaker, 10-button remote control, 6 iPod Dock cradle adapters, 1 Dock port dust cover, USB cable, stereo mini plug cable, power adapter and cord. About the only thing about this system that's not great is the sound quality.

The Bottom Line

Almost everything about the mStation Orb is first-rate. The fit and finish are excellent, the design is whimsical and unique, and it includes numerous niceties like bass and treble controls and the aforementioned FireWire port. The bottom line is that the Orb is good looking and provides a lot of features for your money. If it just sounded a little bit better I could recommend it without a moment's hesitation.