![]() Separate from the snooze bar, the sleep timer lets you turn off the unit automatically after anything from 5 to 60 minutes, in 5 minute increments for whatever reason, the unit’s sleep timer setting menu was glitchy in our testing. New to the cluster are HD, TAG, PS, and ZZZ buttons, representing a new HD Radio tuning feature, iTunes Tagging, a screen to let you modify and access five preset stations, and a sleep timer. Though the first On Time had 11 buttons that were more or less obvious in functionality, 400iHD’s 14 are more confusing, apparently in the name of adding more functionality. We weren’t completely thrilled with JBL’s button-based interface for accessing these features. Unlike the first On Time, you can’t see multiple alarm times on the screen at once instead, you’re shown whichever alarm is closest to the present time, with digits and a confusing alarm icon that hover above the current time on the clock screen. Each alarm can tap into AM or FM radio channels, the docked iPod, or a buzzer. You can now set multiple alarms-not just two, but many-each with interesting parameters that go beyond even iHome’s well-regarded 7-5-2 (all week, weekday, weekend) settings, including the ability to pick all of these options, plus a one-time only alarm, or a single specific weekday that an alarm should go reoccur on. ![]() While the display is sort of ugly, it does provide entry to functionality that wasn’t found in the original On Time. The date is always displayed below the time, and there are simple, old-fashioned text menus on the screen that are easy to understand but not fun to look at. The time is actually smaller, the numbers represented in a less attractive font, and most of the display is now used for text of one sort or another. On Time 400iHD has a bigger screen that should be easier to see, but it’s not entirely better. One of the complaints about the original On Time was that its screen was on an odd recline that was hard to see at certain angles and distances. The most notable visual and functional difference between On Stage 200ID and On Time 400iHD is the presence of a blue-backlit clock and text screen, which interrupts the otherwise silver fabric face. You also get three antennas-two FM, one AM-plus five dock adapters, an auxiliary audio cable, and a power supply in the box. It feels like visual and conceptual overload, a marked and unfortunate change from the company’s prior control schemes. Similarly, while the original On Time completely lacked a remote, On Stage 400iHD comes packed with a disorientingly complex 21-button Infrared version, loaded with icons, phrases, and shapes. These differences aren’t huge, but they make 400iHD look more substantial, and an array of 14 silver buttons on top versus On Stage 200ID’s 2 and the original On Time’s 11 makes 400iHD feel more intimidating. ![]() Both units are roughly 14.2” wide, but 400iHD measures 5” deep and 3” tall versus 200ID’s 4.38” depth and 2.5” height. On Time 400iHD is On Stage 200ID, only bigger and more complex. It was a good system for the $150 asking price, but not amazing. Shown here, On Stage 200ID wrapped a silver fabric speaker grille around a black plastic shell with two buttons and an iPod or iPhone dock on top it featured no clock or radio functionality.
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