Griffin, maker of all manner of Apple iPod accessories, has created a speaker dock that's good-looking, portable, and easy to charge. That is great, but the Journi's sound quality is pretty disappointing. Audiophiles can stop reading now, and anyone who is looking for a really nice-sounding speaker set can probably take a hike, too. But those who favor fashion and function over performance (don't be shy, you know who you are) will like its aesthetics.

The Journi, like most speaker sets of this sort, also has aux inputs for other types of audio devices. It comes with a tiny, effective remote that offers basic navigation options for the iPod, and it is loaded with some thoughtful touches, such as a "depth adjustment wheel" that sits behind the iPod. The wheel ensures that the iPod remains flush against the surface of the dock, eliminating strain on the connection and the possibility of the insert breaking off. So what's not to love?

Well, unfortunately, this thing sounds just plain bad. The Journi distorts at low volume, even on acoustic songs, and has almost no bass. This is despite its inclusion of SRS WOW, which the manual tells us is supposed to produce "an expanded sound stage and deep, rich bass." While a portable speaker certainly can't compete with the likes of the Chestnut Hill Sound George or the Apple iPod Hi-Fi, the Journi still paled in comparison to others of its kind, such as the powerful MTX Audio iThunder and the pleasant-sounding JBL On Tour Plus.

My favorite attribute of the Journi is certainly not the creative spelling of its name; it's the black leather that wraps around the dock when it's not in use. The leather acts as a kind of kickstand. Tucking the cover flap into a slot underneath the speakers creates a stand, angling the speakers upward. The speakers themselves have a sleek, metallic and gray rubber grille and case covering them; the rest of the unit is black. On the left-hand side of the speaker is a port for connecting the adapter that uses the same proprietary connection the iPod does, so it can charge either the speakers or the iPod (when it's not in use). The other end of the cable connecting to the adapter is actually USB and can be snapped out of the wall-plug adapter and connected directly into your PC for charging. Essentially, it is a USB iPod charging cable that can be used with a computer or a wall adapter. Above the charger connection is a 3.5mm aux input for other audio sources such as CD and MP3 players.

Also on the left is a battery button—press it to see a green-lighted display of the device's remaining battery life, on a scale of one to four. The rechargeable lithium ion battery is rated to last about 8 to 10 hours per charge, but I was surprised to get 16.5 hours out of it on my test. Of course, this requires that your iPod be fully charged too. On the right-hand side are the power and volume up/down buttons.

The remote is tiny and equipped with membrane buttons over a black-and-gray color scheme. You can control power and volume, play and pause your music, or skip forward or backward. No screen or menu navigation here, just skipping through an album or playlist. One last cool feature of the remote is that it's magnetic, so it sticks to the speaker grille—a thoughtful touch, considering these small remotes are so easy to lose.

Another well-thought-out ability is that if you dock your iPod and remove the USB cable from the adapter and plug it into your PC, you can sync your iPod to iTunes while it's in the dock.

The Journi is one sexy, well-designed product. It folds up into a beautiful leather carrying case that's easy to pack because it's only about 6.5 by 10 by 1.3 inches. But it sounds terrible, so only buy this product if you're looking for something stylish—and audio performance really isn't a concern.

For product support, visit Griffin's website.

Compare the portable speakers mentioned above side by side.