The PlayDock PD200's strength and weakness lie in its 14-pound heft. This handsome fireplug of sound is the only speaker system on our list that's beefy enough to power a beach party, and it gave by far the biggest bass feel. But you won't want to carry it much farther than the car.

The PlayDock packs a central bass speaker in between its two tweeters. After the inMotion, the PlayDock had the widest frequency response of our bunch, delivering usable response between 60 Hz and 10 kHz, with a massive boost in the mid-bass. Voices sound full, heavy metal blasts the way it should, and classical woodwinds sound very warm. The PlayDock can also get really loud without distortion—great for parties. It runs for about 10 hours on its rechargeable battery.

The PlayDock is made to work with the Creative Nomad Jukebox 2 and 3 and the Nomad Jukebox Zen lines. Any of these players will fit into a snug rubber glove in the top of the unit and get power from the PlayDock. You can also plug another type of player into the PlayDock, but it won't receive power.

If you're looking to turn your Creative Nomad jukebox into a powerful, somewhat portable home stereo—and you're a big fan of bass—the PlayDock is well worth its hefty size and price.