Review of Big Jambox Bluetooth Speaker
/4 out of 5 stars
What was I looking for in a bluetooth speaker? I wanted something that sounded decent that I could move around the house and stream music from my google play music collection. I went to a big box store and listened to a few different models and settled on the Big Jambox.
When I purchased it, I actually didn't even realize it had an internal battery as that wasn't a feature I was looking for since I hadn't expected to move it that frequently in the house. Once I realized it did - I found I move it all the time and just leave the charger in my office. The battery life has been great - no idea how long it runs as I haven't done a full drain and it has yet to run out on me in my normal use of a hour or two here and there.
Sound is as good as can be expected - a single small metal box pumping out compressed MP3's over bluetooth is never going blow your mind. I actually find the sound similar to Bose in that it tends to be a tad muddy - not clear separation of dynamic ranges but not at all unpleasant. Sound can be very dependant on the placement in the room and you can place it closer or further from walls to adjust the bass.
It puts out enough volume to fill a decent sized room without distortion and could easily be used for cocktail parties etc for background music.
Now that I am used to moving it around, perhaps I'd like it a little smaller and lighter, but I suppose to do that would require a smaller battery and probably make more concessions to sound quality than I'd like.
Pros:
- Acceptable sound - especially if I place it near a wall or other reflective surface.
- Easy to pair - paired quickly with all my Android devices (Galaxy Nexus, Razr Maxx HD, Nexus 7)
- Great battery life - I don't know how long it lasts because it hasn't run out on me yet.
- Decent microphone for speaker phone use with cell phone.
Cons:
- Not a fan of the sharp corners
- If I could get the same battery life and sound from a smaller package, I suppose I'd prefer a smaller lighter one.