Review

Jawbone Big Jambox Review


Over the last couple of months, my wife and I both have upgraded to the iPhone 5. As with countless others, we were frustrated with the fact that the new docking port on the iPhone 5 has instantly made all our iPhone accessories obsolete. We were faced with the task of replacing those accessories that we rely on.

In my family, we are big music listeners. We utilized a large speaker “boombox” device that docks with an iPhone to play music. Now that we needed to find a replacement, we wanted to find something that might be somewhat future-proof. In the current external speaker systems, Bluetooth seems to be the best choice.

External Bluetooth Speaker Systems

Anyone who might have investigated external speakers that connect via Bluetooth, you will be aware that there are many options.  From the small to the large, from the inexpensive to the very expensive.  It can be hard to find the right balance between cost and sound quality.

For me, sound quality has a high importance.  This also meant that I was going to have to spend more to get that quality.  I offer a single tip if you are looking to find the right external speaker system for yourself.  I would recommend that you visit a local electronics dealer (such as Best Buy) who would have a display of several systems.  Try to get them to demonstrate each system (maybe even with your own iPhone.)  Only then you can make the right choice.

 Jawbone Big Jambox

Once I hear the Big Jambox made by Jawbone, I pretty much knew it performed better than others in its class.  The retail cost is around $299 (a little pricey) but the sound quality is excellent.

Most external systems are on the smaller side.  Jawbone actually makes a smaller version of the Jambox.  If you are able, try to find a display with both the Jambox and the Big Jambox.  Play the same song through each and it will become noticeable what larger speakers will do.

I am not one for wordy reviews so I will outline why I chose the Jambox.

  • Bluetooth wireless – moving away from the dock and trying to future-proof
  • Battery operated – even for its larger size, it still can go for hours on battery power.
  • Big speakers, big sound – anyone who knows music will tell you that bigger speakers will give you bigger sound.

Downsides:

  • Price – $299 puts this on the upper-end of external speaker systems (though I was able to find it on sale for $249)
  • Mobility – One of the pluses for the smaller systems is the ability to throw them in a backpack and go.  The size (almost a foot long) and weight makes it less mobile

Overall, I am very impressed by the Big Jambox and would recommend it to anyone who is serious about their music.

There are currently no comments.