Jawbone Jambox BLACKDIAMOND Bluetooth Speaker/Speakerphone - Retail Packaging - Black

I like to watch movies on my iPad and I was looking for a bluetooth speaker because I did not want to deal with wires, sometimes I do not like using headphones, and the iPad's own speaker is simply not loud or good enough. With a certain amount of trepidation I went with this Jambox with the fear that this was just another "computer speaker." Instead I have found that the Jambox is exactly what I have been looking for. I'll begin with the end: the Jambox is quite loud and features pretty decent quality sound. No, not the same as a big set of stereo speakers, but pretty good quality including decent bass. My ears are no longer what they were when I was twenty, and I need speakers that can provide decent volume. The Jambox does. It can fill my den with sound. It does the job. I was surprised. Incidentally the Jambox paired with my iPad quickly with no hassle. The second excellent attribute of the Jambox is the hardware. The unit itself is built very nicely, and it is small, which is appropriate if you are using it for portability along with an iPad or similar device. It has a built-in battery that charges with the same Micro-USB cable that works on a Kindle Fire, which charger and cable is provided with the Jambox. Further, the Jambox "talks to you" when you start trying to use it. When you first turn it on it tells you that it is trying to acquire a bluetooth device. There is a button on the top which, when pressed will tell you the status of the battery charge, i.e. "the battery is three-fourths charged" or "charging" if indeed you are charging, or "charging is complete" when done. This takes all of the hassle and guesswork out of using the Jambox. The first thing a new user will want to do is to update the firmware in the Jambox on the Jambox website. Naturally, I expected a hassle. I was delighted that the process went perfectly with no problem. You go to the website, turn the Jambox "off" but hook it up to your computer's USB port with the supplied USB cable. Download the Jambox software, and the software immediately recognized my Jambox and asked if I wanted to update the firmware. Click "yes" and that is that--everything went perfectly. There are nifty little apps and things on the website such as different voices for your Jambox and whatnot. Overall I am very satisfied with the Jambox and I rate it five stars. It is pretty close to ideal for movies or music on a small bluetooth device such as an iPad, Kindle Fire, or the like. RJB.

There are many times when I just want my background music to follow me to the patio, on the road, in the kitchen, at meetings -- even at the beach. We used to cart around jam boxes with mix tapes, but now our computers, smart phones, tablets and just about any internet connected device can access our online music library. The speakers on these devices are just horrible and sometimes, I don't want to have headphones on. I wanted a nice sounding small unit that would allow me to enjoy music anywhere from just about any device. The JAMBOX is small, easy to use, sounds very good for background music, is an excellent design and even runs on batteries. SIZE: this thing is very small, you can take it anywhere and tuck it away in a place where it almost disappears. All you get is music. DESIGN: These folks included a simple interface that uses only four buttons and voice feedback to tell you how to pair a device, charging status and much more. It comes with a manual, but honestly, you can set this up with no trouble out of the box. It is well constructed with a nice feel. It even looks good. BLUETOOTH CALLING: The bluetooth implementation works for sound and as a speakerphone. I was not purchasing this as a speakerphone but WOW, this things is great for conferencing as long as everyone is in front of it. Yes it has an integrated microphone. Rejection is very good, we could all clearly hear the caller and they could hear us as well. SOUND: The sound is actually very good for background music. You won't get big stereo sound field, excellent imaging, thumping bass or dance party volume levels -- but what you do get is actually quite impressive. The sound is balanced from top to bottom and is actually very natural. Acoustic music with vocals like James Taylor, Nora Jones or Shane Jackman are reproduced with excellent balance and clarity. Electronic pop music can lack the dynamics and extended bass, but the bass you do get is not boomy and sounds very natural. One more thing about the bass, it is actually amazing this little thing puts out as much bass as it does for the size. If you are worried the JAMBOX will not play loud, it will, just not THUMPING loud. Because of the smooth high end and good tonal response, you can listen to this thing for a long time with almost no fatigue. BLUETOOTH MUSIC: As most devices, the BlueTooth audio is not as good as if you use the 1/8 audio jack. If you want the best sound plug your phone or computer into this thing. It will amaze you. You may need to turn your headphone output down some so as not to overdrive the unit. It will get a little distorted. The BlueTooth sound is very good, just not as good as when using the plug. Jawbone does something very interesting with the BlueTooth audio. Some devices with BlueTooth audio can be overdriven with the audio output from the source and will distort in at the higher levels. I play guitar and some distortion is good, but not on prerecorded music. NO! The folks at JamBox know then and use something called compression to dynamically limit the amount of sound from your device to the JAMBOX when your BlueTooth level is to high. This compression can sound like 70's pop radio where all the dynamics form the music are taken out. if this bothers you, turn your device (phone/iPod/computer) BlueTooth volume down until the compression is eliminated then use the volume on the JAMBOX to adjust the sound. BUGE IMPROVEMENT. In summary, of the BT Speakers out, this one is the best value for me. Smaller than the Bose, sounds about as good, super easy to use and has MUCH better sound than the sub $100 solutions. If Steve Jobs were to design a BlueTooth portable music device, it would look like the JAMBOX.

I own both the Jambox and the Monster iClarity and thought I would compare the two products to give people trying to decide between them some feedback. Before buying this I also auditioned the Big Jambox. It defintitely sounds better and plays louder, but the increase in size is substantial so I don't really see it as fitting in a category of small bluetooth speakers to take on your travels or use in a car. (1) Build Quality: Both of the items look like they'll hold up, but the Monster is all plastic and feels more cheaply made. (2) "Presentation" and included items: The Jambox has an Apple like presentation with a real fancy box, two usb cables of different lengths, an AC charger, a unique flat 3.5" audio cable and a nicer carrying case. The Monster comes with a cloth drawstring case and a USB cable for charging from a USB output. That being said, none of these accessories in any way make a darn bit of difference to the sound quality and probably account for about 30% of the increased cost of the Jambox. To be honest in real life you'll probably only use the unit and a USB cable most of the time (for charging) so the rest of it is just window dressing. (3) Ergonomics: Each of these has their own problems. Monster has placed the three control swithes on a side of the unit making it hard to grab it without accidently changing a setting. It also has a blue LEDs up front that can't be dimmed and can be incredibly distracting when trying to use it in a dark area. It is however, substantially smaller and lighter than the Jambox and unlike the Jambox will not vibrate so badly as to move itself (I've already had the Jambox fall off a shelf since it vibrates even on fairly low volume settings and moves). The Jambox looks better and the controls on the top of the unit are much easier to use, but the "voice" and beeps that are used to tell battery level, volume settings etc. are just gimmicks that quickly become incredibly annoying since they can't be turned off and are quite loud. (4) Performance: (a) Battery life: they both seem to last about 10 hours at medium volume. (b) Hands free use with phone: They both seem to work about the same, but I would give the Jambox a slight edge, it's mike seems to work better with skype. (c) There is no doubt that the Jambox has more bass, but it's nowhere near as much as you might think. It's obvious from listening to these two units that they have very different design philosophies. The Monster tries to be as wide range as possible and has little bass eq. and does not dull the treble - so it will sound like it has almost no bass and maybe too top heavy, since the treble is not cut off. The Jambox has heavily boosted mid bass and cuts off the highs, using pyschoacoustics to make you think that it has a much fuller, richer sound. Which of these you prefer is totally a personal thing, if you want better highs and more accurate midrange go with Monster. If you want a bit more bass and the illusion of fuller sound, go with the Jambox. (d) Volume: No and, ifs or buts, the Monster has much higher maximum volume, which makes sense since without the huge amount of eq used in the Jambox and with less bass it can play a lot louder without distortion. However, as far as I am concerned both units are plenty loud for their intended purpose, which is as personal, highly portable bluetooth speakers. If you want a lot of volume or to play loudly at a party or outdoors these are not the way to go. What made me give the Jambox a 4 rating is it's potential to be much more if (and when) the ability to download enhancements is taken seriously. For the moment the only worthwhile sound enhancement makes the sound coming from the Jambox appear to be much more three dimensional. Using this setting lowers the maximum volume by quite a bit and is hit or miss depending on the original recording, but sometimes it's quite good. If Jawbone would quit wasting time on gimmicks like different voices and other stuff that has little if any value the ability to upgrade the firmware could be used for incredibly useful things, such as allowing the user to cut back on the bass eq and turn up the treble or whatever they wanted to make this speaker sound the way they personally want it to sound. Heck, the built in Mike could be used to send them what your speaker sounds like in your particular placement and give you options to make it sound clearer, bassier, whatever. It is because of this potential expandibility that the Jambox could be a real winner.

I'll make this short and sweet. I had a X-Mini II Capsule Speaker that was my go-to beach accessory. Unfortunately it didn't survive a rogue wave to my backpack. I wanted something a bit louder and the idea of keeping my iPod safely in my new waterproof backpack led me to the JAMBOX. The first thing you'll notice is the packaging, it's updated from most of the un-boxing videos on YouTube but it's almost a shame to throw it away. It comes with everything, two different length charger cords, AC adapter, case with magnetic flaps, stereo > stereo cable (for non bluetooth) and the manual. Jawbone didn't skimp out on quality either; all the cables are flat and very nice looking. Pairing the device was SO easy. It immediately went into pair mode with I flipped on the switch. My iPod touch saw it as JAWBONE JAMBOX. Click and done! No codes or pins of any kind. The sound from Pandora was really good, more bass than I was expecting from such a small device. I through on my beach mix and the first 320bit Mp3 to play was "Need you tonight" by INXS. I cranked it up, listened to the entire song at full volume and then walked over and tossed the packaging in the trash. Sold! My one issue was was the bluetooth distance from the iPad 2. For some reason it would cut out when moving 2 or 3 feet away from the JAMBOX. It was interesting to hear NBA Jam switch from my iPad speakers to the JAMBOX... the difference is incredible. The Bluetooth range from my iPod touch was roughly 15 feet (plus a wall) before it cut out so I'm guessing it's an issue with the iPad and not the JAMBOX. For those of you who can't wait to play with your new toys, you'll be happy to know it comes with 3/4 of the battery charged. PROS: * VERY SMALL * Solid as a rock * Great range with my iPod touch * Voice Control of my iPod touch (SWEET!) * Amazing battery life * Comes with everything you need * Very simple to pair devices (no codes to enter) CONS: * Range with iPad 2 was only 2 feet before it cut out... I'm not sure what the deal is * Expensive OVERALL: I'm a firm believer in getting what you pay for. If you're cheap and want an amazing product for the price, get the X-Mini II Capsule Speaker (it rocks!). If you have a love for gadgets and high quality then you'll have no regret with this purchase. Remember what you're buying. This is NOT a speaker that's going to rock your house or bring crowds from the beach. It is however the perfect travel companion for hotel rooms, multimedia presentations and entertaining a small group of friends at the beach. I didn't use the speakerphone so this review doesn't cover that at all.

I hate to say it, but it looks like this company produced a defectively designed product. The mini USB connector is obviously a weak link in the design. This product broke due to manufactures defect 13 months after purchase and they claimed they could do nothing to help me. I loved my Jawbone JAMBOX when I received it. Amazing sound quality and I was happy with the ease of setup. Unfortunately as there customer support admitted to me, they have had ongoing problems with the USB charging port becoming loose and falling into the unit, therefor you can no longer charge your JAMBOX.Ok, so these things happen. When I contacted support, I was told that because I had purchased it through a third party on Amazon.com, it was a third-party purchase, and not covered by any warranty. But if you know there was a defective run on your product, why would you not have an option for your clients *who paid a top dollar premium for your product* to be able to send there unit back in for refurbishment? I am not looking for a free replacement, but to tell me there is no option of having the product that you sold me and freely admit is defective fixed through your company is outrageous. I had told my friends and family what a great product this was. Now I have had another friend call and tell me he has had the exact same terrible experience with Jambox that I have had. Any company charging this kind of price for there products should have options for there customers to help them get there products. Overview: 1.BOUGHT JAMBOX FOR MYSELF A NEW SEALED JAMBOX FROM A SELLER ON AMAZON 2.LOVED IT FOR A YEAR 3.USB CONNECTOR FELL INSIDE THE UNIT 4.NO WAY TO CHARGE 200$ JAMBOX 5.NO WAY TO FIX 200$ JAMBOX 6.FOUND OUT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MANY!!!!!!! 7.CUSTOMER SERVICE IS APPALLING. CONCLUSION IS THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A PERFECT PORTABLE SPEAKER BUT ENDS UP BEING AN EXPENSIVE BRICK. ALL I WANT IS IT FIXED AND THE COMPANY DOESN'T CARE. VERY POOR DESIGN ON THE CHARGING CONNECTOR AS I USED IT SITTING ON A SHELF, NOT MOVING IT HARDLY AT ALL. No more Jawbone products for me, I'm afraid. Once was enough...

First off, this item was identified as prime and in stock, sold by Amazon. I ordered Monday, 24 Sep 12, within time limit to receive on 26 Sep 12. Did not receive until 28 Sep 12....what's the point of continuing prime membership when items are sent snail mail and delivered two days late? Product issues - product packed loose in box so rattling around (in regular mail no less). Jam box speaker knocked loose in retail package, probably because of poor boxing and using snail mail. First thing I checked based on reviews here was year on bottom of retail package...sure enough 2010 and NOT 2012. Needless to say I was apprehensive about functionality. Got speaker out of package...no easy feat since I wanted to make sure I could return if necessary. Got her charged up and paired with iPhone. Worked like a champ, though sounded pretty sterile. I have a Big Jambox, so may have been expecting a bit much. Next was to update to recent firmware and get on live sound. If you read the forums at jambox, you'll see why I was REALLY apprehensive about doing that. But, once again, worked like a champ and I don't seem to be experiencing the ultra low volume many have after updating. It is a tad less, but the improvement in sound is well worth the slight volume trade off...plus if you want party sound, get a BIG Jambox. I do have concerns about the Mini USB port used for charging and updates. You'll find many complaints about it breaking and bricking Jambox speakers, and I can see why...appears to be very cheaply made and recessed into the speaker too far. Still good for me, but only engaged 5-6 times so far. This is probably why they went to a separate power plug on the big jam box, which is a traditional power receptacle. While I am disappointed Amazon decided it was okay to send me old stock (long time customer, hundreds of orders over lots of years), so far the speaker is okay. I ordered it at 149...had I paid 199 it would be on its way back already...and still might, 149 is a lot to drop on two year old "new" technology. I use Bluetooth a lot, so I should know in short order if USB port breaks. Bottom line...I am kind of wishing I just got a second BIG Jambox...and if this goes back, that's exactly what I will get to replace it. Difference in quality and sound is night and day, and well worth the extra $$!

I was initially looking for some traditional speakers I could plug into the wall, and that I could plug my cell phone or ipod into using the auxiliary cable. After some research on Amazon I came across the Jambox and was immediately equal parts intrigued and skeptical. I paid 150$ on the Cyber Monday deal. Here are my impressions. The sound is very impressive given the size. It's not a high end speaker system and a house full of people partying and dancing would most likely drown it out at max volume. However, it fills our large living room well, and in my bedroom it extremely impressive in the smaller space. I play an extremely wide range of music from rap, classic rock, bluegrass, electronic, hip hop and classical. They all perform well, although bass heavy electronic music can lack the punch they deserve despite the impressive output of the small box. Bluetooth connectivity is a dream. After synching all our devices (2 phones, a laptop and a desktop) we can switch in and out of connectivity with ease. We can literally sit around in the living room and take turns playing a song each in turn seamlessly. Connectivity allows of course for constant Pandora streaming, itunes playlists, and youtube videos. Battery life is good so far, and by far the best part is the portability. Streaming pandora from the phone in my pocket I can take the box from upstairs into the kitchen as I cook and then into the dining room as we eat. Absolutely awesome. I love it. It was well worth 150, but I understand the hesitation at the 200 price point. However, it is undeniably sleek and sexy, and is a great piece to not only show off but also utilize to great function.

I have a Bose SoundDock which gets a lot of use around our home, but its not exactly portable. Sure, you can throw it in the car if you are going to a party, but you're not putting it in a suitcase. Thats why I began looking at some way to carry our music with us when we travel. I saw the Jambox at an Apple store and I was impressed, but thought I'd look around some more - there are lots of portable speakers out there now. You can't beat bluetooth for portability and remote operation, but I have not been impressed with the sound or reception distance of most of the units. With the airlines clamping down on suitcase weight, I did not want anything too heavy. I looked at the portable wired speakers such as iHome, but they seemed cheap and tinny to me. I finally decided to take a chance on the Jambox. Well, it arrived today and I am very impressed. First, the packaging is well thought out - it has an almost Apple-esque feel to it as you unpack it. I was concerned that it was going to be too heavy to travel with until I realized that most of the weight was in the sturdy packaging. The unit itself weighs just under a pound. The size of the unit is pretty incredible for the sound it puts out - perfect for traveling. In fact, because of the bluetooth and great sound, it may start winning out over the Bose sound dock around the house. The reception distance is the best I've seen - it worked all the way on the other side of the house and through several walls. And then there is the on-board smarts - the thing updates itself when connected to your computer to download the latest firmware to support different features and sound modes. It also comes with a decent little case so I won't feel too concerned throwing into the luggage. Pretty cool. The price is a little steep, but I don't mind paying more if the product is worth it, and this device is worth it.