Jawbone is well known for its wearable fitness trackers and Bluetooth headsets. The company was formed under the name Aliph in 1999 when it was tasked to develop noise-cancelling technology for the US military. In 2010, it entered the speaker market with the Jambox, which received numerous design awards and became the top-selling speaker in the States in 2011. The Jawbone Mini Jambox is the third Bluetooth speaker product that the company has developed since and, we have to say, its audio technology keeps getting better.
When you switch on the Jawbone Mini Jambox you are greeted by an audio stinger that literally shakes your hand, this introduction to the Mini Jambox sets the scene for the quality of the audio that this little boombox produces. In a nutshell, it is superb!
Weighing 255g and measuring 154mm x 24,5mm x 58mm, the Mini Jambox can be taken virtually anywhere. It has a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can be charged using the bundled micro-USB cable and in our tests the battery lasts close to the rated eight to 10 hours when using variable audio content at a variety of audio levels.
Pairing the Mini Jambox with a Bluetooth device is straightforward and the audio voice prompts guide you along the way. There is also a 3,5mm audio jack that can be used to connect the speakers to an iPod or other audio source directly.
On the top of the device are the volume controls and a pause/play button, which also doubles as playback control when double or triple pressed.
Under the hood of this sleek looking speaker, Jawbone built in a pair of proprietary acoustic drivers and a passive bass radiator that delivers truly impressive audio quality. There is also a microphone built in to handle voice calls.
The Mini Jambox is the smallest version in Jawbone’s range and although the sound quality is immersive, it’s not the product designed to host a party. It is better suited for more intimate scenarios where a handful of people come together, or even just for listening to music around the house. The audio produced by this Bluetooth speaker sounds great indoors and outside, but the audio dissipates beyond a few meters when used outdoors — still, it’s great for use on the beach or at the park.
The Bluetooth signal also seems to drop quite dramatically when the audio source moves more than a few metres away. Jawbone rates its Bluetooth range at 10m, but we found that six to seven meters was about all it could cope with.
A new feature introduced by a recent firmware update is “Multi Play”, which allows you to connect two Mini Jambox speakers effectively to deliver twice the sound through the combined setup. The new software update also enables “Live Audio”, which is designed to unlock a “3D feel” in the audio you are listening to.
The Mini Jambox is available in a range of different colours, each featuring a grille design. There is also a smartphone app that allows you to configure the audio voice prompts on the device. The app also allows users to import playlists from popular streaming music services such as iTunes, Rdio, Deezer and Spotify.
The Mini Jambox retails for R1 999. — © 2014 NewsCentral Media
