JawboneBig JAMBOX Wireless Bluetooth Speaker - Graphite Hex - Retail Packaging

My brother owned the smaller original Jambox. I was blown away when I heard it, and for a long time I wanted to get my own. After reading so many rave reviews about the Big Jambox online, I decided I definitely wanted to get one. I had very high expectations based on what I read, and honestly the Big Jambox delivered on every front. In this case the overwhelming numbers of great Amazon reviews were correct. I got a red one, and I really love it.As a professional saxophonist and private music instructor I use play along CDs and MP3s both for myself and my students for studying jazz. I was a bit skeptical before it got as to whether or not it would be loud enough for us to play along to, but once I got it and tried it my fears melted away – it was MORE than loud enough and the sound quality was excellent! Honestly this unit packs a real wallop for its size and I am very pleased with the volume level.I know there are a lot of comparisons between the Big Jambox and the Bose Soundlink, and having never owned or heard in person the Bose unit I can’t comment on any difference there may be between the 2. But at the time of this review the Bose Soundlink is about $300 while the Big Jambox is at $187, so to me it would seem to be the better box-for-the-buck.The battery life is really great too. I am able to get over 10 hours of playtime with my Big Jambox before it needed a recharge.The frequency response of the Big Jambox seem very well balanced to my ear for a speaker this size. The bass has a nice punch while not being overwhelming loud, it’s just about where it should be. The mids and highs are very good, although I would have liked the highs to be a bit crisper, but this is really a minor issue. It really fills a room nicely, but it also sounds great outdoors as it did on a recent camping trip I took. I enjoy listening to jazz, classic rock, and classical music mostly, and these 3 very different styles all sound marvelous on my Big Jambox.The Big Jambox has a feature called Live Audio, and I admit I have somewhat mixed feelings on it.On the plus side, the Live Audio feature does something amazing – if you close your eyes and put the Big Jambox in front of you with Live Audio engaged, you would swear that the sound is coming from areas several feet from the right and left of the speaker where there no part of the actual Big Jambox exists! This is really amazing and it gives the Big Jambox the illusion of having stereo separation far beyond it’s actual physical bounds.However, on the minus side, Live Audio seems to bury some frequencies more than others, most notably to my ear lead vocals tend to get somewhat covered up by the band, which is not the case when Live Audio is off. Also the overall volume is lower when Live Audio is activated, so you lose some of that punch you get when using the Big Jambox without it.Overall I would highly recommend the Big Jambox for anyone who is looking for a very powerful, portable bluetooth speaker system with excellent sound quality at a very reasonable price point for any room in your home, or outdoors on your back patio or at your campsite, or for jamming along with if you are a musician like me. It delivers on all accounts and I’m certain if you get one you will be very satisfied with it.

I don't frequently write reviews, but I'll make an exception for the Big Jambox since it was a perfect purchase, made almost a month ago. I was looking to replace my antiquated Roku Soundbridge and Logitech speakers Internet radio system. It struck me that with the evolution of technology, all dedicated and centralized Internet radio systems are headed towards obsolescence. Nowadays if you want to support the widest variety of Internet audio sources, you need to go for a universal client with a large installed base, such as PCs, Apple or Android devices. Personally, I listen to music from Youtube, Mixcloud and Live365, as well as my own MP3 collection ripped from CDs I own.My solution was to pair a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and a Big Jambox, for a totally mobile, high quality, future proof Internet audio system. The Bluetooth pairing process itself was extremely simple, both with the Galaxy Note and my Toshiba laptop. In terms of audio quality, the bandwidth used by the connection is 328 Kb/s, more than enough to cope with high quality audio. Beyond my criteria for the purchase of this product, here are some relevant comments that may help you select the Big Jambox:- Overall audio quality: the Big Jambox beats my old Logitech PC speakers, hands down. Comparing to the competing Bose product, the difference isn't as marked. Truth be told, I can hardly tell the difference, except that Bose seems to pack more punch with the bass. Having said that, I'm listening to the new James Bond Skyfall theme by Adele, and the quality of the bass as well as the rendition of Adele's marvelous voice sent shivers down my spine! However, a factor worth considering is that the Big Jambox seems to absolutely excel in smaller spaces, like a bedroom. I can confidently say that I have NEVER heard such wonderful, rich, sound in a small space. My g/f was blown away too, from pop to jazz, the Big Jambox shines when filling a small room with music.- Mobility: I can leave my Galaxy Note in the living room and carry the Big Jambox to my bathroom, behind two sets of brick walls, 10 m. away, and the streaming audio still works perfectly. Ambient audio while shaving, pure luxury! The battery life is solid. I'm not a heavy user, but I have never managed to run down the battery. Recharging once a week seems to work for me. The unit itself is the size of a brick and seems well built, though when traveling I'll try to carry it within its original packaging.The Big Jambox beat my expectations and I consider it one of my best buys ever when it comes to electronic equipment.