In general, upper bass had less impact on the Big Jambox than on the Bose SoundLink II. Fortunately, Jawbone maintains playlists on services such as Spotify and MOG containing music that works well with the LiveAudio feature. Forget about using LiveAudio with most music - it mangled our rock, reggae and jazz test tracks. This feature works OK for movies, though it lowers the overall volume and shoves the dialogue into the background a bit. The LiveAudio feature adjusts the timing of sounds so they reach your ears as though they are not coming from a 10-inch-long box, attempting to make the spatial cues more realistic. Movie explosions in 'The Bourne Legacy' came through reasonably well, and dialogue was clear. Our test unit distorted very slightly at top volume, but otherwise the sound held together well. However, bass guitar on Bob Marley tracks like 'Exodus' came across with decent power. Bass response wasn't as strong as on the Bose Soundlink II, and deep bass from the likes of Bass Mekanik disappears. Too bad you can have only one AudioApp and one DialApp activated at any given time.Ĭlick to EnlargeMusic from the Big Jambox generally sounded crisp with an emphasis on treble, making the speaker sound very bright. From there, you plug the speaker into your notebook to sync apps and recent driver updates from the MyTalk website. To install an app, users must first download the Jawbone Updater software onto their PC or Mac. These DialApps let you configure the 'J' button to do things such as voice dialing, access Siri on iOS devices, and access favorite numbers.

The 'J' button activates the speakerphone, though you can customize the button's function via the MyTalk website after a brief signup and software install. Holding down the + and - volume buttons turns on the LiveAudio feature (more on that later).

Using the large rubber buttons - shaped according to their function - is a pleasure, and the rubber feet on bottom keep the speaker from vibrating on hard surfaces. (There are currently no apps for other platforms.) iOS users can see the speaker's battery life in a headset icon at the top of their screens, while Android users can download a free app with a battery meter and a few scheduling and voice-activation features. While the Big Jambox's microUSB port can be used for charging the speaker, it does so at a glacial pace. The built-in rechargeable battery is rated for up to 15 hours, but typical usage yields around 11 hours. Pairing the Big Jambox is simple: put any Bluetooth-equipped device in discoverable mode, press the Jambox's pairing button to initiate the handshake, and select the Big Jambox on your device.

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