05 December,2013 01:21 AM IST | | Hassan M Kamal
In the past few months, we've written about many portable speakers, and while each stand out in their own way, none made us feel a mix of emotions as did the Jam Party -- a wireless stereo boombox from the American audio company HMDX.
Sold in a tightly packed rectangular box, the Jam Party is designed like a mini radio player; it comes in a matte finish body with a sliding bar handle on top. The boombox reminded us of the old AM / SM radio days. In fact, it made us wish for an in-built FM radio. A smart retro addition to your desk.
JBL Charge
But the real attraction lies inside the plastic shell, which has two stereo speakers -- the output is not supplied by the manufacturer, but the sound quality was on par with any of the portable speakers we had reviewed in the past, including the JBL Charge and the Creative Airwave series. The Jam Party goes a step further by offering the longest power backup that lasts up to 12 hours in one charge; the downer though, is that you are required to carry a bulky external AC adapter that blunts the appeal and portability factor.
We would have preferred a USB cable support. Connectivity is available using both Aux-in as well Bluetooth. The Bluetooth range goes up to a distance of 30 feet (roughly 10 metres), which is good, but the signal breaks often when met with a hindrance like a wall. Then again, the Jam Party is your outdoor boombox companion, so despite this drawback, it wins handsomely as a portable wireless speaker.
