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Who doesn't love the Jambox? Very few people, it seems — ever since the battery-powered boombox arrived in late 2010, it's been a huge, huge seller. It's a current Wired Top 3 pick, and it won our "Gear of the Year" distinction two years in a row. So of course, there's a flood of wannabes, the vast majority of which are only so-so. Most beat the Jambox on price (not difficult at $200) and a few beat it on sound quality. (It is not the subject of audiophile lust.) But none have been able to beat Jawbone's cash cow on pure mojo — its mix of portability, battery life, signal stability, and party-lovin' funkiness.
Here are 11 contenders for the wireless speaker crown. We looked at speakers that closely emulate Jawbone's design, and we looked at some totally different specimens — waterproof speakers, ruggedized speakers, and speakers you can clamp to your bike. All of them are battery powered, travel well, and pair with your phone over Bluetooth.
UE Logitech Mobile Boombox
If you're looking for something that closely matches the Jambox in portability and sound, but costs substantially less, the $100 Logitech UE Mobile Boombox is the device I'd recommend. It's my favorite of all the mobile speakers we tested here. Ultimate Ears made its name designing fancy high-end earphones and custom in-ear monitors for musicians and audiophiles. Then the company was acquired by Logitech in 2008. Since then, the innovation around earphones has continued (especially with this year's excellent Logitech UE 900s) but the company has also been branching out and bringing its extensive audio expertise into less-fancy areas. One of the most successful products is this one, a tiny speaker that sounds great, has an attractive design, and has a long-lasting battery (around nine hours in my tests) that charges over USB. Of all the speakers in our round-up, the Logitech UE is the one that comes closest to matching the Jambox — not just in cool, but in functionality. Bluetooth pairing is easy, and the thing doubles as a speakerphone, so you can use it to take calls. The sound is great — a pair of 1-inch drivers are hidden under that grill, and while they certainly won't blow your hair back, they are plenty loud. The audio stays remarkably clear when you turn it up, and there's a slim bass port in the back to help control the low-end performance. I really wasn't expecting much as far as sound quality when I first saw how exceedingly small this thing is, but after using it for a couple of weekends in a hotel room and on my back deck, I'm sold. WIRED Great sound for the size — dual 1-inch drivers inside this tiny box get mighty loud without getting too muddy. Rubberized outer shell helps it stay put during playback, and you can pick from an array of colors. Works as a speakerphone. Battery charges over USB and lasts nine hours. Easy to pair. A value at $100. TIRED Not much bass to speak of. Same with stereo separation. Logitech claims a 50-foot wireless range, but it's closer to about 20. Rating: 9 out of 10Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired
