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Jawbone unleashes Big Jambox, beefs up its Bluetooth 'smartspeaker' lineup

We've had a shimmer in our eye for Jawbone's $200 Jambox, the itty bitty Bluetooth 'smartspeaker,' ever since it was released back in late 2010. So, imagine our delight now that the company has just stepped things up to a larger level with its new $300 Big Jambox. Measuring in at well over double the size of the original, the 2.7-pound speaker is still very similar in design and features the familiar perforated metal grill designs by Yves Behar -- starting May 15th, you can pick one up in your choice of Red Dot, Graphite Hex and White Wave. The larger footprint helps it to be more functionally capable than its sibling, yet it's still small enough to carry in one hand. On top, the unit sports playback controls in addition to the requisite volume and talk buttons, while on the side you'll find a USB connection (for software updates), power input 3.5mm jack, Bluetooth-pairing button and a power button.

To pump out the jams, the Big Jambox features an airtight enclosure loaded with a duo of active neodymium drivers and opposing dual-passive bass radiators to handle all the wub wub you can throw at it. A 2,600mAh rechargeable battery will get you roughly 15 hours of totally wireless listening time (500 on standby), but -- as is the case with the original -- you still can't share that juice with your gadgets. Positively, Android users can take advantage of the Big Jambox's exclusive Companion app, which allows the unit to do tricks such like sync up with your G-cal to inform you about your appointments. Lastly, like the Jambox, the Big Jambox features MyTalk voice prompts / app compatibility, along with Live Audio DSP to give your sounds an immersive "3D" feel. Curious to find out more? We spent a full weekend with the new gizmo, and you can catch our full review by clicking here. Full press release after the break.

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INTRODUCING BIG JAMBOX

Jawbone's Best–Selling Wireless Portable Speaker Now Extends Huge Sound to Big Spaces

SAN FRANCISCO – May 1, 2012 –Jawbone®, a leader and innovator in smart audio devices and wearable technology for the mobile lifestyle, today introduced BIG JAMBOXTM, a new addition to its portable wireless speaker line-­‐up designed to deliver powerful, rich sound experiences in large indoor and outdoor spaces.

Similar to Jawbone's #1 best-­‐selling JAMBOXTM speaker, BIG JAMBOX wirelessly connects to any Bluetooth® enabled device – smartphones, tablets and computers – to stream high-­‐quality music, movies, games and phone calls in any environment.

"JAMBOX was the first wireless speaker to bring stunning audio quality to the music, movies and games normally trapped between earbuds on mobile devices," said Hosain Rahman, CEO of Jawbone. "With BIG JAMBOX, we utilized state-­‐of-­‐the-­‐art audio technology to fill a much larger space with amazing sound without sacrificing portability."

CRAFTED TO DELIVER MORE SOUND PER POUND

At just 2.7 pounds, BIG JAMBOX pumps out rich, loud sound that is disproportionate to its diminutive size. Under the hood, an airtight enclosure features proprietary neodymium drivers and two opposing passive bass radiators. Advanced digital signal processing and dynamic equalization technology ensures all audio – from music to movies to voice – sounds great both indoors and out, at any volume. A built-­‐in, rechargeable lithium-­‐ion battery provides up to 15 hours of continuous playback and 500 hours of standby time on a single charge.

BIG JAMBOX is also a high-­‐quality, Type-­‐1 compliant speakerphone. It features a newly designed omnidirectional microphone for 360-­‐degree sound input, with improved echo-­‐cancellation and full duplex communication for crystal-­‐clear calls from the office or home.

FORM AND FUNCTION BEAUTIFULLY OPTIMIZED

BIG JAMBOX combines beautiful industrial design with a thoroughly considered user experience to deliver an unparalleled audio experience in a gorgeous and portable package.
"We designed BIG JAMBOX to be artful and fit perfectly with how people live," said Yves Behar, chief creative officer for Jawbone. "Every element goes back to the purest expression of simplicity, performance and elegance – its compact size, the unique sound you hear when it's turned on, the colors and the wrapped patterned steel grill. Well-­‐designed products don't sacrifice form or function."

BIG JAMBOX is designed to be social. With simultaneous multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, you can pair multiple Bluetooth devices to BIG JAMBOX, allowing friends to easily take turns as DJ. Listeners can control the music from their smartphone or tablet, or by using the buttons on BIG JAMBOX to change volume and pause, play or skip songs.

SMART AUDIO AND UPDATEABLE PLATFORM

BIG JAMBOX delivers incredible sound quality across a wide variety of content types and genres. Advanced digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms enhance and optimize output for the highest quality playback at every volume – clear and crisp when turned down and full and booming when turned up. It's explicitly tuned for balanced equalization and richness of sound, ensuring that all your audio is played back the way the artist wanted it to be heard.

BIG JAMBOX features Jawbone's exclusive LiveAudioTM technology built-­‐in to the device, which allows listeners to immerse themselves in three-­‐dimensional sound. Jawbone is collaborating with artists and producers on music, games and other audio formats that leverage LiveAudio to bring even richer sound experiences to life.

Like all Jawbone products, BIG JAMBOX connects to Jawbone's industry-­‐first MyTALKTM software platform to download audio apps, software updates and customizable features for your speaker. Personalize the voice that announces battery life and caller ID, or customize the Talk button to activate a favorite feature. As new updates are released, BIG JAMBOX will become even smarter over time.

PRICING & AVAILABILITY

BIG JAMBOX comes in three designs (RED DOT, WHITE WAVE, and GRAPHITE HEX) and is available in the US on May 15, 2012 for $299 USD at AT&T, Best Buy, and Sprint, as well as Jawbone.com. BIG JAMBOX will be available in additional countries this summer.

About Jawbone

For more than a decade, Jawbone has developed human-­‐centered wearable technology and audio devices unparalleled in their technical innovation, ease-­‐of-­‐use and sophistication of design. A 2010 IDSA Design of the Decade winner, the company is the creator of the award-­‐winning and best-­‐selling Jawbone ERA and ICON Bluetooth® headsets; NoiseAssassin® technology, the world's first and only military-­‐grade noise-­‐eliminating technology; and the JAMBOX wireless speaker and speakerphone. Jawbone is privately held and headquartered in San Francisco.