Jamo Cub Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review

Jamo, a brand that originated in the Danish fishing village of Glyngore in 1966, has evolved into a leading international audio powerhouse. They are renowned for their dedication to the research and manufacturing of Hi-Fi and home theatre speakers, earning them a strong reputation in the industry and the mainstream consumer market. With their inaugural Bluetooth speaker, the Cub, Jamo has finally set its sights on the portable, on-the-go market.

While Jamo’s product range spans professional passive Hi-Fi speakers, home theatre audio systems, multimedia soundbars, and various other Hi-Fi-related speaker products, they have also adapted to the evolving market demands of the new generation.

As the market increasingly leans toward lightweight, portable, and wireless enjoyment trends, Jamo has ventured into creating portable Bluetooth speaker products tailored to the needs of the general consumer audience.

Design

The Jamo Cub, in contrast to the traditional and professional appearance of their in-house audio equipment, has taken a bold and trendy path, completely breaking away from this stereotypical image. The Jamo Cub I have in hand boasts a striking and highly saturated color design, featuring a chrome-yellow exterior and a sky-blue speaker panel.

This combination exudes a vibrant and energetic feeling, like a sunny day in the clear blue sky. Additionally, the Jamo Cub offers four solid color options and another contrasting color variant.

With its near 10:8.16 aspect ratio, the Jamo Cub’s rectangular shape conveys a sense of elegance and sophistication, while its rounded corners add a touch of smoothness and finesse. Moreover, the Jamo Cub’s compact size fits comfortably in one hand, allowing you to take your music wherever you go.

The exterior shell of the Jamo Cub is crafted from ABS hard plastic with an outer layer of TPE-like soft rubber, providing an excellent tactile experience. This composite material not only enhances the touch but also significantly aids in eliminating harmful resonances when the sound units are in operation.

Considering Jamo’s professional background in speaker production, their expertise in acoustic design is apparent. Even the edges of the shell on the back are rounded to reduce standing waves on the rear side of the sound units, resulting in a cleaner and more refined sound.

On the top of the speaker, the Jamo Cub features four physical buttons, covered by soft rubber, for power on/off, volume control, and Bluetooth pairing. This design ensures that the Jamo Cub has good water and dust resistance. According to the official specifications, the Jamo Cub boasts an IPX5 rating, making it safe even in rainy or wet conditions.

The Jamo Cub supports Bluetooth 4.2 and offers a 3.5mm universal audio input under a rubber protective cover for wired audio connections on the side. Next to the audio input, there is a Micro USB port for charging. However, in an era where most digital devices, including smartphones, primarily use Type-C USB connectors, the absence of this feature in the Jamo Cub may be seen as a minor drawback.

Nevertheless, the Jamo Cub has a built-in 2000mAh battery that supports up to 12 hours of continuous playback at full power.

On the other side, the Jamo Cub boasts a unique feature – a hanging hole designed for attaching a wrist strap. When you receive the product, it has a sky-blue woven wrist strap matching the panel.

The wrist strap can be easily detached and attached to any hook or hole, and it even includes a metal-textured strap cap, which is unique.

Beneath the hanging hole, the Jamo Cub has a built-in microphone for hands-free calling when connected to a smartphone.

Despite its small size, the Jamo Cub houses a 1.5-inch neodymium boron magnetic full-range dynamic driver. Jamo has placed a particular emphasis on enhancing the performance of this unit in the mid-to-high-frequency range. The sound it produces is rich in detail and has strong penetration, remaining clear even in outdoor environments.

To compensate for the inherent energy limitations of the dynamic driver, the Jamo Cub also features a set of passive bass radiators roughly equivalent to one-third of the speaker’s size, enhancing its low-frequency performance.

The Jamo Cub incorporates a thoughtful design element that uses music to provide audio cues for each step of the power on/off and pairing process. This feature is not only user-friendly for younger individuals but also serves as a helpful aid for older users who may need to become more familiar with the operation.

Sound Performance

When playing music at low volumes or listening to songs with clear vocals and solo instruments, the Jamo Cub excels at detailing and offers a remarkably clear and nuanced sound. It impressively reproduces subtle nuances and details, even when least expect it. When listening to your favorite artist, Handa Aoi’s rendition of “Amazing Grace,” it’s hard to believe that this little device can create an ethereal and graceful sound akin to a fairy.

However, when the beat drops, the Jamo Cub unleashes a powerful, dynamic sound that truly packs a punch. This is especially impressive compared to many other Bluetooth speakers using passive bass radiators. The Jamo Cub’s low-frequency response is richer and provides a sense of fullness, delivering a combination of airy and solid low-end frequencies.

While such low-frequency performance might be expected from larger bookshelves or floor-standing speakers from Jamo, it’s rare to find it in a compact device like the Jamo Cub.

So, it’s no wonder that Jamo uses the tagline “Small Sounds Big” to describe the Jamo Cub’s product concept.

Upon further examination, I discovered one of the secrets lies in the four feet at the bottom of the Jamo Cub when upright. Ensuring rich and solid low-frequency details without dispersion requires proper vibration damping of the enclosure. However, for a portable Bluetooth speaker like the Jamo Cub, it takes time to achieve sufficient mass to counteract vibrations generated when the sound units are operating, which is challenging, especially considering its compact size.

When placed vertically, the Jamo Cub addresses this by adding four feet at the bottom. Consequently, especially when positioned upright, the audio quality is significantly better. This demonstrates that these feet play a crucial role in optimizing the sound.

Furthermore, despite its modest 5-watt total output power, the Jamo Cub provides robust sound. It supports True Wireless Stereo (TWS) technology, allowing you to connect two Jamo Cub units simultaneously to create a 2.0 stereo speaker setup. Based on the performance of a single Jamo Cub, the effect of two Jamo Cub units working together would be even more impressive.

Moreover, the Jamo Cub boasts a robust Bluetooth signal. In indoor environments, it can maintain a connection with an iPhone at a distance of at least 15 meters, and there’s no noticeable lag or interruptions in the music playback. However, like most Bluetooth speakers, the Jamo Cub supports the basic SBC Bluetooth audio codec and lacks support for high-definition Bluetooth audio codecs.

Nevertheless, even without high-definition codec support, the Jamo Cub does not suffer from the common issues in other Bluetooth speakers, such as severe dynamic loss, hollow sound, or fuzzy details.

In addition to indoor and small outdoor use, as mentioned earlier, the Jamo Cub’s four buttons on the shell can activate voice assistants with a double-click of the Bluetooth button. This feature frees up your hands and maintains excellent call audio quality.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Jamo Cub is a true standout in portable Bluetooth speakers. Its striking design, powerful sound performance, and thoughtful features make it a must-have for music enthusiasts of all ages. Whether enjoying the delicate nuances of a solo performance or cranking up the volume for a party, the Jamo Cub delivers exceptional audio quality with rich details and a punchy bass that defies its compact size.

The “Small Sounds Big” ethos of the Jamo Cub rings true, offering an immersive and versatile listening experience. Its thoughtful design elements, such as user-friendly audio cues and robust Bluetooth connectivity, enhance the user experience.

If you’re searching for a portable speaker that combines style, performance, and convenience, the Jamo Cub is a clear winner. Don’t miss out on the chance to elevate your music enjoyment—add the Jamo Cub to your collection and experience big sound in a small package. Buy the Jamo Cub today and discover a new dimension of audio pleasure.