HMDX Audio HX-P230RD JAM Classic Bluetooth Wireless Speaker (Strawberry)..
Buy HMDX Audio HX-P230RD JAM Classic Bluetooth Wireless Speaker (Strawberry) By HMDX
Most helpful customer reviews
1057 of 1120 people found the following review helpful.
Don't be fooled by the small package
By haystack
First off, I would like to explain that this may be an ongoing review. I just bought this item last night, and being a person who understands electronics, I usually wait for my reviews. This time, I figured I would start the review, and then I can come back and edit. Therefore, you may see some updates or changes below.
Second, don't let my initial 4-star rating fool you. I was torn on how to rate this product for the value of what you pay, or vs. other speakers. I decided to put this up against much larger bluetooth speakers, and I think it speaks volumes that a $40 item is 4-stars compared to $150 bluetooth portable speakers.
I'm going to start with what most peopls call "cons", but I'm just going to note them as minor nuisances
-The cord is only about 6 inches long....BUT...its your standard android type charger. Since I'm a Samsung Galaxy boy, myself, I have a ton of these cables. It is currently charging with an old LG cable I found
-Some have mentioned a slight hum in the speaker. This is pretty common with most Bluetooth devices. This goes away when you start playing music. There have been some that said, "once you hear the hum, you always hear the hum". I purposely turned the music all the way down just to hear the hum. I listened to it at my desk for 5 minutes, and then played music again. I don't notice any hum, and I am TRYING to hear it. So, although there is, in fact, a hum, I'm not noticing it when in use.
-Its not a great bass machine, but again, is this really a con? Do people buy a prius to drag-race? Cannot really hold that against this machine, so again...that is why I said a "minor nuisance" (and that is a stretch)
-The power switch is on the bottom
-There is an extreeeeeemly loud series of beeps every time you turn it on. You know its coming, so you can try to shield it. Its still somewhat annoying, and not good for starting up in quiet places. There may be a way around this, I just haven not figured it out.
-The controls on the speaker itself are a little slow to respond, but honestly, who is going to use this? It is only a minor delay anyway. I just tested them to see what they were. I control everything from my phone.
I tried this thing out approximately 10 times in Bed Bath and Beyond. I kept messing with their display and was rather disappointed that I couldn not try my own music on their display. So, that kept me from trying it at first. Plus, I am always concerned that the display model is set up differently and it just won't sound as good at home in larger rooms...which takes me to my pros, and what I love about this (so far)
-The sound fills a room. Its not that massive BOSE sound, but its pretty close in how it fills a room. I listen to a lot of 90's acoustic rock and that stuff sounds incredible. Now, if you get to some of the newer club-rap type of music, there is not a lot of power, but it doesn't sound distorted either. Still sounds good, it just is not going to blow your hair back and rattle windows
-I had the phone about 15 feet away from the device and it played beautifully. What is funny is Pandora played clearer than my recorded music...here is why that is a pro. Because, I realized a lot of my recorded music is garbage from the internet and typically poor recordings, which leads me to believe that this device really picks out the clarity of songs. Much like a good set of headphones might actually make some of my bad recording actually sound bad because the headphones are so clear.
-The construction is very sturdy
- (pending a battery test)
- any standard charger that comes with most android phones can charge this.
-line in that will work with non-USB devices
-packaging is actually very nice. I will keep this for storage.
If you are skeptical about buying this, just buy it from a place that has easy returns. Thus far, I have no desire to return it. As far as performance goes, it is a solid 5-star product for the price. Again, I gave it four stars only because its slightly not as powerful as some bigger, more expensive speakers. I realize that may not be a fair assessment, but, again, I think it speaks more to the product that I give it 4 stars in comparing it to the larger portable Bluetooth speakers. I think the only way I would have a problem with this speaker in the future, is if for some reason performance decreases, or I find that the battery lasts a very short amount of time. I will update this, if needed, in the future. If you don't hear from me, that means its still doing well :)
417 of 459 people found the following review helpful.
Great Sound in a Small Package Tested on iOS Devices
By Jorge J. Coelho
I'm always looking for new ways to get portable sound to boost what I get from my iPhone and iPads. I was excited to test out a wireless set of speakers at such a low price point. What I can say is I was pleasantly surprised by all of the following:
+ Nice design to the speaker that just feels like a solidly built product.
+ Rubber bottom on speaker allows it to easily grip onto surfaces.
+ Sound is clear with some decent level of bass for such a small speaker. I tried all types of music including classical and did not experience some of the "humming" reported by others. I'm not sure if this was addressed by the manufacturer in later versions, but I was impressed and saw only minimal distortion at full volume.
+ Bluetooth range was impressive as I saw minimal distortion only when getting beyond about 15 feet. Keep in mind that most Bluetooth devices ranges advertised are maximum with some distortion, so 30 ft is what you get before you just flat out get an abundance of distortion. I did find that solid objects like walls will limit the range, which you find with other Bluetooth products.
+ Pairing was simple with all my iOS devices.
+ Added bonus of having an AUX in and Play/Pause controls on the speaker even though it's unnecessary, since you can use your device as a remote for the speaker. The AUX in is a nice tough for anyone who doesn't have Bluetooth support, but then again I would not purchase a speaker whose main purpose is Bluetooth for a device without Bluetooth.
+ Included packaging is re-usable for storage, which is convenient.
The only thing that was really a small negative for me is that the cable provided for charging is rather short and unless your outlet is close enough to a solid surface you may have to leave the speaker hanging for charging, but this was something I easily saw past.
Overall this is a very solid Bluetooth speaker at a great price point when compared to other similar options. It's a great entry point for anyone interested in a Bluetooth speaker. Keep in mind that all my testing was performed on iOS devices. I tested on an iPhone 5, iPad 1 and iPad 2. iPhone 5 was running iOS 6 and the iPads were running iOS 5.
********* I received this product for free as part of the Amazon.com Vine program. Nonetheless, I review the product in the same manner as I would if I had purchased it myself. *********
410 of 463 people found the following review helpful.
too big for the sound
By Benjamin Rose
I have been seeing so many mixed reviews for different products that I decided to buy a few, try them out, and decide for myself which one I'm going to keep. So I ended up buying the 4 speakers that have high ratings:
Accessorise (tm) Portable Bluetooth Wireless Mini Speaker System,
Alpatronix AX300 X-tra Strong Bluetooth Portable Mini Capsule Speaker,
DBEST London Duo Bluetooth Rechargeable Mini-Speaker Set (PS4003BT-RB),
HMDX Audio HX-P230GY JAM Classic Bluetooth Wireless Speaker,
and X-Mini KAI XAM11-B Bluetooth Capsule Speaker.
Having tested them, I thought I would post my review here in the hopes that it would clear out doubts for others. Here are the results of my testing. In each category, I have ranked them 1-5, with 1 being my favorite, and 5 being the least favorite:
Design:
#1: I have to say Alpatronix speakers claim the spot hands down! Right out of the box, my son was about to steal it from me. He ended up doing so anyway, but I managed to keep him away from it until I finished testing the speaker. The speaker is sleek with rubberized finish and a chrome sleeve on the top and the sides. It's also the most portable onewithout compromising sound quality. The packaging is also very classy (for gifting), and is fun just to open. Kinda like apple products! It looks very sophisticated indeed.
#2 spot goes to HMDX JAM. I have to say I wasn't that crazy about the shape of the actual speaker which is just a cylinder, but the box is like a jam jar, which I thought was cool for children. The speaker is much bigger than the other ones and doesn't fit comfortably in the pocket of my jeans. It's also VERY heavy considering the size, so you'll feel it in your pocket if you are finally able to fit it in.
#3 spot goes to DBEST. It looks like the Alpatronix without the chrome, and also looks like X-Mini KAI. It's not very portable because it has 2 speakers so I can't fit it into my pocket. Even my wife who normally carries a big purse wants to have the smallest possible option, which is definitely not this one.
#4 spot goes to X-Mini KAI. Again, it looks and functions like the Alpatronix, but without the chrome band. Other than that, it looks like a black blob... nothing special. The packaging doesn't look bad. Hard plastic packaging dressed with thin cardboard dressing.
#5 spot goes to Accessories. This looked really cool in pictures but actually the plastic looks cheap. Size is very small, similar to Alpatronix, and KAI but doesn't expand. The packaging is thin flexible plastic and looks cheapish. I don't recommend it for a gift.
Sound:
I tested the speakers with different types of music: Pop, rock, hiphop, house, and classical. Also I charged all the speakers fully before testing.
#1: HMDX JAM. The sound is louder in this speaker. This must be due to the bigger size, which means a bigger and wider speaker in the device. However, I didn't like the bass level relative to the volume level, and the weight and size are a big negative.
#2: Alpatronix. In expanded form, it has a very nice sound and covers both high and low ends really well, with a very nicely developed sound. When I first played it, I thought it was weak until I read the user manual which indicated the speaker turns on at mid volume and that you can increase it to full volume with the little knob that controls most of the functions. Can't believe this little thing makes such big sound!
#3: DBEST. The sound on this speaker is ok. Considering there's 2 speakers, I just expected more! Considering the negatives mentioned in the design, I didn't bother testing it for too long as I was sadly disappointed with the first couple songs I played.
#4: X-Mini KAI. This one just sounds weak. Being about the size and shape of the Alpatronix and DBEST, I was expecting it to perform about the same, but the sound is just really weak even at full volume. It has a nicely developed sound but it just doesn't get loud.
#5: Accessories. The sound is as loud as the HMDX JAM. But the positives stop here. It just covers the highs, and nothing of the lows. No bass at all, and screeching at full blast!
Conclusion:
#1: Alpatronix AX300 was the most well-rounded speaker, meeting everything the manufacturer claims. It's portable, VERY nice sound, great packaging, and good price!
#2: HMDX JAM has good sound, but not very portable. Don't like the shape, weight, or size. The packaging looks cool if you are into jam jars, but I purchased it for portability and sound. It met the sound qualification, but definitely not the other criteria.
#3: DBEST. Like #2, but the sound is not as good. That's why this one receives #3.
#4: X-Mini KAI. I would avoid it if possible. Weak sound, but nice portability.
#5: Accessories. I would not spend money on this. Bad sound, cheap look, and cheap packaging. Like a singer who sings beyond their voice range. No bass at all and screaming!
Good luck with your purchase! I have to go get me another Alpatronix AX300 now that my son has the first one :)
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