For today’s review we will be looking at a novel Bluetooth speaker from a company called Digital Treasures. The Jive is a portable wireless speaker encased in silicone rubber, which makes it water resistant. It has a suction cup at the base allowing it to stick to most smooth surfaces including tablets and phones; thus making it function as a stand as well.

The Jive wireless speaker is ideal for locations that most other Bluetooth wireless speakers can’t survive in such as on a boat, camping or in the bathroom and shower. It uses the AVRCP (Audio/Video Remote Control Profile) and has advanced Bluetooth 4.0 capability.

 

Unboxing

 

The Jive comes in a clear plastic box with the device seen within along with a cardboard describing the product and its features. Inside the package we find the Jive Bluetooth speaker, a USB to micro-USB charging cable and a user guide.

  

  

 

The speaker measures 2.44“ x 2.32“ and weighs 3.17 ounces. It is oval in shape and is covered by a brightly colored silicone that comes in several color options including blue, green, orange, black and purple. For today’s review we will look at the green version.

 

The front of the speaker has three buttons – a plus and minus for volume and song control surrounding a triangular play/pause button. The back of the device has a dust panel that opens up to reveal a power switch and a micro USB connector.

 

 

The bottom features a large thermoplastic suction cup disk with an LED centered in the middle that lights up when the device is powered on, charging and connected.

 

 

The Jive has a 3-Watt speaker and has a 400 mAh battery which can provide up to 4+ hours of operation with normal use. It has a built in mic with noise cancelling capability.

 

 

 

 

Specifications and Features

 

Lyrix Jive Speaker

Whether you love singing in the shower or bringing the beats to the barbecue, the Lyrix Jive Bluetooth Speaker is the perfectly portable Bluetooth speaker that lets you turn up the tunes everywhere you go.

Featuring a compact design that fits in the palm of your hand, the Lyrix Jive Bluetooth Speaker uses advanced Bluetooth 4.0 technology to deliver incredibly clear streaming sound at distances up to 32 feet, while its rechargeable Li-Ion battery provides up to four hours of play.

Designed with an integrated suction cup foot, the Lyrix Jive Bluetooth Speaker sticks to virtually any smooth surface – from the shower to the locker to the windshield to the toolbox – and its silicone rubber shell is easy to clean and remarkably water resistant.

Features:

-Wirelessly stream music from your favorite device from up to 32 feet away

-Water-resistant silicone rubber casing

-500 mAh rechargeable battery provides 4+ hours of operation

-AVRCP Audio/Video remote control profile

-Hands-free calling with built-in mic and one-touch redial

-Includes USB charging cable

Price: $39.95

 

 

 

Usage and Testing

 

Digital Treasures recommends charging your Jive fully before its first time use. Once that is done you’ll need to pair the Jive with a Bluetooth enabled smart phone, tablet or other device.

This process was quick and simple, just turn on the Jive then search for local Bluetooth devices on your smart phone or tablet. Once the Jive is detected select it and then the Bluetooth connection should be paired. The Jive will beep and the blue LED on the bottom will blink slowly about one time per second to show a successful pairing. The effective working range of the Jive is about 33 feet or 10 m. During testing I found this to be an accurate assessment; moving too far out of range will lead to choppy audio.

It is simple to charge using the micro-USB port and can be done with any computer or AC USB adapter. The battery life is around 4 hours.

The Jive can be used as a stand for your phone or tablet simply by adhering the suction cup to the back of the device. However since the Jive has a rounded top finding the “sweet spot” for balancing your device can be tricky. For instance when using it with an iPad Air, the suction cup needed to be mounted towards the top of the iPad to keep the tablet from falling over.

As a stand it is limited but works in a pinch. Also when listening to audio from the Jive in this configuration will give you a muted experience, as the speaker will point into the table it rests upon.

 

 

For testing, I used the Jive paired with my iPhone 5S and iPad Air. Pairing was a simple process and once connected music was easily played and controlled via the Jive. The three buttons on the front of the Jive allowed music to be played or pause, songs to be skipped and the volume to be raided or lowered.

Ever since my waterproof radio broke I’ve missed having music in the shower, with the Jive I was back to rocking out in the shower plus now I could control the playlist.

 

 

For a small low wattage speaker the Jive sounded surprisingly rich especially when compared to other mono Bluetooth speaker devices. Most styles of music sounded crisp from Pearl Jam to Eminem. While the Jive will not be confused with a high-end speaker it does pretty well for its price range and intended environments.

While the Jive has a water resistant silicone gel casing is not designed to be submerged as it is not totally waterproof. So don’t go dunking your Bluetooth speaker in the bathtub with your rubber ducky.

The Jive can be positioned on any flat smooth surface using the suction cup. When the suction cup was removed there was no residue left behind.

There are a couple of drawbacks to the Jive. The first is its size. Placing it in a shower is not a problem as it is not too big compared to the shampoo and conditioner bottles found lying around most bathrooms. However in a car, the Jive is pretty big and obtrusive. For instance, using it in car is limited by where the Jive can be affixed to a flat surface. My Honda Accord did not really have any spots for it except on the windshield, which made the Jive stick out like a sore thumb. Still though, if you’re looking to buy a speaker for your car this isn’t a bad choice.

The other problem with the Jive is as a Bluetooth based speakerphone it does not work so well. Its noise cancelling technology seemed to create “choppy and poor sounding” calls on the receiving end of conversations as my friends and colleagues told me. In the past I’ve found noise cancellation technology can generally be hit or miss. Apparently the Jive is more in the miss category.

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

The Jive is a good Bluetooth speaker for those environments that generally don’t get along with electronic devices. Its silicone coating allows it to be water resistant making it ideal for damp climates such as bathrooms. Now you can sing in the shower with an accompanying sound track. For a small mono speaker it packs a nice sound.

If you plan on using it as a hands-free telephone solution then you may be disappointed, as the noise canceling technology seems to be its weakest point.

For those looking for a good sounding speaker that can deal with extreme environments then the Jive is an excellent choice.

 

Pros:
+Sounds good playing back music
+Can wirelessly control music playback
+Water-resistant
+Portable

Cons:
-Noise cancelling technology could be much better
-Its shape can make it obtrusive

Grades:
Overall
Design / Aesthetic
Value / Price
Performance / Usage

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