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[Back Order] Jam Audio Zero Chill IP67 Bluetooth Speaker $44 Shipped @ Amazon AU

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This is not as good as the EFM Havana deal, but that is due to the EFM Havana's higher overall price.
Still I think the Jam Audio Zero Chill is a good alternative to the popular UE Boom 3 which goes for around $100~$140. The Zero Chill and Boom 3 share a similar 2x 2 inch driver and 2x passive radiator design and are almost identical in size.
The Zero Chill is usually $89~$99 at other places, so this is around half price.

This deal is also free delivery for non Amazon Prime users since it is over the $39 spend.

Compared to the UE Boom 3. Zero Chill has "Up to" 22 hours battery life, compared to Up to 15 hours for UE Boom 3. Zero Chill has Aux-in, while Boom 3 doesn't. Boom 3 uses Bluetooth 4.1, UK website says Zero Chill uses BT4.2.
Both use Micro-USB for charging. Both are rated IP67 water-submersible.
Zero Chill's unique feature is it has an "integrated charging cable" so no need to worry about remembering to take a cable to charge.

Also one product worth considering for those willing to pay more than $100+ for a UE Boom 3.
Consider the Huawei & Devialet Sound Joy currently available for $141 shipped @ Amazon AU.
https://www.amazon.com.au/HUAWEI-Sound-Portable-Bluetooth-De…
It has a massive 8800mAh battery for Up to 26 hours playback and 30W total output power, 10w for separate tweeter and 20w for the woofer. It is also IP67 rated like the Boom 3 so I think the Huawei is better than the Boom 3 in every way for a similar price.
The separate tweeter and woofer makes the Huawei similar in design to the Sonos Roam which is $275.

Price History at C CamelCamelCamel.

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closed Comments

  • With a freq response bottoming out at 170Hz, don't expect any thumping bass sections coming out of this

    • +3

      To be honest most bluetooth speakers like these simply do not do proper highs or lows especially from the distance and in the outdoor environment most are listening to them at. They are basically "mid cannons". Most consumers mainly just expect them to get "loud enough" without much concern about sound quality.
      The small woofers in these speakers tend to "beam" high frequencies so any 12~13khz+ content that has not been muddied by Bluetooth is only audible if your ear is directly in front perpendicular of a woofer. They also just do not move enough air for bass to be a thing especially outdoors in open space.
      UE quotes the Boom 3's frequency response being 90hz~20khz but as you can see on rtings https://www.rtings.com/speaker/reviews/ultimate-ears/boom-3, it is a gated measurement and steep roll-off starts at around 150hz.

      With a free App that has a PEQ and some time you can add to the amount of bass and correct some jagged frequency responses, but done properly by auto-leveling everything with the highest EQ peak at 0dB it will always be at the expense of maximum volume level, in my experience usually an average of -10dB SPL is lost meaning you cut the max volume in half and most consumers do not want to reduce the max volume level at all.

      I got the EFM Havana for cheap which retails for $150+ and I was not exactly "mind blown" by the sound out of the box. With some careful PEQ added it now sounds about as big as it looks, and it gets satisfyingly loud indoors with even some punchy reinforced bass if you place it closer to the wall. But this improvement only works if you plan to use it indoors. If outdoors the increase in bass will be barely noticeable, the speaker will not get loud enough for most people and you will run out of juice quick since you will be running it constantly at 100% volume.

      • Awesome analysis. Really good points that everybody should consider before auto purchasing

        • Thanks. That was not really my intention when I wrote it but it's nice you see it as worth reading.

          In your original comment I actually thought you were initially disputing my comparison of the Zero Chill as an good alternative to the UE Boom 3, so I just wanted to try and balance things out by showing both models are largely similar. As you can probably get from my 2nd comment below adding some extra information.

          When it comes to Bluetooth speakers of this size and dimension, they are all largely similar in design than not. Most will use 2x 2 inch drivers and either 1x or 2x passive radiators. Where they mostly seem to differ is in the tuning where the manufacturers apply their own default EQ.
          I don't own every single bluetooth speaker out there, but what I gather from feedback is if out of the box you want more bass go for JBL. If you want a balanced sound but still with some bass go for Sony. But both these brands go with a "front firing" design.
          If you want something with 360 degree sound like most consumers, go with Ultimate Ears (UE). They seem to be the most popular selling Bluetooth speaker so I posted this Jam Audio speaker as a lower priced alternative.

    • According to the UK Jam Audio website, the Zero chill utilises 2x 2 inch drivers and 2x passive radiators. The same driver size and configuration as the UE Boom 3. Their dimensions are also within a few mm of each other. So it makes sense they will sound quite similar.

      I just read some negative reviews from Amazon US which complain of either a hard to open rubber cover or a speaker that does not charge or turn on. Most other reviews are positive though so if you get a dud you just have to return it to Amazon.

  • Will this work on the Moon?

    • WiFi works on the moon so I think there is no reason Bluetooth would not.

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