Has Creative managed to remain creative with its latest entry in the Bluetooth earphone market? Is the performance of the Sound Blaster Jam as average as its looks? We find out.
The thing with majority of the Bluetooth headphones we get to see these days is that most of them are trying too hard to look as if they have come from another galaxy. Well, this is one thing we can’t say about the budget-friendly Creative Sound Blaster Jam. Yes, in the first look, the headset looks a bit boring but sounds excellent for an MRP of Rs. 3,499. Despite its light, thin, yet exceptionally comfortable frame, the Jam pumps out powerful bass, and can also deliver a more balanced sound with the Bass mode disabled.
There are certain areas where the Creative Sound Blaster Jam surely wins. Areas like simplicity, ease of use and the helpful extra features make the Jam a clear winner. The lightweight body makes it very easy to use it for long periods, and the simple on-ear controls are laid out in a very thoughtful manner.
On the right ear’s outer panel, the central button controls Play/Pause, Call Answer/End, Power, and Pairing. Dedicated volume controls also work as track navigation controls, depending on how long you hold them. There is also a ‘Bass’ button along the outer rim which allows users to boost the bass response with ease. There is also a microphone located on the right earpiece.
The Sound Blaster Jam paired easily with our Android smartphone without a fuss. Also available is NFC compatibility, which will connect the Jam with your device with a single ‘tap’. Creative claims that the Sound Blaster Jam has 12 hours of battery life on a full charge, but your results will depend upon on how loudly you prefer listening to. Another option allows the users to listen to audio from your PC or laptop through the USB charging cable. The included red cable is a bit longer than a typical charging cable for this very reason.
For those bass lovers, the Jam makes sure that the voice doesn’t distort even at the highest pitch. Well, things change a little once you turn on the ‘Bass’ mode moving closer to the edge of distortion. At moderate volumes and/or with Bass mode deactivated, this isn’t an issue, and even with Bass mode off, tracks will still sound thunderous, with the lows sounding a bit tighter and cleaner. The tracks with less intense bass content sound pleasantly balanced all throughout. In Bass mode, the same genre of music gets a very crisp high-mid presence to keep things well-defined and prevent the music from echoing.
In the end, let us bring everything it has to the table. The Creative Sound Blaster Jam is not a fashion accessory; the looks are as basic as they can get. We are not saying that you won’t find a better pair of Bluetooth headset in the market, but for this kind of money, there is nothing close to it. If you can give the looks a miss, and want more in less – this is what should be sitting next to you every time you want to listen to anything.