Jabra is following in Jawbone's footsteps and expanding from Bluetooth headsets to wireless speakers. The Jabra Solemate ($199.99 list) is very similar to the Jawbone Jambox SEE IT in looks and price, but it offers much clearer audio quality, though it doesn't handle speakerphone calls as well. 

Design

The Solemate looks like a cross between the Jawbone Jambox and a shoe. Its rounded rectangular form measures a portable 2.8 by 6.8 by 2.5 inches (HWD) and it weighs 1.3 pounds, with a sturdy rubber and metal body.  The top and bottom are impact-resistant rubber, and the bottom is textured to look like the sole of a boot, keeping the Solemate from skidding or shaking when playing heavy bass on a flat surface. A nice touch: The bottom has a long notch and two holes that securely store the included 13-inch 3.5mm audio cable, which allows you to use the speaker with non-Bluetooth sound sources. Adding to the sneaker aesthetic, a fabric loop on one end provides a way to carry the speaker on a carabineer or clip.

Ports and buttons are sparse, but intuitively placed. A microUSB port and 3.5mm audio input sits on the end of the speaker opposite the carry strap, with an on-off toggle above that doubles as a Bluetooth pairing switch. Above that, Bluetooth and battery lights show that the speaker is connected and charged. Three buttons line the top of the Solemate for adjusting the volume and answering and hanging up hands-free speakerphone calls.

Pairing the Solemate with a smartphone or tablet is easy, with a helpful voice that tells you when the speaker is ready and when it connects. The voice can't be turned off, though, and its flirtatious tone is borderline unnerving. You can also connect the Solemate to any audio device with a 3.5mm cable, and it works as a PC speaker through a USB connection.

Performance

As a wireless speaker, the Solemate sounds great in the midrange and high end, but falters at the low end. Non-bass sounds are impeccable, with Freddy Mercury's voice in Queen's "Killer Queen" and the opening guitar notes from Cage the Elephant's "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked" sounding as if they were right there. Sharp brass notes from horns in Oingo Boingo's "Dead Man's Party" also sounded very good with no distortion. If you have a small apartment or just want to fill your bedroom or home office with sound, the Solemate can get loud enough to satisfy. Don't expect it to power your next big party, though. It eclipses the Jawbone Jambox on audio quality, and even puts out comparable sound to the Big Jambox £315.44 at Amazon UK, while remaining very clear.

When playing our bass test track, The Knife's "Silent Shout," the heavy bass notes distorted heavily on the speaker. That weakness only appeared in "Silent Shout" and a few Lester Young jazz tracks (very old transfers with recording artifacts to begin with), and the speaker handled hard metal from both Slayer and Maximum the Hormone easily.

As a speakerphone, the Solemate works well for the caller, but not so well for whomever you call. Voices come through the speaker clearly, and are easily heard from ten feet away. However, the microphone picks up a lot of buzzing when you talk, making your voice sound fuzzy to anyone you're talking to. Words can be distinguished, but it sounds as if you're talking through a tube. The Jambox sounds better than the Solemate when taking calls, but it doesn't fare as well when playing music.

The Jabra Solemate is excellent for music but only mediocre for speakerphone calls. Its $200 price keeps it from replacing the $100 Logitech Mini Boombox  as our Editors' Choice for portable Bluetooth speakers. It isn't quite as powerful as the Solemate, but its superior call quality and half-size price tag seal the deal. Still, the Solemate's design is top-notch, and the integrated audio cable keeps the speaker connected even if you don't have a Bluetooth device handy. If you want to fill your room with sound, it's one of the best portable Bluetooth speakers we've heard, but if you want to take conference calls, you should try the Jambox or the Mini Boombox.

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