Bluetooth headphones can be classified into two segments - one with good looks and the other delivering great sound. Of course, several headphones that take care of both are available in the budget segment.
The Creative Sound Blaster Jam is an example of one that delivers great sound but doesn't look impressive.
Available for Rs. 2,653 (at the time of filing this review) at Amazon.in, you can't even expect more out of it. In an all-black matte body finish, the Creative Sound Blaster Jam weighs exceptionally light, giving comfortable wearing experience for a long period.
The design language of the Creative Sound Blaster Jam has been made simple by featuring the logo on both sides above the earpieces and a retracting adjustment for setting the headphone comfortably.
All the controls have been placed over the right ear module. The NFC/ Bluetooth connectivity option sits on the top and also acts as a music play/ pause button.
The volume rocker button has been housed at the bottom and the bass boost button at the top. The micro USB charging button sits on the bottom of it. The earpieces feature a slightly tilted design to make sure the headphone sits comfortably over the ear canal and leaves no space.
Connecting the Sound Blaster Jam with any Bluetooth of NFC based device is damn easy. Tapping and holding the right ear module for a few seconds causes a blue light to flash, which means the headphone can be easily searched from your device. The headphone also houses a microphone inside so you can also receive or make a call while listening to music.
The play/ pause button is easy to control but the volume rocker and the bass button will take some time to get used to. The device comes with a 1-meter long red cable, using which you can charge your headphone and also listen to music from your PC or Mac without Bluetooth or NFC connectivity.
In our real life test session, we found the Sound Blaster Jam delivers powerful bass with balanced treble at all the levels. We found the headphone never distorts the bass level even after putting it on the highest volume.
The sound clarity is amazing at all the levels, especially in the mids and the lows. The voice output is crisp and so are the delicate acoustic notes. But keeping the bass mode off lets the bass output a tad down while other parts perform in a balanced manner.
Creative claims the Sound Blaster Jam will deliver 12 hours of battery life in a single charge cycle, but we found the device delivers around 9 hours after putting the sound at the highest level and turning on the bass mode. In mid level, keeping the bass mode off, the battery lasts for around 11 hours.
If you care for the sound output while purchasing a headphone, you can blindly buy the Creative Sound Blaster Jam. The headphone offers amazing sound clarity mingled with great bass for its price. But if style comes as your first priority over sound, you can look for other options.
