- Jamo launches new portable speakers
- Flex and Flow are portable models designed for outdoors
- Reflect is a bedroom and alarm clock speaker
I feel like I was last writing about new Jamo speakers only yesterday. In fact it was actually a week ago, when the Scandi audio brand came back from the dead to reveal seven new loudspeakers, and I suppose it’s now back-er from the dead, with three brand-new portable models.
Jamo has unveiled the HYG family of portable Bluetooth speakers, consisting of three different devices: two outdoor models, one indoor one.
The name comes from hygge, one of the few Swedish words non-speakers know; it’s one of those beloved untranslatable phrases that refers to a feeling of cosiness and warmth. And the speakers certainly lean in for that Scandi-chic look.
Before you get over-excited for these speakers, bear in mind you can’t buy them yet. They’re due to go on sale in July.
Here You Go (HYG)
The outlier of the new trio is the HYG Reflect, which is due to cost $149 / £129 (about AU$260).
This has been designed as a speaker for your bedside cabinet. It functions as an alarm clock, wireless charging pad and, yes, speaker, with dual two-inch drivers and two passive radiators.
Next up, and pictured at the top of this article, is the HYG Flow. It’s due to sell for $279 / £239 (about AU$480), which a tempting price when you consider its audio setup is so similar to the far-more-expensive Sonos Move 2.
It boasts twin one-inch tweeters angled away from each other, plus a five-inch woofer — that’s the same arrangement as the Sonos, though the actual driver will obviously be different. It’s compatible with both Bluetooth 6.0 or an aux cord. It can play with other Jamo Auracast speakers but, unlike the Sonos, there’s no Wi-Fi play support, so that’s what you get for paying more for the Sonos.
It’s ostensibly a portable speaker, weighing 3kg and supporting up to 15 hours of playback, but it only has an IPX2 rating — again, that’s weaker than the Sonos.
Finally, there’s the HYG Flow, which is the cheapest member of the bunch at $129 / £109 (about AU$220). It’s long, thin and light, weighing under a kilogram, and comes in six different hues, about three of which I’m obsessed with.
This offers two 1.5-inch full-range drivers and two passive radiators, connecting in much the same way as the Flow but with a 27-hour battery life. Its IP rating is also IPX7: fine for splashes by the pool, but not for use on a sandy beach.
Prior to the HYG, Jamo didn’t have any wireless Bluetooth speakers in its line-up, so it remains to be seen just how well it marries its audio prowess with this functional form factor. July will tell.
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tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford)
