Review of Polaroid PBT555

Let me start by saying this. Music it speaks to my soul, to my very being.  My memories are stored in both songs and vintages of wine. I am one of the most particular people I know and this has only been reinforced by my mentor who at 59 was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, which is known as the highest functioning form of autism. It is an understatement to say that I like things "just so", the most odd things can set me into a frenzy in a heartbeat.

As much as I love music I sometimes struggle with concerts as the artists usually don't sound the same, so needless to say I'm picky about headphones, speakers, and tones.


I bought this speaker on a whim on a suggestion from my Father (I couldn't find a review for it anywhere) I work as a nanny (specializing in special needs kids) and I wanted a speaker I could travel with both to work, to workout with, and take with me internationally. I wanted to be able to literally throw it in my suitcase or nanny bag and not need to worry about too much. I was really considering saving up for the Jambox Mini Speaker but at $179.99 + tax it was a bit steep. The Polaroid was a mere $79.99 (with mail in rebate).



Now this speaker connects wirelessly via Bluetooth, a simple simple pairing process with my iPhone 5s. And in mere seconds I was ready to check out the sound quality.

About the sound quality, I have found my music collection which boasts of Jay Z to Persian love songs to Luke Bryant to play beautifully. It sounds as it does coming out of Bose Soundwave. There is no twanging, no thumping or irradiate humming that doesn't belong. The sound coming out of this speaker BLEW me AWAY. When comparing to my sisters Jambox Mini I think the Polaroid has better sound quality, especially for the price.



What about the size, will it really fit into my suit case? Yes it will really fit!  It is a bit wider at 2" than the Jambox Mini (compared at .91") but I also think that is why it is able to put out such awesome sound quality. So for me the depth isn't an issue.

Both the JamBox Mini and the Polaroid claim 8 hours of use per full charge. I have found that claim to be a bit on the short side to with mine, I get between 6-11 hours (depending on volume). A full charge off of a 2.0 USB takes about 1.5 hours. It includes both the charging cable and the AUX cable for use with a regular iPod or MP3 player. (I'm searching for a wall adapter for multiple country use.)

I use mine all of the time. Working out to blare my music to get me revved up, while showering, and to both calm down (from their fits) and get the kids I nanny for moving. I have yet to pack it but with the light metal used in it's construction it's built well so I don't worry about it getting broken in my checked luggage.

All in all, if this item were to get broken or stolen in my luggage I'd buy a replacement (and it would still be less than the JamBox Mini.)  If looking for a speaker I highly recommend the Polaroid PBT555 over even the JamBox Mini.