Gadget Blog

Colourful, well connected and able to form a wireless multi-room set-up: the Pure Jongo S3 is more than just a bizarre name.

With both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, the Jongo S3 has the flexibility to play content from just about anywhere. Streaming over Wi-Fi, via the Pure Connect app for iOS, with Android compatibility “coming soon” – see bottom left – allows you to control multiple Jongos, creating an ad-hoc, multi-room setup.
Setup is fiddly over Wi-Fi, requiring you to enter a lengthy URL into your mobile browser before navigating the Setup Manager.

Connecting via Bluetooth and the bundled USB dongle is much simpler.

The five-speaker battery packed into the Jongo’s miniature casing delivers a solid sound that punches effectively at volume and beats the majority of similarly-priced Bluetooth speakers, although it can’t
compete with something like Sonos’ Play: 3 or B&W’s Z2, reviewed on p120. The choice of four audio configurations, including an “Outdoor Boost” one for garden parties – see p78 – adds a bit of versatility. More importantly, the battery life is good enough to ensure the party won’t end abruptly.

Jongo may not offer seamless setup, nor audiophile-grade sonics, but costing nearly  152,53 USD less than a Sonos Play: 3 it is a sound option for those wanting wireless tunes, plus multi-room, without breaking the bank.