JBL Tune 110
Next in our TOP are the JBL Tune 110 headphones.
They are available in white, black and blue colors, so you can easily choose the model that will best match your look. And, thanks to the fact that they have a flat cable, you definitely won’t have problems with headphones constantly getting tangled in your pocket.
The headphones themselves are small and light, so you hardly feel them in your ears. And thanks to the ear pads of different sizes, they will sit tightly in your ears and will not fall out even during active activities.
Despite its compact size, JBL Tune 110 will delight its owners with powerful sound, made possible thanks to 9 mm speakers and JBL Pure Bass technology. This technology delivers deep, powerful bass that feels like you're at a rock concert. For listening to modern popular compositions, these headphones will be an excellent solution.
It is also worth noting that they have a microphone that provides high-quality voice reproduction, and during telephone conversations your interlocutor will hear you perfectly.
Also, JBL Tune 110 has a convenient one-button remote control. Its functionality is small, but nevertheless, the remote control allows you to start and pause music playback, as well as answer calls on the go.
- Speaker size: 9 mm.
- Sensitivity: 96 dB.
- Range: 20 Hz – 20 kHz.
- Weight: 12.7 g.
- Flat cable.
- JBL Pure Bass sound.
- Cable length: 1.11 m.
- Microphone.
- Remote controller.
Samsung, Jabra, Sony and JBL: review of the most interesting wireless headphones
What are true wireless headphones, how do they differ from “simple” wireless ones, and why have they become a fashion accessory? Samsung Gear IconX (2018), Jabra Elite 65t, Sony WF-1000X, JBL Free: four current models in the review of new mobile technology from our expert Dmitry Bevza.
Photo: depositphotos/ Syda_Productions
The explosive growth of new models of separate wireless headphones (those in which the right and left speakers are connected not by wire, but using the Bluetooth wireless protocol) occurred in 2021. As usual, Apple with its AirPods became the trendsetter of the new techno-fashion. But the idea of headphones in the form of two separate speakers is not new. Moreover, on the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform, some startups offered similar headphones even before the advent of AirPods, but then such devices were more like entertainment for geeks.
Photo: apple.com
AirPods are great headphones, but they have two significant drawbacks:
– These are in-ear headphones, and they have virtually no sound insulation. It is very difficult to use them in the subway, train, on a street with busy traffic, or on an airplane.
– Not all users, especially girls, like the look of two “pasta” sticking out of their ears. And this is exactly what AirPods look like from the outside.
Samsung, Jabra, Sony, JBL did not copy either the “pasta design” of AirPods or the design itself. All the headphones considered in our review are in-ear and provide very decent sound insulation.
What common
All of them have a battery case that allows you to charge the headphones several times. They all fit perfectly and don't fall out of your ears. All can automatically connect to a smartphone when removed from the case and turn off when placed back in the case. All headphones can work as a telephone headset. All have their own controls and can work in ambient mode (sound from external microphones is mixed into the sound path). This is convenient for outdoor sports, during bike rides and in other cases where audio control over the environment is required.
Samsung Gear IconX (2018)
Photo: portal Moscow 24/Dmitry Bevza
Let's start with the most technically advanced model, Samsung Gear IconX (2018).
This is already the second model of such headphones for the company. Distinctive features of the new version of Gear IconX are autonomous operation and touch control.
Thanks to the built-in memory (3.4 GB), the headphones can work without a smartphone (as an audio player). The touch controls are very sophisticated (maybe even too much) and take some getting used to. But it allows you to fully control music, calls and voice assistant. In addition, the headphones have a built-in fitness tracker and a voice assistant for running.
Photo: portal Moscow 24/Dmitry Bevza
The headphones sound rich, bright and loud enough, there is an ambient mode. Passive sound insulation is at a good level (like all other models in the review), battery life is four to five hours when streaming from a smartphone and up to seven hours in offline mode.
During testing we had an absolutely crazy (in a good way) pink color, but there are also classic ones - gray and black. Price – 13 thousand rubles.
Jabra Elite 65t
Photo: portal Moscow 24/Dmitry Bevza
These are the newest of all presented headphones. Distinctive features are ergonomic push-button control, active noise cancellation (ANC), support for the latest Bluetooth 5.0 and, accordingly, very reliable synchronization both with a smartphone and between the right and left speakers. Plus, a comfortable fit in the ears and the most compact charging case.
Photo: portal Moscow 24/Dmitry Bevza
The Jabra Elite 65t is IP55 waterproof. There are no complaints about the sound quality. Although it is drier than that of the Gear IconX (2018), it is also quite good. The proprietary Sound+ application allows you to configure different sound profiles for ambient mode and ANC (sports, transport, leisure, work). The battery life is four to five hours, and the price is 11.5 thousand rubles.
Sony WF-1000X
Photo: portal Moscow 24/Dmitry Bevza
The most beautiful and expensive headphones in our review. Distinctive features: intelligent active noise reduction (ANC) mode. In Smart Listening mode, the system automatically detects the user's activities (driving, walking, jogging, waiting) and adjusts the ambient sound settings. You can customize them to your liking using the Headphones Connect app and set the system to cancel out traffic or wind noise but allow human voices to pass through.
Photo: portal Moscow 24/Dmitry Bevza
We liked the sound of the Sony WF-1000X the most; we especially note the high detail of the sound. The downside is that the WF-1000X has the shortest battery life (three hours, the case is enough for two more charges) and rather capricious software.
The proprietary Headphones Connect application has many settings. They are really interesting, useful and convenient, but we spent about an hour and a half on the first connection to the iPhone X, since the headphones did not want to connect without updating the software, and the process of downloading updates was completed ahead of schedule. However, then the headphones and the application worked fine.
Controls are limited to turning tracks on/off, taking calls, and switching between different ANC modes. The price of WF-1000X is 15 thousand rubles.
JBL Free
Photo: jbl.com
Distinctive features: the most affordable headphones in the review, splash protection, large case with a capacious battery. You can use one earphone for calls in headset mode. Battery life is up to four hours.
Photo: jbl.com
If we talk about the sound, we liked it a little less than the competitors and seemed less loud. In general, these are the most minimalistic and simple headphones in the review, without complex active noise reduction software, but they are the most affordable. The control buttons operate in Pause/Play mode and allow you to answer calls. The price is “only” 10 thousand rubles.
What's left
To summarize, we can draw several conclusions:
1. The sound quality of all models is very decent and differs only slightly, and when using an equalizer the difference is leveled out even more. However, we found the sound of the Sony WF-1000X to be the most interesting. 2. Not a single model has any problems with the earphone falling out (from the ear), even when moving, and the ergonomics are at a high level in all of them. They are really convenient to use, and using proprietary applications with the Gear IconX, Jabra Elite 65t and Sony WF-1000X headphones greatly expands their capabilities. 3. The passive sound insulation of all headphones is very good, but the additional active noise cancellation (ANC) of the Jabra Elite 65t and Sony WF-1000X does not reduce the noise level much. 4. The lack of volume control on the Sony WF-1000X and JBL Free is (no matter how much we would like to turn a blind eye to it) a drawback. Not fatal, but still. 5. All headphones periodically desynchronize their Bluetooth connection and the sound in one of them disappears. This happens very rarely with the Gear IconX and Jabra Elite 65t, but a little more often with the Sony WF-1000X and JBL Free.
And one more thing: the main feature of these models is convenience and comfort, and they provide it, but still, in terms of sound, they are comparable to high-quality wired headphones costing about five thousand rubles.
Bevza Dmitry
JBL Tune 500
JBL Tune 500 are on-ear headphones available in several body colors. They have a durable flat cable 120 cm long, which is very difficult to tangle, as well as a lightweight folding design, which allows you to carry these headphones with you everywhere in your bag or around your neck.
The headphones weigh less than 150 g, so even when worn for a long time they do not cause any discomfort. In addition, soft pads and a padded headband add comfort when wearing. True, many users note that the ear pads of this model are small. So these headphones are not suitable for everyone.
In terms of sound quality, the JBL Tune 500 is equipped with 32mm speakers and supports JBL Pure Bass technology. Thanks to this combination, the sound is excellent and with good bass. You can listen to any genre of music.
These headphones also have a microphone. It provides quite clear voice during telephone conversations. In a noisy place, it may be difficult for your interlocutor to hear you.
Well, as for the controls, the JBL Tune 500 has a built-in remote control that provides convenient music control, and also allows you to call voice assistants Siri and Google Assistant. So you don’t have to reach for your smartphone to find out the answer to your question.
- Speaker size: 32 mm.
- Range: 20 Hz – 20 kHz.
- Weight: 148 g.
- Flat cable.
- JBL Pure Bass sound.
- Cable length: 1.19 m.
- Microphone.
- Remote controller.
Marshall Mode EQ
Our TOP continues - Marshall Mode EQ headphones, which will be appreciated by all music lovers. After all, these headphones provide powerful sound with minimal distortion. The powerful speakers installed in them are located in a rigid housing with offset ear tubes. This design ensures clear reproduction of all audible frequencies and prevents resonance when selecting maximum volume. These headphones also have a 2-mode equalizer. The first mode of the equalizer provides deep bass. And the second one will come in handy if you prefer music with a brighter emphasis on mids and highs. For these features, Marshal Mode EQ is loved by many users, regardless of their preferred genres. Classics, rock, rap, electronic music - any genre sounds equally harmonious in these headphones.
It is also worth noting that the headphones are equipped with a high-quality microphone and a multifunctional remote control, which allows you to receive calls and control music playback. With its help, you can not only pause tracks, but also rewind to the desired moment. The controls are very simple and will not cause any difficulties.
Marshall Mode EQ weighs only 20 g, so it is practically not felt in the ears. They also come with 4 pairs of interchangeable ear pads of different sizes. So these headphones are suitable for absolutely all users.
- Speaker size: 9 mm.
- Range: 20 Hz – 24 kHz.
- Sensitivity: 99 dB.
- Equalizer with 2 modes.
- Rewind songs.
- Cable length: 1.2 m.
- Microphone.
- Remote controller.
Beats Solo 3 Alternative – Marshall Mid ANC
Beats and Marshall promotional materials
Beats Solo 3 looks like a rather controversial model. A writer from Tech Radar gave the Beats Solo 3 Wireless review a negative review regarding the sound of the mids and highs, as well as the quality of detail. Mobile Review is surprised Review of the Beats Solo 3 Wireless Bluetooth headset that the model, which cost about 23,000 rubles at the start of sales, is not equipped with active noise reduction and does not support advanced audio codecs.
Instead of Solo 3, which are now selling for 10–11 thousand, you can take a closer look at the Marshall Mid ANC. They cost 9,000 rubles, but at the same time they can please you with a more balanced sound. The author of iChip.ru praises the Marshall Mid ANC Test: rock headphones for getting high for their good combination of powerful bass, mids and highs. She assesses the sound of the model as “warm”. Active noise cancellation is present, but its quality is not impressive.
Marshall Mid ANC also has an interesting retro design. Fans of rock aesthetics will definitely like it.
Buy
