MH Tech Review: JBL E65BTNC Wireless Over-Ear NC Headphones
Sleek, comfortable and versatile – these headphones are well worth the price point.
They’ve got Bluetooth function (which means no more getting tangled up in pesky cords), a comfort band that won’t squeeze your head, over-ear cups, Active Noise Cancellation, hands-free calling and (most importantly) they're durable. Perfect for the office, commute or home, they look good and sound better.
We were given the opportunity to test the new JBL E65BTNC’s and here’s what we found:
Setup & connectivity:
When it comes to set up, these headphones are pretty straight-forward. It’s simply a case of flicking the Bluetooth button on the side of the headphones and finding it via your laptop or mobile. Fool-proof. It also lets you seamlessly switch between devices – super handy if you want to answer a phone call mid jam sesh.
In addition, it has a great capacity for long-range connectivity, which means I can walk to the staff kitchen or venture away from my phone and the Bluetooth won’t drop out. Win.
Sound quality:
Theres three words to sum up the sound these bad boys produce: crisp, clear and crankable. You can easily control the volume with the buttons on the side of the ear cup, and there’s minimal distortion when you get to the top end. This definitely exceeded my expectations, as I usually find headphones go crackly when the base is turned up (not ideal).
Noise cancellation:
Let’s be real; the number one criteria most people look for in headphones is the ability to drown out the background noise in the office. With the Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) function activated and the beats turned up, you could be yelling a metre away from my desk and I still wouldn’t flinch. The device also cups your entire ear, so even with the ANC off, there’s not much that gets through. On occasion, I’ve also worn them without music playing (coz, comfortable) and the most I pick up on is some muffled chit chat here and there. This is quickly becoming my favourite feature.
Battery life:
So, for two hours on the charge you get 24 hours of battery (when Bluetooth is on but ANC is switched off) Or 15 hours when Bluetooth and ANC are both on.
But here’s the thing: the headphones won’t work when they are plugged in. Yup, this isn’t a huge deal, but if you’re anything like me and forget to leave things charging overnight, it can be kinda annoying when you go to use them and can’t.
Specs (for the detail-oriented among us):
Plug: 3.5mm (1/8") stereo mini-jack
Dynamic driver: 40 mm
Frequency response: 20-20kHz
Sensitivity: 95dB
Maximum SPL: 108dB
Microphone sensitivity @1kHz dB v/pa: -42
Impedance: 32 ohm
Weight (g: )258g
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