JBL E25BT - Review 2022 - Carr Fromeannown

Nearly of the neckband-style wireless earphones we exam tend to be geared toward exercise. JBL's $59.95 E25BT earphones stay in your ears just fine, simply aren't protected from sweat, so they're not the all-time choice for your next workout. They deliver powerful bass depth and crisp clarity in the highs, for a sculpted sound signature with a overnice balance between lows and highs despite the boosting. They're a perfectly solid choice for the price, though our favorite in-ear pairs, like the Skullcandy Method Wireless, provide more versatility.

Design

Available in black, blueish, light-green, red, and white models, the E25BT earphones accept a simple design, with a fabric-covered cablevision and modest-but-secure earpieces. The cable rests behind your cervix, like the JBL Reflect Mini BT, with an inline mic and remote control located near the right earpiece.

The remote has a central multifunction button for operating playback and treatment telephone calls, and two outer buttons that control volume and rail navigation. We adopt to run into rail navigation assigned to the multifunction button, using a series of taps, as it'southward less likely to result in anything worse than accidentally playing or pausing your music.

JBL E25BT inline In that location'south a weighted compartment in the center of the cable that houses a condition LED. A snap-on shirt clip allows yous to stabilize information technology past clipping onto the back of your shirt—this works well with t-shirts, less so with hoodies or collars. Equally mentioned, the earphones aren't resistant to moisture, so you don't want to damage them while working up a sweat at the gym.

You can pair the earphones with ii devices simultaneously, then yous tin can receive calls from your phone but stream audio off your tablet, and you never accept to switch manually from one device to the other. The built-in mic offers and then-and then intelligibility. Using the Voice Memos app on an iPhone 6s, nosotros could understand every word we recorded, but clarity on consonants was frequently a footling muddled. Whoever you lot're calling should be able to sympathise you, merely they're non going to hear a pivot drop.

JBL includes three pairs of eartips (S, M, and L), likewise as a small carrying pouch and a (very brusque) micro-USB charging cablevision. Battery life is estimated to last upwardly to eight hours, but your results volition vary with your volume levels.

Performance

On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Pocketknife's "Silent Shout," the earphones deliver formidable thunder for this price range. The challenging bass on this track comes through with a heavy thud, and the drivers don't misconstrue at top, unwise listening levels. There'south also some sculpted high frequency response to balance out the powerful bass.

Bill Callahan's "Drover," a runway with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the overall sound signature. Some bass-frontward in-ear pairs button the lows too much and make the drums on this track sound unnaturally heavy. That doesn't occure hither, but the drums certainly get an actress helping of lows that will scare off near purists looking for a apartment, accurate audio signature (a rarity in this toll range). Simply bass lovers who want some residuum in their mix volition exist pleased—the drums have some added low-end, and Callahan'south baritone vocals are quite rich in the low-mids. There'south a healthy loftier-mid and high frequency presence to give the vocals some treble edge and bring out the brightness of the guitar's assault.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the kick drum receives a prominent loftier-mid presence, giving its assault some added punch, but it'south the lows we notice more. The sustain of the loop is beefed up more than we often hear, while the sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the trounce are delivered with ability. The vocals are delivered clearly and cleanly, floating over the top of the mix. Occasionally they can sound a tad overly sibilant, only it'southward never overwhelming, and the added high-mids and highs assist the mix maintain its definition despite the heavy bass boosting.

Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene in John Adams' The Gospel Co-ordinate to the Other Mary, get a notably strong bass presence—again, not ideal for anyone seeking a super-accurate mix. The lower register instrumentation is delivered with stronger-than-usual bass depth; it'south not a bad sound at all, and it will entreatment to many, but it's more boosted than typical classical music aficionados might be looking for. The drivers exercise a great job with the high-mids and highs, notwithstanding, keeping the college register brass, strings, and vocals as the primary focus of the mix. This is both a bass-forward and bright sound signature, with sculpting, but a solid sense of remainder.

Conclusions

For $threescore, the JBL E25BT earphones delivers commendable, powerful bass depth matched by a bright high frequency presence. In that location'due south cipher to really mutter about here, though if you're looking for an practice-friendly option, this price range offers choices better suited for the gym. Consider the Skullcandy Method Wireless for a collar band-style alternative. JBL's ain Reverberate Mini BT and Jaybird's X2 are fantabulous neckband options, albeit a bit more than costly. The 808 Sound Ear Canz, meanwhile, offer similar performance to the E25BT for even less money, making them an Editors' Choice.