JBL is a name which does not need an introduction, it is one of the most popular audio manufacturing brands in the world and comes under the parent company Harman, which is now owned by Samsung. JBL has a wide range of audio equipments under their name; the list includes Headphones, earphones, speakers, soundbar, professional studio monitors etc. They make both professional equipments & consumer electronics. One such product from their arsenal, JBL E45BT Wireless Bluetooth headphones are my test subject today and I'm here to give my detailed review. Let's get started.
Testing Procedure: To ensure that I can test the Headphones on their uppermost limit, I used high-quality audio files & Lossless formats. For MP3's, I used 320KBPS files and for Lossless formats, I used FLAC & WAV files. To squeeze out the best performance out of them, I used custom equalizer settings & tweaked them throughout to test their extreme capability. For mobile listening, I used custom music player (Poweramp) to get more control over the output & to boost the performance. On Laptop, I used iTunes music player & VLC player. Throughout, I used high-quality music files and also tested them on different devices.
What's inside the Box?
JBL E45BT Wireless Bluetooth speaker comes in a standard good looking box with product images all over & JBL by Harman branding. On removing the outer cover, you'll find the main black color box inside, on opening the box you'll be greeted by the headphones, resting in a plastic mould. There is also a small box underneath the headphones which contains all the accessories.
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| Box Contents |
Apart from the JBL E45BT Bluetooth headphones, the things you get inside the box are; a flat microUSB cable, a braided 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm cable with microphone & single button, a user guide and some warranty booklets. I was really disappointed to not find a carrying case inside the box, I was at the least, expecting a pouch or so to store the headphones. You can watch the unboxing video of JBL E45BT headphones on our YouTube channel.
Technical Specifications
Technical Specifications
- Drivers: 40 mm dynamic
- Rated Impedance of 32 Ω
- Frequency Range: 20 Hz ~ 20,000 Hz
- Bluetooth 4.1
- Weight: 190 grams
- 3.5 mm Audio Jack
- Battery life: 16 hours playback
Design
The design of the headphones was something which impressed me as soon as I held them in my hands, they are pretty well-built for the price point. The headphones sport a matte-finish plastic body with JBL logo on each ear cup. The headband of JBL E45BT headphones is fabric-covered and also contains a JBL logo. The ear cups come with comfortable soft padding and ability to swivel and fold up.
The back of the ear cups have a textured ring, around the JBL logo which definitely adds a bit to the aesthetic value. The driver grills on each ear cup are made up of fabric and contain the L and R markings. The outer ring of the left ear cup contains a microUSB port which is to be used for charging the headphones. The right ear cup contains a slider type power switch, volume buttons along with a play/pause button, a 2.5 mm jack for connecting the cable when not using Bluetooth connectivity, a Bluetooth pairing button and a microphone for hands free calling. The JBL E45BT headphones are available in Black, Blue, Red & White colors.
The fact that JBL E45BT are On-the-ear headphones and not Over-the-ear headphones is something which you should consider before buying them. On-the-ear headphones come with small ear cups which rest directly on top of your ears, while Over-the-ear headphones come with large ear cups which surround your ears.
Sound Quality & Performance
Coming to the most important section of the review, the sound quality. Do they sound good? Well, yes, they do sound pretty good. I don't usually get impressed by headphones too soon, but this was not the case with JBL E45BT headphones.
Starting with the bass, JBL E45BT have excellent deep & punchy bass which does not overpower other frequencies. I tested the headphones with different Bass-heavy songs and was quite pleased with the performance of JBL E45BT. The bass on E45BT is good but not the best, it could've been deeper & a bit heavier but you're still getting a great deal for the price you are paying, and I'm sure most people will like it. If you're more into thumping extra bass then you might want to look elsewhere; I suggest Sony MDR-XB650BT wireless headphones since they come with Extra-Bass & are priced similarly to JBL E45BT. While Sony MDR-XB650BT wireless headphones will satisfy your heavy bass needs, still most people won't like that much bass, those can stick to JBL E45BT wireless headphones.
The mid range performance is great, the vocals, guitars and other instruments sound really good on E45BT. Coming to the highs, they're pretty good & crisp, and do add a bit detail in the vocals & instruments. The JBL Signature sound on JBL E45BT is quite accurate & natural, will definitely make your music listening experience a delight. Talking about the noise isolation, JBL E45BT does pretty good job at blocking outside noise but still aren't the best in this aspect. Overall the sound quality & performance of JBL E45BT is great for everyday listening.
Coming to the most important section of the review, the sound quality. Do they sound good? Well, yes, they do sound pretty good. I don't usually get impressed by headphones too soon, but this was not the case with JBL E45BT headphones.
Starting with the bass, JBL E45BT have excellent deep & punchy bass which does not overpower other frequencies. I tested the headphones with different Bass-heavy songs and was quite pleased with the performance of JBL E45BT. The bass on E45BT is good but not the best, it could've been deeper & a bit heavier but you're still getting a great deal for the price you are paying, and I'm sure most people will like it. If you're more into thumping extra bass then you might want to look elsewhere; I suggest Sony MDR-XB650BT wireless headphones since they come with Extra-Bass & are priced similarly to JBL E45BT. While Sony MDR-XB650BT wireless headphones will satisfy your heavy bass needs, still most people won't like that much bass, those can stick to JBL E45BT wireless headphones.
The mid range performance is great, the vocals, guitars and other instruments sound really good on E45BT. Coming to the highs, they're pretty good & crisp, and do add a bit detail in the vocals & instruments. The JBL Signature sound on JBL E45BT is quite accurate & natural, will definitely make your music listening experience a delight. Talking about the noise isolation, JBL E45BT does pretty good job at blocking outside noise but still aren't the best in this aspect. Overall the sound quality & performance of JBL E45BT is great for everyday listening.
Microphone & Controls
The right ear cup comes with a microphone built-in, using which you can take calls on the go. To receive a call, just tap the Play/Pause button once and to reject the call press it twice. When listening to music, you can simply press the volume buttons to increase or decrease the volume, the center button can be used to Play/Pause the music. To skip tracks, press and hold the volume+ button for a few seconds to skip to next song, to go back to the previous song, press and hold the volume- button for a few seconds. When you plug in the cable, you get an in-line remote with a universal single button & microphone. When listening to music using the cable, pressing the in-line remote button once will Play/Pause the song. Pressing the button twice quickly will skip to the next song, to skip to the previous song, press the button thrice quickly. When using the headphone for hands free calling with cable attached, press the button once to receive the call, press it twice to reject the call.
The right ear cup comes with a microphone built-in, using which you can take calls on the go. To receive a call, just tap the Play/Pause button once and to reject the call press it twice. When listening to music, you can simply press the volume buttons to increase or decrease the volume, the center button can be used to Play/Pause the music. To skip tracks, press and hold the volume+ button for a few seconds to skip to next song, to go back to the previous song, press and hold the volume- button for a few seconds. When you plug in the cable, you get an in-line remote with a universal single button & microphone. When listening to music using the cable, pressing the in-line remote button once will Play/Pause the song. Pressing the button twice quickly will skip to the next song, to skip to the previous song, press the button thrice quickly. When using the headphone for hands free calling with cable attached, press the button once to receive the call, press it twice to reject the call.
Battery Performance
The battery life on JBL E45BT is decent. The headphones on a single charge can last up to 16 hours on Bluetooth connectivity while playing music. During my testing, the JBL E45BT did went up to 17 hours music playback once, but on average I was getting 15 to 16 hours each time. The battery takes around 2 hours to charge fully from zero.
I used the JBL E45BT daily for around two weeks before writing this review, and during that time I consistently used them each day for a few hours while listening to music, watching movies/videos and for calls. I was quite happy with the battery performance of JBL E45BT, while some other brand wireless headphones in this price segment offer 20+ hours battery life, I was quite satisfied with what I got on the JBL E45BT (keeping the audio performance in mind). You also get an option to connect the cable onto the headphones in case you run out of battery.
Hands Free Calling & Bluetooth Range
The Bluetooth range on E45BT is about 33 feet or 10 meters from the source which is pretty standard for wireless headphones. You can also connect these headphones to two devices simultaneously. During the tests, I did make a number of calls via the headphones & had no issues whatsoever. The caller on the other end was able to hear my voice loud & clear without any interruptions & same goes for me.
Verdict
While there are a lot of options available in the market at sub 7K INR price range, I'm quite happy with what I'm getting with the JBL E45BT wireless headphones. Though there are some thing which I don't like about them; No carrying case or pouch in the box, no NFC support, small buttons on the headphone etc. But there are a lot more things which I like about them; Design, comfort, balanced audio with deep & punchy bass, crisp mids & highs, decent battery life and the option to connect the cable in case the headphones run out of juice, are the things which make them my favorite go-to headphones for my daily usage. I would recommend JBL E45BT wireless headphones to people who like a more natural & well-balanced audio structure and are looking for a comfortable & well built wireless headphone for long duration usage & a long battery life.
JBL has done it again, they've delivered a great product at such a great price with all the features one would wish to have. The JBL E45BT wireless headphones are available online & offline and are priced under Rs.6000 INR on Amazon. You can purchase them via Amazon, Flipkart, JBL website or by visiting nearest retail outlet. I hope this review was helpful, please let me know in the comments.
I used the JBL E45BT daily for around two weeks before writing this review, and during that time I consistently used them each day for a few hours while listening to music, watching movies/videos and for calls. I was quite happy with the battery performance of JBL E45BT, while some other brand wireless headphones in this price segment offer 20+ hours battery life, I was quite satisfied with what I got on the JBL E45BT (keeping the audio performance in mind). You also get an option to connect the cable onto the headphones in case you run out of battery.
Hands Free Calling & Bluetooth Range
The Bluetooth range on E45BT is about 33 feet or 10 meters from the source which is pretty standard for wireless headphones. You can also connect these headphones to two devices simultaneously. During the tests, I did make a number of calls via the headphones & had no issues whatsoever. The caller on the other end was able to hear my voice loud & clear without any interruptions & same goes for me.
Verdict
While there are a lot of options available in the market at sub 7K INR price range, I'm quite happy with what I'm getting with the JBL E45BT wireless headphones. Though there are some thing which I don't like about them; No carrying case or pouch in the box, no NFC support, small buttons on the headphone etc. But there are a lot more things which I like about them; Design, comfort, balanced audio with deep & punchy bass, crisp mids & highs, decent battery life and the option to connect the cable in case the headphones run out of juice, are the things which make them my favorite go-to headphones for my daily usage. I would recommend JBL E45BT wireless headphones to people who like a more natural & well-balanced audio structure and are looking for a comfortable & well built wireless headphone for long duration usage & a long battery life.
My Rating: 7.5 Out of 10
JBL has done it again, they've delivered a great product at such a great price with all the features one would wish to have. The JBL E45BT wireless headphones are available online & offline and are priced under Rs.6000 INR on Amazon. You can purchase them via Amazon, Flipkart, JBL website or by visiting nearest retail outlet. I hope this review was helpful, please let me know in the comments.
About Jimmie Luthra
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