JBL Synchros E40BT
Price (MRP): Rs 9000
There are quite a few big audio brands bringing out Bluetooth headsets these days and JBL has also got its own Synchros E40BT. This smart-looking wireless Bluetooth headset also works as a wired headset when required. In addition to listening to music, this headset also allows you to answer calls. Let's find out how well JBL is placed in the market with the E40BT.
Price (MRP): Rs 9000
There are quite a few big audio brands bringing out Bluetooth headsets these days and JBL has also got its own Synchros E40BT. This smart-looking wireless Bluetooth headset also works as a wired headset when required. In addition to listening to music, this headset also allows you to answer calls. Let's find out how well JBL is placed in the market with the E40BT.
Package Contents
- JBL E40BT
- Charging cable
- Audio cable
Design and Features
The E40BT are on-ear headphones and the ones I received has white colour and look really good. The majority of the material used is polymer of good tensile quality. The headband has a leather-bound cushioned headrest to let the headphones comfortably rest on your head. The headband is extendable to accommodate various head sizes.
The earpads are also leather-bound cushions, resembling around-the-ear (circumaural) headphones on a lower scale. The cans have a hinged mechanism that allows them to swing laterally 90 degrees and horizontally 90 degrees to adjust to the ear when in use. This also allows them to be compactly folded to be able to carry around. It's silly that JBL didn’t provide a carry pouch for these. The hinge mechanism is neither too stiff, nor too loose, and thus maintains its position as required.
While the entire headset is predominantly white, the cans have a contrasting graphite rim that gives it a touch of style. The outer surface of the cans are metallic with concentric pattern and prominent JBL branding logo.
Almost every additional functional mechanism is present in the left can. This includes a Bluetooth connect button on the graphite rim. This button also serves to pause/play music and accept/disconnect calls. There is a tiny pore on the rim towards the front to expose the in-built microphone. The play, pause, and volume control buttons are located under four sides of the earlier mentioned metallic outer plate with the JBL logo.
As mentioned earlier, the headphones also featured wired headset functionality by connecting to a mobile phone, tablet, or laptop, using the bundled detachable audio cable. Since these are wireless headphones, naturally, they contain a re-chargeable Lithium ion battery. The charging cable also plugs into the same port as the audio cable, and hence it is not possible to use the wired functionality while the battery is being charged.
The earpads are also leather-bound cushions, resembling around-the-ear (circumaural) headphones on a lower scale. The cans have a hinged mechanism that allows them to swing laterally 90 degrees and horizontally 90 degrees to adjust to the ear when in use. This also allows them to be compactly folded to be able to carry around. It's silly that JBL didn’t provide a carry pouch for these. The hinge mechanism is neither too stiff, nor too loose, and thus maintains its position as required.
While the entire headset is predominantly white, the cans have a contrasting graphite rim that gives it a touch of style. The outer surface of the cans are metallic with concentric pattern and prominent JBL branding logo.
Almost every additional functional mechanism is present in the left can. This includes a Bluetooth connect button on the graphite rim. This button also serves to pause/play music and accept/disconnect calls. There is a tiny pore on the rim towards the front to expose the in-built microphone. The play, pause, and volume control buttons are located under four sides of the earlier mentioned metallic outer plate with the JBL logo.
As mentioned earlier, the headphones also featured wired headset functionality by connecting to a mobile phone, tablet, or laptop, using the bundled detachable audio cable. Since these are wireless headphones, naturally, they contain a re-chargeable Lithium ion battery. The charging cable also plugs into the same port as the audio cable, and hence it is not possible to use the wired functionality while the battery is being charged.
Performance
JBL advertises the 40 mm drivers to deliver what it calls “PureBass”. However, the real picture is not so gleeful. While the E40BT is capable of delivering decent audio, the bass is certainly not as punchy as I had expected.
Now that we have the negative out of the way, the positive thing about the E40BT is that they indeed deliver pretty decent audio over wired as well as Bluetooth. The soundstage, although not very well-developed, can be termed above average, with good channel separation. Music of various genres sounded good, as did movie audio.
Calls received over the headphones were glitch-free. The audio was loud and clear to the other party, confirming that the microphones work really well.
The Bluetooth connectivity allowed me to break free from the shackles of wired connectivity and roam around my house, all the while listening to music or answering phone calls without any fuss. The Bluetooth range is pretty decent at over 10 metres without obstructions, and only somewhat reduced with walls.
The earcup snugly fits over the ear and effectively provides good passive noise isolation. The lightweight headphones with their padded earpad and headrest are very comfortable to use for long hours. The leather cover definitely gives a better feel than any synthetic cover would.
The ShareMe technology allows the E40BT to be used with another ShareMe equipped headphone to allow two user to listen to the same music at the same time.
Now that we have the negative out of the way, the positive thing about the E40BT is that they indeed deliver pretty decent audio over wired as well as Bluetooth. The soundstage, although not very well-developed, can be termed above average, with good channel separation. Music of various genres sounded good, as did movie audio.
Calls received over the headphones were glitch-free. The audio was loud and clear to the other party, confirming that the microphones work really well.
The Bluetooth connectivity allowed me to break free from the shackles of wired connectivity and roam around my house, all the while listening to music or answering phone calls without any fuss. The Bluetooth range is pretty decent at over 10 metres without obstructions, and only somewhat reduced with walls.
The earcup snugly fits over the ear and effectively provides good passive noise isolation. The lightweight headphones with their padded earpad and headrest are very comfortable to use for long hours. The leather cover definitely gives a better feel than any synthetic cover would.
The ShareMe technology allows the E40BT to be used with another ShareMe equipped headphone to allow two user to listen to the same music at the same time.
Battery Life
The E40BT easily last for over 15 hours of music playback. The battery charge is retained in almost its entirety even a month after it is charged and stored without using, which is quite commendable if you plan to carry it around.
My Verdict
The JBL Synchros E40BT are very elegantly designed headphones that definitely puts them in the category of lifestyle products. In addition to white, they are also available in blue, red, and black. They are extremely comfortable to wear and use for long durations. The wireless functionality allows them to be used with mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and any Bluetooth audio enabled device, while the wired functionality can be used when the battery has died. The main gripe is that the audio quality could have been much better, especially since it is a JBL by Harman, and also especially because it costs dearly at Rs 9000 (MRP). Nevertheless, it is pretty good at what it does, although a price drop to around Rs 5000 will make this more appealing.
Pros: Comfortable and lightweight, Elegant looks and styling, Compact portable folding design, Excellent battery life, Wireless and wired functionality.
Pros: Comfortable and lightweight, Elegant looks and styling, Compact portable folding design, Excellent battery life, Wireless and wired functionality.
Cons: Expensive, Mediocre performance when weighed in with price.
Ratings
Features: 4/5
Aesthetics: 5/5
Performance: 3/5
Value For Money: 3/5
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Ratings
Features: 4/5
Aesthetics: 5/5
Performance: 3/5
Value For Money: 3/5
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment