Apr 05, 2016 Those with the location of the tweeter in the centre of the mid/bass driver tend to help with a wider and more even soundstage - and even in a 5.1 configuration this can be beneficial if you have a nice wide sofa. I've not heard them but have read that the ribbon tweeters in something like the Dali's can also provide a wide soundstage.
JBL thoughtfully approaches consumer audio demands with the E-Series line. This plastic collection seeks to meet our needs by providing affordable Bluetooth products without sacrificing sound quality or functionality. The E55BT model is a jack of all trades. The headphones are MultiConnect-enabled and are decked out with 50mm dynamic drivers. They do everything well enough. But you know what they (who are “they” anyway) say: jack of all trades, master of none. Is that the case for the JBL E55BT?
Who are the JBL E55BT for?Anyone in the for affordable headphones that put sound quality above build quality. In a perfect world, the two would always be top-notch, unfortunately, many budgets—mine included—don’t always allow for that kind of financial liberty. Students: With five colorways (black, red, blue, teal, and white) there’s bound to be a look for you. The is convenient, so you don’t have to worry about wires when packing up from one class to another. Plus, we 20-somethings keep a painfully tight budget, typically not by choice, so if value is important, keep reading.Commuters: is impressive with the E55BT. Clamping force keeps out a good chunk of ambient noise without inducing headaches.
The ability to switch from one device to another is helpful if you’re watching a video on your tablet and receive a call on your phone. No more fumbling to worry about, just click that MultiConnect button.
What’s Inside. The plastic doesn’t hinge reinforcement is an apparent weak point of the JBL E55BT headphones.These are technically classified as budget headphones and it shows. Though the plastic housing squeaks and creaks in the hand, it fortunately disappears when wearing them. It’s cool that the fabric headband matches the tangle-free cable, but it fails to provide any sort of cushioning. Normally, this would be problematic as most of us have a low tolerance for headphone discomfort, but due to ergonomic weight distribution, the E55BT can be worn for an hour and a half without fatigue. After that, the cushion-less headband becomes a real pain. Similarly to the, JBL has opted for synthetic protein leather earpads.
Not only does this keep costs down, it appeals to a wider range of consumers. The included 3.5mm removable cable is wrapped in the same clothe material as the headband. The one-button remote grants basic playback/call controls but doesn’t let users access virtual assistants.Connection lags but unlike wireless earbuds, it doesn’t drag. If you’re streaming video, there’s a 0.5-1 second delay. Not ideal, especially in a $120 pair of headphones.
Personally, I would’ve preferred compatibility over MultiConnect functionality. Although, switching between devices works smoothly with the E55BT. I wish I could say the same for the general connectivity. Even with the source device no more than three feet from the headphones, static interrupts the signal multiple times a minute. If you reset the headphones, it does remedy this for a while though.The tangle-resistant cloth cable is useful, includes a mic and single-button remote, and one end bends at a 45° angle.
Both jacks are reinforced with strong stress relievers. The optimist in me thinks that it’ll hold up for a while.
Located on the right ear cup are playback controls. Their flush positioning makes it difficult to actually control anything.With volume at 50 percent, I was able to exhaust the full 20 hours of music playback from the headphones. Note: even at 50 percent, these are loud. There’s no way that anyone could safely listen to that for more than a few minutes, tops.
I usually found myself hovering at a quarter of the volume. When you do run out of juice, it takes two hours via micro-USB for the headphones to top back up. C’mon, JBL, micro-USB? Can we make the switch to USB-C, pretty please? A distorted sound signature isn’t always a bad thing. JBL’s E55BT headphones emphasize the bass over all else, but this makes for a generally more enjoyable listening experience.The supra aural design helps create a seal, isolating the listener from the environment, contributing to the bass.
![Stereo soundstage Stereo soundstage](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125642963/279690379.jpg)
This also helps to create a wider soundstage, the illusion of a perceived 3-D space, by taking advantage of the natural contours of the ear. Leveraging our anatomy helps to reproduce the natural hearing process.LowsThe JBL E55BT deliberately distort the bass, and Katy Perry’s “Swish Swish” is a prime example of how this altered sound can be advantageous for certain genres. Supposedly a response to Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood”—if you’re one for —“Swish Swish” relies on an energetic (120 bpm) tempo to carry the nightlife-inspired beat.Things really start poppin’ 20 seconds in.
Overemphasis of the lows pushes into the mids, resulting a drop in vocal clarity for the sake of a more “fun” sound. This phenomenon is most apparent 1:14 to 1:22 when the bass does double time under Perry’s “-ire” rhyming pattern. The bass is much more energetic than listening with something like the. This is okay, because both headphones have their respective places on the audio stage, a tool for a specific purpose. The power switch on the JBL E55BT is easy to accidentally push, resulting in a lot of unintentional shutdowns.Though not a radio hit, Lorde’s “Sober” has plenty of dynamic range to test the fidelity of the mids. Like “Swish Swish,” the song is overtaken by exaggerated lows.
While appealing, this formulaic beat undercuts Lorde’s vocals, causing them to sound recessed. It’s a disservice to Lorde’s depiction of addiction within a mutually abusive relationship, “Jack and Jill get f.d up when it gets dark but what will we do when we get sober?” Hindering the vocals isn’t typically a huge issue with poppy rhythms like this (see above), but the song itself is so lyrically driven that it just doesn’t work. Circling back to the soundstage, it’s actually one of the best aspects of the JBL E55BT. In the last 30 seconds of “Sober,” the lyrics, “Limelight. Lose my mind,” repeat through the right channel as the refrain comes through the left and right channels. Lorde’s voice is easy to perceive as distant, relative to the repeated lyrics, which sound as if they’re being sung less than a foot away from the right ear.HighsEdgar Meyer and Chris Thile perform a deft duet in “Why Only One?” The bass and mandolin pairing illustrates the altered nature of the JBL E55BT.
![Soundstage Soundstage](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125642963/280311984.jpg)
The two artists play in tandem from the 12-second mark on. JBL’s E55BT reproduction of Meyer’s upright bass performance, perceptibly lops off detail from Thile’s agile mandolin picking.Upon initial listening, the higher end of the spectrum comes through clearly. However, this is the highest end of the frequency range that we’re hearing in the song. Hence why it sounds so appealing at first.
Listen closer though. There isn’t much below that point due to the drivers’ refractory response, causing the bass to linger and eat into both the upper mid-range and lower end of the treble. ConclusionThough the rickety plastic is often a little too malleable, the fact of the matter is that if you’re on a budget but want to dip your toe, or even your whole foot into the next echelon of audio, the JBL E55BT are a worthy adversary of options. JBL has labeled the inside of the E55BT headphones with “L” and “R,” respectively.Rendered more open than the ATH-M40X, the E55BT reproduces a superb soundstage. Good sound quality is always a gamble with Bluetooth headphones, especially due to unpredictable interference issues, but when the E55BT make things work. Yes, yes, yes. The sound isn’t flat, but it’s.
If the poppy color options didn’t signal this well enough, the E-series line is a fun, affordable collection that brings MultiConnect capabilities, comfort, and good sound to the table.UpdateNow that the price has significantly dropped, the JBL E55BT are much more appealing. Re-evaluating them in light of this drop makes these a solid deal even with their shortcomings. Though, if you want the best bang for your buck, check out the aptX-compatible.
Key Specifications. Review Price: £180.
HxWxD: 193 x 140 x 140 mm. 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only. Bluetooth V4.0. Wall mount support.
MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, Apple Lossless file compatibilityThe Audio Pro A10 sees the Swedish audio brand take a different tack with its wireless speakers. The notch for A10’s wall bracket is round the back, along with the Connect button for setting up the speaker with your wireless networkThe textured fabric that wraps round most of the speaker’s circumference looks great, although brush it with your hand and you’ll find it coarse to the touch. It’s a solidly built unit too, heavy enough at 2.7kg to feel substantial, but not too heavy to feel like it’s a drag moving it from room to room.On the rear is a notch for a wall bracket, with one included in the box if you want to plant it on a wall. Available in two colours − or two shades of grey as Audio Pro calls it − I’m rather partial to the li.