JBL Tune 500BT Review – Comfortable Bassy Over-Ears

JBL Tune 500 Specifications

Type: Closed-back On-ear Bluetooth Headphones | Bluetooth: 4.1 | Latency: 200 ms (average) |Battery: 16 Hours | Charging Time: 2.0 Hours | Quick-Charge: 2 Hours in 5 mins | Drivers: Dynamic | Weight: 155g | Microphones: Integrated | Impedance: 32 Ohms | Frequency Response: 20 – 20.000 Hz

JBL Tune 500 Bluetooth Overview

The JBL T500BT headphones are comfortable for their compact form factor. You can listen to music for more than a few hours without interruption or discomfort as it uses very comfortable thin leatherette ear pads. The quality of the Bluetooth connection is quite impressive as well.

Considering the number of gadgets in a typical person’s collection, the ability to connect to two devices simultaneously is also a great addition. The sound quality is excellent in terms of performance per dollar, making the JBL Tune 500BT a great model for bass lovers. In addition, pop music, modern music, electronic music, dance, and hip-hop also benefit from the power of the bass.

Design & Ergonomy

The JBL T500BT is very convenient and does not induce discomfort after an hour or two, unlike other on-ear versions. It’s not perfect for everyone, especially if you have a big head. The headband of the JBL T500BT can withstand mechanical damage as it is made of high-quality matte plastic. On the other hand, the cushions are not very durable as they are made of leatherette, but they seem quite strong.

JBL T500BT - Wireless on-ear headphones with 16 hours of battery life, high-quality bass sound, and a reliable Bluetooth connection. 

The JBL T500BT wireless headphones offer a foldable design and can be stored in a bag/backpack conveniently. The company did not place a cover in the kit, which is rather unfortunate. Still, considering the product’s price, it’s unlikely to be expected. The thin and soft artificial leather offers some comfort, but unfortunately, it wears out very quickly.

Connectivity & Controls

The JBL Tune 500BT works without processing high-resolution codecs over Bluetooth 4.1. However, the signal is stable within a 10m radius. The pairing process is simple: hold down the power button until the Bluetooth light flashes for 2 seconds, then find the headphones in your smartphone’s device list, and you’re done.

When using Bluetooth, the headphones don’t interfere with obstacles (back pockets and walls) or objects. Also, when watching videos online, there is no desynchronization between image and audio content, which is very convenient for a low-budget headset.

JBL Tune 500BT allows the user to connect to two devices simultaneously. For example, you can watch a movie on your tablet in the headset, and even if you have a smartphone connected at the same time, you won’t miss any incoming calls.

The microphone of the JBL Tune 500BT is of medium quality. The headphones can be used as a headset, although noisy places are not ideal to have a conversation with the 500BT.

It also has push-button controls.

• Multi-function button: responsible for receiving and ending a call, starting and pausing, calling the voice assistant
• +/- button: responsible for track navigation, volume
• Power button, also responsible for pairing with the source.

Overall, the management is quite intuitive and practical. Simple, without sensory features, reminiscent of the traditional headsets.

Bluetooth & Technology

JBL T500BT Bluetooth headphones can only be used via Bluetooth 4.1 with no option to use a cable. They work best with high-resolution codecs and can operate within a range of about 10 meters. Connection performance remains good in open spaces and may fail if blocked by walls or other obstacles.

You’ll probably be happy to know that the headset supports all of the following music profiles.

• HSP – Headphone Profile
• AVRCP
• Hands-free
• A2DP

Pretty cool, right?

Looking at the functionality of the JBL T500BT, the headphones have just the basic controls with a few buttons, which seems pretty neat.

Another feature of these headphones received mixed feedback. The fact that you can’t charge them while you’re wearing them (because you’ll have to bend the cups) makes them safe, as there have been occasional reports of the batteries getting ruined when charged while you’re listening to music. At the same time, you won’t be able to use them while they are charging. So is this a good or bad feature? That’s for you to decide.

In terms of battery life, the JBL Tune 500BT, for the form factor of on-ear headphones, is actually pretty good with up to 16 hours of runtime. Actual testing backs up these claims, with the headphones playing up to 16 hours at medium volume and up to 18 hours on a single charge.

If you don’t use the headphones too much, the battery might be enough for a few days. With 16 hours of use on a single charge, the JBL T500BT headphones are pretty darn good. Plus, the battery capacity is 300mAh, which means you can take advantage of fast charging to the max.

It requires 2 hours to fully charge the battery of the JBL Tune 500BT. A Fast Charge feature is available: You can charge 1 hour of playback in 5 minutes. However, it is not wise to charge the gadget repeatedly for short intervals and then drain the battery. It is harmful to the battery.

Microphone

To make a long answer short, the headset has poor performance when it comes to the microphone. Noise cancellation is not good; however, you can enjoy working with Siri and Google Now if you are in a quiet place.

The JBL Tune 500BT's noise isolation is good enough that street noise doesn't interfere with the music as a whole. But road noise is audible, which is both good and bad. You can overpower all other sounds if you turn up the volume. Still, in this situation, the headphones play worse, which might be off-putting to some.

Sound Quality

The JBL T500BT offers a powerful and recognizable bass sound. These are true bass-oriented Bluetooth headphones. Their specific sound signature results from actions aimed at making the music more attractive by boosting the lower range significantly. Basses are a bit sloppy, messy, and overflowing. Yes, at first they make a good impression, but after some time they become tiresome. On the other hand, there is no need to complain because, for a little over $200, we get fairly fast attack and decisive rhythmic accents, plus good extension, weight, and pressure in the lower range.

If you’re a fan of modern musical instruments, you’ll simply be blown away by the audio quality put forth by the JBL T500BT. The headphones offer amazing bass, which is not blurred, thanks to the impressive articulation. This means that you can get superb sound quality while listening to genres with electronic music. This makes the JBL T500BT the best headphones for modern music with Pure Bass technology.

The upper midrange is also boosted, but this does not change the overall U- or V-shaped sound response. All in all, to put it bluntly, an extremely flat frequency response would probably be unattractive, especially for a young listener, which is why the energetic and dynamic character is so refreshing to hear in the Tune 500BT.

The treble is active all the time, details are present, the presentation is detailed, but the treble is not too refined and sometimes too blunt. This is especially true with lossless compressed files.

The JBL Tune 500BT performs best on contemporary electronic pop music. The headphones are most successful in modern music with synthetic bass. At the same time, you may not get the same results listening to jazz and classical music, although you’re looking at the wrong Bluetooth headphones if that’s what you’re looking for.

Conclusion

The device has its grey areas but is a cut above most wireless headphones offered in the same price range. With its great durability and portability, the JBL T500BT provides high-quality sound for most music lovers, but not for those who want to use it as a communication gadget due to poor microphone performance.

Control features are minimal and just right, with the right number of buttons. Without a cable, Bluetooth connectivity is quite interesting, making it an appropriate choice for smartphones and other Bluetooth-enabled music devices, but not for computers.

If you’re looking for a stylish, trendy headset with above-average noise canceling systems and powerful basses, this is the model for you. Given its beautiful music reproduction, features, and aesthetics, the JBL 500 Bluetooth is an attractive model at any price.

Buy from Amazon