JBL E55BT WIRELESS HEADPHONES, DETAILED OVERVIEW
Wireless headphones have a certain attraction, which is difficult to ignore. With wireless overhead headphones, you get the performance and ergonomics (as a rule) of overhead headphones and get a certain level of portability that is usually included in an IEM. However, many manufacturers stop cutting the cable and do not optimize their headphones for wireless operation. The JBL E55BT has a large number of elements that immediately outperform the rest. However, does it maintain a similar superiority when it comes to real performance?
CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN
At first we received the blue model E55BT, while it is also available in red, black and white. While we did not have other versions, the color blue itself is quite bright and attractive. As mentioned earlier, the design plays an important role in making wireless in-ear headphones portable enough to be used as electromagnetic interference. The JBL E55BT has no shortage of such measurements. The clamp is made of aluminum, and the foam cover on the headband is covered with a textured cloth up to the headphones, which hides the true expansion of the plastic used in its design.
The foam for the bandage is minimal, but since the bandage itself does not fit tightly to the head and is quite light, the cost reduction with foam is not noticeable. The cups themselves are made of a thick layer of matte plastic with texture highlights on the outside. Each cup has an outer cup with buttons mounted on a larger inner cup with a foam filler for the cup.
The best thing about the design of the E55BT is the flexibility of the headphones. The two headsets rotate about 90 degrees along the vertical axes, so they can be easily placed on the surface. This also allows you to fold them inwards in the direction of the headband, which makes it a really compact device that can be conveniently placed in most pockets without fear of breakage.
The foam pads themselves are quite practical and provide good, albeit uncomfortable, passive insulation, which we will talk about in more detail in the section on the characteristics. The buttons are located on the right earpiece, and the power connector is on the left side. As for the buttons, you will get a power button that will return to its place every time you use it, including three play buttons for adjusting the volume (also next track), pausing playback (also answer and mute the call) and volume (also previous track) in the specified order.
There is also an LED on the power button that indicates the “On”, “paired” and “Paired” states. Below it there is a third button with a Bluetooth icon, which is essentially a pairing button. You need to press this button for a long time so that the headphones are visible in the Bluetooth pairing menu of any smartphone or audio device.
Although there is nothing wrong with this, most headphones cope with this with a power button that you have to press for a long time to pair them via Bluetooth, and the E55BT seems to have opted for a redundant approach with a dedicated Bluetooth button. The arrangement of the buttons is ergonomic, although at first it seems unclear. They are located in the most natural place of the auricle that your thumb can reach, and once you get acquainted with the order of the keys, it will not seem too strange. However, the keys could be distinguished better, especially those that are paired to each other.
There is also a 3.5mm plug for the included cable, which can be used in wired mode. The cable itself is covered with a cloth and has a square 3.5mm plug and a one-button driver at the end. The angle lifter is a safe grip, as it helps to avoid tension and tangles at most angles. This, together with the fabric cover, makes the supplied detachable cable an advantage. We will talk about the power supply in more detail in the next section.
