JBL Tune 510BT Review

If you’re in the market for true wireless headphones, I have some bad news for you. These days, headphones have got so good that it’s hard to choose a pair. OK, that’s not the worst news in the world, but it does make things kind of tricky. There are so many great features available on headphones that it takes a lot of time and energy to go through them all.

Or, you could just read this…

JBL is one of the leading companies in speakers and headphones these days, so it makes sense that they’ll have a great pair of wireless headphones to check out. In my in-depth JBL Tune 510BT Review, that’s just what I’ll do. I’ll take you through all the ins and outs of these headphones so you can figure out if they’re right for you.

JBL Tune 510BT Overview

JBL was founded in America in 1946, focusing on loudspeakers. These days, the company is owned by Harman International, which is, in turn, owned by the massive Korean conglomerate Samsung. And lately, the JBL brand has become synonymous with great-sounding, portable Bluetooth speakers.

So do their headphones, like the Tune 510BT, hold up to this reputation?

Well, let’s find out. This is a pair of true wireless headphones, meaning that there’s no cable anywhere, except for when you’re charging them. You do this via the included 8-inch (20cm) USB-A to USB-C standard charging cable, but they don’t come with an actual power supply (the plug part).

These are on-ear headphones. You may be used to things like over-ear headphones, which are big and surround your ears with their big ear cups. Or, you may have earbuds that plug into your ear canals. But, over-ear headphones are something in-between in size. Their ear cups aren’t big enough to swallow up your ears – instead, they sit right on them and direct their sound down your ear canals.

Some people find this uncomfortable – others like it!

Since they sit on your ears, they do block out some sound. However, they don’t have active noise cancellation technology onboard. But, this helps to keep the weight and the price way down. These headphones way just 5.6 ounces (160g), which is super-light. The retail price varies. I’ve seen these for sale from as low as $30 all the way up to $75, but on average, they’re hovering at about $50.

These headphones are inexpensive and yet feature the JBL brand and their signature sound, plus JBL Pure Bass on board. They’re made of basic materials – plastic, foam, and leatherette over a metal frame – which reflects the price point. They also come in four colors to reflect your style: white, black, blue, and rose.

As wireless headphones…

There’s nothing to plug into – they use Bluetooth instead. They have Bluetooth 5.0, which is a fairly recent version, but not v5.3, the best and latest. Still, they hold a great connection and give you a nice range to move around while staying connected to your digital device. This can be a smartphone, tablet, computer, or even a TV. So, they’re some of the most compatible Bluetooth headphones around.

Furthermore, you can also maintain connections to more than one device at a time with Multi-point Connections. That lets you switch from watching a movie on your TV to taking a call from your phone without having to make new connections. They also connect directly to your Siri or Google digital assistants at the push of a button.

The last main thing to bring up is the battery…

These headphones have a truly impressive battery length and can play your music for up to 40 hours on a single charge. This charge takes two hours to get from flat to full power. But if you need power in a hurry, a 5-minute charge gets you an incredible two hours of playback time. Now that we’ve seen a general overview of the JBL Tune 510BT, let’s dive deep into their features to get some more detail.

Top Features of the JBL Tune 510BT Wireless Headphones

Sound

When you look at a pair of headphones that are $50 or under, you have to be open-minded about the sound quality. On the one hand, they’re not junk – they should make your music sound decent. On the other hand, you can’t expect the top-quality sound that professional studio headphones offer. The Tune 510BTs land somewhere in the middle, meaning they sound alright but not amazing.

JBL has done a good job here in providing us with a clear sound that has a definite bass boost with JBL Pure Bass sound. They have a frequency range of 20-20,000 Hz (full range of human hearing), but there is a noticeable peak under 150 Hz – it’s actually up to 1.46 dB.

This pushes the bass to the foreground and provides enough kick for bassheads who like to listen to EDM or Hip-Hop. If this isn’t your preference, you might find the extra bass intrusive and overpowering. Nevertheless, these are some of the best bass boost Bluetooth headphones you can buy.

And, that’s not all…

The drivers are just 1.26” (32mm), which is small for headphones. But this keeps the 510BTs small and light, and they still sound pretty full. So, I guess it’s a simple trade-off.

They get loud enough for sure, pushing up to a sound pressure level of 95 dB, which is a whole lot louder than you should be listening to music anyway. At mid-levels, like about 73 dB, they do bleed a fair bit of sound. People around you will be able to hear your music at anything over a moderate level.

Finally, you have a built-in mic here that you can use to take calls and talk to your digital assistant. You can access both Siri and Google Assistant simply by pressing the multi-function button twice, so you don’t have to go to your device.

Construction and Design

The headset is built of a metal frame and components covered in durable plastic. They feel about the quality you’d expect for their price. The top of the adjustable headband is lined with foam for added comfort. The ear cups have a nice soft feel. They’re made of soft foam with a soft faux leather fabric over top.

This can get a bit warm after a while, but it’s nothing like over-ear headphones – this is one of the biggest benefits of using on-ear headphones. But if you have a massive melon or extra-big ears, you might want to think about looking elsewhere.

The ear cups are just 2.9 inches (7.3 cm) in diameter and might not cover the biggest of ears. The headband is extendable and should fit any human head. However, it has about 0.7 pounds of clamping force which is going to be tight on a larger head. You can try stretching them out, of course, but if you have a crazy big cranium, these won’t be comfortable for you.

But there’s plenty to like about these headphones…

I really like how they twist and fold flat. This makes them great for packing away when you need to travel. It also means they’ll sit nicely on a table or desktop and not fall off and break easily. As a result, these are great Bluetooth headphones for commuting.

The controls are all on the right ear cup (sorry lefties!). You have volume up and down controls which also skip tracks if you press them twice. The multi-function button plays/pauses your music, or can be pressed to take or end calls. And, the power button – you know what that does.

One thing that’s lacking on these headphones is any kind of proofing. I mean water, dust, and shock-proofing. There are no IP ratings for this product, so we can assume it’s not water-resistant, dust-proof, or droppable. Therefore, you’ll have to treat these headphones nicely.

Connections

With these true wireless headphones, the only connection is through Bluetooth. In this case, that’s Bluetooth 5.0, close to but not quite the latest version (5.3).

It still gives you a very strong, durable connection that gives you an excellent range. You can still stay connected up to 300 feet (95m) with a clear line of sight to your device. Of course, that’s going to be much less going through walls and around obstacles. There is an average latency of about 180ms here, which is pretty much not noticeable.

The headphones offer multi-point connections and can stay connected to two different devices at the same time. This is convenient for people with lots going on, like taking phone calls while watching a video on another device. So, if you want some of the most convenient and versatile Bluetooth headphones, you need to give the JBL Tune 510BT a closer look.

Battery

This is where the JBL Tune 510BT headphones shine. The battery is amazingly lightweight, and yet, it stores up to 40 hours worth of playback. The unit is powered by a single 3.7 V, 450 mAh lithium-ion battery that charges from dead to full in just two hours. Or, you can get two hours of playback from a 5-minute quick charge. This is super-convenient, and the battery should last for many days of use.

On the other hand, there is no battery-saving feature or low-power mode on this headset. This would help to reduce battery usage in the long and short-term. That said, these are still some of the best battery life Bluetooth headphones you can buy.

JBL Tune 510BT Review – Pros and Cons

Searching for Some Superb Bluetooth Headphones?

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JBL Tune 510BT Review – Conclusion

As you can see from my review, the JBL Tune 510BT is a moderately-priced set of headphones with a mid-level set of features. You don’t have extremely fine sound, ANC, or many other bells and whistles. But you do get a good-sounding, bass-forward headset. The phones are lightweight and generally comfortable, have a great battery life, and connect well to all your devices.

So, in the end, these headphones are a pretty good deal. But they’re not for everyone. This is a relatively affordable, small, and lightweight pair of headphones with strong bass that’s great for people who want to listen to music while commuting, at the office, or moving around the house.

Until next time, happy listening.

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