JBL T450BT Review, A Wireless On-Ear Headphone

REVIEW METHODOLOGY

Unboxing the JBL T450BT headphone is nothing out of the ordinary. It comes in an orange and white carton. Part of the front side of the carton is transparent so that it reveals a part of the headphone inside the carton.

Once you open the carton, you’ll pull out the JBL T450BT that rests inside a something that looks like black rubber plastic. JBL also included a warranty and a warning card. You’ll also find a safety sheet in the box.

In the safety sheet, you’ll learn that shows you the dos and don’ts of the JBL T450BT headphone. It discusses how best to use the headphone in diagrams. Aside from the leaflets, there’s also a decent length cable that you can use to charge your headphone.

Now that you know that the unboxing of this JBL T450BT isn’t anything out of the ordinary, here’s why you should trust us. For starters, we’re enthusiastic about electronics and audio equipment like wireless headphones and air pods. So, just like you, we get super elated when any brand releases new headphone models.

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But, from our years of experience of testing, trying, and reviewing wireless headphones from different brands, we have come to realize that not every wireless headphone is worth your investment. While some are just a repetition of features from other brands, others do not just come with impressive features.

After investing hours of painstaking research across amazon and other product sites, we can boldly say that we can tell, on the first encounter with certain products, if it is a hit or miss or worth your money all.

So, if you are tired of investing your money in terrible wireless headphones that shatter your heart in a million pieces, stick with us. Let’s help you decide if this wireless headphone from JBL is worth just how much it costs. Sit tight and buckle your seat belt.

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JBL T450BT Specification

• Brand: JBL
• Model: T450BT
• Dimension: 1.81 x 8.54 x 7.17 inches
• Item Weight: 32.0 Kg
• Color: White, Blue, Black
• Design: Closed-back, On-ear Wireless Headphone
• Frequency response: 20Hz – 20000Hz
• Impedance: 32 Ohms.
• Driver type: Dynamic
• Driver size: 32mm
• Battery Type: Built-in rechargeable
• Battery Life: 11 Hours
• Charge time: 2Hrs.
• Communication Technology: Bluetooth
• Bluetooth version: 4.0
• Headphone Connector: Wireless/ 3.5mm
• Cable length: 1.2m
• Pads: Pleather
• Ear cushion material: Frog skin PU leather

The T450BT from JBL is compact in design. It is also lightweight so that you won’t suffer from strain when you hang it around your neck. The earcups are small and can swivel to the sides for easy adjustment. The headphone in itself is made out of plastic material. When you get a hold of the headphone, the overall design might seem cheap to you. However, JBL constructed this headphone with a high-quality plastic material that would last.

Another thing you should know about the build of this headphone because it doesn’t come padded with a headband. So, once it sits on your head, you’d feel the plastic bone. The pads only come in on the earpads. Designed with pleather, the earpads are soft and comfortable, allowing you to make use of these headphones for as long as you’d want to. Nevertheless, the pleather pads look like they might break down after using the headphone for a while.

Physically, the headphone looks like JBL designed for those with a small head. It would perfectly sit on your head. On the contrary, it would be tight for you if you have a big head.

The JBL T450BT is perfect for only simple and light exercise that doesn’t require you to sweat when it comes to its use. For instance, it’s perfect for walking and Yoga. When you engage in rigorous exercise that makes you sweat profusely, you’ll only damage the headphone since it doesn’t have any waterproof feature.

Compared to other headphones from competitor brands designed to operate in the same space as the T450BT, this headphone has an edge, thanks to its portability and its signature deeper bass sound.

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JBL T450BT PERFORMANCE RATING

• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Design: 3.5/5
• Features: 4/5
• Value for Money: 4.5/5
• Comfort: 4.1/5
• Battery Life: 4.5/5
• Sound Quality: 4.5/5
• Sound Isolation: 3.5/5
• Portability: 4.5/5
• Bluetooth: 4.5/5
• Bass: 4.5/5

PRODUCT FEATURES

Sound Quality

One of the amazing features of the JBL T450BT is the bass sound that it produces is one of its unique selling points. With a near-perfect and dominant bass sound, this headphone would give you a pleasant experience. The reason? You can hear every song punch out in deep and solid bass. This bass sound feature distinguishes the T450BT from other headphones in its category.

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Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that the mid and treble are terrible. At mid-range, the vocal clarity is okay, and the treble is sharp. When you increase the volume of this headphone, the result is an increased bass quality that might overshadow the other tune levels. It deploys the noise isolation technology to fight ambient noise, but it doesn’t really do good with low-frequency ambient noise.

When I tried making calls with this headphone, it turned out great, surprisingly. Until I tried to make calls with it in a noisy environment, then the person at the end of the line could barely make out my words.

Portability

The JB T450BT is one heck of a portable headphone. Although it doesn’t come with a case that helps you carry it around like other headphones in its category, you’ll find out that you won’t need the case. This portable feature is thanks to the fact that you can fold it. Fold the earcups inwards, and you can carry this lightweight headphone anywhere you want to.

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Bluetooth

This headphone is a clear improvement from the T450 that is a wired headphone. If you are not a fan of wired headphones, you can jump on the T450BT train. To power on the 4.0 Bluetooth connectivity, press the power button. In response, the LED light would blink to notify you that the Bluetooth is on and is ready to pair. Upon successfully pairing a device to the headphone, the LED light would cease to blink. Then, you can enjoy your music. As long as you’re within a 10-meter range of the headphone, it would stay connected. Of course, I experienced difficulty pairing with this headphone at some point. But it was minor. Also, the 4.0 Bluetooth technology doesn’t support multi-device pairing, pr NFC or apx.

BENEFITS OF THE PRODUCT

The JBL T450BT has quite a few benefits for users. Some includes

• Lightweight and Compact: Although it doesn’t come with padding, this headphone is lightweight and compact. When you wear it on your head, it almost feels as though there’s nothing on your head. This lightweight and compact nature of the headphone is advantageous, especially because it doesn’t have any form of padding. So, why burden it with so much weight that it gets really uncomfortable to use?
• Sound Quality: The sound quality renders a pleasurable experience for its category. It has an amazing bass sound while still balancing the mid and treble, so you don’t miss much. Nevertheless, the bass sound is prominent. So, if you like the bass sounds in songs, you should totally invest in this budget headphone.
• Battery Life: Battery life lasts long.
• Control: It is easy to control this headphone with the controls at the bezel of the earbuds (right).

DRAWBACKS OF THE PRODUCT

• There are no paddings on the headphone. In essence, wearing the headphone for long could get uncomfortable.
• I can only make calls with it in a quiet environment.
• It might sit a little too tightly on your head if you have a big head.

COMPARABLE PRODUCTS TO CONSIDER.

• Sony WH-CH500 vs JBL T450BT:
  Although the Sony WH-CH500 is a bit higher in price than the T450BT, the T450BT is superior. Both headphones share a similarity in build, but in terms of portability and sound quality, the T450BT is the winner. Overall, they sound similar. However, T450BT surpasses the Sony WH-CH500 in its bass production. Nevertheless, WH-CH500 comes with better, long-lasting battery life. When it comes to Bluetooth pairing, Sony is a winner as it supports NFC. NFC ensures that Bluetooth pairing is fast and is done without hassles.
• Jabra Move Wireless vs JBL T450BT:
  A bit more expensive than the T450BT, the Jabra Move Wireless headphone offers quite an impressive design and build quality. The materials deployed surely feel like premium quality material. Also, for almost double the price of the T450BT, you get a slightly padded Jabra Move Wireless headphone. Although the microphone and call quality seem better than the T450BT, the general sound quality does not come close to the bass sound the T450BT offers. Let’s also not forget to add that the T450BT has a better battery life and is portable.

Verdict

The JBL T450BT isn’t the best headphone on the market as it has its perks and downfalls. However, for low-budget headphones, it is worth every penny you spend. Sure, you’d be restricted in the situations you can use it, but it sure would serve you well in the right context.

While its noise isolation features are terrible for low-frequency noise, you can increase the headphone volume, so the bass swallows the ambient noise. However, we do not recommend this because it isn’t great for your ears. Listening to bass-heavy music at normal volume levels would help you keep the ambient noise at bay to an extent.

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So, my final verdict is; if you don’t want to spend a lot on wireless headphones, opt for this headphone. I like to think of it as a good low budget, entry-level wireless headphone. It serves you well in the right context. You need to understand its perks and downfalls, avoid situations that reveal its downfall. On that note, as a music professional, it would be best if you invest in a higher-end headphone rather than the JB T450BT.