JBL E45BT

JBL has gained notoriety, especially in recent years. is less known, that JBL is a trademark of Harman. With JBL, Harman is looking for its target group in youth and leisure time. Accordingly, the JBL E45BT headphones are also in the lower price category. As long as we're still part of the target group, we have them Bluetooth Headset in the test.

Nothing for audiophiles, but you can hardly get good sound cheaper.

Who needs exercise anyway?

The JBL E45BT is, mind you, the only on-ear representative of our series, even if the Sennheiser HD4.40BT would have challenged him for that spot by a hair's breadth. Ultimately, however, this is about much more than on-ear or circumaural, which is why there is no special treatment for our individual case.

Taken out of the inconspicuous packaging, you hold the JBL E45BT headphones in your hand, ready for use. But before it comes to connection and sound, the workmanship and design are examined. The slightly differently designed headband catches the eye. JBL has managed to save costs and at the same time create a cool look by using textile instead of leather. The supplied 3,5mm jack cable is also textile-coated and therefore tangle-free.

Overall, the JBL E45BT looks dynamic and young, especially compared to its predecessor. Anyone who now concludes that a run in the city park increases their chances of attracting the attention of potential partners is on the wrong track. Sports? Excluded. The foldable Bluetooth headphones not only fit quite loosely in general, but the foldable headphones also provide a thrill with fast movements. These fold forward 90 degrees so that the back faces your eyes. It is not uncommon for the headphones to slip to Drake even during instinctive dance routines. There are problems here, especially when looking down. However, the loose fit should not be confused with improper processing. The materials themselves and especially the size controls of the Bluetooth headphones are perfectly stable. After a little longer than I would like to admit, I decided to ignore the left and right designations inside the earpads and simply put the headphones on the other way around. Problem with handset flipping solved? Absolutely. However, the wireless headphone controls are now on the left front of the foldable JBL E45BT - taking some getting used to and a bigger problem than the instability. For the price of the lack of strength, however, you get at least a high level of comfort.

Using the JBL E45BT as intended by the manufacturer, the controls are on the right side and there is absolutely nothing to complain about for headphones in this price range. Among other things, you will find a sliding button that controls the pairing mode option in addition to the power button. Below that is a volume bar with a play button in the middle. If you're listening to a long remix and want to jump to the drop, you should look elsewhere: In wireless mode, JBL doesn't give you the option to fast forward with this model.

Foreplay over

Small talk, irrelevant pleasantries and foreplay aside and straight to the heart of the matter: This is about Bluetooth headphones. So in the further course of this test we turn primarily to the connection and then the sound of the JBL E45BT. In terms of connection, you get exactly what is promised: Bluetooth. No more, no less. So if you can't do without an NFC-supported connection setup and want to stay in a similar price range, you should find out more about our previously mentioned test candidate.

However, the connection establishment of the JBL E45BT also works without NFC without any problems. If you hold the power button, a short sound announces the pairing mode. Otherwise there is unfortunately very little feedback, small features such as a battery announcement, which device is connected, etc. are not available. Switching between two devices on the fly also works perfectly once they are connected to the JBL E45BT headphones via Bluetooth. This makes using the headphones freer and gives more flexibility to the decision-shy and multitasking enthusiasts among you. For example, it's even easier to miss the plot of a film on your cell phone.

As far as the connection range is concerned, the Bluetooth headphones cost less than 100 euros on average. If you listen at home, the connection of the JBL E45BT finds its final opponent on the second floor - at least for people who find the background noise that comes up every 30 seconds too much.

If you are in more or less immediate proximity to the connected device, the JBL E45BT deliver good sound. Of course, less of the environmental noise is filtered out than with circumaural headphones and the sound is not very full. However, the JBL E45BT finds its balance very well over the entire spectrum of highs and lows and never makes listening uncomfortable.

Overall, the performance of the JBL headphones is good, but by no means outstanding. Anyone who speaks of a "unique sound experience" here, as in some Amazon reviews, either did not have sufficient expertise or was offered too much money for this review. We say "unique value for money" instead of "unique sound experience". If you remember that you pay a quarter of other candidates in our series for the JBL E45BT, then you get a lot on offer here.