The incoming headphone stake is dominated by Philips, Edifier, JBL and Sony, which unfortunately left Brazil. But Harman, owner of JBL, should take advantage of this gap to vary its portfolio, which is already hyper diverse, by the way. The JBL Tune 510BT is a good example of this. Launched in April 2021, the model soon caught the eye for offering up to 40 hours of sound, fast charging and a good cost-benefit, since it has a suggested price of R$ 299.
Bluetooth 5.0, multipoint connection and Pure Bass technology, which emphasizes bass are other highlights of the headphone. Can it be superior to the JBL Tune 500BT and the Edifier W800BT? Or is it better to invest in Philips TAUH202? I spent a few days with the new JBL Tune 510BT to understand your proposal and count my impressions in this review.
Ethics Notice
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Tune 510BT was provided by JBL on loan and will be returned to the company after testing. For more information, visit tecnoblog.net/etica.
Design, comfort and controls
The JBL Tune 510BT is a traditional headset. It has not distanced itself from the 500BT, which is the company’s triumph in the entry category, and is still very similar to the Tune 660NC and the Sony WH-CH510. Unlike the Edifier W800BT, which has a more sophisticated finish, the JBL headphone has a basic proposal and focuses on robustness, with simple plastic throughout the structure, including bow and shells. It is not a super-resistant material, as we have already expected, and requires a certain care of the user in handling.
Flexible, the headphone can be adjusted easily on the ear and proved very comfortable without generating pressures even on the first day of use. We are also talking about a practical headset for everyday life that allows you to store the shells and be carried in the backpack and in the suitcase. Despite being a good product for the day to day, the 510BT was designed for indoor environments (train, subway, offices and residences), so it is not recommended for physical activities, since it has no IP certification against water.
JBL chose the right shell to allocate the volume, on/off, and play/pause buttons, also used to trigger virtual assistants by pressing twice (works with Siri, Google Assistant, Bixby, but Cortana was left out — does anyone use Cortana?). This same button can pause and play on songs and podcasts by pressing once. The USB-C connection for power is also there: the position looks strange, since the input is at the bottom in many headphones. However, the arc hinge ends up protecting the connection during use, which justifies the choice of placing the load door on top. Finally, just missed the entrance to auxiliary cable, right?
