Endurance race, that’s the name of the headphones from JBL , which will be discussed. Formally , JBL Endurance Race are considered sports headphones. In-ear fixation, saws and a waterproof case are a priority in this model, as it seemed to me at the beginning. After 5 days of active use, I realized that the name and positioning of the headphones are confusing.
JBL Endurance Race Review
I will immediately start with the most important thing, about the most interesting thing about this model in my opinion – ergonomics. The prestigious “Red Dot Design Award” received by this model, believe me, is not given just like that. The ergonomics in the Endurance Race are great! After the preliminary review, this model is a blessing for me. If we talk about the big market, then the two companies that have been steadily producing the most comfortable and ergonomic headphones for years are Apple and Bose, this is a statement of consumer market statistics. It is obvious that the budget of these companies allows to invest significant money in development. In simple words, “carousel” – the more the company invests in development, the more it sells and then again in a circle. I see that JBL invests significantly in the development of its bluetooth headphones , their ergonomics, especially in the latest models, are not much inferior to “authoritative” competitors.
At the same time, unlike its “big” competitors, JBL has a more interesting pricing policy, this is my personal opinion. The Endurance Race are some of the most comfortable in-ear headphones I’ve ever worn, not even considering the price. The headphones are virtually in-ear when worn for long periods of time and, importantly, have an almost perfect fit in my ear (I use the word “almost” because I have high standards for comfort and fit). For me personally, this means a lot, because when you are actively moving, the fixation of headphones in your ears is critically important. After 7 km of running, sharp movements, squats, spinning, the Endurance Race headphones remained steadily in my ears. All this is thanks to a combination of well-thought-out design, the shape of the nozzles, and a complex material that allows air to pass through it.
I would like to note the very convenient management, which is configured in the application. The left and right earphones have one large button, it is easy to press, but it does not look like a sensor, it works reliably. I set the left earbud to control the volume, the right earbud to control the playback. It turned out very convenient. You can customize the controls however you like, the app allows.
The headphones support the JBL Headphones app. The following functions are available in the application: Equalizer, Ambient Sound Control, Voice Aware, Voice Assistant, Balance and Adjusting the buttons on the headphones (Gestures). I will say my opinion honestly and briefly, all the functionality in this model is complete nonsense, I immediately turned everything off so as not to waste the battery with unnecessary ballast. Yes, all this functionality more or less works on headphones from $ 300, but here it is superfluous. But the equalizer is more than interesting! Endurance Race support a full-fledged equalizer through the application, such a prerogative was recently available only to headphones starting from the middle price category. I really liked the work of the equalizer, you can fine-tune the sound to your own taste. This is not the same equalizer as the JBL speakers , which has only three bands.
Battery
JBL claims that the headphones can work for 10 hours, indeed! About 6 – 7 hours on medium volume, which I have to admit is pretty good! Are you interested in the case battery? I don’t, sorry.
Sound
The sound quality of these headphones, even without the use of an equalizer, turned out to be much better than I could have expected. I want to remind you that these are “sports” headphones for 80 dollars, and traditionally in such headphones the sound quality is not high, but not with Endurance Race! I was very satisfied, the sound at least slightly exceeds its price. Suitable not only for the noisy gym, but also for the home.
Microphone
Here, JBL never gets tired of surprising. Walk like this to the fullest! Absolutely excellent microphone. The voice transmission is loud, clean and clear. The Endurance Race is a great headset. Yes, there are no advanced noise-absorbing technologies here, as in much more expensive models. Personally, I was 120% satisfied with the microphone in this model. Great job JBL!
Stability and signal strength
The power of the receiver is above average. In terms of signal stability, Endurance Race is not inferior to models more than twice as expensive. The headphones work great up to 10 meters with one thick wall and at least up to 10 meters in a noisy space! “Noisy space” is a place where a large number of phones and each receive and transmit Bluetooth, LTE, Wi-Fi. That is, in simple words, in a gym full of people during the Endurance Race, you will have a reinforced concrete signal, even if you left your phone or player on the rack 10 meters from the headphones. It is worth remembering that the Bluetooth signal also depends on the power of the transmitter (phone, player).
Conclusion
The headphones exceeded all my expectations on all counts. In terms of simplicity, comfort and reliability, JBL is trying to approach Apple, while having a much more interesting price policy. After spending many hours with the Endurance Race, I’m inclined to say that it’s not a sports model, it’s the perfect all-rounder, an everyday headphone, no matter what you’re doing. You put them in your ears and they just work, as reliable as a dumbbell. There is no ANC and other high technologies, it is obvious that they simply cannot be in the price of 80 dollars.
Endurance Race have high-class ergonomics! Great microphone. Impressive autonomy. Very reliable receiver. The model, in my opinion, significantly exceeds its price. By the way! This is the first model I have reviewed that I have no complaints about. I consider the model very successful and my highest recommendation!