Hello!
The last few days I was in search of a headset for my other half. One of the main requirements is to be a small, inexpensive, on-ear headphone (she really liked my Meizu HD50 headset). Considering that the headphone cable lives on average for six months, it was decided, if possible, to abandon the wires.
Thus, the choice fell on the JBL T450BT bluetooth headset.
Today's material is not a review, since there is still too little time to use for a full review. These are rather first impressions.
Equipment
The headset comes in a flat cardboard box with a plastic window through which you can see how the device looks. In the kit you will find only the headset itself, a charging cable and a bag with accompanying documentation.
Design and appearance
The T459BT comes in three colors, black, white and blue. All colors are matte, which is good news.
In my case, the headset is black (the future owner does not like bright colors in technology).
The first time you take the headset in your hands, you immediately notice its weight – the headset seems weightless. She's actually surprisingly light. Initially, I thought that I needed to buy batteries separately, the headset seemed so light to me. After I was convinced that the battery was built-in, I started looking for an indication of the operating time, as I thought that with such a small weight, and hence the size of the battery, the operating time should not be very long. The declared characteristics were surprising – the manufacturer promises 11 hours of music playback!
It has not yet been possible to test this moment in practice. Let's see how the headset will show itself in the process of daily use.
The headset can be folded for easy portability. Special thanks to the manufacturer for the type of folding mechanism – the cups not only fold inward, but also turn sideways, which makes the device very compact when folded. I really like this type of folding – it is convenient.
Each ear is marked on the inside of the loop to help you understand. where is the right and where is the left earphone. They are clearly visible, however, even if it were not so, they are needed only the first time, since you immediately remember. that right is the one that the main controls focus on.
Materials
Given the low cost, you expect to see inexpensive materials – and it is.
The body of the device is completely plastic, including the headband and hinges. Plastic is cheap and quite tough, while everything is done quite well and neatly. The joints and gaps are the same size, without visible imperfections.
The wire that connects the headphones is visible in a special slot in the headband.
The buttons on the case are informative, but at first it takes some time to find them by touch. The stroke is short, pressed with a clear click that lacks softness.
At the bottom, between the playback control buttons and the power button, there is an LED that blinks with a dim blue light when music playback is on or there is a conversation. In pairing mode, its color becomes deep blue.
The ear cushions are soft and covered with synthetic material. Apparently, after a couple of years, the material will begin to crack and flake off, as is often the case with headphones with such a coating of ear pads. Wait and see.
Convenience
The first thing you need to know about comfort is that the headset's headband seemed to me rather tight. Because of this, the ear pads are pressing on my ears. I think this will not be a problem, since my girlfriend's head is still smaller than mine, and the headset seemed to her not as tight as to me.
Another thing that confused me was the plastic headband without a shock absorbing cushion. I walked in the headset for about two hours, and during this time the headband managed to press the crown. Not a very pleasant feeling. If the owner of the device has similar impressions, she will have to do something to soften the headband.
The headset has a telescopic design and, when fully folded, is suitable even for children. The size stock is excellent. This shouldn't be a problem.
Compatibility
I haven't fully figured out this point yet, but one moment upset me. On my SGS7 and on my friend's Moto X2, the headset didn't want to switch tracks and change the volume. Of the three buttons on the body of the device, only one works, the central one (answer / end call, and start / stop of music playback). I think I'll try to deal with this issue in more detail during the testing process to write a full review.
Microphone
There is a microphone, and even two. However, in any wind or ambient noise, the interlocutors complained of interference, and in general, my voice seemed to them too dull, sounding as if from afar.
Sound
In this chapter, I will only write first impressions. To fully test this parameter, I plan to play with the device longer.
Overall, the sound is pretty good. In general terms, the sound can be called gloomy and muffled. It seems that JBL was trying to focus on low frequencies. It seems that they were targeting young people, and as a result, fans of electronic music. For this genre, the headset copes, although the bass turned out to be not very impressive, it lacks energy and elasticity a little.
In general, the sound lacks transparency and is a bit dirty.
I think I'll have to be smart with equalizers.
Impressions instead of conclusions
Very lightweight, conveniently folding, inexpensive (3000-3500 rubles), plastic headset with good sound quality, from a well-known brand. Very good. Frustrating, perhaps, is the concern for the plastic hinges, which can loosen over time, and the rather tight headband, which also presses on the head, and the quality of the microphone does not imply long conversations.
I have not yet decided if I can recommend it for purchase. I think we should take it away from the owner for a couple of weeks and fully test it, primarily for sound quality.