Skip to main content

JBL Tune 520BT | My time with JBL's latest budget headphones

By


Back in May I returned the JBL Live 670NCs and picked the JBL Tune 520BTs instead and so far I am pleasantly surprised with my decision. Don't get me wrong the Live 670s served me well, however, with me also picking up the JBL Live 770NCs in April I felt that the 670s were too similar to the 770s in terms of features. Review is coming by the way for the 770s. With the 520s I get enough of a difference while saving some money. Let's get into the mini review.

Comfort

I find the 520s to be more comfortable than the 670s. To me, the 670s clamped down on my ears and head while the 520s just sat on my ears. There is a piece of rubber or plastic at the top of the headband that provides some cushion. The ear cups are fine and work as intended. In all, I would say that the 520s are good for long listening sessions. 

Sound and Mic Quality

The 520s are a budget set of headphones so I didn't expect much in the sound department but found them to be more than adequate for most casual listeners. The headphones get plenty loud and bass hits pretty hard. Lows are prominent but not as deep as the higher priced models. Mids and highs are good but not as bright as I prefer. The mic is decent for calls but background noise gets through quite easily. Can be useful in a pinch. 

Features

Not surprising, the 520s are not feature rich as the JBL Live series but there are a couple nice additions. The headlining feature for me is Google Audio Switch. Google Audio Switch enables users to switch between two devices seamlessly that's connected to the headphones. This feature works extremely well in my experience. You can also adjust the equalizer, set max volume limits, set an auto power off time and of course update the headphones. All of these features and more are available via the JBL app.

Controls, Ports and Battery

All controls of the headphones can be found on the right ear cup where you have the volume rocker and power button. Volume up and down doubles as track forward and back. Play pause doubles as answering calls and summoning the phones assistant. Type C for charging is also on the right ear cup and there is no headphone jack. Battery is solid and long lasting with the 520s rated at up to 57hrs.

Specs

FeatureSpecification
SoundJBL Pure Bass sound, 33mm dynamic driver
BluetoothVersion 5.3
Battery LifeUp to 57 hours, 3 hours with 5-minute charge
ChargingType-C USB
ControlsButton controls on earcup
MicrophoneBuilt-in for calls
ComfortLightweight, foldable design, soft ear cushions
Additional FeaturesVoice Aware, Multi-point connection, JBL Headphones App

Conclusion


Overall the JBL Tune 520s are excellent budget headphones and worth a look. The sound punches above its class and the features included raise the level of the headphones into a class of their own. I'm really digging the 520s. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I attended a Pixel Superfans event at the new Google Store in Santa Monica, CA

By
Last Friday, I had the opportunity to attend a Pixel Superfans event at the new Google Store in Santa Monica. It was a soft launch of the store and a good way to meet like minded people. The staff were very nice and helpful. While I was at the store I was able to finally check out the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and wow that device is extremely impressive. Outside of that, I was able to look around the store and check out other Google products which there are quite a bit to see. I'm looking forward to my next visit to the new Google Store. Take a look at the pictures below including one of some swag I got from Google at the event.
Post a Comment
Read more

Reviewing the Pixelbook Go after 5 yrs | Software that is outpacing the hardware

By
  No doubt, the Pixelbook Go has served me well in my 5 yrs with the laptop. This is not necessarily a review of the features on the laptop but a review of the PBG hardware and its usability in 2025. I acknowledge that I am a part of a very small club of users that still have and use this device but I must say that I still enjoy using the PBG every single day. Now, to the review. Hardware Right off the bat. The hardware is probably the least compelling aspect of the PBG. When the laptop was first released in 2019 it was already a year or two behind the competition with the onboard soc. Surprisingly, this has not negatively impacted using the laptop with most tasks. Web surfing is a breeze and most Android apps run pretty effortlessly. The 8th Gen i5 Intel soc paired with 8GB of RAM is well optimized and I feel that Google is getting as much as it can out of the chip.  Where the PBG falls short is with video editing apps. I've tried several Android apps and a couple of Linux ap...
Post a Comment
Read more

Soundcore K20i review | A look at Ankers budget friendly earbuds (video)

By
Soundcore K20i by Anker, Semi-in-Ear Earbuds, Bluetooth Wireless, 36H Playtime, Fast Charge, Clear Sound, Comfortable Fit, ENC 2-Mic Clear Calls, Custom EQ, IPX5, Bluetooth 5.3, App Control. https://a.co/d/a27Mi9t
Post a Comment
Read more