Gadget

One of the recent technotrends is TWS headphones. No, this is not a brand or model, but an abbreviation — True Wireless Stereo. That is, «completely wireless», without any collars and other hanging wires. As long as there is demand, there will be supply: TWS is getting bigger. Here is JBL (that is, American HARMAN) did not ignore fashion trends and released TUNE 120TWS. We could not remain indifferent to such a premiere and took the novelty for a test.

Design and equipment

JBL TUNE 120TWS are made of two types of plastic and look chic. True, they are not the most compact and it is not immediately clear how these will stay in the ears. By the way, we will talk about this separately later.

Each of the two earbuds has mechanical buttons. On the right during playback, a single press stops and starts the track (in the same way you answer a call and end a conversation), a double press calls the voice assistant. The button on the left is responsible for switching tracks: pressing once — forward, double — back. To turn the headphones on or off, you need to press any button and hold it in that state.

As usual, the headphones come with a charging case. It is small in size and has a residual charge indicator: three LEDs on the front panel. It is always clear when to charge. The case itself is charged via the microUSB connector, which is carefully covered with a rubber panel.

The lid has a magnet, as do the headphone jacks themselves. To insert the «ears» into the case, it is enough to bring them closer to the nests (and not to confuse, of course) — inside they practically fly in.

Preparation for use

The first thing to do after unpacking the box is … No, do not connect them to your smartphone. It is best to first decide on the silicone inserts — in addition to those already worn on the headphones, there are two more pairs (larger and smaller) in the kit. The trick is that the case itself looks, of course, impressive, but does not fit into the auricle. Headphones just stick out of the ears, being held mainly due to the inserts. And, if you don’t bother trying on, you risk just losing one or both on the street. It is especially worth keeping an eye on them during active classes. We ran to the bus — see that you don’t fall out. For sports in general, it is better to choose a different model. Unless, of course, it’s chess.

Now about the connection. In principle, everything is simple, especially since the headphones are accompanied by a “quick start” guide. The main thing here is to understand that, although the right and left parts are almost indistinguishable, their functionality is different. For example, to connect via Bluetooth, you need to get the right earpiece out of the case. Then, as usual, find it in the list of available devices JBL TUNE 120TWS and connect.

Headphone impressions

As a headset, the headphones are good indoors — at least our interlocutors did not complain. It is more difficult on the street — in windy weather or on the sidewalk along a noisy highway, you have to speak louder, but this only helps partly. The situation is further complicated by the fact that, being in «plugs», you do not always understand how loudly you are talking. More precisely, a certain habit is needed in order to learn to understand this.

But like headphones The JBL TUNE 120TWS are great. At least you begin to understand why you paid about 4,500 rubles. They sound great regardless of the genre of music or song — except that the classics motivate you to switch to full-fledged «ears». But pop, rock, rap headphones transmit quite naturally, and if many cheaper analogues lack bass as such, they are also present here, and well expressed. This model will definitely not seem quiet — you didn’t have to turn it on at maximum volume even in the subway.

The manufacturer promises 4 hours of work on a single charge — we have JBL TUNE 120TWS lasted 10 minutes less. The case allows you to fully charge the devices three times — that is, in total, you can count on 16 hours of work.

Conclusions: is it worth buying

If you are used to «gags», The JBL TUNE 120TWS are a great choice — they sound more expensive than they cost. But for those who have never worn headphones of this type, you should try them on first. Especially if you lead a fairly active lifestyle: say, ride a bike. The in-ear attachment system is the only comment we have on the new JBL. By the way, the brand also has excellent sports TWS — they hold much better.

And here is our test of already full-size headphones of the LIVE line from the same JBL:

• Testing the new JBL LIVE line: LIVE650BTNC and LIVE400BT headphones