There was a period when every headphone manufacturer tried to make their own TWS headphones , now it is in the past and almost all big companies have acquired their own completely wireless headphones. 2021 opened a new challenge – ANC in TWS. And now, one after another, good offers with active noise reduction appear, and often at a good price!
JBL Club Pro+ is not exactly a budget option, but the price for such sound and functionality is really nice. Let’s talk about one of the most balanced decisions at the beginning of 2021.
Contents of delivery
The headphones come with a bunch of papers, 3 pairs of silicone ear tips of different sizes and a charging cable.
Design and ergonomics
The CLub series has a different appearance from other JBL products. The design here is slightly futuristic, but at the same time quite ascetic. Wow, as I said! What I mean is that everything here is simple, but tasteful, almost like a spaceship, the form factor is similar to what we see in the Sennheiser Momentum TW2 , but there are more ergonomic bulges. Each earbud has 2 microphones for microphone and ANC, a status indicator, a proximity sensor, and charging contacts.
They look good and quite neat in the Club Pro+ ears, but they don’t fit tightly to the ears and stick out slightly. There is only one color option – black, and rightly so, they look great in this color. The fit is average and with standard silicone ear pads it is better not to move your head too much, but the headphones are suitable for running and the gym. When I put on my favorite foam ear pads, the fit got better. The controls are touch-sensitive, using taps, but responsive and with audio feedback. To control the headphones, there is an application for smartphones, where you can set an equalizer preset, update the firmware, control ANC and transparency mode, find the earphone (when activated, the earphone starts beeping loudly) and a bunch of other functions. I’m not a fan of apps, but JBL really worked for me. It is also very beautifully drawn and generally pleasant to use.
The case is as cool as possible, with a nice closing mechanism, you can use it with one hand, the headphones fit inside clearly. The material is practical, scratches will not be too visible.
Sound
Now about the sound. JBL Club Pro+ cost $200 and are surrounded by simply a huge number of sound competitors. But competitors should be straining themselves right now, because these headphones sound wonderful. At one point I had Devialet Gemini , Sennheiser Momentum TW2, B&O E8 3rd , Epos GTW 270 on my desk for various reviews. These are all higher-end headphones, and their sound is appropriate, but how surprised was I when, after listening test music selection, I heard a fairly serious sound from JBL. Yes, it’s not Momentum TW2 yet, but it’s definitely on its way.
Excellent balance and too detailed elastic sound for headphones that are positioned for club music. This makes me a little confused and makes me a little confused, because absolutely everything is cool on them – Bullet For My Valentine, The Weeknd, Dire Straits and Pendulum! A good supply of energy, cleanliness at high levels and an almost complete absence of porridge. The bass is very punchy, for club headphones – clear and elastic, I really liked it here. High and mids have good detail, but produce a V-shaped frequency response well, albeit with a small amplitude.
The entire test selection in Tidal was played with enthusiasm and beauty; something similar could be heard in the Sennheiser CX 400 BT TWS , which have already fallen a little in price and cost less than the Club Pro+, but they do not have ANC.
But the active noise cancellation in the tested headphones is excellent. It works on par with the Apple AirPods Pro and is somewhere very close to the Devialet Gemini, while completely ahead of the Sennheiser Momentu TW2. As always, I highly recommend switching to foam ear pads – ANC works even better with them.
Microphone
The microphone performed well in all situations, whether loud or quiet. It’s on par with the Apple AirPods Pro, Sennheiser Momentum TW2 and B&O E8 3rd, beating the Devialet Gemini in noise with ease, but falling just short of the Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro. Test in video review
Battery
The autonomy is similar to the Sennheiser Momentum TW2, B&O E8 3rd and Devialet Gemini and with ANC activated it is 6 hours, without it 8. The case will give another 24 hours, which can be charged either via a USB-C cable or using wireless charging.
Conclusion
My conclusion for the JBL Club Pro+ TWS is clear – you need to buy it. More precisely, it’s not like that – go try it on, install foam ear pads, listen and take it for yourself. They are excellent in all aspects, especially in terms of sound, which is on par with the Sennheiser CX 400 BT TWS and very close to the Momentum TW2 and Devialet Gemini. If you think that $200 is the ceiling for headphones, then these beauties are just for you. 4.5/5, and when using foam ear pads 5/5, no questions asked, JBL are smart.
