JBL Tune 600BTNC is a sub $100 pair of on-ear wireless noise-canceling headphones. It is “interesting” because of how JBL implements “Active Noise Cancellation” with an “On-Ear” design, resulting in mixed feelings from various users. Before I elaborate on that, let’s start by taking a look at what comes in the box. And in case you may not find this model compelling enough, I recommend you also check out our Cowin E9 ANC Bluetooth headphones review.
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TUNE600BTNC What’s in the box
JBL may have done everything possible to include some necessary stuff that you can use right out of the box. But at this price point, it’s somewhat unforgiving to have omitted carry case. Everything is tightly packed in the standard retail cardboard box.
- 1 pair of TUNE600BTNC Headphones
- 1 Charging cable
- 1 Detachable cable
- 1 Warning card
- 1 Warranty card
- 1 Safety Sheet
- 1 QSG
Build Quality, design, and Appearance
Please don’t expect any premium build materials here, because the JBL Tune TUNE 600BTNC is entirely made of plastic. However, that doesn’t mean they are not appealing. At this price point, these headphones look amazing. You can get them in the following colors; Black, White, Blue, and Pink. The headband has a matte-like smooth and soft-touch finish. It also bears soft padding covered in leather to improve comfort on your head.
The earpieces on the flip side have a glossy plastic finish. As a whole, T600BTNC can pick up scratches very easily. Therefore you must take extra care during daily use. Do I need to mention again that there is no included carry case or pouch? Anyway, the build quality feels solid and durable.
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Comfort, ergonomics, and portability
Remember that padding on the JBL Tune 600BTNC headband? According to some users, even though it may feel soft, it is somewhat thin and you may start to feel some pressure after a while of use. Fortunately, you can relieve the pressure by adjusting the headband to reduce the amount of grip on your head. Further increasing the comfort is its extreme lightweight. JBL’s official website quotes the Tune 600BTNC as weighing 173g (0.173Kg).
Next, you have the earpad cushions. They feel well made, sturdy, soft and comfortable. JBL calls the ear cushion material Frog skin PU leather. to use these headphones for at least 2 hours at a time. Alright, so the adjustable headband and soft cushions combined would provide most users with good enough comfort. Unless you have a large head, large ears, and very sensitive earlobes combined, you should feel comfortable wearing these headphones for several hours at a time.
To make transportation and storage easy, you can fold the JBL TUNE600BTNC headphones flat. Just be advised, there is no carry case or pouch included with these headphones. Warning! these headphones scratch very easily so be careful when putting them in your bag.
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T600BTNC Sound Quality
The JBL Tune 600BTNC headphones sound excellent (for non-audiophiles). If you like booming sound, then you would surely enjoy them. They have deep bass (JBL calls it “Pure Bass”) and lyrics are clear. These headsets produce a crisp and clear sound. Mids and highs are respectable and not too harsh. Generally, these JBL’s handle all frequency ranges well. Although sometimes they try to impose that thumping bass in soundtracks where it is not needed. More detailed description about the sound quality here. Below are the Audio Specs:
JBL T600BTNC audio driver specifications
- Driver size (mm) 32.0
- Driver sensitivity at 1kHz/1mW (dB) 100dB
- Impedance (ohms) 32.0
- Number of drivers per ear 1.0
Active noise canceling quality
To the untrained ear, the noise-canceling on JBL Tune 600BTNC is good. But the efficiency of that noise-canceling could depend on a couple of things including the size of your ear lobe. That’s because these headphones are “On-Ear” (they rest on your ears). The earpads may not be efficient at blocking noise if you have larger ears. And you would be able to hear more ambient noise even with ANC turned on.
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Contrarily, people with smaller ears wouldn’t have much to complain about the noise cancellation on JBL Tune 600BTNC. The noise-canceling included on these headsets is perfect for blocking out mostly low-frequency ambient noise (like fans, heavy engines, aircraft noise, keyboard typing, and washing machines). Higher pitch sounds (like human voices) may still get through to some extent.
If you have very sensitive ears, you may notice a tiny bit of hissing when you turn on ANC. But once you start playing music, the hissing should fade away. A few users also complained that the noise-canceling causes a bit of sound distortion. That results in a slight change in the noise profile and a reduction in Bass. In my opinion, those could simply be defective units.
Voice call quality
While connected to your smartphone, you can accept incoming calls by pressing the dedicated button. The call quality is crisp and clear. Users on the other end would not have any difficulties hearing what you are saying through the headphones’ dedicated calling microphone.
JBL Tune 600BTNC Connectivity
There are two ways to play audio on JBL Tune 600BTNC. Wirelessly through Bluetooth version 4.1. Or using the wired audio cable included in the box. On the first boot, the headphones are ready for Bluetooth pairing, and the process is simple and straightforward. But it can only pair with one device at a time. Therefore you would have to repeat the pairing process each time you want to use it with a new smartphone by Bluetooth. That said, the Bluetooth connectivity is seamless, steady, and there is no input lag even when watching videos.
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JBL Tune 600BTNC Now onto the wired connection. It’s not a standard 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable. But you can easily find a replacement. This cable works with or without power from the headphones. That means you can extend your listening time after the battery is finished just by switching to the wired mode. Be advised, this cable does not come with any inline controls. Some users complained that both sides of their headphones didn’t work on the first try with the cable. But they managed to get them working after a little bit of fiddling.
T600BTNC Buttons and Controls
The power button turns the headphones on or off. The second button is for Active Noise Cancellation. Two buttons form a volume rocker that you can use for increasing or reducing volume. The button at the center of the volume rocker is for answering calls. There is no dedicated Bluetooth button and all the controls are located on the right side.
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Battery Life
JBL promises about 12 hours of battery life on Bluetooth if you use the Tune 600BTNC headphones consistently with Active Noise Canceling turned on. With ANC permanently turned off, you can get up to 24 hours of use time on Bluetooth. Of course, real-life use may vary depending on how loud you listen to music. There is an included Micro-USB charging cable and it takes 2 to 3 hours for a full charge. While plugged in, the LED remains red, indicating that charging is in progress. Once the battery is completely charged, the LED turns off.
Verdict
For its price range, JBL Tune 600BTNC Bluetooth wireless headphones with active noise canceling still have a lot of value to offer (in 2020). And most people would be satisfied with the quality of these headphones. Especially those who love thumping bass. However, even though they are comfortable enough their on-ear design may not be suitable for large ear lobes. The same on-ear style may make them a little less effective for ANC. And if this is your priority, then you may want to check over-ear headphones instead.
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