JBL Reference 510 Headphones
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- Design: Over the Head
- Sound Mode: Stereo
- Connectivity: Cable
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Ouch! . . . and you'll NEED an extension cord!
Pros
Typical JBL sound quality, "interesting" design, good snug fit.
Cons
Can be too tight, needs extension cord, advertised 6-ft cord is untrue.
Recommended it?
No
The Bottom Line:
Strictly on performance, they are good, but in the presence of an alternative with adequate cord, and no unnecessary clip-on unit, they cannot in good conscience be recommended.
I saw both the 410 and 510 Reference Series by JBL for the same price and thought, well maybe the 510 has something more to offer. The specs of the 510 match almost exactly those of the REF410BKH, with the exception of (i) the in-line volume control, which I wish the 510 Reference had, and (ii) the wider frequency response of the 410.
The ear-pads are quite tight on the ears, and as someone who needs glasses to watch TV, after a couple sitcoms and a 1-hour drama, it's ouch!
The product has an "interesting" design. Unless you're prepared to peel down completely the wire that terminates in the jack, you most certainly would need an extension cord, as I now use. There is a battery-powered noise-canceling device with a clip at the back. With very little information in the enclosed literature, the device is apparently to be attached onto a pocket or equivalent. This device has an unnecessarily elaborate, though "techie", design. It has an on/off sliding switch and a red LED that lights up when the unit is on. So, there you sit, enjoying music or TV, with an oversized-flash-drive-looking unit, with a red light, on your chest. Nice.
The sound quality is of typical JBL excellence, in spite of the unusually thin wires used. With 125dB sensitivity and a frequency response of 12 Hz to 28 kHz, you don't miss a beat. Noise canceling is effective, but watch out for those clicks that occur when switching, an issue that warranted a separate cautionary enclosed leaflet under ATTENTION! which JBL says "may affect your hearing". This warning actually sounds worse than it really is - all you need to do is just keep the noise-canceling feature in the "on" position all the time. (The clicks are also not unique to this device - ANY switching while wearing headphones at high volume should be done with caution).
Overall, great sound and unique design. Snug headphone fit and superior performance. But this is what you'd expect from JBL anyway. If I could swap the noise-canceling unit for an in-line volume control, I'd do so in a heartbeat. Without having used the 410, I can only speculate that, at the same price, it would make a better buy. Given the existence of a more practical and equally priced alternative, the JBL Reference 510 Headphones are not recommended.
The ear-pads are quite tight on the ears, and as someone who needs glasses to watch TV, after a couple sitcoms and a 1-hour drama, it's ouch!
The product has an "interesting" design. Unless you're prepared to peel down completely the wire that terminates in the jack, you most certainly would need an extension cord, as I now use. There is a battery-powered noise-canceling device with a clip at the back. With very little information in the enclosed literature, the device is apparently to be attached onto a pocket or equivalent. This device has an unnecessarily elaborate, though "techie", design. It has an on/off sliding switch and a red LED that lights up when the unit is on. So, there you sit, enjoying music or TV, with an oversized-flash-drive-looking unit, with a red light, on your chest. Nice.
The sound quality is of typical JBL excellence, in spite of the unusually thin wires used. With 125dB sensitivity and a frequency response of 12 Hz to 28 kHz, you don't miss a beat. Noise canceling is effective, but watch out for those clicks that occur when switching, an issue that warranted a separate cautionary enclosed leaflet under ATTENTION! which JBL says "may affect your hearing". This warning actually sounds worse than it really is - all you need to do is just keep the noise-canceling feature in the "on" position all the time. (The clicks are also not unique to this device - ANY switching while wearing headphones at high volume should be done with caution).
Overall, great sound and unique design. Snug headphone fit and superior performance. But this is what you'd expect from JBL anyway. If I could swap the noise-canceling unit for an in-line volume control, I'd do so in a heartbeat. Without having used the 410, I can only speculate that, at the same price, it would make a better buy. Given the existence of a more practical and equally priced alternative, the JBL Reference 510 Headphones are not recommended.
