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JBL Tune 310C evaluate
The JBL Tune 310C are a price range pair of wired earbuds designed to convey “hi-res” audio on to you, for lower than $25 / £15 / AU$30. At this worth, you’re unlikely to expect a complete lot – and you are not improper; buds this low-cost can usually falter with tinny audio, a flat design and restricted feature-set. However this is not the case right here.
I’ll be upfront: you’re not going to get gorgeous sound high quality out of the JBL Tune 310C. Positive, they’ll decode hi-res-quality recordsdata because of their built-in digital to analogue converter (DAC), however I not often felt that I used to be getting a massively detailed pay attention. Regardless of that, I wouldn’t say the JBL Tune 310C are an unpleasant-sounding pair of in-ears.
When tuning into Black Eye by Allie X, bass displayed solidity, however the swift kick of the drum machine sounded a contact torpid, that means the monitor didn’t fairly have its distinctive “bounce” – one thing the best wired earbuds are in a position to replicate. In the meantime, vocals have been clear, neither muffled nor distorted, though when switching to I Need You by Moloko, the singer’s breathiness was pretty muted, leading to a much less detailed, natural-sounding pay attention.
Nonetheless, given their worth, I’d nonetheless argue that the JBL Tune 310C supply satisfactory audio. The resonant bass and clear vocals alone make for a good all-round pay attention, even when refined intricacies are lacking. Treble is fairly brilliant, too, when listening to Electrical Tooth Brush by Toronto; I used to be struck by the snappy high-pitched percussion. Whereas such supply would possibly put on you down after a while, it is suited to songs with a extra excitable sound signature. And even with that brightness, I would argue that these buds not often turn into grating, inflicting tinny audio onto your ears, such because the Belkin SoundForm Wired Earbuds with USB-C connector, for instance.
Word that for those who’re not loving the sound of the JBL Tune 310C, you’re in a position to tweak it to your liking. That’s as a result of these buds include three built-in EQ choices – one thing that is not an choice even in high-calibre, pricier options such because the Master & Dynamic ME05. The EQ preset choices included are Default, which presents a extra balanced sound; Bass, for ramped up low-end energy; and Vocal, for specializing in voices in podcasts, information broadcasts, or related.
And so they do all sound distinctive, which is a giant plus level in my opinion. Having mentioned that, I did principally discover myself sticking with Default. Don’t get me improper, I’m a lover of bass-heavy bangers, however the Bass mode can sometimes sound slightly bloated within the low-end. For example, the drum machine in Black Eye hit with extra depth on this mode, however in flip, additionally sounded much less agile and a contact muddy.
In the meantime, Vocal mode works very properly when watching dialogue-heavy content material, whether or not that’s a documentary on one of many best streaming services or a podcast on Spotify. It is not the most effective for listening to music, nevertheless, because it typically casts a tinny layer over your favourite tracks; I would use it sparingly.
One characteristic that improves the general consumer expertise is the inclusion of a number of sizes of ear gels, making certain a snug pay attention no matter your ear form. Not like the loose-fitting JBL Tune 305C, this allows you to type a correct in-ear seal, opening you as much as the world of passive noise isolation. Is that this tremendous efficient? Not likely. I may nonetheless hear the odd nugget of speech when listening at round 50% quantity. Nonetheless, it did boring extra noise – the sound of colleagues typing, for instance. And way more successfully than the Tune 305C can.
One closing characteristic value mentioning is the JBL Tune 310C’s built-in mic and controller. The controller means that you can regulate quantity, toggle play/pause, take calls or regulate EQ (by holding the amount up and down buttons concurrently). Fairly neat! And the built-in mic is surprisingly good, too. When making a name and taking a voice recording, my speech may sound slightly on the quiet aspect, however my voice was clear and fairly uninterrupted by static – one thing even the costlier buds can endure from.
By way of appears to be like, these wired earbuds are fairly center of the street. The flat wire, regardless of being conveniently tangle-resistant, is fairly susceptible to bending, which isn’t so fairly to take a look at. And equally to the Tune 305C, there’s plastic casing on the skin of the buds that appears slightly low-cost, for my part. I am a fan of the small-sized USB-C adapter and useful controller, although – neither of which suffered any connectivity points. The buds additionally arrive in some neat shade choices, together with black, blue, crimson and white.
In my opinion, there are solely a few hold-ups by way of design. First, I skilled various cable noise when on-the-go. Positive, that’s an inherent difficulty with many buds which have eartips; however it may turn into fairly distracting once I was transferring round. Second, there’s a scarcity of waterproofing – one thing I at all times wish to have for added peace of thoughts if utilizing these buds within the rain, for instance.
In any other case, although, I used to be happy with what the Tune 310C may present. They’re fairly comfy in-ear and aren’t too hefty, that means they received’t slip out all too simply. Audio, though unremarkable, is actually stable given the Tune 310C’s price range price, particularly when you think about the tuning accessible via their three EQ modes.
So, for those who’re searching for some low-cost, feature-rich earbuds, then these JBL buds are value contemplating. The SoundMagic E80D are higher nonetheless, if in case you have slightly additional money – merely for the improve in sound high quality. Plus the Skullcandy Set USB-C are a good different, if you need some waterproof buds.
JBL Tune 310C evaluate: Value and launch date
- $24.95 / £14.99 / AU$29
- Launched in 2024
The JBL Tune 310C launched in 2024 across the similar time because the JBL Tune 305C. The latter are a looser-fitting variant extra akin to the Apple EarPods. They’ve a really modest checklist worth of $24.95 / £14.99 / AU$29, which is just about inline with the 305C and opponents just like the Apple EarPods, for example. That worth is usually the identical whatever the shade choice you decide. For reference, these can be found in black, blue, crimson and white.
JBL Tune 310C evaluate: Specs
|
Drivers |
9mm dynamic |
|
Weight |
14.3g |
|
Frequency vary |
20Hz-40kHz |
|
Waterproof ranking |
Not said |
Ought to I purchase the JBL Tune 310C?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Options |
EQ choices, stable mic, efficient controller, noise isolation simply OK. |
4.5/5 |
|
Sound high quality |
Sufficient audio with heat bass, however not probably the most detailed or dynamic. |
3.5/5 |
|
Design |
Good colours, wire isn’t the prettiest, however tangle-resistant, no waterproofing. |
3.5/5 |
|
Worth |
Respectable sound, numerous options and a snug match, all for a really low worth. |
4.5/5 |
Purchase them if…
Do not buy them if…
JBL Tune 310C evaluate: Additionally take into account
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
JBL Tune 310C |
SoundMagic E80D |
Apple Earpods USB-C |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Value |
$24.95 / £14.99 / AU$29 |
$44 / £39.98 / AU$66 |
$19 / £19 / AU$29 |
|
Drivers |
9mm dynamic |
10mm dynamic |
Dynamic |
|
Weight |
14.3g |
16g |
30g |
|
Frequency vary |
20Hz – 40kHz |
15Hz – 22kHz |
20Hz-20kHz |
|
Waterproof ranking |
Not said |
Not said |
Not said |
JBL Tune 310C evaluate: How I examined
- Examined for one week
- Used within the workplace and whereas on walks
- Predominantly examined utilizing Tidal
I put the JBL Tune 310C to the take a look at over the course of 1 week. When attempting out these buds, I predominantly spent my time listening to music, which I did in the primary via Tidal on the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE. Nonetheless, I additionally tried them out with YouTube and Spotify on my Home windows laptop computer.
When listening, I performed via all of the tracks in our TechRadar testing playlist, which incorporates songs from quite a lot of genres – learn our information on how we test earbuds for extra. As well as, I spent hours tuning into songs from my private library, whereas additionally utilizing them in quite a lot of environments, together with busy streets and the workplace at Future Labs.