From 2021 to the end of 2023, JBL offered the JBL TUNE 510BT as their budget wireless on-ear headphones. For $50, you get the barebones JBL audio experience including USB-C charging and a multifunction button for triggering your connected device’s voice assistant. But during CES 2024, JBL announced its direct successor – the JBL TUNE 520BT and it comes with the same $50 price tag. Did JBL make any appealing improvements to catch the ears of entry-level headphones shoppers? Let’s dive in!
JBL TUNE 520BT on-ear headphones
Summary
While this is a refresh of the original model, this is still a solid, high-quality set of earphones for the price.
Pros
- Lightweight, fold up easily
- Earcups are comfortable
- Easy set-up
- Pair easily for on-ear controls
Cons
- No headphone jack
What’s in the Box?
Don’t expect much fanfare in the JBL TUNE 520BT packaging considering its budget nature. Aside from the headphones themselves, you get a short, bright orange USB-A to USB-C charging cable along with a quick start guide and warranty information.
About the JBL TUNE 520BT
One of the key things you should know about the JBL TUNE 520BT is its categorization as an “on-ear” headphones rather than an “over-ear” headphones and depending on your preference, it is an important distinction.
On-ear headphones have small earpads that rest on your ear with substantial padding. While this design choice makes the JBL TUNE 520BT more portable than JBL’s higher-end models, comfort might take a back seat depending on your ear size and shape. These earcups offer a smaller soundstage as well which matches the JBL TUNE 520BT’s small 33mm drivers.
Design
The design of the JBL TUNE 520BT provides a good level of flexibility. You can swivel both earcups as well as tilt each one up or down. The headband has some minimal padding with a clicky adjustable mechanism. The earpads are nothing to write home about but because they have the same size as the earpads on the JBL Tune 510BT and older 450BT/460BT models, you can easily replace them with third-party earpads sold on Amazon after the originals wear out.
The headphones, not surprisingly, are made of all plastic.
Fit & comfort
I will admit that I am not a huge fan of on ear headphones; I just don’t generally find them to be comfortable as I don’t like things pressing on my ears too much. With that said I tried to take on this review without pre-judging this pair. I will say the ear cushions are quite soft, and the padding on the headband does help keep it comfortable. The headphones do have a decent amount of clamping force, and this combined with the on ear design does create a recipe for extended use discomfort. I found myself wanting to take them off after just a few minutes, but again I’m not partial to this type of design. I think if you are an on ear fan, these could work for you just fine.
Controls & set up
You can find all the physical controls on the right earcup. This includes the power button which you hold for a couple of seconds to turn on or off the headphones. Holding the power button for 5 seconds while its off puts the JBL TUNE 520BT in pairing mode, and the first time you use it it should be in pairing mode automatically. Double tapping this button allows you to pair the headphones with a second device. Next to the power button is a small light indicator which shows the Bluetooth status. The indicator will also turn red if the headphones run low on battery.
Also included are a trio of buttons for the volume and play/pause buttons which function as you would expect when pressed normally. Holding either of the volume buttons will trigger “previous” and “next” functions while the middle button will summon your connected device’s default voice assistant. Pressing the middle button during an incoming call will also answer it.
Sound quality
I wasn’t expecting much when it came to the sound quality but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and even impressed about what I got for the money here. The JBL Tune 510BT sound really good, and certainly better than their budget status would let on.
The bass is surprisingly rich and resonant and the vocals are clear and crisp. They sound incredibly well-balanced and despite the plastic build there’s no rattle, crack, or echo while listening or moving around.
My biggest issue with the audio quality is that the narrower earcup of this type of on your design do close up the soundstage a little, but this problem can be remedied by looking to one of JBL’s ear headphones instead.
In short, I have nothing I can crack on when it comes to sound quality at this price point.
Improvements over the JBL Tune 510BT
While we never reviewed the JBL Tune 510BT, the similar driver specs and lack of JBL audio technologies aside from the “JBL Pure Bass Sound” on both models clearly indicates that you shouldn’t expect sweeping improvements to the sound quality. I wouldn’t call that a negative because JBL priced both products at $50 on launch. You can’t expect larger or improved drivers while keeping the price tag the same without compromises elsewhere.
Both products also use the same 450 mAh lithium-ion battery which means they weigh pretty similar too. But going down to the numbers, the 520BT weighs 157 grams which is 3 grams lighter than the 510BT. Although the battery size didn’t change, JBL claims a greatly improved battery life from up to 40 hours on the old model to up to 57 hours of music playback. This is good news for folks who plan on using the headphones for phone conversations as they tend to drain the battery faster.
But how did JBL exactly pull this off? My guess is the improved efficiency of the Bluetooth 5.3 specification that the 520BT offers over the dated Bluetooth 5.0 version on the 510BT. Bluetooth 5.3 offers a broader wireless range over 5.0 as well. JBL claims the 520BT charges a little bit faster too with 5 minutes of charging equating to 3 hours of music playback.
Finally, the 520BT has a purple variant for folks who don’t like the usual Black, White, and Blue colors. The shade is a bit lighter than the purple JBL Go 4, but I can imagine younger folks digging it.
App Support
If you are the type to fiddle with the equalizer settings to squeeze a tad bit more oomph to your music or podcasts, consider installing the JBL Headphones app on your Google Play or iOS device. The equalizer comes with a couple of presets like Jazz, Bass, Vocal, and Club. You can also customize the voice prompts and alter the duration of the automatic power off feature.
Overall Review: JBL TUNE 520BT
Overall the JBL TUNE 520BT is nothing more than a refresh of the original model but it does come with some upgrades like updated Bluetooth, longer battery life, and a fun purple variant. While the lack of audio quality improvements might seem disappointing, you can’t expect too much from a pair of headphones at this price range. Let’s go over the pros and the cons so you can see if these might be your next pair of headphones.
On the pro side they sound great and far better than one would expect at this price point. They are very lightweight, and fold up small for travel. The earcups are reasonably cushy, and the amount of clamping force will help keep these on your head even while you’re moving about.
They set up and pair easily and the on ear controls are easy to operate and mean you don’t always have to go fishing for your phone.
When it comes to the downsides, on their own merits these are really great headphones. My biggest complaint about them would be unfair; I’m not a fan of on ear headphones so I did find these uncomfortable to wear. But for those who appreciate this type of design, they will be really pleased with the JBL Tune 520.
I do wish though that JBL transitioned the design to an over-ear model so customers on a $50 budget can decide if they want on-ear or over-ear design with the same JBL 500-series feature set. A headphone jack would have been nice too for those rare instances of the battery running out or expanded compatibility with other devices. If you are looking for those features with better sound quality, give the JBL Tune 720BT a look. We reviewed its predecessor, the JBL Tune 710BT, and loved the sound quality and comfort.
JBL Tune 520 sells for about $50USD/$69CAD And you can get it from JBL’s website or from Amazon. You can check out my review of the 710 BT headphones or see what some GBL competitors are offering… Right here.
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