The JBL CLUB ONE are decent over-ear wireless headphones designed with DJs in mind. These comfortable, well-built headphones have a fairly balanced sound profile with just enough thump and punch to please most listeners. They also have a unique Silent Now feature that turns the Bluetooth in your headphones off while keeping their active noise cancelling (ANC) on so that you can focus on what you're doing with as few audible distractions as possible. On the downside, their active noise cancelling feature is just passable at best, which is a shame, and their integrated microphone struggles to capture voices in moderately noisy environments.
Our Verdict
The JBL CLUB ONE are alright for mixed use. They're comfortable for most uses, and their battery life lasts over a day, so you can commute or work at the office without having to worry about pausing to recharge them too often. They also have a fairly balanced and neutral sound with just a hint of extra bass that should especially please fans of bass-heavy music. If you prefer something different, they have a companion app that allows you to really tweak their sound with a parametric EQ or presets. On the downside, their active noise cancelling feature does a passable job at isolating background noise, so you'll still hear some of what's going on around you.
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Comfortable, stable fit.
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Companion app with parametric EQ plus presets.
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Almost 25-hour continuous battery life.
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Only passable active noise cancelling feature.
The JBL CLUB ONE are decent for neutral sound. They have a fairly balanced, neutral sound with a touch of extra bass suitable for DJing. They also have a slightly over-emphasized treble that can make vocals and lead instruments sound sharp and crisp. If you don't like this sound, you can also tweak it using their companion app's parametric EQ plus presets. On the downside, their somewhat large soundstage sounds unnatural, closed-off, and as if it's coming from inside your head, rather than out in front.
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Companion app with parametric EQ plus presets.
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Coiled audio cable with 6.3mm adapter.
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Disappointing passive soundstage.
The JBL CLUB ONE are decent for commuting and traveling. While their active noise cancelling is passable at best, it can still help slightly cut down a bit of low rumble noise like bus or plane engines. Their bulky design can also be troublesome, but they do come with an excellent hard case so that you can slip them into your bag or luggage when not in use. Still, they're comfortable and their 25-hour battery life should be enough to get you from point A to B.
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Comfortable, stable fit.
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Almost 25-hour continuous battery life.
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Silent Now feature leaves ANC on but turns off Bluetooth and audio.
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Only passable active noise cancelling feature.
The JBL CLUB ONE are decent for sports and fitness. Although they're a bit bulky, they're comfortable and stable enough to wear while running. Thanks to their wireless design, they shouldn't get snagged on anything. However, they're not meant for more intense exercise and may fall off. They also don't seem to have an IP rating for water or dust resistance, which is disappointing.
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Comfortable, stable fit.
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No IP rating.
The JBL CLUB ONE are alright for office use. These headphones have a passable active noise cancelling feature, which can help reduce some office chatter. Although they're comfortable, they also tend to leak a small bit of audio, and some people around you may hear your music. On the upside, they have almost 25 hours of continuous battery life, which should help you get through your work day.
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Comfortable, stable fit.
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Almost 25-hour continuous battery life.
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Silent Now feature leaves ANC on but turns off Bluetooth and audio.
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Only passable active noise cancelling feature.
The JBL CLUB ONE aren't recommended for wireless gaming. They're Bluetooth-only, so they aren't compatible with Xbox One or PS4. While you can connect them to a Bluetooth-enabled PC, the latency will likely be too high for gaming.
The JBL CLUB ONE are good for wired gaming. These comfortable headphones come with both a mic integrated into the ear cups as well as an in-line mic on their TRRS cable. With their TRRS cable, you have full compatibility with PC, PS4, and Xbox One. They have a fairly neutral and balanced sound profile too but if you want to tweak it to better suit your gameplay, their companion app offers a parametric EQ plus presets.
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Comfortable, stable fit.
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Companion app with parametric EQ plus presets.
The JBL CLUB ONE are fair for phone calls. They come with an integrated mic in the ear cups as well as an in-line mic on their TRRS cable. When using their integrated mic, voices recorded sound natural but slightly muffled. It also struggles to separate voices from background noise. At least there's an active noise cancelling feature: it's only passable, but it can help to slightly reduce background noise so that you can focus more on your call.
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Comfortable, stable fit.
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Mediocre in-line microphone.
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Only passable active noise cancelling feature.
- 7.2 Mixed Usage
- 7.4 Neutral Sound
- 7.3 Commute/Travel
- 7.4 Sports/Fitness
- 7.2 Office
- 5.9 Wireless Gaming
- 7.5 Wired Gaming
- 6.7 Phone Calls
- Updated Jun 22, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Jun 17, 2020: Early access published.
- Updated Jun 01, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated May 28, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated May 20, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Compared To Other Headphones
The JBL CLUB ONE are wireless over-ear headphones designed for DJing as well as casual use. Unlike other headphones from JBL's CLUB lineup such as the JBL CLUB 950NC, they come with a coiled audio cable, and they have a feature called Silent Now that acts as an ANC-only feature. Unfortunately, compared to other ANC headphones such as the similarly priced Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless, the performance given by these headphones is forgettable at best. If you're still looking around for more headphones, check out our recommendations for the best DJ headphones, the best headphones with active noise cancelling, or the best headphones for music.
The JBL CLUB 950NC Wireless and the JBL CLUB ONE Wireless are very similar headphones in terms of performance and looks. However, the 950NC have a bit more balanced sound profile, a slightly better noise cancelling (ANC) feature, and their battery charges quicker. However, the CLUB ONE have a slightly better performing integrated mic, they come with a coiled audio cable for DJing, and they have a Silent Now feature that allows you to only use their ANC without listening to music, to help limit audio distractions.
The JBL CLUB ONE Wireless and the JBL Tour One Wireless are somewhat similar headphones, although the CLUB ONE have a slight advantage. The CLUB ONE are better built, and their ANC can block out more ambient noise. However, both headphones are comfortable, and their sound profile is customizable, thanks to their companion app.
The Jabra Elite 85h Wireless and the JBL CLUB ONE Wireless are very similarly performing headphones. The Jabra are slightly more comfortable, they have easier-to-use controls, and their sound profile is more neutral as well as better-balanced. They also have a better overall performing microphone, their continuous battery life lasts much longer, and their active noise cancelling does a slightly better job overall. On the other hand, when used wired, the JBL have full compatibility with PC, PS4, and Xbox One. They also come with a coiled cable for DJing, their companion app has a parametric EQ, and they feel better built than the Jabra.
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x are better Djing headphones than the JBL CLUB ONE Wireless. The Audio-Technica have a slightly more neutral sound profile, and their soundstage is perceived as being more natural as well as sounding like it's coming from out in front of you rather than being contained in your head. However, the JBL are way more versatile as they have two kinds of microphone, an active noise cancelling feature, and they can be used wirelessly.
The Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless are much better active noise cancelling headphones than the JBL CLUB ONE Wireless. The Sony are slightly more comfortable, and their ANC can block out more noise in each of the ranges. They also have a virtual soundstage feature and a longer-lasting continuous battery life. However, the JBL have a unique Silent Now feature that allows you to use the ANC without audio or Bluetooth connectivity. They can also simultaneously pair with up to two devices at a time, and when wired, they have full compatibility with PS4 and Xbox One.
Test Results
The JBL CLUB ONE have a similarly sleek and well-designed look as the JBL CLUB 950NC Wireless. They have an all-black matte finish and their headband feels premium thanks to its leatherette detailing. They also have small, exposed wires on each ear cup.
The JBL CLUB ONE are quite comfortable headphones and you should be able to wear them for long DJing sessions without experiencing too much fatigue or discomfort. Although they have a higher clamping force, they don't really feel like they clamp very tightly.
The JBL CLUB ONE have a good control scheme. You can manage calls or music, activate the voice assistant, and turn their ANC feature on/off. They've also added a Silent Now feature that allows you to keep the ANC on, even when your headphones are turned off and you're not listening to music, which is nice if you just want some peace. However, the button controls are all very close to one another, and it can be difficult to know what button you're pressing until you get used to them.
The JBL CLUB ONE aren't the most portable headphones. As they have an over-ear design, they have large ear cups that take up a fair amount of space. You can fold them up in two different ways to make them a bit smaller, but unfortunately, the ear cups can't swivel to lay flat.
The JBL CLUB ONE's carrying case is excellent. It feels really solid, and it should be able to easily protect your headphones from the occasional drop or bump. It also looks waterproof, although we don't currently test for this, and even when closed, the zipper is covered.
The JBL CLUB ONE have a great build quality that looks and feels sturdy and high-end. They feel better-built than the JBL Tour One Wireless and are mostly made of good-quality plastic, while the hinges and yokes are made from metal. Although we don't test for it, we couldn't find an IP rating for them.
The JBL CLUB ONE have good stability. They have a tight enough clamp that they shouldn't move around too much during a light run in the park. However, they may fall off your head if you're wearing them during more intense workouts.
- JBL CLUB ONE headphones
- 1/8" TRRS audio cable with an in-line mic
- 1/8" TRRS coiled audio cable
- USB-C charging cable
- Carrying case
- Manuals
- 6.3mm adapter
- Airplane adapter
The sound profile of these headphones is quite well-balanced. There's a touch of extra bass to bring out just enough thump and punch in your favorite mixes. There's also a bit of brightness so vocals and lead instruments sound crisp. If you prefer a slightly different sound, these headphones come with a companion app that has a parametric EQ or presets to help you tweak the sound to your liking.
The frequency response of the JBL CLUB ONE is okay. Bass delivery can vary and a drop in bass may occur if the ear cups aren't flush to your head, especially if you wear glasses or have thick hair. There are also some inconsistencies in the treble range and treble delivery seems to be sensitive to the headphones' positioning and placement.
The bass accuracy of the JBL CLUB ONE is great. Although the bass is slightly overemphasized across the entire range, it has a fairly flat response that isn't too overwhelming. This produces a nice, thumpy bass with a good amount of kick suitable for most music genres.
The mid accuracy of these headphones is excellent. It's very neutral and well-balanced, so vocals and lead instruments sound detailed, natural, and present.
The JBL CLUB ONE have decent treble accuracy. It sounds bright, although the peak in the mid-treble can make sibilants like cymbals sharp and piercing. However, some people may prefer this sound as it helps to make vocals and lead instruments crisper.
The peaks and dips performance is good. The small peak in the mid bass adds punch and body to your mixes although the dip in the low-mids indicates that it could result in a more muddy or cluttered sound. There's also a large peak in the mid-treble that can make sibilants sharp and even painful.
The stereo imaging is great.The group delay response is below the audibility threshold, resulting in a tight bass and a transparent treble reproduction. Additionally, the L/R drivers of our test unit are fairly well-matched in amplitude and phase response, which is important for the accurate placement and localization of objects and instruments (like voices and footsteps) in the stereo image. There's a bit of frequency mismatch, but this may not be noticeable to everyone. These results are only valid for our unit and yours may perform differently.
The passive soundstage of the JBL CLUB ONE is disappointing. Since they're closed-back headphones, they sound less open than their open-back counterparts. That being said, their soundstage appears relatively large, but it still sounds unnatural, and as if the sound is located inside your head instead of being out in front of you.
The JBL CLUB ONE don't have any virtual soundstage features.
The JBL CLUB ONE's weighted harmonic distortion is very good. All frequencies fall within acceptable limits, which should result in a clear and pure audio reproduction.
These are the settings used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid when using these settings.
The noise isolation performance of the JBL CLUB ONE is only passable. Their active noise cancelling feature performs similarly to the JBL CLUB 950NC Wireless and they struggle to cut down low sounds like the rumble of bus or plane engines. While they do a slightly better job of reducing mid-range noise like office chatter, they're much better at blocking high-pitched sounds like the hum of A/C units.
The leakage performance of these headphones is fair. Most of the leakage is spread between the mid and treble ranges. At higher volume, some leakage may be noticeable to those nearest to you, even in noisy environments like an office.
The JBL CLUB ONE have both an integrated microphone in the ear cups as well as an in-line microphone on its detachable TRRS cable.
The recording quality of the integrated microphone is passable. Your voice sounds natural but slightly muffled.
The noise handling of the integrated microphone is mediocre. It struggles to separate your voice from moderately loud background noise.
The battery performance of the JBL CLUB ONE is excellent. They're advertised as having a 23-hr battery life but we managed to get almost two hours more from our test pair. They also have an auto-off timer that can be turned on/off from their app. Try the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Wireless if you're looking for wireless over-ears that last even longer on a single charge.
The JBL Headphones app is a good companion app. Although it doesn't have a lot of customization features, it does offer a parametric EQ as well as presets so that you can tweak their sound profile to your liking. You can also turn the ANC, talk-through, and the auto-off timer on/off.
The JBL CLUB ONE have good Bluetooth connectivity. You can pair them with up to two devices at one time, which makes it easy to switch between your phone and your laptop. They have a disappointing line of sight range, but this is more dependant on your surroundings, so your real-world usage may likely vary. While Android and iOS have somewhat high latency, the latency on PC is a lot less. However, some apps and devices tend to compensate for latency differently, so your mileage may vary in real-world usage.
The JBL CLUB ONE are Bluetooth-only headphones.
The JBL CLUB ONE can be used wired with any 1/8" TRRS cable. They come with one 1/8" TRRS cable that has an in-line microphone on it, so you can make phone calls or play video games. They also come with one 1/8" TRS coiled cable, which is suitable for DJing.
As these headphones have a TRRS cable with an in-line remote, they're fully compatible with PC or PS4 when used wired.