Our Verdict
Average for mixed usage. The JBL E25BT have an easy-to-use and wireless in-ear design that's lightweight and portable. They sound good enough for most and have very low leakage and somewhat okay noise isolation to be a decent option for commuting, sports, and the office. Unfortunately, they lack customization options, they feel slightly cheap, and since they are Bluetooth-only headphones, you will not be able to use them passively if the battery dies and their wireless latency will not be ideal for watching movies and gaming.
- Simple and compact design.
- Breathable and stable enough for sports.
- Very low leakage.
- Mediocre-at-best noise isolation.
- Poor microphone quality.
Decent for neutral listening. They have a good bass range that will sound punchy and exciting with most tracks, if a little boomy at times. They also have a decently balanced mid-range and won't sound too sharp with instruments and vocals like some of the other wireless in-ears we've tested. They should sound good and balanced enough for most, but more neutral listeners may not like the small soundstage.
Decent for commuting. They're compact and fit into most pockets. They also have a good control scheme that you can use on the go with your phone. They do not block as much noise as typical in-ear designs but since they barely leak even at high volumes you can mask some of the ambient noise with your music without distracting anyone around you.
Above-average for sports. These headphones have a decently stable in-ear fit, they're wireless and small enough to carry around on your person wherever you go. They also have a good and easy to use control scheme, but unfortunately, the module on the back of the cable makes them slightly unstable, but the provided neck clip somewhat mitigates this issue if you attach it to the back of your shirt.
Decent for office use. They barely leak even at high volumes so you can mask the ambient noise of a lively office by playing your music a little louder without distracting your colleagues. Unfortunately, they are not the most isolating in-ears we've tested so some noise will seep into your audio in loud environments.
Sub-par for gaming. They have a mediocre-at-best mic that will not be compatible with consoles. They lack customization options and have a bit too much latency to be a suitable choice for gaming.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Jul 27, 2018: Review published.
- Updated Jul 25, 2018: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The JBL E25BT have a simple and straightforward wireless in-ear design that's decent enough for most use cases. They have a moderately balanced audio reproduction that will sound good enough for most listeners and a decently long battery life that will last you a full workday. They're easy to use with a good control scheme and a slightly more comfortable in-ear fit than typical in-ear designs, thanks to their small earbuds. Unfortunately, they do not come with a lot of tip options, their build quality though better than some similarly designed models, still feels a bit cheap, and they do not block noise well enough to be the ideal option for commuting. On the upside, their low leakage does help since you can mask a lot of ambient noise the louder you play your music. See our recommendations for the best budget earbuds, the best Bluetooth earbuds under $50, the best cheap wireless earbuds, and the best wireless earbuds for iPhone.
The Jaybird Freedom are much better headphones overall than the JBL E25BT. The Jaybird have more customization options, they're more comfortable, and they're more suitable for sports thanks to their multiple tips and stability fins. The Jaybird also have better build quality than the JBLs. On the upside, the E25BT can pair with two devices simultaneously, so you can quickly switch between your phone and tablet. They also have a longer battery continuous battery life than the Jaybird and do not need a cumbersome charging clip.
The Beats BeatsX Wireless are better all-around headphones for most uses than the JBL E25BT Wireless. The Beats have a better and more premium build quality, a much greater wireless range, and a very fast charge time. They also sound better than the JBL overall, although they do struggle more with high frequencies. The JBL, on the other hand, can pair with multiple devices at once for easy switching between Bluetooth sources and have a longer battery life.
The JBL E25BT Wireless are slightly better headphones than the Skullcandy Jib, but not by much. The JBL have a better build quality and a longer-lasting battery life. The E25BT also have a slightly better-balanced sound and better cable management, so the module on the back of their cable will not bounce around as much if you use the clip. On the other hand, the Jib have a better mid-range and will not sound as sharp on some S and T sounds.
The JBL E25BT are better headphones overall than the Sony WI-C300. The JBLs also have a higher-end build quality and a flatter battery module with better cable management. The E25BT also have longer battery life and a more balanced sound with deeper bass. The WI-C300, on the other hand, support NFC, which makes them slightly easier to pair with mobile phones.
The JBL E25BT Wireless are slightly better headphones than the Jabra Elite 25e Wireless, but not by much. The JBL have a slightly more balanced sound than the Jabra. The JBL also isolate a bit more in noisy environments, making them a bit better-suited for the commute and travel. They're also more portable than the Jabra. On the upside, the Jabra have a longer 16hr battery life, a more comfortable earbud fit, and a better control scheme, with a dedicated mic button.
The JBL Endurance Sprint are slightly better headphones overall than the JBL E25BT. The Sprint have a better build quality and a more sports-oriented design with IPX7 water resistance. They also have a better-balanced sound and a more stable ear-hook design that will prevent the headphones from falling off your ears when running or doing more intense physical activities. The JBL E25BT, on the other hand, are more portable and have a better control scheme. They also deliver a slightly longer battery life on average although they do not have an auto-off feature so they won't last as long the Endurance Sprint.
We've upgraded our Headphones Test Bench to 2.0! This update brings several key changes to our tests and usages, making it easier than ever to interpret our sound results based on your personal preferences. You'll also find a brand-new interactive graph tool featuring multiple targets (including our own!) for you to explore and compare.
For a full breakdown, check out our changelog, which includes detailed commentary from our test designer explaining the rationale behind our update.
We'd also love to hear your thoughts: your feedback helps us keep improving, so join us in the comments!
Test Results
The JBL E25BT have a similar look and feel to some of the other wireless in-ears that we've tested recently like the Skullcandy Jib and the Sony WI-C300. They have a simple and straightforward wireless in-ear design, with a thin audio cable that has an additional module to house the battery. The earbuds are small and do not come with any stability fins or ear-hooks which makes them compact but also look a bit cheap. On the upside, the battery module on the back of the cable is a little flatter and slightly smaller than that of the Skullcandy Jib or the WI-C300 so it won't be as bothersome during physical activity, although the design will not be for everyone. They also come in a few color schemes that are a bit more distinguishable at a distance than the Jib so you can better match your headphones to your clothing.
The JBL E25BT are decently comfortable wireless in-ears similar to the Skullcandy Jib and the Sony WI-C300. They have a similar earbud design that's very small and does not have many points of contact with the outer parts of your ear canal, which makes them a bit more comfortable than conventional in-ears. However they do not come with as many tip options as some of the more premium in-ears we've tested like the 1More Triple Driver In-Ear, so they won't be as comfortable for everyone. Also, like the WI-C300 and the Jib, they have a bulky module on the back of the cable that may get a bit bothersome since it will bounce up and down when running unless you tuck it into your shirt or attach it to your clothing with the additional neck clip provided in the box.
The JBL E25BT have a good control scheme that's efficient and easy to use. They have a simple 3-button setup like most in-line remotes that provides all the essential functions; volume controls and a multi-purpose button for track-skipping and call/music management. The buttons are easy-to-use and deliver good feedback.
The JBL E25BT are very breathable headphones like most in-ears. They do not touch or cover any parts of your outer ear, so your ears will remain cool no matter the physical activity. Their earbuds are also a bit smaller than typical in-ears, so they barely cause any temperature difference when running and working out. This makes them a decent option for most sports.
The JBL E25BT are very portable headphones that will easily fit into your pockets. Their earbuds are smaller than typical in-ear designs, but since they have an additional module on their cable like the Skullcandy Jib they are slightly bulkier than wired in-ears and most truly wireless headphones. On the upside, they are still compact enough to easily carry on your person at all times.
These headphones come with a small soft pouch similar to some of the Jaybird headphones. It's compact and portable enough to easily a carry on your person but does not offer as much protection for your headphones as a soft or hard case would.
The JBL E25BT have a slightly better build quality than similarly designed headphones like the Skullcandy Jib and the Sony WI-C300. The cables are coated with a more durable fabric than the other models, and the in-line remote and battery module feels better built with a slightly more high-end plastic. The earbuds unfortunately still look and feel a bit cheap, and their overall design won't be as durable as some of the other wireless in-ears and earbuds we've reviewed like the Bose SoundSport Wireless.
The JBL E25BT have are decently stable wireless in-ears. However, they have a fairly bulky module on their audio cable that bounces around when running, if not tucked under your shirt or clipped to your clothes, with the additional neck clip provided in the box. It pulls slightly on the earbuds making them a bit less stable than other wireless in-ears with a similar design. They also do not come with any additional stability fins so they may occasionally slip out of your ears during more strenuous workouts. If you need more dedicated sports headsets, then check out the JBL endurance Sprint or the Anker Soundbuds Curve.
- JBL E25BT Headphones
- Earbud tips (x3 sizes)
- USB charging cable
- Carrying pouch
- Cable management neck clip
- Manuals
The frequency response consistency of the JBL E25BT is excellent. If the user is able to achieve a proper fit and an air-tight seal using the assortment of tips that come with the headphones, then they should be able to get consistent bass and treble delivery every time they use the headphones.
The bass is great. LFE (low-frequency extension) is at 10Hz, which is excellent. Low-bass, responsible for the thump and rumble common to bass-heavy music is within 1dB of our neutral target. This results in a sub-bass that is extended and has just the right amount of thump to it. Mid-bass, responsible for the body of the bass guitars and the punch of the kick drums is hyped by less than 3dB. High-bass, responsible for warmth, is overemphasized by more than 4dB. This makes the overall bass a bit boomy and muddy.
The JBL E25BT have a good mid-range performance. Low-mid shows the continuation of the high-bass bump. This thickens the vocals a bit and makes mixes a bit cluttered. However, at 1.4dB this effect will be quite subtle. The dip in mid-mid and high-mid makes the mid-range a bit recessed by pushing vocals and lead instruments towards the backs of the mix and gives more emphasis to the lower frequencies.
The JBL E25BT have a very good treble. Low-treble is even and balanced, but underemphasized by about 2dB. This has a subtle but negative effect on brightness and detail of vocals and lead instruments. Mid-treble is a bit uneven, especially around 10KHz. This could translate into uneven sibilances, that is, some and S and T sounds may be overemphasized and some other may be underemphasized.
The imaging performance is excellent. The weighted group delay is at 0.15, which is very low. The GD graph also shows that the entire group delay response is below the audibility threshold. This ensures a tight bass and a transparent treble reproduction. Additionally, the L/R drivers of our test unit were very well-matched, which is important for the accurate placement and localization of objects (instruments, voice, footsteps), in the stereo image.
The soundstage of the JBL E25BT Wireless is poor. This is because creating an out-of-head and speaker-like soundstage is largely dependent on activating the resonances of the pinna (outer ear). The design of in-ears and earbuds is in such a way that fully bypasses the pinna and doesn't interact with it. Also, because these headphones have a closed-back enclosure, their soundstage won't be perceived to be as open as that of open-back earbuds like the Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless or the Bose SoundSport Free Truly Wireless.
The isolation performance is about average. Although these headphones don't have active noise cancelling, they were able to achieve about 6dB of isolation in the bass range. However, this won't be quite adequate for reducing the rumble of airplane and bus engines that occupy that frequency range. In the mid-range, important for blocking out speech, they isolate by more than 18dB, which is good. In the treble range, occupied by sharp sounds like S and Ts, they achieved more than 31dB of isolation, which is good.
The leakage performance of the E25BT Wireless is great. Like most other closed-back in-ears, these headphones do not leak in the bass and mid ranges. Therefore, their leakage will be thin and sharp sounding. The significant portion of their leakage is concentrated in a very narrow band around 6KHz. The overall level of the leakage is quiet too. With the music at 100dB SPL, the leakage at 1 foot away averages at 30dB SPL and peaks at 52dB SPL, which is the same as the noise floor of an average office.
The in-line microphone of the JBL E25BT is mediocre. In quiet environments, speech recorded or transmitted with this mic will sound relatively thin, and noticeably muffled and lacking in detail so it won't be ideal for making calls. However, it is able to separate speech from background noise to a good degree in moderately loud environments, like a busy street.
The microphone of the JBL E25BT has a sub-par recording quality. The LFE (low-frequency extension) of 479Hz means speech recorded/transmitted with this mic will sound relatively thin. The HFE (high-frequency extension) of 2.4KHz results in a speech that is muffled and lacks quite a bit of detail. This will have a small negative effect on the intelligibility of speech. However, the response between the LFE and HFE points is good.
The noise handling of the microphone is good. It achieved a speech-to-noise ratio of 24dB in our SpNR test. This means they are able to separate speech from ambient noise to a good degree in moderately loud environments, like a busy street but may struggle in louder situations, like a subway station.
The JBL E25BT have a decent battery life. You can't use them while they are charging, and they do not automatically turn off once inactive and still connected to a Bluetooth source like the SoundSport Wireless. They're also Bluetooth-only headphones with no passive playback so you won't be able to use them when the battery dies. On the upside, at 9.5 hours of measured continuous playback, they should last you long enough for a full workday especially if you take breaks.
The JBL E25BT headphones do not come with a compatible app for added customization options. You can check out the Jaybird Freedom 2 or the Tarah if you want a relatively affordable in-ear headset with a highly customizable sound.
The JBL E25BT have simultaneous multi-device pairing so you can quickly switch between your Bluetooth sources. However, they do not support NFC pairing.
Below-average latency performance. The JBL E25BT Wireless have about 192ms of latency which is not suitable for watching movies and gaming.
The E25BT are Bluetooth-only headphones with no wired option. If you want a decent sounding wired design with a universal in-line remote, then check out the 1More Triple Driver In-Ear.
These in-ear buds do not have a dock. If you want a headphone that's versatile and has a dock, try the SteelSeries Arctis 7. However, it won't be as compact and easy-to-carry around on your person.