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JBL Tune 510BT Wireless Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.5
Reviewed Apr 21, 2021 at 10:25 am
Latest change: Writing modified Apr 11, 2023 at 12:36 pm
JBL Tune 510BT Wireless Picture
7.4
Neutral Sound
6.1
Commute/Travel
6.8
Sports/Fitness
6.3
Office
5.4
Wireless Gaming
5.3
Wired Gaming
6.5
Phone Calls

The JBL Tune 510BT Wireless are budget-friendly wireless on-ear headphones. They have a slightly V-shaped sound profile that adds extra kick and brightness to some tracks and supply over 38 hours of playback time on a single charge, which should be sufficient for a couple of days of continuous use. Unfortunately, they do a poor job of blocking out background noise, feel cheaply built, and don't have any sound customization features.

Our Verdict

7.4 Neutral Sound

The JBL Tune 510BT are a decent choice for neutral sound. Their sound profile is slightly V-shaped, with a mildly overemphasized bass and treble response that adds extra kick and brightness to your favorite tracks hop tracks. However, some users may find they sound too thumpy and boomy. They also don't offer any sound customization features. On the upside, they deliver audio quite consistently.

Pros
  • Consistent audio delivery.
Cons
  • Lack of sound customization features.
6.1 Commute/Travel

The JBL Tune 510BT are an acceptable option for commuting and traveling. They do a bad job of blocking out background noise, especially the low rumble of bus engines and the chatter of other commuters. They also aren't especially comfortable or sturdily-built. That said, their 38-hour-plus battery life should be more than enough for long overnight trips.

Pros
  • Long continuous battery life.
  • Easy-to-use control scheme.
Cons
  • Bad noise isolation capability.
  • Cheap-feeling build quality.
6.8 Sports/Fitness

The JBL Tune 510BT are okay for sports and fitness. They're quite lightweight and allow for a decent amount of airflow to your ears, but do a middling job of staying in place and don't feel sturdy enough to endure a few drops and bumps. Thankfully, they have an easy-to-use physical control scheme that should allow you to make several adjustments without forcing you to pull out your phone.

Pros
  • Easy-to-use control scheme.
  • Decently breathable fit.
Cons
  • Cheap-feeling build quality.
  • Unstable on the head.
6.3 Office

The JBL Tune 510BT are mediocre for office use. They do a terrible job of filtering out the chatter of nearby coworkers and leak quite a bit of audio at higher listening volumes, which could annoy people nearby. They're also rather uncomfortable due to their poorly padded headband. That said, they can pair with two devices simultaneously, so you can remain connected to your computer while streaming music from your phone. Their long continuous battery life should also ensure that you don't run out of charge mid-way through your workday.

Pros
  • Long continuous battery life.
  • Multi-device pairing capability.
Cons
  • Bad noise isolation capability.
  • High levels of audio leakage.
5.4 Wireless Gaming

The JBL Tune 510BT aren't suitable for wireless gaming. They aren't compatible with Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, or PS5 consoles, and their latency on Bluetooth-enabled PCs is likely to be too high for gaming.

5.3 Wired Gaming

The JBL Tune 510BT aren't suitable for wired gaming since they can only be used wirelessly.

6.5 Phone Calls

The JBL Tune 510BT aren't bad for making phone calls. Their integrated mic makes your voice sound clear and natural, but it can struggle to isolate speech from loud background noise. Due to their poor noise isolation capability, you may have a hard time following what's being said on a call if you're in a noisy environment.

Pros
  • Decent mic recording quality.
Cons
  • Bad noise isolation capability.
  • 7.4 Neutral Sound
  • 6.1 Commute/Travel
  • 6.8 Sports/Fitness
  • 6.3 Office
  • 5.4 Wireless Gaming
  • 5.3 Wired Gaming
  • 6.5 Phone Calls
  1. Updated Apr 11, 2023: Added a mention of the Sony WH-CH520 Wireless in the Sound Profilebox.
  2. Updated Dec 12, 2022: We've added a comparison between these headphones and the Skullcandy Riff Wireless 2 in Compared To Other Headphones.
  3. Updated Aug 05, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
  4. Updated Apr 21, 2021: Review published.
  5. Updated Apr 19, 2021: Early access published.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The JBL Tune 510BT are available in four different color schemes. 'Black', 'White', 'Rose', and 'Blue'. We tested the 'Black' variant, and you can see the label here. We expect the other color variants to perform similarly overall.

If you come across another variant of these headphones not listed above, let us know in the discussions below so we can update our review.

Compared To Other Headphones

The JBL Tune 510BT are budget-friendly wireless headphones. While these are fairly basic on-ears overall, their inclusion of multi-device pairing capability is somewhat rare at this price point. However, they feel rather cheaply made and do a bad job of filtering out background noise. Unlike the Skullcandy Riff Wireless 2, they lack companion app support, so you can't customize their sound to your liking.

If you're looking for alternatives, check out our list of recommendations for the best headphones under $50, the best on-ear headphones, and the best wireless Bluetooth headphones under $100.

Sony WH-CH510 Wireless

The Sony WH-CH510 Wireless and JBL Tune 510BT Wireless are fairly well-matched, though you may prefer one over the other depending on your needs. The JBL have a more comprehensive control scheme, provide superior mic recording quality, and can pair with two devices simultaneously. Meanwhile, the Sony have a more breathable, stable fit and block out marginally more background noise, though their performance in this respect is still poor.

Sony WH-CH520 Wireless

The Sony WH-CH520 Wireless are more customizable and versatile on-ear headphones than the JBL Tune 510BT Wireless. The Sony's companion app lets you customize the sound to your liking or make changes to the controls. The JBL, on the other hand, have no app compatibility and can't be customized at all. Their mic also makes your voice sound much quieter than the Sony headphones' mic, meaning you'll have to speak louder when answering calls. The Sony's battery also lasts a lot longer than the JBL headphones' and will get you through a whole workweek without needing a recharge.

JBL Tune 660NC Wireless

The JBL Tune 660NC Wireless are better than the JBL Tune 510BT Wireless for most purposes. They have longer continuous battery life and leak less audio. They also have an ANC feature that blocks out much more ambient noise than the 510BT can passively, but their noise isolation performance is sub-par overall. On the other hand, the 510BT deliver sound more consistently.

JBL Live 400BT Wireless

The JBL Live 400BT Wireless are better overall headphones than the  JBL Tune 510BT Wireless. The 400BT feel slightly sturdier, have a significantly more stable fit, block out far more ambient noise, and leak less audio. While their sound profile is fairly neutral out-of-the-box, they have a companion app with a parametric EQ, and EQ presets to customize their sound. Despite having a shorter continuous battery life than the 510BT, they have an auto-off timer to help conserve charge and offer full mic and audio compatibility on a wired connection thanks to their included 1/8" TRRS cable. Conversely, the 510BT are a little lighter and slightly more portable.

JBL Live 500BT Wireless

The JBL Live 500BT Wireless and JBL Tune 510BT Wireless are differently-designed headphones, though the over-ear 500BT are more versatile overall. The 500BT have a comfier, more stable fit, are significantly better-built, block out more ambient noise, leak less audio, and have a companion app with a parametric EQ and presets. Meanwhile, the on-ear 510BT are more portable, deliver audio more consistently, and have a slightly longer maximum battery life, though they lack an auto-off timer to help conserve the charge when not in use.

Sony WH-CH500 Wireless

The Sony WH-CH500 Wireless and JBL Tune 510BT Wireless each have advantages, meaning one may suit you better than the other. The JBL have an easier-to-use control scheme, superior mic recording quality, a significantly longer battery life, and multi-device pairing capability. Meanwhile, the Sony have a more stable, breathable fit and block out more ambient noise. They also have a standby mode to conserve the charge when not in use.

Skullcandy Riff Wireless 2

The Skullcandy Riff Wireless 2 are slightly better on-ears than the JBL Tune 510BT Wireless. While both headphones are similarly fairly comfortable and support multi-device pairing, the Skullcandy have a better mic performance, a significantly better battery performance, and sound customization features via their companion app. However, the JBL are better-built and have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer.

Beats Solo Pro Wireless

The Beats Solo Pro Wireless are better than the JBL Tune 510BT Wireless. The Beats have a more breathable and stable fit, noticeably better build quality, and an ANC system that enables them to block out an impressive amount of ambient noise. Meanwhile, the JBL have longer battery life and multi-device pairing capability, so you can stream music from your phone while remaining connected to your computer. They can also be folded up into a smaller form factor, though they lack a carrying pouch.

JBL T450BT Wireless

The JBL T450BT Wireless and JBL Tune 510BT Wireless each have their strengths, so depending on your needs, one may suit you better than the other. The T450BT have a more breathable, stable fit, block out more ambient noise, and leak less audio. Meanwhile, the 510BT can pair with two devices at once, have a significantly longer battery life, and offer superior mic recording quality.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Type On-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic

The JBL Tune 510BT are simple-looking on-ear headphones very similar in design to the JBL Live 400BT Wireless, with an embossed manufacturer logo on their small ear cups and a slim plastic headband. They're available in a couple of different color schemes, including the conservative black colorway of our unit and a similarly conventional white color scheme. If you're feeling a little more adventurous, they're also available in dark blue or light pink.

6.5
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.35 lbs
Clamping Force
0.7 lbs

The JBL Tune 510BT are reasonably comfortable. They feel very light on your head, have ear cups with a wide range of articulation, and don't clamp your ears especially tightly. Unfortunately, only the middle of the headband is padded. Their ear cups are shallow, too, even by the standards of other on-ear headphones, which could cause some discomfort for users with larger ears.

7.1
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use Good
Feedback Good
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control Yes
Microphone Control Mute/Unmute
Channel Mixing
No
Noise Cancelling Control No
Talk-Through
No
Additional Controls Voice Assistant

The JBL Tune 510BT have a decent physical control scheme. All the buttons are found on the right ear cup and are easy to tell apart. Holding down the volume up and volume down buttons skips tracks forward and backward, respectively. Pressing the middle button pauses and plays music or answers and ends phone calls, while holding it down on a call mutes your mic or rejects incoming calls. Double tapping it turns on your phone's voice assistant. The buttons are clicky, offering good physical feedback. There are also audio cues for reaching maximum and minimum volumes, and chimes for powering on the headphones or pairing them to a device over Bluetooth.

7.4
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 3.1 °C

The JBL Tune 510BT are decently breathable. They don't cover the outer edges of your ears completely, which should allow for a bit of airflow. That said, your ears are still likely to sweat more than usual if you wear them during workouts.

6.9
Design
Portability
L 3.9" (9.9 cm)
W 7.3" (18.5 cm)
H 1.3" (3.3 cm)
Volume 38.30 in³ (627.62 cm³)
Transmitter Required No

These on-ears are fairly portable. Their ear cups can swivel to lay flat and fold inwards to reduce their footprint, making them easier to store. Unfortunately, they don't come with a carrying case or pouch.

0
Design
Case
Type No case
L N/A
W N/A
H N/A
Volume N/A
6.0
Design
Build Quality

The JBL Tune 510BT have mediocre build quality. They're mostly made of cheap-feeling plastic, though their padding is lined with faux leather. Their ear cup hinges and yokes aren't especially solid, though the hinges offer a wide range of articulation. They lack an IP rating for water or dust resistance too, but it's worth noting that we don't currently test for this.

5.5
Design
Stability

These headphones aren't very stable. Even low-intensity movements can cause them to loosen their fit and slip off your head, so they aren't the best option for activities that cause you to shake your head.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • JBL Tune 510BT wireless headphones
  • USB-C to USB-A charging cable
  • Quick Start guide

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
1.46 dB
Treble Amount
-0.93 dB

The JBL Tune 510BT have a slightly V-shaped sound profile. This should add extra kick and boom to your favorite EDM and hip-hop tracks but can slightly muddy some vocals and lead instrumentals. Their mildly overemphasized treble range adds a bit of extra brightness to your mix, though some users may find this a bit piercing and harsh. Unfortunately, they lack any sound customization features, with no in-app graphic EQ and no onboard EQ presets. If you're looking for over-ears with an adjustable sound profile, check out the Sony WH-CH520 Wireless.

7.8
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.43 dB

The JBL Tune 510BT have very good frequency response consistency. Aside from some minor variances in the treble range, audio reproduction shouldn't differ too much on different listening sessions if you take the time to properly adjust their fit and positioning.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
7.3
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
3.99 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
22.13 Hz
Low-Bass
2.55 dB
Mid-Bass
5.31 dB
High-Bass
3.02 dB

The JBL Tune 510BT offer decent bass accuracy. It's mostly overemphasized across the range, adding extra thump and kick to EDM and hip-hop tracks. However, some listeners may perceive excess boominess and muddiness.

8.7
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
1.67 dB
Low-Mid
1.14 dB
Mid-Mid
0.07 dB
High-Mid
-1.26 dB

These headphones have excellent mid accuracy. Their overemphasized high-bass range carries over into the low-mids, slightly cluttering vocals and lead instrumentals. Thankfully, the flat, even mid-mid range should mean that vocals and lead instruments are present within the mix. A slight dip in the high-mids slightly weakens these notes, though that isn't too noticeable overall.

8.0
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
2.97 dB
Low-Treble
0.73 dB
Mid-Treble
2.94 dB
High-Treble
-5.41 dB

The JBL Tune 510BT have very good treble accuracy. The range is slightly overemphasized, with slight bumps in the low and mid-treble ranges that can brighten some mixes. However, some sibilants, like S and T sounds, may also be perceived as being slightly harsh or piercing.

7.1
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
2.07 dB
Dips
1.03 dB

The JBL Tune 510BT have decent peaks and dips performance. A bump in the low through mid-bass range results in an extra thump and kick. A small dip in the low-mids thins out vocals and lead instrumentals, while another broader drop in the high-mids through the early low-treble range weakens them. The following rise in the low-treble range makes the upper harmonics of vocals and lead instruments slightly harsh, and another peak in the mid-treble range makes sibilants, like S and T sounds, piercing and painful.

7.2
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.38
Weighted Phase Mismatch
28.34
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.46
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
2.41

These on-ears have satisfactory stereo imaging performance. Their weighted group delay falls mostly beneath the audibility threshold, resulting in a fairly tight bass and transparent treble response. The L/R drivers are also reasonably well-matched in regards to amplitude response, though some minor frequency mismatch is present. There's also a significant degree of phase mismatch, which could create inaccuracies in the stereo image at certain frequencies. This can hurt the accurate localization of objects like voices and footsteps within the stereo image. That said, these results are only valid for our test unit, and yours may perform differently.

5.0
Sound
Passive Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
4.41 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
1.91 dB
PRTF Distance
5.77 dB
Openness
8.1
Acoustic Space Excitation
4.1

The JBL Tune 510BT have a poor passive soundstage. It isn't very spacious or natural, and sound is likely to be perceived as coming from inside the listener's head rather than speakers placed all around them. However, it's noticeably more open than some other closed-back over-ear headphones like the JBL Live 500BT Wireless.

0
Sound
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
No
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
No App
7.1
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.415
WHD @ 100
0.268

The JBL Tune 510BT have decent weighted harmonic distortion performance. Aside from some distortion at moderate listening volumes in the bass range, which can be hard to notice with real-world content, audio reproduction is fairly clean and pure.

Sound
Test Settings
Firmware
Unknown
Power
On
Connection
Bluetooth 5.0
Codec
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
EQ
No EQ
ANC
No ANC
Tip/Pad
Default
Microphone
Integrated

These are the settings used to test the JBL Tune 510BT. Our results are only valid in this configuration.

Isolation
2.9
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-7.86 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
0.77 dB
Mid
-3.66 dB
Treble
-20.92 dB

These on-ears have bad noise isolation performance. They do almost nothing to filter out bass or mid-range ambient noise, like the low rumble of bus or plane engines, as well as background chatter. They do an okay job of isolating you from higher-pitched ambient noise, like the hum of a nearby AC unit, though.

6.4
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
42.95 dB

These headphones have acceptable leakage performance. People nearby may hear some of what you're listening to if you play media at a high volume, even in a moderately busy environment like an office.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
In-Line
No
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
No
Mic Yes
7.3
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
285.09 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
2.67 dB
HFE
6,177.3 Hz
Weighted THD
0.035
Gain
-2.61 dB

The integrated mic delivers decent performance. Recorded speech sounds reasonably clear and quite natural, if a little thin.

6.6
Microphone
Noise Handling
SpNR
11.03 dB
Noise Gate
Always On
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
7.0
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
6.0
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample

The integrated mic offers mediocre noise handling performance. People on the other end of the line can struggle to understand you if you call from a noisy or crowded environment, like a subway car or a sports stadium.

Active Features
7.4
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
38.3 hrs
Additional Charges
0.0
Total Battery Life
38.3 hrs
Charge Time
1.8 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
No
Audio While Charging
No
Passive Playback
No
Charging Port USB-C

The JBL Tune 510BT offer satisfactory overall battery performance. Depending on your usage habits, you can expect more than 38 hours of playback time on a single charge, which should be more than enough to last for a couple of days and is relatively close to the advertised battery life of 40 hours. They also have a quick charge feature, with five minutes of charging being advertised to supply two hours of playtime, though we don't currently test this. Unfortunately, they don't have any power-saving features, like an auto-off timer or a standby mode, to help conserve the charge when not in use.

0
Active Features
App Support
App Name No App
iOS No
Android No
macOS No
Windows No
Equalizer
No
ANC Control
No
Mic Control No
Room Effects
No
Playback Control
No
Button Mapping No
Surround Support
No
Connectivity
8.3
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
5.0
Multi-Device Pairing
2 Devices
NFC Pairing
No
Line Of Sight Range
319.00 ft (97.23 m)
PC Latency (SBC)
186 ms
PC Latency (aptX)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX HD)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
N/A
iOS Latency
190 ms
Android Latency
227 ms

These headphones have great Bluetooth connectivity. They support Bluetooth 5.0 and multi-device pairing, allowing you to listen to content from both your phone or computer without having to go through the re-pairing process, though incoming phone calls take priority over any other system's audio. Unfortunately, their latency on PCs, mobile iOS, and Android devices is somewhat high, which could be disruptive if you plan on using them to stream video content. That said, apps and devices compensate to varying degrees for latency, so your real-world experience may vary.

0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
0
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
No
USB Audio
No
Detachable No
Length N/A
Connection
No Wired Option
Analog/USB Audio Latency
N/A

The JBL Tune 510BT only come with a USB-C to USB-A cable for charging purposes.

Connectivity
PC Compatibility
Analog
No
Wired USB
No
Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
No
PS4 Wired USB
No
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
PS5 Analog
No
PS5 Wired USB
No
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
No
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
No
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No
0
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
No Base/Dock
USB Input
No
Line In
No
Line Out
No
Optical Input
No
RCA Input
No
Dock Charging
No
Power Supply
No Base/Dock