Chris Thomas / Android Authority
Whoever said great audio had to be expensive? Well, that is usually the case, but now and then affordable headphones hit a home run, and the JBL Tune 520BT actually manage to beat many high-end headphones in the sound quality department. They are already quite a deal at their full price, but right now you can get them discounted, for a mere $39.95.
This offer is available from Amazon. The discount is available for all color versions: Black, Blue, Purple, and White.
We know it seems unbelievable that such affordable headphones sound so good they can even beat expensive ones. Hear us out a bit, though. We are not just saying these headphones sound amazing; we have the data to support the claim. Our sister site, Sound Guys, has put these through rigorous tests. Among them is the MDAQS scoring system. Essentially, this tells us how good the audio quality is, based on average listener preferences. It tells us how pleasant the listening experience would be to most people, pretty much.
These are great headphones if you want to get the best audio quality possible, for as little money as possible. They are also very portable, thanks to their folding mechanism, and come available in a nice variety of fun colors.
Another area the JBL Tune 520BT surprised us on is battery life. Of course, these also underwent our standardized tests in that department. We managed to keep them running for a whopping 60 hours and 52 minutes on a full charge! Once again, this is unheard of at this price range, and leaves many high-end models in the dust.
Chris Thomas / Android Authority
Undoubtedly, there are some sacrifices, right? Of course! These cost only $39.95, after all. We feel the cons aren’t deal-breakers, but you can decide for yourself. For starters, these are mostly made of cheaper plastic. We also found them to be a bit uncomfortable, mostly because of the clamping force, but those with smaller heads might not experience such discomfort. They are also on-ear headphones, which are naturally less comfortable than over-the-ear cans.
Another odd issue is that these headphones require the official app to run on Android and iOS devices. Seriously, it’s not optional; you absolutely need it. Also, we’re sure you’re not expecting this feature, but these don’t have ANC.
All that said, again, these are just $39.95, sound amazing, and even have Bluetooth Multipoint. This allows you to connect to multiple devices simultaneously, and it’s a feature even high-end headphones sometimes lack.
If you can live with those few downsides, these headphones are a steal at just $39.95. They are way too good for the price. Go catch this offer before the price goes back to $49.95! If you miss the deal, though, the full price is still impressively good!
