JBL's New Headphone Lineup

While JBL had always been known for their superior audio products, they had never really entered the headphone market. Back in May, JBL announced it's entrance entrance into the crowded headphone market by creating a Tim McGraw Headphone line. Not surprisingly, this line hasn't flown off the shelves due to lack and marketing and general buzz. You know it's bad when I couldn't even find a picture of Tim McGraw wearing his own headphones! Hopefully, JBL has ditched the celeb endorsement shtick for more quality products.

Last week, they unveiled their new J Series line of headphones, which consist of a new over-ear J88i and in-ear J33i Headphone. The entire line consists of 8 separate models, but 6 of them are just variants of the main 2 designs.

The J88i uses a DJ pivot system which lets you rotate the leather ear cups 180 degrees. They are available in 2 color schemes - black/silver & while/silver/copper. The J33i's have a new technology that JBL calls an angled strain relief buckle. It is basically a brace that is built to avoid wire-wearing stress on the cord.

In-Ear J33i
Available: December
Price: $80

Over-Ear J88i
Available: December
Price: $150

Roxy JBL On-Ear Headphones

Roxy and JBL have come out with two new designed headphones for the summer. Back in February, I reviewed the first collaboration between Roxy / JBL, the Roxy Reference 430 JBL Headphones. While they are different from the 430's, they still have the same compact, colorful, youthful design. They come in two color combinations: White with black stripes, and a striking sunshine yellow.

Price: $99
Available Now

Roxy Reference 430 JBL Headphones

JBL is a partner company of Harman Audio and AKG. They have created a stylish set of headphones designed for females in collaboration with Roxy, the female division of Quicksilver. These headphones portray the young, hip and colorful style that Roxy is known for.

The Roxy Reference 430 headphones feature a thick cable for durability. I really like the design of these headphones due to the simple, yet playful style. The ear cups are not as comfortable as I would like. Since they are made of plastic, it makes the headphones feel  a little cheap. Since JBL is a proven leader in the audio market, it should come as no surprise that these headphones sound better than most. However, the bass isn’t overwhelming and the headphones tend to leak sound quite easily. The headphones packaging is one of the best I have seen. JBL has thrown a stylish travel pouch into the package as a nice touch.  Overall, these headphones are not a bad option if you The Roxy Reference 430 by JBL are available in 2 colors: Pink/Orange & Blue/Green

Price: $69.95

Available Now

Pros

• Colorful Design
• Decent Sound Quality
• Travel Pouch

Cons

• Built of Plastic
• Leaks Sound
• Padding on Ear Cups

Overall Rating: 7/10