JVC sports headphones/ Foobot

JVC enters a packed arena with its bluetooth sports headphones – can it be a winner?

Test the air quality in any room you’re in and hit the treadmill with new headphones.

JVC, a name you’d be more likely to associate with ’90s TV tech than sports headphones, has brought two pairs to market: the HAEC30BT and HA-ET50BT.

The former is slightly less expensive, while the latter (on test) gets some added premium, such as Pivot Motion Fit in-ears and an extra hour’s worth of battery life (nine, in total). Both sets get a companion run app, which automatically creates playlists to accompany your run and is handy unless you already have a preferred running app.

The ET50s look great, though the colour range is a little limited. Our pick is the fluorescent option, which gives runners a bit of extra visiblity on road runs. You also get IPX5 water resistance, protecting them from even the sweatiest of noggins.

Pivot Motion Fit is essentially a small piece of rubber that slots into the curve of your ear lug instead of a band around the top of your ear, making them more comfortable, and secure in movement. housing When keepsnot in bothuse, a in-ears magnetic safely joined together.

Pairing the headphones is pain-free, and we never encountered connection issues.

In terms of audio, the ET50s are good. There’s no aptX Bluetooth (for higher-quality streaming) but they deliver a clear and lively top-end, if a little bass-light, and go plenty loud. Noise isolation is superb, though they still let in ambient sounds, so you can hear cars chugging and people waffling.

Our only slight gripe is the in-line controls, which have a habit of twisting during use and pulling down on the neck cable, making them feel noticeably weighty on one side.