Sound workout

JBL’s latest wireless offering is affordable with great utility, writes Dhruv Munjal

Ihave been an admirer of JBL’s Bluetooth earphones for a while now. I have been using its E25BT model (~3,499) for the past few months and have had little reason to complain. They fit superbly and offer stunning, bass-heavy sound for a remarkably affordable price. So when the new JBL Endurance Sprint arrived for review, priced similarly at ~3,999, my expectations were naturally high. Here’s how they did:

Design

The Endurance Sprint is a pair of waterproof earphones designed specifically for athletes. That doesn’t mean they’re necessarily light: this is an around-ear design on the bulkier side. Getting them on can be a challenge at first, but once the “Twistlock” feature kicks in, they don’t feel so clunky, after all. A long press on the right ear gets them started, with a single touch enabling you to play and pause the music. Additionally, you can swipe up and down to adjust the volume. The range of colours they come in justifies their sporty appeal. I got my hands on the blue variant; they’re also available in yellow, black, red and teal.

Performance

Since they’remeant to be used while working out, the Endurance Sprint aren’t heavy on sound, which is not to say that they lag in the audio department. The mids and highs both respond reasonably well, though I would have liked more bass. As for the fit, the sweat poses no problem and they remain firmly in place even during high-intensity workouts. Your ears may feel a tad itchy after a while, though— make sure you use the right-sized eartip.

The best part about these ear phones is the battery. They live up to JBL’ s promise of eight hours, which is among the best I’ ve come across. Also, they are surprisingly sturdy—I’ ve been brutal ly tossing them into my gym bag for the past two weeks and they’ ve always emerged unscathed.

Verdict

The sound isn’t of the most sparkling quality, but the Endurance Sprint offer brilliant utility to anyone looking for a pair of solid workout earphones. The price makes them even more attractive— unlike the gym fee, which often goes waste, this is an investment you will not regret.