Headphones are a bit like cars and clothes. Because you use them all the time, eventually they wear out or break down.

 

So you have a choice.

 

You can pay top dollar in the hope the extra coin buys extra quality, but often all that high price gets you is a bit of brand coolness in front of your friends. You still end up dropping them, sitting on them or leaving them behind somewhere.

 

So where's the balancing point? Price versus pay-off?...

 

 

JBL's TUNE600BTNC could very well be the answer.

 

You probably haven't noticed a lot of people wearing these because, although they're stylish enough, the TUNE600BTNC's are stylish in a subtle, understated way. Available in black, blue, pink and white - even the pink ones are a mellow, pale pink, not IN YOUR FACE SHOCKING PINK.

 

Being on-ear rather than over-ear, they're also very compact, especially given they can fold up flat. Really, the only bling going on here is the extremely shiny covers on the ear cups. The only trouble with nice, shiny things is they attract fingerprints, smears and smudges. The TUNE600BTNC's are no exception and my greasy mitts had utterly disfigured them within the first thirty seconds of me taking them out of the box. I tried to keep polishing them up for the first few days, then I just accepted my ears were never meant to look this glossy and let headphones take on a more... distressed look. Very hipster.

 

The cushioning is extremely soft, thick and comfy. Whatever fabric it's covered in seems very breathable so I never felt my ears getting hot and clammy, even after several hours use. When I first wore the TUNE600BTNC's I worried there wasn't enough give in the headband as I have a massively oversized skull and it all felt way too tight. However, after I persisted for an hour or so, everything seemed to stretch out to accommodate my pate more comfortably and the more I wear them, the better they feel.

 

This really is the complete opposite to most of my previous headphone experiences, as usually, like shoes, I can't wait to get home so I can take them off.

 

With the TUNE600BTNC's, I find I'm more than happy to wear them around the house - especially since they pass my exacting vacuum test with flying colours.

 

You know the vacuum test? I do the vacuuming with the noise-cancelling on and see if I can still hear the vacuum cleaner. After the sheer comfort factor, that's the second thing that blew me away with these cans - the noise cancelling is really good, right up there with other headphones hundreds of dollars more expensive. Combined with an excellent 12-hour plus battery life, the TUNE600BTNC's would make a great choice for long flights. The only trouble with that scenario is there's no carry-case of any kind included so those shiny ear cups will be at the mercy of any scratchy objects you might have in your bag.

 

The lack of carry-case is a shame, because it does give the impression these headphones are a more budget option, as does the detachable cable. It's a flimsy little thing, long enough but in a narrow tape-shape profile that seems far from tangle-free. It's also has that weird rubbery feel that's almost sticky to touch. Compared to other braided, fabric or newfangled options out there it just looks... cheap.

 

Mind you, I guess a lot of people won't even take that cable out of the packet as these are of course bluetooth headphones and the difference in sound quality between the wired and wireless connections is barely perceptible. And this is the third (and obviously most important) thing that won me over with the TUNE600BTNC's - sound quality. I think you'd be hard pushed to find clarity, power and bass punch like this for under $170. Especially the bass - JBL calls this "Pure Bass" - whatever, it really does bang. As I write this I'm listening to some Vance Joy folk/rock and I could swear I can feel the kick drum as well as just hearing it.

 

If I was to be super-critical, my impression is things are a little thin and muddy in the mid-range before the high-ends peep through again in crystal clarity, but unless you're using these headphones to master your sophomore album, I wouldn't worry too much about that.

 

I keep coming back to the fact the more I use the TUNE600BTNC's, the more I want to use them. They're easy to wear, they pack a serious audio punch and they won't break the bank if you leave them on the bus.

 

 

JBL TUNE600BTNC headphones are now available at...

 

Noel Leeming and JB Hi-Fi