The JBL T450BT Wireless are fairly versatile on-ears with a decent sound. They're lightweight and stable enough for running, and they have an easy-to-use control scheme and a somewhat portable design. Unfortunately, their build quality is flimsy and not as durable as some of the other on-ears we've tested, like the Skullcandy Grind Wireless. They don't have a headphone jack or wired mode, which might be a deal-breaker for some listeners.
Our Verdict
The JBL T450BT are passable for mixed usage. They're Bluetooth-only headphones with a decently balanced sound and a lightweight on-ear design stable enough for running and working out. However, their build quality is very plasticky and looks a bit cheap. They don't block a lot of noise passively, meaning that they won't be the best option for commute and travel, and they don't have a headphone jack, so you can't use them passively when the battery dies or wired with your console controllers. It also means they won't be the best option for watching videos since there's no way to reduce latency.
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Decent audio reproduction.
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Flimsy and plasticky build quality.
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Poor noise isolation.
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Tight fit, not as comfortable for everyone.
The JBL T450BT are okay for neutral sound. They have decently well-balanced sound with good bass and mid-range but a slightly over-emphasized treble that may sound a bit too sharp on already bright tracks. Unfortunately, they aren't the most consistent headphones, so on some users, they'll have less bass, especially if you wear glasses. They also have a small soundstage due to their closed-back, on-ear design, which won't be ideal for more neutral listeners.
The JBL 450BT are passable for commute and travel. They have a straightforward control scheme and a decent battery life. They're decently portable and compact, making them a bit easier to carry around on your person. Unfortunately, they don't isolate well in loud environments, which isn't ideal for commuting or traveling.
The JBL T450BT are decent for sports and fitness. Their tight fit and wireless design mean they won't easily fall off your head even when running. They also have a decent control scheme but won't be the ideal headphones for sports since they still move around a bit when on your head, depending on the exercise. On the upside, they should be stable enough for running and jogging.
The JBL T450BT are mediocre for office use. They don't isolate well in loud, noisy environments, meaningthat they won't be the ideal choice for a lively office. On the upside, they don't leak too much, so you can play your music a little louder than average without distracting the people around you.
The JBL T450BT aren't suitable for wireless gaming. They have a mediocre microphone and slightly too much latency to be suitable for gaming. They have no customizable options, and they're not as comfortable to wear for really long gaming sessions. They're also Bluetooth-only headphones that won't work with your consoles.
- 6.3 Mixed Usage
- 6.8 Neutral Sound
- 6.4 Commute/Travel
- 7.2 Sports/Fitness
- 6.0 Office
- 5.0 Wireless Gaming
- 4.9 Wired Gaming
- 5.9 Phone Calls
- Updated Feb 05, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Sep 21, 2018: Review published.
- Updated Sep 19, 2018: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
- Updated Sep 19, 2018: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Sep 17, 2018: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
Compared To Other Headphones
The JBL T450BT are mixed usage on-ears with a decent sound but a budget design. They look and feel a bit cheap due to their mostly plastic build quality that's not as good as some of the other on-ear headsets within their price range. They're also not the most comfortable headphones to wear for long listening sessions, but on the upside, their tight fit makes them stable enough for some sports, and they sound balanced enough to please most listeners. Unfortunately, they're a bit too bright on some tracks, and since they have no headphone jack, you can't use them passively when the battery dies or wired with your console controllers.
See our recommendations for the best on-ear headphones, the best headphones for running, and the best wireless headphones.
The Skullcandy Grind Wireless are much better on-ear headphones than the JBL T450BT Wireless. The Grind have a great build quality for their price; they're also a lot more comfortable than the T450BT. The Grind also have longer battery life, a slightly better-balanced sound quality, and a headphone jack so you can use them wired with most devices, unlike the JBLs. On the other hand, the JBLs have a more compact and portable design that folds and can even fit into some larger jacket pockets. They're also lighter and leak a little less at high volumes.
If you prefer a compact on-ear design, then the JBL T450BT Wireless could be a decent choice; however, the JBL E55BT Wireless are much better in most other aspects. The E55BT are more premium and durable than the T450BT. They sound better, have a longer battery life, and can pair with two devices at once. They also have a headphone jack so you can use them wired when their battery dies or with your console's controller. The T450BT, on the other hand, are a bit more lightweight, portable, and stable for sports than the E55BT.
The JBL E45BT are better headphones than the JBL T450BT. The E45BT have a more premium-looking design that's more durable than the T450BT. They also sound better and have a headphone jack, so you can use them wired if their battery dies or with your console controllers. The E45 also have better battery life and can pair with two devices simultaneously, unlike the more budget T450BT. On the other hand, the T450BT are more lightweight, portable, and stable for sports than the E45BT.
The JBL T450BT are slightly better headphones and offer a better value for your money when compared to the Koss Porta Pro Wireless. The Porta Pro Wireless have a more comfortable, portable, and breathable design than the JBLs. They also have a well-balanced and open sound that does not sound as sharp as the T450BT. They also have a slightly longer battery life, although not by much. On the other hand, the JBL T450BT have better noise isolation and leak a little less thanks to their closed design. They also have an easier to use control scheme and a slightly sturdier build quality, although not by much since they are mostly plastic.
The JBL T450BT Wireless are better on-ear headphones than the Sony WH-CH500 Wireless. They have a similar cheap feeling, but they sound better and leak less, so you can raise the volume during loud commutes. They have about half as much latency with PCs compared to the Sony and are more stable for sports, making them more versatile. However, the Sony have a slightly better microphone and a longer battery life. They also support NFC for quicker and easier pairing, and they have an amazing wireless range.
The JBL T450BT Wireless are better mixed-usage headphones than the Sony WH-CH400 Wireless, but the Sony have better sound quality. Other than that, the JBL are more stable, better-built, leak less and have about half the latency of the Sony. On the other hand, the Sony headphones have more battery life, better wireless range, and support NFC. If sound quality is your most important criterion, then the Sony will be the better choice.
The JBL T450BT Wireless are better sounding headphones than the Sony WH-XB700 unless you’re looking for a thumpy, bass-heavy sound profile, in which case you should go with the Sonys. Both headphones are built quite similarly, but the WH-XB700 come with an audio cable for you to use the headphones passively, which you can’t do with the JBLs. You get a longer battery life with the Sonys, and their wireless range is noticeably better. They also have a companion app that allows a bit of customization and they support the aptX codec, but their latency is a bit higher than the T450BT’s.
The Sony WH-CH510 Wireless and the JBL T450BT Wireless are both mediocre on-ear Bluetooth headphones. The JBL feel quite a bit more stable on the head, leak less audio, and have much lower latency on Android. On the other hand, while their sound profiles are very similar, the Sony are a bit more accurate and less boomy sounding. The Sony also have a significantly longer continuous battery life.
The JBL T450BT Wireless and JBL Tune 510BT Wireless each have their strengths, so depending on your needs, one may suit you better than the other. The T450BT have a more breathable, stable fit, block out more ambient noise, and leak less audio. Meanwhile, the 510BT can pair with two devices at once, have a significantly longer battery life, and offer superior mic recording quality.
Test Results
The JBL T450BT have a simple and understated on-ear design that looks a bit cheap but feels better built than similarly designed headphones. They have small on-ear cups, a low-profile headband that's not padded, and no headphone jack. They also come in a couple of color schemes to better suit your taste and preferences. They should look good enough for most but will feel a bit cheap overall, especially compared to on-ears like the Skullcandy Grind and JBL E45BT Wireless.
The JBL T450BT are lightweight on-ears that are slightly tight on the head. They're decently comfortable, but the lack of padding on the headband, the slightly cheap ear cup pads, and the somewhat tight fit mean they won't be the best headphones to wear for really long listening sessions. Also, the on-ear design might not be for everyone.
The JBL T450BT come with a decent control scheme. They provide a 3-button set up on the right ear cup for track-skipping, volume control, and call/music management. They also have a power button that enables the pairing mode if you press and hold it when turning them on. Unfortunately, though the buttons are decently clicky, they're hard to differentiate by feel alone. They're cramped on the bottom of the ear cup, which will cause a couple missed inputs occasionally.
These headphones are breathable on-ears. They don't cover your ears entirely, like most over-ear designs, so they don't obstruct as much airflow. They will be breathable enough for sports.
The JBL T450BT are adequate on-ear headphones. They conveniently fold up into a much more compact format and can easily be carried around in a bag, and will fit in some larger jacket pockets. They're more compact than the JBL E55BT Wireless, but they aren't as small as some other on-ear models we've tested and will still feel a little cumbersome to carry around on your person.
The JBL T450BT Wireless don't come with a case or pouch.
The JBLT450BT's build quality is mediocre. The all-plastic design looks a bit cheap and doesn't feel very durable. The headband might snap under moderate physical stress, but at least the plastic used in their build quality feels a little denser and sturdier than some of the other similarly designed headphones. The ear cups feel decently dense, and overall the lightweight design should handle a couple of accidental drops but will break a lot easier than some other better-made on-ears like the Skullcandy Grind or Sound Intone CX-05.
The JBL T450BT have good stability. They're lightweight and tight enough that they don't move much during casual listening sessions. They also have no cables that can get tangled up or hooked on to anything. They're even stable enough for running but won't be the ideal option for sports since the headband will occasionally shift when tilting your head far enough or lying down, like when doing crunches or a bench press.
The frequency response consistency is okay. Their delivery in the bass range is consistent and within 3dB across most people. However, it's possible that wearing glasses could break the seal between the headphones and your ears and cause up to 6dB of drop in the bass range, which will be noticeable. On the other hand, they have a very consistent treble delivery across multiple re-seats, which is good.
The JBL T450BT Wireless have decent bass accuracy. LFE (low-frequency extension) is at 10Hz, which is excellent. Also, low-bass, which is responsible for the thump and rumble, common to bass-heavy tracks, is within 0.2dB of our neutral target. However, mid-bass, responsible for the body of bass guitars and the punch of kick drums, and high-bass, responsible for warmth, are overemphasized by more than 4dB. This makes their sound a little bit heavy and muddy.
The JBL T450BT have fantastic mid accuracy. The response throughout the range is virtually flat and very even. This results in a clear and well-balanced reproduction of the fundamental and lower harmonics of vocals and lead instruments.
The JBL T450BT's treble accuracy is adequate. The response throughout the range is decently balanced and even, which is good. However, the 5dB dip around 5kHz negatively affects the detail and articulation of vocals and lead instruments. Also, the peak around 10kHz overemphasizes the sibilants, which could make the S and T sounds a bit piercing on certain tracks. It'll be mostly noticeable on vocals and cymbals.
The JBL T450BT have great imaging. Their weighted group delay is 0.3, which is quite good. The graph also shows that the entire group delay is below our audibility threshold. This ensures a tight bass and a transparent treble reproduction. Also, the L/R drivers of our test unit were well-matched in amplitude, frequency, and phase response, which is important for the accurate placement and localization of objects (voices, instruments, video games effects) in the stereo image. However, these results are only valid for our test unit, and yours may perform differently.
The JBL T450BT's soundstage is bad. Due to their on-ear design, they don't interact with the pinna and don't activate its resonances. That's why the PRTF response is a flat line. This, and their closed-back design, results in a soundstage perceived as small and located inside the listener's head.
The JBL T450BT have a poor noise isolation performance. These on-ear headphones don't have ANC (active noise cancellation) and therefore don't provide any isolation in the bass range. This means that they won't block the low rumbling sound of an airplane or bus engine. In the mid-range, important for blocking out speech, they provide about 8dB of isolation, which is okay. In the treble range, occupied by sharp sounds like S and Ts, they reduce outside noise by more than 24dB, which is decent.
The leakage performance is good. The significant portion of the leakage is spread across the mid and treble ranges, which is a relatively broad range. However, the overall level of the leakage is low. With the music at 100dB SPL, the leakage at 1 foot away averages at 36dB SPL and peaks at 43dB SPL, which is noticeably below the noise floor of an average office.
The recording quality of the JBL T450BT's integrated mic is mediocre. The LFE (low-frequency extension) of 339Hz indicates a recorded/transmitted speech that sounds thin. The HFE (high-frequency extension) of 3.3KHz results in a speech that's noticeably muffled and lacking in detail. The response between the LFE and HFE points of this microphone wasn't very even or flat with our test signal, which suggests a relatively unnatural sound.
The JBL T450BT's microphone is mediocre at noise handling. It achieved a speech-to-noise ratio of 12dB in our SpNR test, meaning they are better suited for quiet environments and may struggle to fully separate speech from ambient noise even in moderately loud places.
The JBL T450BT's battery performance isn't bad. They have about 12.5 hours of continuous battery life and will last you a full workday of heavy and casual use. Unfortunately, they take fairly long to charge at 2.8 hours, and they don't have any power-saving features or passive playback, meaning that they won't be the best option for a long trip without access to a power source. That said, battery life can vary depending on usage, so your real-world experience may vary.
These headphones also don't continue to play while charging. For slightly more continuous playing time, take a look at the Sony WH-CH400 Wireless, or if you want headphones that you can use passively too, look at the Sony WF-XB700 Truly Wireless.
These headphones don't support the JBL Headphones app.
The JBL T450BT Wireless have alright Bluetooth connectivity. They do not support NFC or multi-device pairing. On the upside, their hold-to-pair procedure is fairly easy to use.
Unfortunately, their latency with iOS devices is likely too high to be suitable for watching videos or gaming without noticeable audio lag. However, it's lower with Android phones and PCs. Also, some apps compensate for latency differently, so your real-world experience may vary.
The JBL T450BT are Bluetooth-only headphones with no headphone jack or audio cable.
The JBL T450BT don't have a base/dock. If you want a versatile headset with a base that you can also use wired, check out the SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017.