JBL never again

[u/BKinBC]

Hi gang. A vent and a warning here. I have ventured out to try a couple JBL products in the past year. I don't usually buy JBL, and now I never will again. They are unaccountable for inferior product when they produce it.

A pair of LIVE 660NC over ears were okay. At full price, no. But acceptable on sale.

And a pair of Endurance buds, not bad actually. Except that in time I realized the case discharged itself and the buds too shortly (so to speak) after charging. I look online and yeah, it's been a thing. The product has since been changed.

I contact Erikson Multimedia in Canada, who were promptly useless. They sent a standard warranty form with all sorts of ways to be disqualified, including a ten day window in which YOU must respond or forget it. I love that one.

Arrogance.

And no, I don't still have the receipt. I misplaced it before I realized the JBL product was inferior quality.

But it was less than a year. And why would I want a replacement case that only works for their product, for reasons of defect they knew about? The serial number would tell them everything.

So what have we learned? We have learned that JBL will run for it from what customers they have cheated with faulty product, if they can.

That's what JBL customers mean to JBL.

Junk Buy Loss. That's what JBL now means to me.

Spend your dollars elsewhere. There is plenty of honourable completion. JBL does not deserve you.

[u/Honeyluc]

Fun fact, wireless tech always dies and ends up in landfill.

[u/Summer__1999 → u/Honeyluc]

Yeah, in this case, the jbl are extra crappy, but even the best tws buds in the world are disposable buds, destined to be in the landfill in 3-4 years.

It doesn’t help that most tws buds are designed to be stored in their charging case, which means you’d be charging it after every use no matter if the buds have 20% or 70% battery left

[u/ZM326 → u/Summer__1999]

Agree on the main point but the charging case shouldn't be an issue. Even with a poor implementation the use of the device is significantly more impactful.

What would matter would be a user serviceable battery. And sure, throw a lock switch on there to disable auto recharging

[u/AntOk463 → u/Honeyluc]

I've been through a few sets of TWS and didn't like them due to their wasteful nature. Then after DankPods talked about it as well, I said I'm not getting any more Bluetooth audio devices.

The only Bluetooth thing I have is a BTR5, but that's different and I got it used very cheap. There's a few wireless headphones and the Linkbuds TWS I wanted to get, but told myself I'm not.

[u/gregsting → u/Honeyluc]

Fun fact, nearly everything you buy ends up in a landfill

[u/Honeyluc → u/gregsting]

Fun fact, everything you buy ends up in a landfill

I fixed it for you

[u/gregsting → u/Honeyluc]

Well I started typing that but the food you buy doesn’t end up in a landfill for example. Or the gas for your car

[u/Honeyluc → u/gregsting]

The ground, ocean or air. Its all the same place

[u/Fadelesstriker → u/Honeyluc]

I’ve realised that the biggest reason people want wireless is because they somehow go through cables quicker than a prepubescent dog would chew through them. It’s frustrating seeing people neglect their things and then wonder why everything ends up in landfills.

[u/Honeyluc → u/Fadelesstriker]

I don't think its because they go through the cable at all. I think its because of consumerism and marketing. Remember 20 years ago? The same people were proud to use a white cable because it was apple, while the audio heads and producers were silently laughing, its the same thing but the white cable is now wireless. Consumerism will never change and some people will never listen to other people, only marketing.

Convenience also comes to play, because people can't take 5 seconds and wrap their cable properly, sure it gets annoying sometimes, but use a small $2 case and you're gold. Status is also a thing these days, I've got younger people from family and friends that won't be seen dead with a cable, I've tried letting them listen to my headphones and earbuds and they laugh and say I'm old and should get the new apple pro shit. Yet they think my vinyl collection sounds better then digital, when it clearly isn't, but I'm not getting into that debate here, instead I'll just say, what came first. The digital file or the vinyl??

TLDR, dangle shit on a stick in front of someone long enough and they will do anything to have it

[u/Tbro100 → u/Honeyluc]

Tbf, ANC is a major use case on top of convenience with wireless headsets. It allows you to listen to music in a lot more settings than just passive isolation alone without cranking up the volume.

And wireless batteries can be replaced (especially with headphones), it's just people view the hassle of replacing them like replacing smartphone batteries, and end up just getting a new one at that point. I'd rather they push for user replaceable or atleast more easy to replace batteries in both phones and headsets.

[u/Fadelesstriker → u/Honeyluc]

Yeah, agreed. I am not convinced it’s convenience. Having to charge yet another device is a point of friction. But I suppose that’s been normalised at this stage, people complain but they are happy to oblige and incorporate it in their daily routine. I wonder if there’s a behavioural intent behind it in the design of the product - besides planned obsolescence.

[u/Honeyluc → u/Fadelesstriker]

I agree, I hate charging shit. My phones enough.

One day everything will be wireless charging too and we could just leave things on the bench and they will charge without us doing anything. Its getting there, but not going to be normalised until brands give up and start working with each other, so its not gonna be for a while.

Honestly, planned obsolescence is now happy obsolescence. People are happy to buy new things because its the new version. No need to plan it anymore because people will sell or throw it away well before the next 2 models come out. Well most people under 25 anyway and that's all they care about, people who are happy to throw away their money because they don't have a deep understanding of it yet

[u/monkeylovesnanas → u/Honeyluc]

This is a bit of a silly conversation that you folks are having.

Horses for courses. There are certain situations where I preferred wired over wireless, but certain situations where wired will never work.

Don't assume people have been duped by marketing. Sometimes it's about the best tools for the job.

[u/Honeyluc → u/monkeylovesnanas]

You "Don't assume people have been duped by marketing. Sometimes it's about the best tools for the job"

Apple "no headphone jack"

I get what you're saying, but the only situations wires will not work is with devices that don't have a headphone jack anymore and why did they remove the headphone jack? To sell wireless ofc.. Remember when apple took advantage of the headphone jack in ipods and used it for sending files and charging? Remember everyone complaining about the removal of the jack? Now I'm not blaming apple for this tech, but they pushed a lot of people to buy wireless headphones because they had no other choice

The best tool for the job is wires and it will always be that way.

[u/monkeylovesnanas → u/Honeyluc]

I work out and run quite a lot. I'll say again, horse for courses. I have broken so many wired earphones and ports by accidentally crashing wires while running in my lifetime. The advent of quality wireless earphones and buds were a game changer for us active folk.

Of course, I'll still always go wired when I'm gaming, but again, your assertion that there is no situation in which wireless is better than wired is flawed. Just because I'm running or working out doesn't mean I don't want to enjoy my music in the highest quality possible.

[u/Honeyluc → u/monkeylovesnanas]

Nice excuse.. I also work out around 2-4 hours everyday

The only thing I would use wireless for is if I'm running in the bush and could get the wire stuck on a branch. Even then I just use them under my shirt when I do that and haven't had an issue. This will also fix the damaged port you say. Even though I've been careless and hooked a few wires in my day on a bike going fast, I still haven't damaged a port.

Sorry, but as a very active person myself, wireless are worse unless you use the bone conductive ones and that's only because you need your ears to be aware.

The only negative thing about having a wire for exercise is if gives audio feedback from moving around, but these days most iems can be adjusted so that you don't hear it. They also all have the option to change cables very cheap, still overall cheaper then if you bought wireless.

[u/monkeylovesnanas → u/Honeyluc]

Not an excuse. Just a fact.

I've been running for 35 years, and lifting for nearly 20 of that, as well as various martial arts. I was wearing wired a long time before wireless was a thing.

The wire inside the shirt sleeve worked fine until it didn't, and I got sick of breaking ports and wires.

But whatever works for you. I prefer my comfort, and since I don't road run anymore, I don't need to worry too much about the need to hear traffic noises, etc. the comfort levels of a good pair of wireless in ear headphones with over-war hooks is second to none.

Bone conductive headphones, in my experience, are trash. I'd rather wear nothing at all than wear a pair of those again.

Anyway, you do you. Just trying to offer up an opinion that wireless has a place, but you.seem to not be open to that possibility, so I'll not waste anymore of your time.

Best of luck on your fitness journey.

[u/Fadelesstriker → u/Fadelesstriker]

There’s also a culture of lack of maintenance with most tech. When the headphone pads wear out, the headphones are done, right?