JBL Tune600BTNC

The look of the headphones is shiny and modern, while the processing is typical for everyday use. The only doubt I have is the long-term suitability of the soft artificial leather cover of the ear cushions.

The ergonomics are also nice. There are five buttons next to the connections for the USB charging cable and the passive cable operation on the right earphones: the on/off switch, which also serves for pairing, the switch for active noise cancelling and a third for the track control. The middle button is used to start and stop the music, to accept a phone call or use the voice assistant in the smartphone. The outer buttons adjust the volume and jump between songs.

Two LEDs provide clarity on the status of the handset, while a large print on the inside leaves no doubt about the right stereo side.

Device Usage

The feel of the Tune600BTNC is comfortable and well-adjustable thanks to the padding of the adjustable strap and its rotating earpieces. At the same time, the headphones are pleasantly light and can be quickly stowed away by folding in the earpieces.

The operation is also quickly internalized thanks to clear pressure points.

Unlike the Tune500BT, the Tune600BTNC has active noise cancelling. The function can be quickly switched on and off but not further regulated. It improves the rather low passive damping. A complete decoupling of the environment should not be expected here, rather a low-noise background noise reduction and an improvement in the “noise gap”. In practice, I found the insulation in public transport as rather low, with the advantage that voice announcements, such as on the bus, remained audible—at moderate volumes, of course, because the Tune600BTNC can be quite loud.

On the other hand, the noise reduction in an ICE worked much more effectively. Here, the static, low-frequency driving noise was well suppressed and allowed a clearer sound. Accordingly, I would not compare the offered noise-cancelling with specialists from Bose or Sony, but consider it a rather nice addition, which one receives for a moderate additional cost.

As for wireless runtime, the manufacturer specifies twelve hours with activated Noise Canceling—a good, but not outstanding value. However, the handset can also be used purely passively and with noise cancelling via a supplied cable. Charging time is two hours.

Sound Quality

I would not describe the sound of the Tune600BTNC as linear—JBL conceals the Bluetooth codecs used in the technical specifications. Instead, it’s better described as rich, powerful and loud. My impression is that JBL aims this model at a target audience that wants to use headphones with their mobile device while listening to current genres—that works well. When considering audiophiles, the headphones sound so not neutral, but also not unbalanced or coarse, rather a little like a classic loudness circuit on a hi-fi amplifier. Subjectively, too much bass pushes out of the 32mm drivers but it sounds impressive in Pop, Rock, EDM and R&B and luckily never muddy. The centre section is also well-tuned and prevents unwanted hardening at the top.

The voice quality when making a call is also satisfactory.