This review is about the audio features of the JBL Vibe Beam earbuds.
I'm an audio engineer so audio quality is very important to me. As such, I use wired connections as much as possible to maintain the integrity of the audio signal. However, many newer consumer-level products no longer have audio jacks, so I finally decided to invest in some wireless earbuds as a backup to the other earphones and headphones that I use. I didn't want to spend a lot of money as I didn't foresee myself using this product very much, and since this is my first foray into wireless audio earphones, if they were just ok or they broke after a while, then I wouldn't feel too bad about the little money that I spent. Also, I wanted to focus on finding wireless earbuds with excellent audio quality first as I already have an excellent high-end bluetooth earpiece for cell phone use, and I wouldn't be using this product as a bluetooth headset for my phone.
After doing much research, I chose the JBL Vibe Beam's as they were at my price point, I'm familiar with JBL products, and I could reasonably expect that they were likely deliver the high audio quality that I've come to expect from JBL products. In my research, I read reviews that complained about the harshness of the high end with high frequency instruments like cymbals or the lack of bass, so I was a bit concerned.
When I received and started listening to my JBL Vibe Beams I understood what people were talking about. However, to correct the issues, first, one must have a great fit of the earbuds in their ears. I'm fortunate, in that with the medium tips that were already installed on the Vibe Beams, they made a snug fit in my ears right out of the box. If you find that these earbuds do not fit well in your ears it might be worthwhile to invest in a separate set of variable sized earbud tips, or try tips from one of your other well-fitting earbuds, if you have them. Once the earbuds were seated properly in my ear, that took care of the poor bass issue. (I have not worn them long-term so I can't speak to them falling out of my ear, as others have mentioned, but they seem to stay in pretty well.)
For the misaligned frequency response issue, fortunately, the JBL Headphone app that you can install on your cell phone includes a ten-band graphic equalizer that you can use to make adjustments to the frequency response of your earbuds. After listening to several of the reference tracks I use to check new audio equipment or my mixes against, I found that the only adjustments needed were carving out some of the upper midrange and making a very slight boost in the bottom end of the lower frequency spectrum. I've included a screenshot of my EQ curve which I based on the Bass preset in the JBL app. You can't tell as there is no dB scale on the side, but I needed to cut or boost by only 1-2 dB. I find that my new EQ curve gives a more balanced frequency response than what came out of the box, and matches up well against the reference speaker system and headphones that I use for my audio mixing and mastering work. I invite you to use my EQ curve as a starting point and adjust as sounds best to you.
I also read reviews complaining about the apparent lack of volume of the Vibe Beams. I connected the JBL's to several different sources (phone, computer, TV, MP3 player, etc.) and I found that the overall maximum volume (with limiter off) is relatively lower than wired speaker versions. However, the input to the JBL's is relative to the maximum output of the source itself. I found that the loudest level I could get came from my iPhone and the lowest level output came from my MP3 player (which probably doesn't offer much output anyway being a tiny portable unit). As a comparison, I did a side-by-side test of the JBL's with my wife's AirPods (2nd gen). What I found was that the JBL's offered an almost identical audio output level as the AirPods with any of the sources I used so that confirmed that the output level of the JBL's has more to do with the source (and the source material as some songs are mastered at a lower volume than other songs) than with the earbuds themselves. During my test, I put the JBL's at their maximum volume output (one tap at a time on the left bud to raise the volume). Also, I noticed during my testing that the AirPods had a pleasing midrange sound perfect for listening to podcasts or watching video, but the JBL's excelled at full-range sound on the bottom and top ends of the frequency spectrum which made them sound much better over all and well-suited for music or listening to explosive action scenes in movies.
And speaking of movies, the JBL app has a switchable audio/video mode. The video mode reduces the latency of the delivery of audio against picture, so there isn't a noticeable lip-sync issue with dialogue in a scene. However, there is a slight degradation in the audio quality of 'video' mode versus 'audio' mode, but you will have to make the determination if the change in audio quality is acceptable to you.
As a side note, I included a picture of the inner side of the earbuds. The 'L' and 'R' designations on the earbuds are tiny as you can see, plus they are the same color as the earbuds themselves, so they are very hard to see. I wish JBL had made the L/R letters bigger or at least made them a different color so they would be easier to see.
The pairing process was fairly easy with all my bluetooth-capable devices and the range was good, only dropping out after walking approximately 60-70 feet from the source. There was one momentary dropout during my listening but that could be due to my wife using her AirPods the same time as I was using the JBL's.
I can't speak to the other features of the JBL Vibe Beams as I don't intend to use them, but as far as audio quality goes, with just a few minor tweaks, these bluetooth earbuds can go from sounding like a $50 pair of earbuds to a $500 pair of reference earphones.
JBL Vibe Beam - True Wireless JBL Deep Bass Sound Earbuds, Bluetooth 5.2, Water & Dust Resistant, Hands-free call with VoiceA
4.3 | 17,145 ratings
Price: 24.95
Last update: 01-11-2025
About this item
JBL Deep Bass Sound: Get the most from your mixes with high-quality audio from secure, reliable earbuds with 8mm drivers featuring JBL Deep Bass Sound
Comfortable fit: The ergonomic, stick-closed design of the JBL Vibe Beam fits so comfortably you may forget you're wearing them. The closed design excludes external sounds, enhancing the bass performance
Up to 32 (8h + 24h) hours of battery life and speed charging: With 8 hours of battery life in the earbuds and 24 in the case, the JBL Vibe Beam provide all-day audio. When you need more power, you can speed charge an extra two hours in just 10 minutes.
Hands-free calls with VoiceAware: When you're making hands-free stereo calls on the go, VoiceAware lets you balance how much of your own voice you hear while talking with others
Water and dust resistant: From the beach to the bike trail, the IP54-certified earbuds and IPX2 charging case are water and dust resistant for all-day experiences
Comfortable fit: The ergonomic, stick-closed design of the JBL Vibe Beam fits so comfortably you may forget you're wearing them. The closed design excludes external sounds, enhancing the bass performance
Up to 32 (8h + 24h) hours of battery life and speed charging: With 8 hours of battery life in the earbuds and 24 in the case, the JBL Vibe Beam provide all-day audio. When you need more power, you can speed charge an extra two hours in just 10 minutes.
Hands-free calls with VoiceAware: When you're making hands-free stereo calls on the go, VoiceAware lets you balance how much of your own voice you hear while talking with others
Water and dust resistant: From the beach to the bike trail, the IP54-certified earbuds and IPX2 charging case are water and dust resistant for all-day experiences
Product information
| Noise Control | Active Noise Cancellation |
|---|---|
| Model Name | JBL Vibe Beam |
| Connectivity Technology | Bluetooth |
| Wireless Communication Technology | Bluetooth |
| Special Feature | True Wireless, Long Battery Life |
| Included Components | JBL Vibe Beam earbuds; Charging case; USB-C charging cable; 3 sizes of eartips |
| Age Range (Description) | Adult |
| Material | Plastic |
| Specific Uses For Product | Music |
| Charging Time | 2 Hours |
| Recommended Uses For Product | Calling |
| Compatible Devices | Tablets, Personal Computer, Laptops, Smartphone |
| Control Type | Touch Control |
| Cable Feature | Without Cable |
| Item Weight | 1.7 Ounces |
| Water Resistance Level | Water Resistant |
| Unit Count | 1.0 Count |
| Style | Earbuds |
| Control Method | Touch |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Battery Life | 32 Hours |
| Bluetooth Range | 10 Meters |
| Carrying Case Weight | 1.4 Ounces |
| Carrying Case Material | plastic or aluminum |
| Audio Latency | 100 Milliseconds |
| Manufacturer | JBL |
| Product Dimensions | 5 x 3.5 x 1.25 inches |
| Item Weight | 1.7 ounces |
| ASIN | B0BQPNMXQV |
| Item model number | JBLVBEAMBLKAM |
| Batteries | 3 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included) |
| Customer Reviews |
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars
8,894 ratings
4.4 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #288 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics) #45 in Earbud & In-Ear Headphones |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | February 5, 2023 |
| Country of Origin | China |
Top reviews from the United States
P. Dobrinen
Top quality audio after a few adjustments
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2023
P. Dobrinen
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2023
I'm an audio engineer so audio quality is very important to me. As such, I use wired connections as much as possible to maintain the integrity of the audio signal. However, many newer consumer-level products no longer have audio jacks, so I finally decided to invest in some wireless earbuds as a backup to the other earphones and headphones that I use. I didn't want to spend a lot of money as I didn't foresee myself using this product very much, and since this is my first foray into wireless audio earphones, if they were just ok or they broke after a while, then I wouldn't feel too bad about the little money that I spent. Also, I wanted to focus on finding wireless earbuds with excellent audio quality first as I already have an excellent high-end bluetooth earpiece for cell phone use, and I wouldn't be using this product as a bluetooth headset for my phone.
After doing much research, I chose the JBL Vibe Beam's as they were at my price point, I'm familiar with JBL products, and I could reasonably expect that they were likely deliver the high audio quality that I've come to expect from JBL products. In my research, I read reviews that complained about the harshness of the high end with high frequency instruments like cymbals or the lack of bass, so I was a bit concerned.
When I received and started listening to my JBL Vibe Beams I understood what people were talking about. However, to correct the issues, first, one must have a great fit of the earbuds in their ears. I'm fortunate, in that with the medium tips that were already installed on the Vibe Beams, they made a snug fit in my ears right out of the box. If you find that these earbuds do not fit well in your ears it might be worthwhile to invest in a separate set of variable sized earbud tips, or try tips from one of your other well-fitting earbuds, if you have them. Once the earbuds were seated properly in my ear, that took care of the poor bass issue. (I have not worn them long-term so I can't speak to them falling out of my ear, as others have mentioned, but they seem to stay in pretty well.)
For the misaligned frequency response issue, fortunately, the JBL Headphone app that you can install on your cell phone includes a ten-band graphic equalizer that you can use to make adjustments to the frequency response of your earbuds. After listening to several of the reference tracks I use to check new audio equipment or my mixes against, I found that the only adjustments needed were carving out some of the upper midrange and making a very slight boost in the bottom end of the lower frequency spectrum. I've included a screenshot of my EQ curve which I based on the Bass preset in the JBL app. You can't tell as there is no dB scale on the side, but I needed to cut or boost by only 1-2 dB. I find that my new EQ curve gives a more balanced frequency response than what came out of the box, and matches up well against the reference speaker system and headphones that I use for my audio mixing and mastering work. I invite you to use my EQ curve as a starting point and adjust as sounds best to you.
I also read reviews complaining about the apparent lack of volume of the Vibe Beams. I connected the JBL's to several different sources (phone, computer, TV, MP3 player, etc.) and I found that the overall maximum volume (with limiter off) is relatively lower than wired speaker versions. However, the input to the JBL's is relative to the maximum output of the source itself. I found that the loudest level I could get came from my iPhone and the lowest level output came from my MP3 player (which probably doesn't offer much output anyway being a tiny portable unit). As a comparison, I did a side-by-side test of the JBL's with my wife's AirPods (2nd gen). What I found was that the JBL's offered an almost identical audio output level as the AirPods with any of the sources I used so that confirmed that the output level of the JBL's has more to do with the source (and the source material as some songs are mastered at a lower volume than other songs) than with the earbuds themselves. During my test, I put the JBL's at their maximum volume output (one tap at a time on the left bud to raise the volume). Also, I noticed during my testing that the AirPods had a pleasing midrange sound perfect for listening to podcasts or watching video, but the JBL's excelled at full-range sound on the bottom and top ends of the frequency spectrum which made them sound much better over all and well-suited for music or listening to explosive action scenes in movies.
And speaking of movies, the JBL app has a switchable audio/video mode. The video mode reduces the latency of the delivery of audio against picture, so there isn't a noticeable lip-sync issue with dialogue in a scene. However, there is a slight degradation in the audio quality of 'video' mode versus 'audio' mode, but you will have to make the determination if the change in audio quality is acceptable to you.
As a side note, I included a picture of the inner side of the earbuds. The 'L' and 'R' designations on the earbuds are tiny as you can see, plus they are the same color as the earbuds themselves, so they are very hard to see. I wish JBL had made the L/R letters bigger or at least made them a different color so they would be easier to see.
The pairing process was fairly easy with all my bluetooth-capable devices and the range was good, only dropping out after walking approximately 60-70 feet from the source. There was one momentary dropout during my listening but that could be due to my wife using her AirPods the same time as I was using the JBL's.
I can't speak to the other features of the JBL Vibe Beams as I don't intend to use them, but as far as audio quality goes, with just a few minor tweaks, these bluetooth earbuds can go from sounding like a $50 pair of earbuds to a $500 pair of reference earphones.
Images in this review
Karen Lamonth
JBL Vibe Beam | nice
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2024Amazon Customer
Good sound quality and battery life
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2024Miguel Quinones
It's worth it
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2024Tori Nevens
Finally! Something that stays in my ears!
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2024
Tori Nevens
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2024
Images in this review
Aimee Raven
Great product, great price!
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2024