JBL has a slew of new Bluetooth products, including a few true wireless earbuds. The Vibe Bean is a pair of true wireless earbuds that only cost $49.95. It’s rare for a good pair of true wireless earbuds to be this economical, so let’s see if the VIbe Beam is the exception.
What You Get
- 1 x JBL Vibe Beam earbuds
- 1 x Charging case
- 1 x USB Type-C charging cable
- 1 x 3 sizes of eartips
- 1 x Warranty / Warning (W / !)
- 1 x QSG / Safety Sheet (S / i)
Look & Feel
The construction of the Vibe Bean is in line with current true wireless trends. It has a stemmed design that likens itself to the popular Apple AirPods. JBL changes enough about the design that it looks like its own thing, but this is still a case where if you like the AirPods build then the Vibe Beam should suit you fine.
Design & Functionality
There are 8mm dynamic drivers built into the Vibe Beam. They have an average level of loudness with little headroom, but for the price, it is acceptable. The Vibe Beam earbuds have a touch interface on their shells, and they are very responsive. With the app, you can easily switch out which action does what with customizable gensrtures. JBL is good at including a ton of features, even with their cheaper products, and the Vibe Beam is no different. You don’t get noise-canceling, but ambient controls are included. A custom EQ, and VoiceAware for better phone call clarity are also available.
Bluetooth
The Vibe Beam supports Bluetooth version 5.2. You can entrust JBL with delivering a stable connection and fast pairing, and that’s exactly what you get here. Don’t get your hopes up for any fancy CODECs though.
Battery Life
From a single charge you can expect about eight hours of playtime. When charging with the case, you should add a full days worth of charge, which is good for the price.
Soundstage
For true wireless earbuds from JBL, the soundstage is well organized. Especially with the price the Vibe Beam is going for, it is hard to imagine more. You get a fair amount of width that helps spread out the instruments from the middle so the imaging doesn’t appear congested. It all spreads pretty thin, not leaving a ton of room for depth or significant tallness in the sound elements. It’s a good presentation of sound though, with the performances positioning themselves in identifiable areas throughout the mix.
Low End
JBL products tend to always supply a satisfying bass no matter the price. The Vibe Beam offers a punchy bass timbre. It’s not as thick as other efforts from the brand, but maintaisn a clear energy that doesn’t go unnoticed. With EQ, the bass reaches a bit deeper, and offers a more transparent look at the frequency content as the body of the tone grows outward.
Mids
The midrange takes a more relaxed approach, but never feels hollow. This is definitely a v-shaped sound signature, with a level of detail that is relatively inoffensive for what the Vibe Beam is. Instruments never feel incomplete or unenergetic. Low-mids are more expressive than the fundamental frequencies, but the tone never becomes foggy. There is just enough room to get through an enjoyable surface level response, which is more than you’ll get from a lot of wireless earbuds in this price range.
Highs
Most of the high frequencies are smoothed out and easy to take in. It’s clear that the response is there, with a roll-off that isn’t too dramatic. Just enough top end is shown to make the treble stand out in a way that is never harsh or distracting.
Summary
With the Vibe Beam, JBL delivers a very good option for those looking for a pair of true wireless earbuds on a budget. The sound is surprisingly more than what you pay for, an it comes with many quality of life features that make these earbuds a great companion for your smartphone. It’s hard to find any major gripes with a product like this, as JBL always makes something that works for the type of consumer they’re selling to. The Vibe Beam is no different, as that makes it a great economical option.
The JBL Vibe Beam is available here.
