JBL Everest Elite Wireless Headphone Review

Is Bluetooth plus noise-cancelling a match made in heaven?

by Ed Selley
Hi-Fi Review

8

Recommended
JBL Everest Elite Wireless Headphone Review
MSRP: £250.00

What is the JBL Everest Elite 700?

The JBL Everest Elite 700 is a Bluetooth enabled over-ear headphone that is one of a number of models competing in this increasingly busy product sector. Perhaps because it is the focus of increasing competition, JBL has seen fit to pull out all the stops with the Elite 700. Having been a presence in the market for some time with models like the Syncros, the company has taken the decision to augment the Bluetooth functionality with some added extras.

This means that as well as Bluetooth for easy wireless connection to suitably equipped devices, JBL has then gone and added active noise cancellation - a combination that I'm not aware of on any other product. Furthermore, they have taken the opportunity to tie this functionality in a unique and potentially interesting way. As JBL have plenty of experience in the business of making headphones (and the wider Harman International Group has even more, owning as it does AKG) this sounds like a particularly interesting piece of equipment. Of course, there's a sizeable gap between being interesting and being good, so is the Elite 700 a lesson in how to make the next generation of Bluetooth headphone or a technological showcase that doesn't deliver in the real world?

Specifications

JBL Everest Elite 700
The JBL is a headphone that fits neatly into the hybrid category of devices that are intended to be as suitable for use on-the-move as they are at home. To this end it is built around a pair of 40mm dynamic drivers that are mounted in enclosed housings. The material that the drivers are made out is not specified but they offer competitive sensitivity of 99dB/w and a frequency response of 10Hz-22kHz albeit with no frequency response specified.

As you might expect, the JBL can be used perfectly happily as a conventional headphone and JBL supplies a 3.5mm-3.5mm jack cable to enable you to do this. With their useful sensitivity, they shouldn't be a problem for most phones or tablets and as the connections at the headphone end are entirely standard, they can be used as a normal pair of home headphones as well.

Of course, the JBL's primary purpose in life is to function wirelessly and here the news is good too. The JBL incorporates a Bluetooth 4.0 receiver that is backwards compatible with older versions as well. The active section is powered by a 3.7V, 850mAh battery that gives the Elite 700 a life of up to 19 hours when running wirelessly. Charging can be performed via USB and JBL supplies a cable for this purpose.

Once connected via Bluetooth - a process denoted by flashing LED indicator which turns solid once connection is established accompanied by a robotic American lady confirming the same in the earpiece - the JBL offers the ability to receive audio from a suitable Bluetooth transmitter and controls on the rear of the driver housings allow for play/pause, track skip and power on and off commands. The JBL is additionally compatible with call protocol so you can stand around having a shouty conversation with yourself if you like. So far, this is all fairly conventional. The JBL's Bluetooth implementation might be described as 'type standard' in this regard and there's nothing about it that is truly noteworthy. It is what else JBL has fitted to the Elite 700 that makes it stand out.
JBL Everest Elite 700
In addition to the Bluetooth software, the JBL is fitted with active noise-cancelling software. This in itself would make the Elite 700 fairly unusual but JBL's implementation of this noise cancelling is sufficiently different to put the Elite 700 into a field of one. As you might expect, the active systems that control the noise-cancelling can be switched on and off but they can also have the level at which they operate adjusted too. Neither is this done on pre-ordained settings. Press a button on the right hand enclosure and a microphone will perform a test of noise levels as you are currently experiencing them and tailor the treatment accordingly.

This is performed via an app available for iOS and Android. Pair the Elite 700 with a device with the app on board and you can use it to control not only these noise cancelling settings but also apply EQ adjustment to the performance of the headphone. As well as pre-loaded EQ settings, you can sit down and tailor the performance of the Elite 700 to your personal preferences.

Furthermore, as the information is transferred over Bluetooth to the JBL, it avoids a long standing issue with EQ programs of this type. Historically, apps of this nature could only do what they do via a dedicated audio player which meant that the EQ settings were only applicable to the material on the phone or player. This was because material encoded via a streaming service couldn't be accessed in the same way. As the app is effectively only sending a digital signal for decoding by the Elite 700, this is not the case here and means that your EQ settings will be available all the time.

Of course, the detractor to this is that if you aren't using a device that can run the app, all of it is switched off. You can still run the noise cancelling in a simplified form but the EQ options are switched off and not made available to you. As such, the JBL is going to do its best work with devices that support the app. Outside of this, it will be operating as voiced by JBL.

Design

JBL Everest Elite 700

For better or worse JBL product has not generally been known for subtlety. The company generally goes in for bold colours, solid designs and an ethos that goes long on the company's pro heritage. The Elite 700 is broadly built along these lines. This means you get a hefty pair of headphones for your money with a thick headband that morphs into the enclosures. Black and white finishes are available and the black of the review sample, barring the large 'JBL' logo stencilled on it, might even be classed as vaguely restrained compared to some rivals.

There are some nice touches though. The Elite 700 has good, deep padding on the enclosure that spreads the weight and makes it comfortable to wear for long periods. The level of grip on the sides of the head is good enough to ensure that nothing is going to go astray during normal use without digging in at the same time. The build quality is also pretty good. The Elite 700 doesn't feel 'special' in the way that something like Sennheiser's Momentum range does but neither does it feel like it is going to give up on you any time soon.
In terms of accessories, JBL supplies a cable for conventional wired listening and a zip up soft bag that that holds the headphones comfortably once they are folded up. It isn't the most lavish selection of add-ons but it is enough to see the JBL being easily used at home and on the move.
JBL Everest Elite 700
Whilst it already makes the Elite 700 fairly unusual, JBL's implementation of noise-cancelling is sufficiently different to put them into a field of one.

How were they tested?

The JBL was principally tested with the control app via Bluetooth from a Motorola Moto X phone which is Andoid capable. Additional testing was carried out via conventional wired listening with audio from a Chord Mojo taking a signal from a Lenovo T530 ThinkPad running jRiver. The material used has included lossless and high res FLAC, Tidal, Spotify, Sky Go, Netflix, iPlayer and YouTube.

Sound Quality - Bluetooth

JBL Everest Elite 700
Traditionally, I'd test a headphone via wired connection first but in the case of the JBL, the Bluetooth functionality is so key to what it does, it makes more sense to try it this way around. Connecting the JBL is a simple business. The only piece information that is missing from the otherwise usefully comprehensive setup guide is that if your pair has been previously paired (which naturally shouldn't be the case for a new pair) you need to hold the pair button down for ten seconds rather than press and release.

Having done so and with no EQ settings or noise cancellation applied, the JBL is pleasingly listenable without perhaps being truly exciting. With the mighty IV by Black Mountain, there is plenty of bass extension married to a top-end which can seem a little veiled but avoids tipping over into being actively recessed. The good news is that the bluetooth transmission is rock solid and completely free of any interference. You can put the phone down on a work surface or the like and wander off from the headphones for several metres without any signs of drop out or interference and the controls all work in a slick and responsive way.

Dig out the EQ functions and things start to get interesting though. JBL has allowed an impressive amount of tweaking to the frequency response of the Elite 700 and it is all laid out in a completely logical fashion. This means that after about 90 seconds of work, the bass response has been fractionally reined in and the top end given a considered but perceivable boost and as a result of this, the Elite 700 is much more interesting to listen to. Black Mountain's opening track Mothers of the Sun takes on a more visceral and potent presentation with the weighty guitar riffs sounding crisp and powerful and the space around the top-end making it sound much less congested.
JBL Everest Elite 700
Judged on an absolute level of performance against a conventional headphone at a similar price like the Audio Technica MSR-7, the JBL never sounds as clean, open or refined but it can be made to sound pretty much how you want it to sound and indeed tweak it on the fly to work with what you are listening to at the time. It is also commendably forgiving of compressed material with Spotify sounding good and even some slightly grim YouTube Videos sounding perfectly listenable.

Where the EQ facility really comes into its own is with TV and film material. Being able to tweak the JBL to work with the material you are watching at the time. With material like Masterchef, the JBL can be setup to keep vocals crisp and clear and give plenty of sense of the space they are working in. Switch to a thumping rendition of Mad Max: Fury Road and with the bass raised up a bit to give you some explosive force, the JBL puts in a truly excellent performance.

The noise cancellation is also well implemented. The Elite 700 does a good job of blocking out noise around you and while there is a tonal shift to the music, it is not so severe as to prove an annoyance. The ability to adjust the amount of cancellation in operation is extremely effective as the 'medium' setting manages to keep most of the outside world at bay while improving the tonality considerably. If you are looking for headphones that combine wireless operation with the ability to handle noisy environments, this is a very accomplished piece of kit.

Sound Quality - Wired

When you turn off the Bluetooth and plug in a cable, the JBL is easy enough to live with. It stays comfortable, easy to drive and you can use it with any line out cable you need for the length involved. The problem that the JBL has is that once you've got used to the app and being able to tweak it to the sound you want, unless by sheer chance, the settings you like are the ones that the Elite 700 defaults to, it will always sound a little disappointing by comparison. For occasional home use, they are more than up to the job but this is really a headphone that wants to be used on the move.
JBL Everest Elite 700
Where the EQ facility really comes into its own is with TV and film material.

Conclusion

Pros

  • Excellent sound once configured
  • Solid build quality
  • Excellent specifications

Cons

  • Work best when used with app
  • Not very attractive
  • Can't compete with the best conventional designs at the price

JBL Everest Elite Wireless Headphone Review

Essentially, this review should have made it fairly clear (unless you've skipped to this section without reading it, you impatient soul) that the JBL is a headphone of two halves. Used via wired connection or from a non iOS or Android device, this is a well made, competent sounding and well implemented Bluetooth headphone but not one that really does anything to stand out from the competition.

As a partner to a mobile device that can run the app though, the JBL is an entirely different beast. The addition of the EQ controls, really well implemented noise reduction and the general care and attention that JBL has put into the Elite 700 when used on the move make it a bit of star. This is not a true all-rounder but if you are looking for a Bluetooth equipped headphone for use on the move, this is a seriously good option.

Scores

Build Quality

.
.
8

Ease of Use

.
.
8

Sensitivity

.
.
8

Design and usability

.
9

Sound Quality

.
.
8

Value For Money

.
9

Verdict

.
.
8
8
AVForumsSCORE
OUT OF
10

Our Review Ethos

Read about our review ethos and the meaning of our review badges.

To comment on what you've read here, click the Discussion tab and post a reply.

Related Content

Philips Fidelio L4 Wireless Headphone Review
  • By Ed Selley
  • Published
Focal Bathys Dune Wireless Headphone Review
  • By Ed Selley
  • Published
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless On-Ear Headphones Review
  • By Simon Lucas
  • Published
FiiO FT3 Wired Over-Ear Headphones Review
  • By Simon Lucas
  • Published
Sendy Audio Peacock Headphone Review
  • By Ed Selley
  • Published

Latest Headlines

iFi Audio launches Go Bar Kensei portable DAC
  • By Ian Collen
  • Published
LG launches portable StanbyME Speaker
  • By Ian Collen
  • Published
Meze Audio launches Liric 2nd Generation headphones
  • By Ian Collen
  • Published
Q Acoustics set to launch flagship 5050 speaker
  • By Ian Collen
  • Published
Wharfedale formally announces the Super Denton speaker
  • By Ian Collen
  • Published
Back
Top Bottom