JVC - HA S35BT Wireless On-Ear Headphones - Blue

It's all relative, right? Sure, you can spend WAY more on BT headphones with flashier style, more features, greater brand-name recognition (though for you young 'uns in the crowd, JVC was once-upon-a-time a true titan in the word of consumer electronics), ultra-premium construction, etc. etc. etc. But for what they ARE--solid performing, no-frills, Bluetooth headphones--you really can't ask for more than what these JVC's deliver, and you might even be surprised by what they bring to the fight. For starters, I was impressed with how thoughtfully designed these otherwise unassuming headphones really are. They feature an ultra-lightweight all-plastic construction suitable for long listening sessions or even all-day wear without the likelihood of physical fatigue. Yes, they are on-ear cans, but the inward clamping pressure is relatively low, but not so feather-light as to be loose on your head--those of you sensitive to on-ear pressure (like me) may still be able to go a few hours or more before you start to notice any discomfort. That said, I don't think they'd last long during a moderate or heavy workout before shifting around on your head--but they also aren't sweatproof so I wouldn't recommend wearing them during a hard workout anyway. The earcups themselves are covered with a thick, ultra-forgiving layer of foam surrounded by soft-touch pleather that only serve to further cushion the otherwise moderate inward pressure they will exert on your ears. There is no headband cushion, but the JVC's are so light you really don't need it--and I'm someone who's given up more than one model of $1K+ high-fi to summit-fi headphones in the past because of hot-spots I developed on the top of my head from a ill-formed/poorly supported headband. Yet, despite the otherwise lightweight profile, the earcups and headband feel sturdy with a reassuring solidity to the pivoting action of the cups and definitive 'clicks' for the headband sizing detents that hold their position after you've got the perfect fit. The earcups pivot inward so the whole set folds down flat though sadly you get no pouch or soft-touch bag for packing. One particular point of note that earns these cans a gold-star for usability (at least in my book) is the thoughtfully designed control cluster. The volume button is a long rectangular rocker that hugs the edge of the earcup with a raised dot on one end but is smooth on the other--this helps you differentiate by feel which end corresponds to volume up, and which one is volume down. A slightly longer press of either end gives you corresponding track navigation forward and back. The Power/Extra Bass button is elliptical with a raised bar in the middle of it. Once powered up, a single short press of the button gives you a tone in the headset for Bass Setting 1 ("regular"--I guess), another press gets you two tones for the Bass Settings 2 ("boost" mode...more on that in a bit). The nearby, and similarly shaped, Play/Pause/Voice Assistant button doesn't have any extra surface features; a quick press gives you track Play/Pause or phone answering; a longer press gives you an in-ear confirmation tone and brings up any voice assistant you might have on your connected device. That's it...three physical buttons, each of which feel differently enough under a fingertip that you'd be hard-pressed to mistake one control for another--the addition of simple, in-ear tones all work together to reduce potential errors and frustration in use; good work JVC! As for features, there is no 3.5mm input--it's BT or nothing. I suppose that's okay as we found the battery easily lasted all the way through an 11 hour road trip with our kids; but just be aware that you can't juice your headphones passively from a regular headphone jack when the battery dies. The micro-USB port seems to be for charging only; my PC didn't recognize it as a USB soundcard (or as any attached device, for that matter), nor could I personally get them to work at all while they were charging. Bluetooth range was impressive--I actually managed to walk all the way upstairs and into the kitchen from my daughter's bathroom during a listening test and they still held their connection. Given our results, these should easily reach across a single room, maybe two, if you wanted to move around hands-free while leaving your phone or streaming player sitting on a table. Speaking of Bluetooth--JVC has managed to engineer about the fastest Bluetooth control responsiveness I've ever seen; track skip, play/pause, volume changes, etc...all were refreshingly near-instantaneous, rather than delayed slightly as with many BT devices where it takes a noticeable amount of time between button presses and signal registration/response--another check in the WIN column. Similarly, I noticed no significant BT delay between audio and video during movie playback on my iPhone X. Voice quality during a phone call was serviceable but definitely gets the job done; using the JVCs, my daughter said she could hear me loud and clear--on my phone, I thought her voice sounded a bit hollow, but it was still perfectly understandable and the perceived loss in fidelity/naturalness did not intrude on our ability to carry on a conversation. There is no hear-through feature (so you can still hear your surroundings while music is playing), but I consider it a convenience that you could have a productive conversation if a call happened to come in while you were listening to anything at all; just don't expect these to serve you well in a professional, call-center style setting where telephony is of any major concern. Finally, we get to music and sound quality. No...these aren't audiophile cans; but for the price, I think you'll find that you aren't necessarily sacrificing anything significant that would likely get in the way of casually enjoying your music. I found sound quality to be quite pleasing at moderate and even low volumes--enough so that I could easily see using these for something like a daily commute, while you're on vacation, or in any setting where you might prefer not to be lugging around top-dollar equipment, but still wanted to wring some joy out of your jams. They'll go loud if that's what you want, but these aren't necessarily geared for bass-heads even though a central feature of their marketing identity is the Bass Boost capability. Personally, I found highs and female vocals to be clear without being overly harsh or sibilant; bass was admittedly a bit thin in the "regular" setting, but activating Bass Boost thankfully didn't turn things into a muddy, sloggy mess. In fact, you might be hard-pressed to notice much of a difference between the regular and Bass Boost mode playback--my daughter actually couldn't tell them apart. I found that the Bass Boost mode simply "filled out" the sound signature--it gave the music and bit more heft and bite in the mid-bass and midrange in general. For movie playback, the Bass Boost mode definitely added a bit more of a "cinematic feeling" to...well...whatever I was I could otherwise get out of watching a movie on my cell phone. But for those of you longing for visceral bass that you can feel in your chest...you should probably keep on looking--I don't think that's what these headphones will give you. All told, the JVCs are a bit of a bargain for what they do and how well they perform. They're incredibly comfortable; responsive, easy and intuitive to use; and actually provide great sound quality for music and movies served up for those on the go. I wouldn't turn to these for any sort of critical listening of something I really CARED about "experiencing," but for my kids; for a set of BT cans I wouldn't worry about losing, misplacing, or breaking because they were so reasonably priced (especially on sale); or just for an extra set of headphones to knock around with when the need arose, the JVC HA-S35BTs seem like a tough act to beat--definitely recommended for those on a budget!

I’m happy with these on-ear headphones given the price. I like a balanced sound, so I’m surprised I prefer to leave Bass Boost on. I like the swivel fold flat design and the ear cups are soft and comfortable. They are lightweight but there is no padding on the adjustable headband. I can wear them for 3-4 hours before the top of my head begins to hurt. They fit snug on my narrow head so people with large heads might find them tight. Max volume is far too loud for my comfort so if you have hearing loss or don’t value your hearing, they can be plenty loud. They have a closed ear cup design which helps block ambient noise without an active noise cancelling feature. When used for phone calls, the sound is clear and most importantly you hear the caller in both ears. Unfortunately, you don’t hear yourself in the headphones during a call, so it has that “fingers-in-your-ears” feeling that makes you talk much louder than necessary. The headphones charge using a micro USB cable (included). The battery lasts about 17 hours and will charge from 0 to 100% in 3 hours. If no device is connected for 5 minutes the system turns off to conserve battery. When the battery is low an alarm will sound every 4 minutes. The HA S35BT uses Bluetooth 4.1 with a 33-foot (10 m) range and will pair with 8 devices. When paired with a 9th device it will forget the oldest (1st) device. I’m impressed with the real-world range of these headphones. I can stray quite far from the device before the audio begins to stutter. They are very easy to pair. When the headphones are OFF, press and hold the power button until the indicator light alternately flashes red and blue. Select “JVC HA-S35BT” from the device list and the indicator will slowly flash blue when the connection is complete. When you power on the headphones they will automatically connect to the previously used device (if available), with the indicator slowly flashing blue when connected. If the indicator light slowly flashes red, the connection was not established. This auto-connect feature is great if you mostly use them with one device, but it can be annoying when the last used device is in another room. The three control buttons are multi-function, and all located on the right side. The buttons could have better tactile feedback, but you quickly get used to them. +/- Volume: Towards the top of your right ear, near the headband, is the +/- volume rocker that doubles as the next and previous track buttons. Easy to reach with your index finger. The upper end of the rocker has a bump you can feel, and it controls the volume up (short press) and next track (long press). I expected a dimple or indentation on the lower end of this rocker that controls volume down (short press) and previous track (long press) but it is easy to get used to pressing slightly below the raised dot to press the lower end of the button. Power: On the lower end of the three buttons is the power button with an easy to feel raised “dash” in the center. Easy to reach with your thumb. This button also serves as the Bass Boost toggle and Bluetooth control. While on and connected a short press of this button will toggle Bass Boost, double tone = On and single tone = Off. Play/Pause: Slightly above the power button is the Play/Pause/Call/Assistant button. There really should be a raised dot on this important button. This is the middle button, but I mentioned it last because you must learn the location, slightly above the easy to feel power button. It is a good 1.75 inches below the bump on the + end of the volume rocker so there is no way you can confuse the two. Easy to press with your thumb once you memorize the location. While off, a 1-second press will turn the headphones on, and a 3-second press will turn the headphones off. While playing music, a short press will toggle the Play/Pause function. While receiving a call a short press of this button will answer the call and a long press will reject the call. During a call a long press will switch the call between the headphones and the smartphone. When not using the call function, a long press will enable the device assistant (Google, Siri, Etc.).

JVC is not one of the more familiar names in headphones, but it is one of the premier AV equipment makers. Their Home Theater projectors are incredible. These JVC HA-S35BT headphones are certainly in the “credible” category, even if they don’t challenge the top-of-the-line competition. SOUND and FEATURES: The JVCs have quick and easy Bluetooth connection and are as wireless as over-the-ear headphones can get. What they lack is noise isolation and noise cancellation, which might be important to some folks. For the price, the JVCs are very nicely made, with soft and comfortable earpieces, very accessible and common-sense controls, and a lighter than typical overall weight. “Clamping” around your head is very slight, but still fairly stable for those walking around the office. This is a smooth sound that doesn’t tire you out. You can listen for lengthy stretches of time. The full range of sounds is nicely balanced, but that upper frequency shimmer you hear on the best headphones and the solid, thunderous bass, at the lowest frequencies is not here. I would also suggest not over pushing the volume when lots of bass is present. The headphone volume seems able to overpower their own drivers and sound stressed out, with some distortion becoming apparent. But, I do think you get what you pay for. This is a friendly headphone set that is also quite reliable in its operation. Music sounds natural with no over-emphasis, except maybe for bass, but, only if you want it. I really liked the bass without the emphasis, but I usually do. PHONE USE: A test phone call to my wife went exceptionally well. Although I sounded a bit muffled to myself, she thought I sounded like a very clear land line connection. And she sounded great to me . . . and it wasn’t just the stars in my eyes. SETUP: Instructions. There are actually words and pictures, but I have to wonder if the instruction’s writer used the headphones before he signed off on the provided insert. Woefully inadequate. Other than that complaint, I found that using the array of controls on the earphone edge was far easier than other headphones I’ve used. The control layout is easy to master and the buttons work reliably. What follows are some hints from JVC’s online support page (I tested all of them). First: By “remote control” JVC is actually is referring to the on-headphone controls. Was I the only one to not know that? Hints: VOLUME button also controls skip FORWARD/REVERSE ... Hold “+” one second you will hear beep, skip forward ... Hold “—“ one second you will hear beep, skip back ... If you hold for extra second(s), you get extra track(s) skipped Pressing the BASS Boost during playback ... Bass Boost “ON” you will hear a double beep ... Bass Boost “OFF” You will hear a single beep Phone CALL answering ... Press the PAUSE/PLAY quickly for ACCEPT or ENDING call ... Rejecting a call requires a 1 second press on PAUSE/PLAY Using VOICE ASSISTANT ... Press the PAUSE/PLAY for 1 second POWER OFF: Hold down BASS/POWER button for 3 seconds. Absence of Bluetooth input for 5 minutes will also truth headphones off. SUMMARY: What sets these JVCs apart from the competition is the very easy and comfortable-to-use headphones. These are unlikely to tire a user even after lengthy periods of use, because the sound is very neutral. They are designed for all-day work sessions where you don’t want to isolate yourself from the environment around you. And, phone calls are just as natural. I also really like the controls. Nicely done.

I bought first the one with wire and loved the sound quality. Then I bought a 2nd piece this time wireless. Both are excellent! For a movie I prefer the one with wire, no wifi interuptions. Pretty comfortable also.

I’ve been waiting to get some headsets for a while to entertain my while I walk and or exercise. This was the perfect fit for me not too expensive with great quality

Let’s be clear, the JVC HA-S35BT Bluetooth headphones are a good value for the 50 bucks more or less you’ll pay. They connected easily and their sound was decent. The headphones have a “Bass Boost” button that will be attractive to certain demographics. I like my headphones to just accurately play the music, but that’s personal taste. They work nicely when used for telephone calls, particularly because of the traditional headphone configuration that muffles external sound. I found the button locations a little difficult to use in the brief time I’ve been using this product. Overall, for the price, the JVCs get the job down for a good price.

Construction / Comfort Built with no nonsense and with a price in mind. Construction is all black plastic. The headband is on the rigid side with no padding. Regardless it feels comfortable, and the headphones fold flat. The headphones themselves are rather large, and a bit on the heavy side. The padding works very well, and provides good passive noise isolation. Specs / Controls On the specs side, it's Bluetooth 4.1 and SBC codec. The downside is that doesn't support more advanced audio codec like Apt-X or AAC. The battery life on these is fantastic. It's rated for 17 hours. I've been using it at work for several days and the battery indicator on the phone still shows around 80% on the headphones. It charges with Micro-USB (Cable included). Note that there is no analog input and doesn't work while being charged. The controls are simple and logical, on the back side of the rear headphone there is a volume rocker, that is also used to change tracks if held, a play/pause/call and the Power/Pairing/Bass button. Audio Specs aside, these sound great, specially at the value they offer. The sound is very clear, detailed and neutral. The extra bass settings provides additional body, but not overwhelming, working well on different types of music. Conclusion As value over the ear headphones, sound is very good, as expected from reliable JVC. These are a very solid choice.

There's really not that much to say about these headphones that will inspire me to recommend these to anyone. They are really great sounding headphones, but they've got most basic design factor. I can't justify the price to package problem. There's not much to the product to garner the cost, when there are so many better and cheaper headphone options available on the market. I won't take too much of your time, but here's a link to my full online review if you're interested. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zkwGsqKJuM7NgxZscJPXR2cosUykJXpVJ0hyvy3gWFo/edit?usp=sharing In short, save your money.