THE EMPIRE
Wear your soundtrack with the look you love and the sound you need with the JBL Soundgear Frames
The JBL Soundgear Frames are a neat piece of tech that blends audio and eyewear in a surprisingly effective package. These audio sunglasses offer a unique way to enjoy your music while keeping you connected to your surroundings.
Specs + Features
Design and Comfort:
The Soundgear Square Frames sport a sleek, modern design with a translucent plastic build. They’re incredibly lightweight, which is great for all-day wear, but this comes at the cost of feeling a bit fragile. I found myself constantly worried about accidentally sitting on them or mishandling them. The temples house the speaker tech, making them slightly heavier than the eye frames. This imbalance can cause the glasses to open and close when handling them by the front, potentially triggering unwanted Bluetooth connections.
Audio Quality:
JBL’s OpenSound Technology powers these frames, with ultra-thin 25mm x 9mm high amplitude rectangular speakers cleverly concealed in each temple. The audio quality is surprisingly good for such a compact system. You get a decent soundstage with clear directionality and separation, making for an immersive listening experience. One of the standout features is how the audio doesn’t interfere with your ability to hear your surroundings or engage in conversations. It’s quite a nice surprise and adds to the versatility of these frames.
Features and Functionality:
The Soundgear Frames come packed with useful features:
- 8 hours of playtime with a quick 10-minute charge providing an additional 2 hours (2x USB-C charging ports 1 on each temple)
- IP54 water resistance rating – but don’t go chucking them in the pool
- Automatic on/off when opening/closing the frames
- Touch controls on the temple/JBL logo for easy operation
- Compatibility with the JBL Headphones app for EQ customisation
A standout feature is the variety of lens options available. You can choose from:
- Prescription lenses (fitted by your optician)
- Polarised lenses for sun protection
- Blue light blocking lenses for screen use
This flexibility adds significant value to the frames, allowing them to serve multiple purposes.
Final Thoughts:
Look, the JBL Soundgear Frames are a pretty neat piece of tech, but let’s be honest – they’re a bit of a novelty item. I’ve been using them for a couple of weeks now, and I’ve got some thoughts. Sound-wise, they far exceed my expectations. Don’t expect mind-blowing audio, but they’re great for cruising around town on your feet or in the car or lazing about at home. If you’re after something different and don’t mind splashing out a bit, these could be worth a go. $179.98 (price at time of review from PB Tech though you could be looking at around $199.00 from elsewhere).
Just be careful with ’em – they’re not exactly built like a tank and I was always worried about somehow breaking them. I feel like I may have had the lenses for blue light blocking, because they were not great for sun protection. When it was overcast or pretty cloudy, I did enjoy using them outside if I was to go out walking.
All in all, they’re a cool gadget, but maybe not for everyone. If you’re keen on trying audio glasses though, these JBLs are worth checking out. Just don’t expect them to replace your proper headphones, eh? They deserve a fair 7/10, they are a well executed product and are interesting, but they do have their drawbacks from being an exceptional product.
If you want to check out some headphones I enjoyed, click here –> Surprise!
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