JLab Rewind Wireless Retro - Review 2022

The '80s are back—and they're wireless. JLab's Rewind Retro Wireless on-ear Bluetooth headphones pay more than a petty homage to the cream-earpad headphones that came with the early on '80s Sony Walkman cassette players. At $19.99, they're most equally inexpensive at it gets in the wireless audio realm, so our sound expectations going in to this review were adequately minor. But maybe nosotros were but remembering the original Walkman headphones, which had very weak bass response—the Rewind Wireless actually deliver a solid listening experience in comparing with other budget Bluetooth headphones we've tested. Anyone with a case of '80s nostalgia will exist pleased.

Blueprint

In an era of high-price luxury headphones, it'south difficult to fathom simply how iconic and how much of a condition symbol (at to the lowest degree at school) the Sony Walkman headphones were. Their iii chief materials were plastic for the supra-aural (on-ear) earcups, metal for the not-terribly-comfy headband, and foam for the slightly more comfortable earpads. JLab faithfully recreates these primal basic design choices.

Added to the equation are tiny expanses of flat, linguini-like cabling running the brusk expanse betwixt each ear enclosure and an entry point to the headband. Inside each earcup, a 36mm commuter delivers the sound. The fit is secure, lightweight, and perhaps slightly more comfy than the originals.

There are also on-ear controls. The outer panel of the right earpiece is a button that controls playback and phone call management (when tapped), track navigation (when held for longer), and voice assist (when double tapped). There are no volume controls on the headphones.

For $xx, you're not going to get much in the accessories section. JLab includes an extra fix of black foam earpads—the orange pair is the default option (there's also an all-bluish pair available), and a long micro USB charging cable, but that'due south it. The connectedness for the charging cable is located on the right ear enclosure'southward outer panel, hidden past the foam. The enclosures swivel slightly to suit to your head, simply this motility also allows for the cable to really connect.

The mic offers and then-so intelligibility. Using the Voice Memos app on an iPhone 6s, nosotros could empathize every word nosotros recorded, simply the audio was fuzzy and the mic sounded distant. This is pretty much par for the course with cheap bluetooth headphone mics.

JLab claims the headphones go roughly 12 hours of battery life, but your results will vary with your volume levels.

Performance

On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Pocketknife's "Silent Shout," it becomes clear immediately that the headphones pump out significantly more bass depth than the '80s originals did, and exercise so without distorting. At acme, unwise listening levels, they evangelize clean, full-sounding bass depth.

Come across How We Test Headphones

Bill Callahan's "Drover," a rails with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the overall sound signature. The drums on this rails can audio overly thunderous on bass-heavy headphones, only here they sound somewhat pocket-size—it's Callahan'due south baritone vocals that get the bulk of the bass presence, sounding rich and crisp simultaneously. Then the headphones don't invent sub-bass presence when it'south non in the mix, and most of the bass push is going to land a little college on the frequency range, in the lows and low-mids. But there'due south a very crisp, bright sound happening here as well—the higher-annals percussion, the acoustic guitar strums, and even the record hiss all get some additional presence, lending everything a very sculpted sound—rich and bright.

On Jay-Z and Kanye Westward'due south "No Church in the Wild," the kick drum loop gets the platonic high-mid presence needed to accentuate its abrupt attack, while it besides gets a solid boost in the lows and and depression-mids, adding some heft to its presence. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are delivered with impressive presence for $twenty headphones—at that place'due south no sense of serious subwoofer-like thunder hither, only there'south plenty of solid bass presence and implied rumble. These may not be ideal for bass fiends, simply to say we're surprised by how much bass they push out is an understatement.

Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams' The Gospel Co-ordinate to the Other Mary, audio quite sculpted—the higher register brass, strings, and vocals sound a picayune too bright and crisp. They don't need much help in that section to begin with, and the sculpting only increases their edge. The lower register instrumentation gets some boosting in the lows and low-mids that brings it forward in the mix significantly. Overall, this is a scooped sound signature with plenty of rich bass depth and sculpted highs, and less mid-range presence than many listeners volition want.

Another holdover from the original Walkman blueprint worth noting: These headphones leak a proficient amount of audio, so they're non the all-time choice for quiet rooms or the office.

Conclusions

JLab'due south Rewind Wireless Retro headphones are more than just an do in nostalgia. They just sound very good for a $20 wireless pair, and the fact that exude '80s cool merely sweetens the deal. Certain, the sound is sculpted, but there'southward bass and clarity here. If you lot like the look, simply want a wired pick, check out the similarly retro-inspired Aiaiai Tracks. If the toll is right but the design is not for yous, consider the on-ear Skullcandy Uproar Wireless Bluetooth, or the in-ear Jam Comfort Buds and JBL Reflect Mini BT. For $twenty, though, JLab pulls off a very cool-looking wireless tribute to the '80s that sounds better than it ever did back and then.

Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/headphones/20413/jlab-rewind-wireless-retro

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