JBL has launched a ton of new headphone models over the past few months, perhaps the most notable being the affordable yet good-quality E-Series. We’ve been reviewing all the headphones in the E-Series over the past few weeks, but two models in particular stood out as being very similar — the JBL E35 and JBL E45BT.
But what are the main differences? And which model should you go for? We put the two headphones head to head to find out. Before diving into the comparison, however, it might be worth checking out our full reviews of the two headphones:
Design
The design of the JBL E35 and JBL E45BT headphones is almost identical, with only a few key differences between the two. Both of the headphones come in black, blue, red, green, and white, and both of them come in a very similar size and identical shape. They also both feature the JBL logo on each ear cup, as well as on the headband.
As mentioned, however, there are a few key differences between the two headphones. For example, the JBL E45BT features an on/off switch, volume buttons, a Bluetooth button, and a microUSB port. Of course, these extra design components are pretty important, simply because the E45BT headphones are Bluetooth headphones, and the E35 headphones are not.
In general, both of the headphones look pretty good. We like the black look the most, but the colors give the headphones a fun spin, and many will prefer that look too.
There is one disappointing thing to note with both of these headphones — the fact that neither of them come with a case. That’s especially frustrating considering their on-ear form factor, which highlights the fact that they are indeed portable headphones.
There’s no real winner in the design department — they have almost the exact same design and look.
Comfort
The JBL E35 and JBL E45BT headphones are also almost identical in the comfort department too. They both feature a good amount of padding on the ear cup, as well as a little padding on the headband as well.
When you press on the foam on either of these two headphones, you might not feel like there’s a lot of padding, but the fact is that they don’t really need all that much — the clamp isn’t all that hard, and the headphones are relatively light. We would have liked slightly more on the headband for both of the headphones, but neither of the two are uncomfortable.
Sound
The most important thing to consider when it comes to comparing headphones is sound, and the two headphones are very similar in the sound department too. They’re not, however, identical.
Let’s start with the bass, which is actually slightly more pronounced on the wired JBL E35 headphones. That’s not to say it’s way better — it’s not — but there does seem to be an extra bit of a kick on the E35 headphones over the E45BT’s.
There is a trade-off though. The E45BT headphones feature slightly better high-end response, offering slightly clearer vocals and cymbals. Again, it’s not a huge difference, but it is noticeable to a trained ear.
Neither of the two headphones offer a ton of noise isolation, but that’s not what you would probably buy them for anyway — if you’re looking to cut out the noise, a pair of noise canceling headphones are probably what you should go for.
Conclusions
So which headphones should you go for? Well, perhaps surprisingly, they’re basically the same pair of headphones. The only real difference is that one of them offers Bluetooth connectivity. Looking to cut out the wires? Then the JBL E45BT headphones are right for you — but that connectivity comes at a cost. In fact, they come at a $20 cost. While the JBL E35 headphones come at $79.95, the JBL E45BT headphones come in at $99.95.
In reality you can’t go wrong with either pair. Check out the links below to buy the headphones you decide on.
