J&L Real 100 wireless sport headphones: $25 headphones that could easily cost $100 (review)

Without question, wireless headphones are gaining in popularity and are quickly replacing its 3.5mm wired counterparts. There’s even rumors that Apple will do away with its dated 3.5mm audio out port, to be replaced by the thinner Lightning port or switch to wireless altogether.

The writers here at AndroidGuys have gone through many heated discussions about wireless vs. wired, and we think it is a smart move to go away from the standard wired option. There are audiophile snobs like Josh Noriega, who cannot be convinced that wireless is the way to go. Then you have your young and progressive teen in Jason Botha who knows it’s time to make the switch and do away with the 3.5mm audio out port.

I’m on the fence. I understand the need to stick with the century old 3.5mm audio jack since 90% of headphones on the market use that standard. But I’m quickly starting to realize that need is more fear based than anything else. Wireless Bluetooth technology has improved immensely over the past two years with the stiff competition amongst manufacturers for high quality audio output. Also wireless technology battery life has increased tremendously over the past few years, making Bluetooth headphones even more relevant to everyday users.

I’ve recently been using the J&L Real 100 Bluetooth wireless sport headphones which cost just $24.99 at Amazon, and can tell you that they are so good I wouldn’t have a problem paying $100 for them.

Let’s check them out.

J&L 100 Real Bluetooth headphones design

The J&L 100 Real sport headphones have built in Bluetooth connectivity with the brains and battery built directly into the earpieces. This type of design results in large earbuds, but does away with an inline remote or neckband like other wireless headphones.

The two earbuds are connected by a wire which loops behind your neck to stay out of your way when you’re working out. The wire is of the flat variety that is coated in a rubber material that prevents it from tangling in on itself. There are ear stabilizers that slide over the earpiece which hold the hefty earbuds in your ear, with three sets of different sized silicone ear pieces (S, M, L).

The microphone, volume control, and power button are all integrated into the right side earbud, leaving the microUSB charging port for the left side. The headphones weigh in at 16.5g and can last up to four hours away from a charger.

All standard stuff for wireless earbuds.

Usage

When it comes to sport earbuds, the J&L Real 100 earbuds sound pretty darned good. They aren’t audiophile quality that you will find in multi-driver in ear monitor setups, but these cost just $24.99 and are designed for sport use.

Once the right silicone ear tip is selected, with the proper ear stabilizer, the fit and feel of the headphones are very comfortable. I usually prefer to avoid this style as the earbuds tend to get uncomfortable past an hour, as the weight drags on my ears. Yet these fit so snug that they remain comfortable even when I go out on runs. Only people with small to very small ear canals might have issue with the fit. If you have an average sized ear canal, these should be perfect for you.

With sound tuned for sport use, these earbuds get really loud. So loud, even with 15 years of daily wearing of headphones, they even hurt my ears when I turned them up to full volume. That is actually a rarity when it comes to most wireless headphones, as the loudness can drain on the battery pretty hard. Most other wireless headphones I have tried out are about 80% loudness of their wired counterparts. But the J&L Real 100 earbuds are easily the loudest headphones I have put on in years.

As stated before, you won’t be getting audiophile quality sound reproduction, but you will get a sound that is extremely fun to listen to. The sound signature is also perfect for those who love their music when they work out. These are tuned with a decent amount of bass, mids, and highs which result in an ultra fun listening experience. I’ve easily heard worse headphones that cost five times as much.

If you’re looking to listen to classical music or smooth jazz, these aren’t for you. However, if you are the type who wants upbeat and fast paced music for your workout, these are perfect for you. They are even resist sweat – when I work out I sweat a lot, and never dealt with any issues with these headphones as a result of that sweat.

J&L advertises four hours of music playback, but I frequently picked up four to six hours of usage depending on how loud I cranked on the volume.

As for calls, I prefer to use these in a quiet environment. Whenever I dealt with street noise, the user on the other end of the phone call could hear too much of it. With a quiet environment, the call quality was great.

My only complaint with these earbuds would be the control buttons are small and a little hard to manage when I am wearing them. Other than that, the battery life is better than advertised, sound quality is perfect for workouts, and the comfort exceeded my expectations.

Conclusion

Simply put, you will not find a better sport wireless headphone for less than the $24.99 I paid for the J&L Real 100 Bluetooth wireless sport headphones. Battery life, build quality, comfort and sound reproduction are all incredible for wireless headphones in this price category.

With my experience with wireless headphones, I would easily pay $100 for these fantastic sport headphones.

I highly recommend the J&L Real 100 wireless headphones at $24.99 which you can get at Amazon now in black, red, and green.