Design and features:The earphones work with or without the noise canceling feature being turned on, and you can use the noise-canceling feature without listening to music. The Everest Elite 150NC has an integrated microphone and volume, music player function, and call connect/disconnect controls for use with paired Bluetooth devices. This model uses a collar/earphone design - all of the electronics are incorporated into an open collar that sits around the neck, and the earphones are attached to wires that extend from the collar. Additional features include earphones that can be magnetically attached to each other when not in use for ease of carrying. The noise-canceling control button on the right side of the collar turns cycles between the noise canceling mode and two monitoring modes that let in a low and high amount of ambient sound. The free My JBL Headphones app for Apple and Android mobile devices adds additional Bluetooth and noise cancelling features and programing of the headphone's noise canceling control, tonal adjustments, and firmware updating. This model comes with three pairs of ear pieces in various sizes, three pairs of ear bowl supports in various sizes, a USB charging cable, and a carrying case.
Sound quality: We found the Everest Elite 150NC provides Excellent active noise reduction, and when the noise cancelling feature or any of the ambient sound monitoring modes are used it delivers sound quality that falls in the Very Good range - it reproduces music and voice very well although it does have some noticeable sonic quirks. The overall sound can best be summarized as bassy and sizzly. The bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) has good impact and goes deep, but is prominent and boomy. The midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is fairly even but a bit grainy. The treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is fairly extended, but is somewhat prominent and sizzly (sounds that should have a delicate shimmer have a sound reminiscent of bacon frying). The sound has a good sense of liveliness and is somewhat open (sound-wise it almost seems like you don't have anything covering your ears). When the noise cancelling feature is turned off the sound quality changes somewhat but still scores the same for overall sound quality. The bass becomes less prominent and boomy, the midrange becomes a bit thin. These headphones provide Excellent noise reduction across the entire frequency range with the low frequencies reduced the most. When the noise canceling feature is turned on there is a faint hiss that can be heard in very quiet environments when there is no audio program material to mask it. When the earphones are switched to any of the ambient sound monitoring modes the background hiss increase as the level of ambient sound that is heard is increased.
Comfort: As typical of in-ear models they produce a sense of pressure in the ear canal opening that might be uncomfortable for some. They fit and stay in place with no problem, and the ear bowl support ear pieces make them very stable even during vigorous head movements. The collar is very convenient unless it interferes with clothing; however, it is a bit heavier than most with this type of design and may be more noticeable, and uses with larger necks may also notice it more. When the earphones are not in the ears they can be magnetically attached to each other, dangled from the collar, and rested on the chest where they will swing out away from the body when leaning over; this can be bothersome or expose them to damage. The sound of the earphone connecting cable rubbing on clothing may be transmitted by the earphones.
