JBL has consistently remained as a leading brand in the bridge between cheap and luxury audio products, providing quality products for reasonable prices. Let’s see if their latest sports earbud, the JBL Endurance Peak 4, lives up to the brand’s reputation.
Build, Design, and Comfort
The EP4 (Endurance Peak 4)’s box comes with all the essentials you’ll ever need for them: the buds, a case, a charging cable, and small/medium/large ear-tips. It’s simple, but effective.
The design of the case is nice, with a nice black finish (also available in purple and white). However, it is a bit large for my taste. This is hard to combat considering the size of the earbuds, but regardless it makes it quite difficult to fit in a pocket for everyday use and makes it look a bit tacky. When considering portability during exercise, this could also be an issue; I could see these falling out/not fitting in a pair of sports shorts, for example.
The buds themselves are durable, comfortable and fit nicely around the ear via wrapping around them. They boast great features such as being entirely water and dust proof and wouldn’t fall out of my ears no matter the activity or head movement. This makes them ideal for wear in just about any environment for just about any exercise.
Technical Specifications
- Driver size: 10 mm dynamic driver
- Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
- Sensitivity: 108 dB SPL @ 1 kHz
- Impedance: 16 ohms
- Sound signature/features: JBL Pure Bass Sound, Spatial Sound support
Sound Review
I’m going to be honest: when I first started listening to the EP4, I wasn’t very impressed with the sound. It came off as flat in a bad way; nothing across the spectrum stood out, music came off as a bit boring. However, after I learned about the EP4’s EQ feature available in its app, I found the earbuds really woke up and provided a good quality sound for this price point. In fact, the app provides a great deal of customization for the EP4.
There is a slider for both adaptive noise cancellation and ambience control, along with settings for walking, hiking, and running. EQ is also fully customizable; you can create your own EQ setting or pick from six pre-made designs from JBL. I will say, I wish there were more pre-made EQ options available. Most musical genres are completely neglected and require the user to design their own EQ for it.
Soundstage
The EP4 provides a relatively narrow soundstage that’s common in this type of earbud. Songs are intimate—it feels as though you’re in the front row of a small venue, with little room for reverberation. Some will like this, and others may find it too claustrophobic. I usually prefer wider soundstages, but I wasn’t too bothered by the EP4’s narrowness considering its utility.
Frequency Overview
Bass Frequencies
JBL is known for their bass, and I would say the EP4’s shine in this department when the EQ is present. I found the “Extreme Bass” EQ setting to provide the most unique and quality sound out of the bunch. The bass packs a considerable punch and is especially impressive for the price point that the EP4 sits at.
Mid Frequenices
The EP4’s mids are nice and rounded. Vocals, guitars, and strings are clear even if not overly detailed. It’s the kind of thing you would expect from a wireless IEM at this price point. It is serviceable; not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but not mind blowing. You’re probably not going to be paying too close attention to the audio quality while working out, as these earbuds are designed for, and for that purpose they work great.
High/Treble Frequencies
The highs do get a little lost in the details, especially with a bass boosting EQ. They are present, but not the highlight by any means. The EP4s are definitely a more bass-focused product.
Comparisons With Similar Wireless Earbuds
The EP4 measures favorably against other products. While the JBL’s own Endurance Pace attempts to fill the same need as the EP4 at a lower price point, it has an entirely different wear style. It’s ultimately down to preference as to which one prefers for their workout needs.
Other popular competitors such as the Apple AirPod do sound a bit better to my ears, but they do not offer the same durability, customization, and wear-style. There are other sports earbuds with similar wear-styles and price points out there, but if you love that classic JBL sound and feel or just want a good all-round earbud, this is a great choice.
Final Thoughts
The EP4 manages to stand on its own in the wireless IEM landscape for its utility, value and quality. At $130, these offer great value and customization that is hard to match. I’m confident that these would last a long time even with prolonged use considering their durability. The EP4 is a great all-round workout wireless earbud, even if it’s not quite as portable or high-fidelity as some more expensive competitors.
You can buy the JBL Endurance Peak 4 at Audio 46.
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