Stuff

    Subscribe to our newsletter

    What's Hot
    Taiwan semiconductor

    What is a semiconductor? An electrical engineer explains

    August 13, 2022
    Football

    Nearly 70% of Premier League footballers are abused on Twitter – we used an AI to sift through millions of tweets

    August 13, 2022
    Avatar Generations

    Mobile RPG Avatar: Generations has launched early in South Africa

    August 12, 2022
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube SoundCloud
    Trending
    • What is a semiconductor? An electrical engineer explains
    • Nearly 70% of Premier League footballers are abused on Twitter – we used an AI to sift through millions of tweets
    • Mobile RPG Avatar: Generations has launched early in South Africa
    • Yes, even the Beach Buggy is an EV now
    • Xiaomi’s new folding device has arrived. Meet the Mix Fold 2
    • Anker’s latest power bank can fast charge devices simultaneously
    • Acer Veriton Z All-in-one PC review – Keeping it formal
    • September could see massive petrol price cuts for South Africa
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    StuffStuff
    • News
      • App News
      • Business News
      • Camera News
      • Gaming News
      • Headphone News
      • Industry News
      • Internet News
      • Laptops News
      • Motoring News
      • Other Tech News
      • Phone News
      • Tablet News
      • Technology News
      • TV News
      • Wearables News
    • Reviews
      • Camera Reviews
      • Car Reviews
      • Featured Reviews
      • Game Reviews
      • Headphone Reviews
      • Laptop Reviews
      • Other Tech Reviews
      • Phone Reviews
      • Tablet Reviews
      • Wearables Reviews
    • Columns
    • Stuff Guides
    • Podcasts & Videos
      • Videos
      • Stuffed
      • Stuffing Around
      • Tech Byte
      • T2S2
    • Win
    • Subscribe
      • Print
      • Digital
        • Google Play
        • iTunes
        • Download
        • Zinio
    • Stuff Shop
      • Shop Now
      • My Account
      • Downloads
    • Contact Us
      • Get In Touch
      • Advertise
    0 Shopping Cart
    Stuff
    Home » Reviews » Headphone Reviews » JBL Quantum 800 review – Not the Quantum leap we were hoping for
    Headphone Reviews

    JBL Quantum 800 review – Not the Quantum leap we were hoping for

    Duncan PikeBy Duncan PikeDecember 31, 2021Updated:January 3, 2022No Comments5 Mins Read
    JBL Quantum 800
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email
    7.3 A good start

    The Quantum 800 brings a lot to the table, as it should for the price. But it seems like, for every feature it offers, there is a slight caveat to it. Overall, this is an okay headset that is just a few tweaks away from offering a lot, given the price tag.

    • Design 7
    • Build quality 6.5
    • Sound 7
    • Features 8.5
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    We were expecting a little more from the JBL Quantum 800, considering it falls under the Harmon brand. This is JBL’s first foray into the gaming headset market and while it isn’t particularly bad, there is plenty it can improve.

    To start off with, the R3,800 price is rather high but JBL does a fairly good job of giving you your money’s worth in terms of features. You get active noise cancellation (not something included in most gaming headsets), EQ options and spatial audio (called JBLQuantumSound) enabled through the software and a dedicated physical volume wheel to adjust the levels between voice chat and game audio.

    And make no mistake, this is certainly for gamers. You are welcome to use them in the office but they’re a little cumbersome, the mic isn’t detachable and the RGB doesn’t have a very professional air to it, so make of that what you will.

    A standard build

    The construction is one of the weak points due to the fact that it’s mostly plastic. The shiny metallic-looking part is a big fingerprint magnet but if it’s sitting on your head, this likely won’t be a problem for you. While the foam earcups and headband are comfortable enough in short bursts, the clamping force and weight might cause some strain after a while.

    It does mean, though, that you get pretty good passive noise isolation just from the fit. This is a closed-back over-ear headset. That means they aren’t very breathable. Expect your ears to get noticeably hotter after a few hours of wearing them, especially if you want to get active and jump about or whatnot.

    The controls are split up over the two ear cups but tend more to the left. You get a dedicated mic mute button and a master volume wheel. You get another volume wheel that controls the level of your voice chat app (Discord or TeamSpeak) and whatever you’re playing. This is a cool feature but the controls are a little too close together so you’ll end up using the wrong wheel a lot.

    Make a connection

    When it comes to connectivity, you have a few options. These offer 2.4GHz wireless connectivity with the included dongle or you can forego the dongle and connect with Bluetooth v5.0 if your device supports it. They are rechargeable via USB Type-C but once you’ve drained them you’ll need to plug in an additional 3.5mm TRRS cable to use them. The included cable isn’t the longest so best to avoid this scenario. This is a bit disappointing especially since other wireless headsets can be used while charging.

    Battery life is nothing to write home about. They’ll last about 14 hours if you make every effort to ensure that. If you don’t, you’re looking at closer to 8 hours but your results may vary. A full charge takes about 2 hours, which is certainly on the quick side.

    JBL Quantum 800

    Having said that, we did notice a difference in microphone quality between using them plugged in and wireless. Plugging them in offers better vocal clarity than wireless. Also a pity. Over a wireless connection, the mic sounds like you’d expect a gaming headset mic to sound. Your voice lacks depth and fullness but is good enough for shouting at your trash teammates. The swivel up to mute function is a nice touch but you also get a mute button which is a little puzzling.

    If you’re pairing these with a console and not a PC then you’re free to use the dongle with a PlayStation but for some reason, you’re limited to the cable with an Xbox. Using a console won’t give you access to the software features like EQ, spatial audio or RGB so keep that in mind.

    A feature we were quite fond of was connecting two devices at the same time. Wirelessly with the dongle to a PC and via Bluetooth to our smartphone. You can have audio from both devices play at the same time. Obviously, this doesn’t sound very good but makes switching between them easy.

    Listen here

    As for the sound, the main function of a headset, these get the job done. You’ll get a pair of 50mm neodymium drivers pushing the sound into your ear holes.  The bass and treble accuracy is noticeably lacking. The overemphasised lower end makes for thumpy, boomy sounds. This is highlighted by the lack of clarity and uneven treble response. On the other hand, the mid response is very neutral and flat making vocals or lead instruments stand out.

    Overall, they’re fine for casual music listening, especially if you’re a bass head, and explosions in games will have an extra kick. If JBL can provide a more neutral, flat sound on its next attempt and leave the bass boosting to the user, they could have a really good offering in the gaming headset market.

    JBL Quantum 800 verdict

    The Quantum 800 brings a lot to the table, as it should for the price. But it seems like for every feature it offers, there is a slight caveat to it. The advertised 14-hour battery life might seem good but you will need to turn features off to get that; when it’s flat you will need to plug in two cables to use them. Overall, this is an okay headset that is just a few tweaks away from offering a lot, given the price tag.

    The JBL Quantum 800 is available from Incredible Connection for R3,800.

    Active Noise Cancellation Bluetooth featured gaming headphones JBL Quantum 800 wireless
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Tumblr Email
    Duncan Pike
    • Twitter

    Related Posts

    Acer Veriton Z

    Acer Veriton Z All-in-one PC review – Keeping it formal

    7.2 August 12, 2022
    Samsung Galaxy A53 5G Main

    Samsung Galaxy A53 5G review – Is it time to join the A-team?

    7.6 August 8, 2022

    Razer Kaira Pro review – These don’t play around when they’re playing around. Nor does the price

    8.0 August 4, 2022

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    In The Mag
    Stuff August-September 2022 Latest Issue

    In This Issue – The Women in Tech (August-September 2022) Issue

    By Brett VenterAugust 1, 20220

    August is a pretty special month. It’s the host of International Women’s Day and is…

    2021 Wish List
    wish list Stuff Wish List 2021

    Stuff Wish List: for the tech impaired

    By Duncan PikeDecember 22, 20210

    Are you from the time before being glued to a smartphone was considered normal? Here’s…

    Wishlist DIY Stuff tech

    Stuff Wish List: for the DIY Diehard

    December 21, 2021
    Wish List Gearhead

    Stuff Wish List: For the petrol-soaked gearhead

    December 20, 2021
    outsiders

    Stuff Wish List: for the Outsiders

    December 17, 2021

    Latest Video

    Sonos

    SONOS Roam SL unboxing by Toby Shapshak

    Mini Cooper

    The Mini Cooper SE Electric with Toby Shapshak

    MSI Crosshair 15 Rainbox Six Extraction Edition unboxing

    MSI Crosshair 15 Rainbox Six Extraction Edition unboxing

    Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Unboxing

    Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra unboxing with Toby Shapshak

    Contact

    South Africa's Consumer Tech News Hub

    General: stuff@stuff.co.za
    Subscriptions: stuff@onthedot.co.za or 087 353 1291
    Editorial: 072 735 2614
    Sales: 083 375 2418

    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube SoundCloud

    Subscribe to Updates

    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy & POPI
    • My account
    © 2022 Stuff Group. Designed by Chronon.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.