Do you really miss your Walkman headphones? Or maybe you just want to pull off the perfect Guardians of the Galaxy cosplay? Either way, JLab’s Rewind headphones might be the solution for you, styled after the old-school, bright orange on-ear headphones that the original Walkman made famous. They look more or less like the original Sony headphones, but with an added dose of modern day Bluetooth technology that lets them cut the cord and a microphone for answering calls.
The problem is that while the Rewinds might look great, unfortunately the sound and build quality isn’t able to keep up — JLab sells the Rewinds for $20, and you’re absolutely getting what you pay for here.
You get what you pay for here
I’ve had the chance to try out the JLab Rewind headphones in person, and unfortunately they just don’t sound good — music is muffled and indistinct, with poor highs and lows, even with the various EQ settings that JLab offers. As for the headphones themselves, the plastic feels cheap, and the foam earpads have difficulty staying attached. JLab claims 12 hours of battery life for the Rewinds, which is good, although charging them is done via MicroUSB, not USB-C, and there’s no 3.5mm jack, so you can’t listen to music once the battery dies.
You can pick up the Rewinds in three colors — black, blue, and white — although all models are currently sold out through late April or May, depending on your choice of color. But you might be better off just investing the money toward a decent pair of Bluetooth headphones instead.