JVC Nearphones HA-NP50T review: unusual headphones to enjoy your music without cutting yourself off from the world
With the HA-NP50T, JVC offers us open headphones that allow you to enjoy your music without cutting yourself off from the world. These new JVC models are designed for sports use but also as professional tools for teleworking. The JVC Nearphones HA-NP50T replace the HA-NP35T, launched 2 years ago, which were the first non-intrusive Bluetooth headphones from the Japanese manufacturer. In direct competition with bone conduction headphones designed for sports, the HA-NP50T are part of the new trend of free-ear headphones like the Sony Linkbuds .
With the promise of “high quality sound” , clearer communications, multipoint connection and 38 hours of battery life with the charger, the HA-NP50T has some good assets to attract a professional audience. True Wireless headphones with an original design and which are sold at an introductory price of €129.90. We were able to test them for a few weeks, here is our opinion.
An atypical design
Compared to previous models, the HA-NP50T have been given a serious facelift since their volume has been reduced by more than 30%, with the aim of making them less bulky. But we find the atypical design of Nearphones headphones, namely flat earpieces with a silicone attachment system. On the top, the JVC brand logo houses the touch zone which allows you to control the headphones. An original design with headphones that rest on the ear but never enter the ear canal.
These “proximity” headphones may therefore be of interest to people allergic to in-ear models which are sometimes considered too intrusive. An open design which offers natural transparency to hear the sounds around you but which also suffers from a lack of insulation as we will see later. Small aesthetic detail, the JVC HA-NP50T are available in 3 colors: Black, Sage Green and Sand Beige.
JVC Nearphones HA-NP50T: eye-catching headphones
Small and light, JVC headphones are supposed to offer good support with these small hooks that grip the ears. But the handling can be a little confusing, especially if it's the first time you try this type of earphone. The manufacturer also offers a short video which explains how to properly adjust the JVC Nearphones HA-NP50T.
In particular, you will need to be careful not to touch the touch area, which happened to us many times during tests. Contrary to what JVC claims, the headphones are more difficult to position on the ears if you wear glasses. And their particular shape will not suit all body types.
But once in place, the JVC headphones do not move and even offer better support than more traditional open headphones such as AirPods. And they generally manage to be forgotten if you wear them for a whole day.
With an IPX4 protection rating, the HA-NP50T are however a little limited for intensive outdoor sports practice since they are only resistant to splashes of water and sweat but are afraid of rain. Which could tip the scales in favor of certain competing models from Shokz or Jabra which offer better protection against bad weather. From this point of view, the JVC headphones are a bit disappointing.
In addition, their sound reproduction is not always optimal if you run in an urban environment since with their open format, they let all the ambient noise of traffic through. This allows you to remain vigilant so as not to be surprised by a car but which is not ideal for enjoying your playlist. The JVC Nearphones HA-NP50T, on the other hand, are very good partners for sweating to music at the gym in a closed environment.
A more compact case but no wireless charging
The JVC charging box is also more compact than the one that came with the NP-35T, it fits quite easily into a jogging pocket. But for the rest, not much development. It's a fairly classic rectangular case in which the headphones lie flat. On the front, a set of LEDS indicates the battery level of the box. And like the previous version, it is not compatible with wireless charging, only a mini USB-C cable is provided for charging.
A good Multipoint Bluetooth connection
In terms of connectivity, the JVC Nearphones HA-NP50T offer almost everything you would expect from Bluetooth headphones in 2024: 5.3 Multipoint connection (to connect 2 devices at the same time) and quick pairing of Android phones and Windows PCs. The JVC headphones are also compatible with Google Assistant for voice commands. And for advanced settings, the JVC Headphones app is available on Android and iOS.
In use, the Multipoint connection works very well for quickly switching between smartphone and computer, which will delight people working from home. JVC headphones even allow you to answer a call when you are already connected via Video. The latency during video calls is noticeable but without it being too annoying, the same if you watch a series on Netflix.
And if the image/sound lag seems too pronounced, a low latency mode is available in the app. An essential option today which allows JVC headphones to be used for gaming, even if this is not their primary purpose.
For audio codecs, the offer here is limited to the classic SBC and AAC. But with open headphones, there is no point in offering HD codecs which would offer better sound quality. Ultimately, the JVC Nearphones HA-NP50T benefit from a very stable multipoint Bluetooth connection, without any sound dropouts. And that’s the main thing.
Solid battery life for the JVC Nearphones HA-NP50T
For these new open headphones, JVC announces an impressive battery life of 9.5 hours on a single charge. During our tests, we were a little below but the HA-NP50T still did their job for more than 8 hours with the volume at 80%. A great performance! By lowering the sound, you can reach 9 hours of listening time without problems.
And counting the recharges offered by the case, we almost arrive at the 38 hours of autonomy promised by the manufacturer. Or double the previous version which capped at 5 p.m. This is therefore great progress on the part of JVC. With a long-lasting battery, the JVC Nearphones HA-NP50T will not let you down during long days of work in an open space or for intensive sports sessions.
Like many True Wireless models, the JVCs are equipped with sensors to mute the music if you remove one of the earbuds. The Nearphones are also independent with fully configurable touch controls for complete use with one ear. This is rare enough to be noted.
And to preserve battery life, they automatically turn off after 15 minutes of inactivity. Small downside however with the case which is not compatible with wireless charging. You will therefore have to wait around 2.5 hours to recharge it via USB-C, also allow 2 hours of charging if the headphones are completely flat. But with fast charging, 10 minutes in the case will get you back to 70 minutes of music.
A fairly basic application
To personalize the sound of the headphones, the Japanese manufacturer suggests downloading the JVC Headphones application (available on Android and iOS). It's a fairly basic app that is mainly used to configure touch controls. For the other settings, it's more basic. It allows you to deactivate the microphone or activate low latency mode and that's about it.
As an equalizer, 3 sound modes are available, but nothing can be modified or configured. To finish on the app, note that it indicates the battery level of the headphones but not that of the charger. An application that still remains essential for updating the headphones.
Fully customizable controls
In terms of controls, JVC sets the bar very high with a very complete touch control system. We find the classic controls by single, double and triple press or long press on the headphones. But the whole thing is fully customizable via the companion application. You can configure each touch gesture according to your preferences to change songs, play with the volume, launch the voice assistant or even transfer a call.
There are so many possibilities that it is sometimes difficult to navigate your own settings. It clearly takes a little time to get used to the JVC Nearphones HA-NP50T headphones. Especially since the commands are not always responsive. If this does not pose too many problems in an office context, it is more complicated in a sports context. Difficult to move to the next song while running or to increase the volume by tapping 3 times on the headphones placed on the ears. On the other hand, no problem answering a call in running mode.
Like the previous ones, the Nearphones headphones are configurable for single-ear use. Which is rather well seen on the part of JVC to avoid ending up with truncated orders, as can sometimes happen with certain competing models. We can therefore continue to work peacefully with a single earphone while recharging the other in the case. JVC has therefore succeeded in its bet with fairly functional headphones which are aimed at both professionals and athletes.
Noise reduction for calls
For calls, even if they are not at the level of AirPods, the JVC Nearphones HA-NP50T do quite well for open headphones. Each headset has 2 microphones for better voice pickup with the promise of good quality communications. The result is quite convincing for making quiet calls in open spaces and even during zoom meetings with always very clean sound. We also have a function to mute the microphone in 1 click, accessible on the headphones. Quite practical!
And if you use them outdoors, JVC headphones have an Active Noise Canceling system to block extraneous noise during calls. And it works pretty well. We were even surprised to be able to hold a long conversation in the street despite the ambient noise of the cars.
Decent audio quality for open headphones
With the second generation of these non-intrusive open headphones, the Japanese manufacturer is expected to turn the corner for sound quality. The JVC Nearphones HA-NP50T feature 16mm diameter transducers, double the size of those usually found on True Wireless headphones. This is to provide deeper bass and better overall sound reproduction.
Unsurprisingly, the Nearphones mainly give pride of place to high mids. But JVC does not fall into the usual trap of open earphones with hypertrophied bass to compensate for the lack of isolation. Without offering the same level of detail as in-ear models, the HA-NP50T still offer very decent audio quality for open headphones.
To modify the equalization, you only have 3 presets in the app: Normal/Bass/High. The latter will add a little presence to the whole while boosting the treble, which can sometimes be aggressive to the ear. And by increasing the bass, we end up with a fairly muffled sound. We would have liked a real configurable equalizer to be able to really refine the sound rendering
But we still appreciate these headphones with their atypical design. With their open format, the JVC Nearphones allow you to play the guitar while listening to music, thus offering very pleasant sensations for practicing your favorite pieces at home.
And obviously, it's not the same music in a noisy environment. The Open Fit headphones allow you to stay attentive to announcements in transport but it is sometimes problematic to hear your playlist in the metro. Out of spite, we will be tempted to turn up the sound on the headphones.
As we suspected, the JVC Nearphones HA-NP50T do not allow you to completely immerse yourself in music like in-ear headphones. But they still deliver a powerful sound that will delight rock or rap fans. And the sound leaks are rather contained. You don't generate your colleague even if you listen to Nirvana loudly next to him!
Competition update
In the market for open headphones designed for athletes, the JVC Nearphones HA-NP50T find themselves facing formidable competitors including the Shokz OpenFit and the essential AirPods 3 from Apple.
Bone conduction headphones, the Shokz are very comfortable and have good weather protection but they are not the best for hands-free calls.
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