The 1980s are back, but this time they are wireless. The JLab Rewind Retro Wireless on-ear Bluetooth headphones look a lot like the headphones with foam earpads that came with Sony Walkman cassette players in the early 1980s. At $19.99, they’re about as cheap as it gets when it comes to wireless headphones, so we didn’t expect much from the sound quality.
But maybe we were just thinking about the original Walkman headphones, which had very weak bass response. The Rewind Wireless headphones, on the other hand, sound better than other cheap Bluetooth headphones we’ve tried. Anyone who misses the 1980s will be pleased.
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]These retro headphones come with a micro-USB charging cable, an extra set of foam ear pads (ours are black and orange), and the headphones themselves. Oh, and you also get a small sticker in the shape of a circle with the JLab logo on it.
It has a retro look because it is made of stainless steel and matte black plastic. The orange earpads and the JLab logo on each earpiece in the style of a vinyl record add a touch of style. If they had wires, you’d think someone stole from their mom’s old Sony Walkman that had been forgotten in a dusty cupboard.
The headband is very flexible, which is impressive. It can go straight and then right back to its normal curve. It can also turn quite a bit without any trouble. Since the headband is made of steel, it should be able to handle some rough treatment, but if it is bent out of shape for too long, it could break.
The headphones connect to your listening device using Bluetooth 4.2, so you should be able to listen to them from a distance of 10 metres, or 33 feet. We found that they were pretty good at staying connected.
They didn’t skip or jump around much, except when they were far away. The headphones’ battery life is 12 hours, which isn’t bad considering how small and light they are. When we opened the box, we thought they would last a lot less than 12 hours, so we were happy to find out that they did last that long.
These headphones really pack a lot of convenience into a small package. With a starting price of $20, it will be hard to find a cheaper pair of Bluetooth headphones. Aside from the price, they are light, small, kind of stylish, and the battery lasts for a long time. They are pretty much the perfect pair of cheap headphones for anyone who doesn’t want to deal with cables or the bulk of higher-quality audiophile headphones.