JVC HA-A7T

At first glance, the HA-A7T earphones from the JVC Kenwood Corporation, which are available in black, white, pink, light blue and mint green, bear a certain resemblance to Apple’s AirPods. This may be due to their similar shape and slim stem. However, the moulded matte plastic makes them look cheaper, and this is also reflected in the price. JVC also does without visual gimmicks, but not without their grey company logo smartly positioned on the stem.

The built-in status LEDs and the button at the top of the driver channel are discreetly camouflaged. The three different sizes of ear moulds that are included are made of soft rubber, and each matches the colour of the in-ears; these can easily be slipped over the channel of the six-millimetre dynamic neodymium drivers. On the inside of these two wireless earphones, two golden Pogo Pins catch the eye; these are used to recharge the batteries in the colour- and material-matched JVC-branded case, but they are also for shock-resistant transportation. The headphones are magnetically attracted by the two matching charging pins. When the case is connected to a power supply with the included micro-USB cable, four LEDs on the front of the case indicate the charging status.

Wearing comfort

A feeling of lightness prevails when wearing these earphones; at five grams per earpiece, they hardly have any weight at all. With the right earpiece, these in-ears are easily inserted into the ear and literally suck themselves into the ear canal. This security fit pays off, especially during sporting activities, because they never give the feeling of slipping out of the ear, even during the most violent movements. They are also protected against moisture and rain, thanks to their IPX-4 certification, making them suitable for mobile use.

The specs

With a frequency response of 20 to 20,000 hertz and a very low impedance of 16 ohms, the HA-A7T’s specs are already impressive. The manufacturer does not publish any further information about the sound. Unfortunately, the advertised 15 hours of battery life did not apply to the actual playing time, which the manufacturer estimates at only six hours. The case buffers the difference of nine hours of battery life. In short, to achieve 15 hours of listening, these in-ears have to take a breather in the case every now and then. The case takes up to 2.5 hours to fully charge the lithium-polymer battery.

The sound

The sound of these wireless in-ear headphones is indeed very powerful, confirmed by a hefty portion of bass, which neither annoys nor does it prevent the mids and from being heard. A rich tapestry nestles under the harmonious mids and rather graceful trebles, which also provide shine and transparency. Only in direct comparison with high-quality and linear-sounding headphones is a “defect” noticeable in this respect, but it is hardly noticeable when the HA-A7T are used on their own.

In short, for something in this price range, they sound amazingly rounded and balanced, and this was confirmed by playing my test tracks: The neodymium drivers reproduce the synthetic sounds of Depeche Mode’s “Fly On The Windscreen” very accurately and without exaggeration. A clear surround sound is audible. Moderat’s “A New Error” is even more exciting; its powerful bass, defined by the sidechain compressor, stomps through the ear with a lot of punch without twitching the diaphragm. But also, the subsequent solo sounds really shine through the stomping groove. The drivers can even handle organic sounds. In Kool & The Gangs’ “Summer Madness”, every single note of the bass line stands out in the intro. The track then builds with layered, textured strings, which also fit very smoothly into the sound image, topped off by the swelling synthesiser sound, which may challenge the ear with its piercing overtones, but presents no problem for these drivers.

As these in-ears fit very firmly in the ear canal, they also isolate quite well. Disturbing background noise, such as vacuuming, is masked by these earphones – even at volumes that are not deafening. However, they generally do not reach this level due to their performance. When I turned the earphones up full, I didn’t find the output level painfully loud, the sound remained neat and tidy.

Bluetooth operation

With Bluetooth 5.0, their range extends up to ten metres. Connection with your smartphone is done in the same way as with other headphones: activate the pairing status with the button on the earpiece. This is subsequently confirmed by a flashing LED, and the earphones are listed on the Smartphone. The paired in-ears allow music to be controlled at the touch of a button, be it volume, start/pause, jump to the beginning or to the previous or following track. However, I found the audible click of the buttons in the ear a little unpleasant.

Thanks to the built-in microphone, these in-ears not only support communication with voice assistants such as Siri but also phone calls, including the most common functions such as answering, ending or rejecting calls. The call quality is fairly comprehensible, whether as a listener or as a talker. However, due to their very good shielding, I could hear my own voice very strongly when speaking, which can become quite irritating. I also missed having an ambient mode.