JBL unveils new over-ears with “The Rock” seal of approval

For its latest over-ears, the sound experts at JBL have enlisted the support of Under Armour. Together with the popular sportswear manufacturer, the HARMAN brand wants to launch customized headphones for athletes. In doing so, the two experts in their fields are getting prominent support on their side. None other than ex-wrestler and Hollywood actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is to make it clear that these headphones are also ideally suited for intensive workouts. Resilience, protection from sweat and dirt, and a durable design are said to be just three qualities of the Over Ears. We take a look at the upcoming sports headphones from JBL.

The perfect companion for the gym

Quite obviously, JBL and Under Armour are not doing things by halves here. So the UA Project Rock is supposed to bring everything you’d expect from a pair of headphones for tough workouts in the gym. But not only that. On top of that, it is supposed to provide a motivating background music thanks to JBL Charged Sound with rich bass. The sound of the over-ears is not supposed to be the work of full-blooded professionals, but of US star “The Rock” himself. At least JBL emphasizes that the popular actor tuned the sound himself. Pascal Van Laer, Vice President and General Manager for Headphones and Wearables at HARMAN says in this regard:

“Tuned to Dwayne Johnson’s audio preferences and manufactured with Under Armour’s proprietary technologies, these headphones are a perfect extension of our long-standing partnership with Under Armour.”

Away from the marketing speak, however, the UA Project Rock also scores with appealing technical details. Here, for example, an active noise cancellation (ANC) is used. This should ensure that you can block out all background noise in the gym and concentrate fully on your workout.

But it’s not just external noise that can be blocked out with the integrated microphones. There are also two other modes to choose from, TalkThru and Ambient Aware. While the former automatically lowers the volume to enable conversations, the latter is particularly suitable for joggers. With the help of Ambient Aware, you amplify the ambient noise, according to JBL, to better perceive your surroundings.

Good features

Of course, the over-ears also support the popular voice assistants Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. With the help of the JBL Headphones app, you can make detailed settings for control, sound and voice commands. Of course, a pair of sports headphones also has to be robust. Accordingly, JBL gives the over-ears an IPX4 certification. This ensures protection against the harmful penetration of drops of sweat. While JBL is responsible for sound quality, Under Armour has taken care of the wearing comfort during the design.

To make sure that you can wear the UA Project skirt during longer sessions, the high-end sportswear manufacturer is said to have opted for special fabrics and materials. In addition to durable and breathable ear cushions, the company also promises a stable and secure fit thanks to UA Storm Super Grip. The battery life is also impressive. JBL promises up to 45 hours of playback time. After just five minutes of charging, there should be enough battery power for two full hours of training thanks to the Speed Charge battery.