A few days ago, I posted up about the LG Tone Platinum SE, a headset that allowed for full Google Assistant usage via a tiny button on the neckband. They were quite good and I really enjoyed using them. Today I bring you the JBL Everest 710GA wireless headphones. These function very similarly to the LG Tone Platinum SE due to its use of Google Assistant, but in a more traditional, over the ear headphone design. These are full sized cans with much larger speaker drivers, longer lasting battery charge, and Legendary JBL Pro Audio Sound.
Design
If you’ve ever seen or used JBL Everest headphones before, then the design of the current JBL Everest 710GA should be quite familiar. The design is very clean and mostly minimal with the only bit of branding being the JBL logo on the sides near the ear cups and the little strip above that that says Everest. It features a smooth looking band with hidden hinges that can fold the band for storage and easier carrying and features integrated padding up top for more comfort while wearing. The band is also adjustable for various head sizes and has a sizing guide etched into it so you can make both sides even when adjusting.
The ear cups on the Everest 710GA is designed for utmost comfort. The premium leatherette covering on the plush padding make for a delightful experience while the pivoting ear cups allows then to adjust properly to fit the angles of your ears. Inside the ear cups, a large L and R are prominently displayed so you’ll always know the proper orientation to wear your Everest 710GA.
Lastly, the one item here that I’m not too keen on are the way the physical buttons are designed. They seem to be a tad too small and also really close together so that when you’re wearing the JBL Everest 710GA, it can be a bit difficult figuring out what button is what with just touch. It’s not hard learning what each button does, it’s just hard feeling around for them.
Aside from that, the JBL Everest 710GA are very comfortable and I had no issue wearing them for long periods of time.
Audio
Being a JBL headphone, I’m really not surprised by how good the audio sounds on the Everest 710GA. Like pretty much every JBL headset I’ve used, these sound really amazing thanks to the 40mm drivers. The highs are very crisp and clear while the lows have a nice bassy sound to them. I tried these out with a variety of different music genres which included hip hop, rock, pop, classical, and even some country and pretty much it all sounded terrific. All sounded pretty rich and distortion free. These can get pretty loud too if you need them to be, although I find they sound best at about 75% volume.
Of course the fun doesn’t have to stop when the battery runs out. You can easily take the included audio cable and plug it into your phone and your headphone. This will keep the tunes going without power. That’s of course if your device has a headphone jack.
The only thing really missing from the JBL Everest 710GA is an active noise canceling feature, but as is, it does a decent job passively canceling noise due to its over the year design.
Google Assistant
You’re probably wondering how well the JBL Everest 710GA functions with Google Assistant and that’s pretty much the real reason you would pick these up over the regular Everest 710. For starters, you’re obviously going to need a device that supports Google Assistant. In my case, I tried this out with an LG V30. Setup isn’t too difficult but may require a few tried before it gets it right. When you turn on the JBL Everest 710GA, a little notification popup will appear on your device. Just tap it and it’ll take you to the Google Assistant setup screen for your device. It’ll pair the headphones and then attempt to add it as a trusted Google Assistant device. Once complete, that enables use of the left touch panel on the headphones which otherwise won’t work unless it’s set up in this manner. If you just set it up as a regular Bluetooth headphone, the left touch panel will not work.
To use Google Assistant, just tap once to get your recent notifications. If you want to say commands, you have to do a long tap and just hold it there while you speak and release when you’re done. That’s pretty much it. This also works with Google Translate for real time translations. Another way to enable Google Assistant if the touch panel is not working is to double tap the “play/pause” button. This has limited functionality however compared to the touch panel.
Of note, in the past, most of these JBL headphones had their own app that you needed to update the firmware with. Not so with this one. Instead, it updates via the Google Assistant app. In fact, it prompted me to do a firmware update to version 2.0.0.
Final Thoughts
You really can’t go wrong with JBL headphones. I don’t think I’ve had one pair yet that I didn’t like and the JBL Everest 710GA are no different. While not quite as high end as the Everest Elite series with active noise canceling, the Everest 710GA hold their own. They still have the look and feel of their higher end brethren and for the most part, I think I prefer having the Google Assistant functionality over active noise cancellation. It’s also nice that it can be updated without the need for a second app.
With that said, if you’re looking for a set of full featured headphones that sound great, look great, and can really make use of Google Assistant, definitely give the JBL Everest 710GA a look. You won’t be disappointed. I know I’m not.
