How to distinguish original JBL portable speakers from counterfeits?

The American company JBL has been producing portable acoustics and audio equipment for more than 70 years. These products are of high quality. The speakers are convenient because they are wireless and can be taken with you if you are relaxing outdoors or used at home. Since the goods are in demand on the market, Chinese counterfeits began to appear. Usually, they not only have a wheezing sound, but also have external differences from the originals.

Distinguish a fake from an original by appearance

Original JBL speakers have a number of external differences from fakes - color, shape, packaging.

The original column looks like this:

1. The body is cylindrical in shape. Fomoy looks a bit like an elongated Pepsi can. It may be like a modified “barrel”.
2. There is a logo on the side of the speaker itself - an orange rectangle with a white inscription “JBL” and a “!” icon. For fakes, this rectangle is smaller in size, the letters and icon are larger.

JBL inscription on a fake
The logo of the original is recessed into the body. On a fake, it seems to be glued on top with double-sided tape, sometimes crookedly. It can be peeled off with your fingernail without any effort. The logo icon may be different in color and printing quality from the original one.

Differences between the logo on the original and fake speakers

The power button on counterfeit products is smaller; like the others, it protrudes above the body more than the original. There are gaps between the buttons and the body of the fake.

Power button on jbl speaker

• There is a relief pattern on the body - fabric. For fakes, this relief on the acoustic grill is different.
• The back cover is made of high-quality material, it has a rubber seal around the perimeter and opens easily. The fake one is soft, made of low quality rubber, does not open well, and does not protect the insides when in contact with water.


Column back cover photo

Along the perimeter of the compartment, on the inside of the lid, the serial number and country of manufacture are written in small print. The copy does not have a serial number.

Serial number

The charging indicators inside the stand are protected from contact with water, but counterfeits do not.


Charging indicator

• Passive radiators are not shiny and have the "JBL" logo on them. The counterfeit ones also have them, but they are shiny and the logo is larger in size.

Passive radiator

Box

The counterfeit does not have barcodes on the bottom of the box;

Special red and orange marks may also not be on fake packaging;

The JBL logo is missing from the fake speaker.

Complete set of original and replica

All the contents of the box are neatly placed in transparent bags and in their places. Fake items are not packaged, everything is mixed up. The original package includes: instructions, adapters for various sockets, cable, charging unit, speaker, warranty card.

All accessories are orange.

The fakes have something similar to instructions - a piece of paper without a logo, the cable is carelessly tied with wire, there is only one adapter for the socket, there is a jack-jack wire. The color of the accessories is usually black rather than orange. Everything is made of low-quality plastic, with defects - sagging.

System lighting is the highlight of the device

When you turn on the acoustics, the backlight automatically turns on. In this case, the music may not even start playing yet. The backlight has eight operating modes, which can be adjusted by the user manually using a button or using the JBL Connect mobile application.

The flickering of lights in the backlight has a preset algorithm. However, you can change the backlight color yourself by changing it directly in the palette or by choosing new colors captured from the environment using the camera. According to statistics, the most interesting mode is considered to be “custom”. Indeed, in a copy of JBL Pulse 3, in this mode you can select up to 3 backlight patterns out of nine.

What to do if you have already bought a fake JBL speaker

You should do one of the following:

JBL Charge 3 is a charger for portable gadgets, as well as a wireless portable speaker system with excellent stereo sound.

Charge 3 has a fabric, waterproof case, as well as a capacious 6000 mAh battery. Today this device is quite popular, so many are wondering how to distinguish the original JBL Charge 3 from a fake.

Logo

The box you buy must have the JBL logo on it, as well as the inscription “HARMAN” on the bottom. Many Chinese manufacturers make the logo too large or without any special inscription at all. Also, the box will not say what color the device is, please pay attention to this. Some Chinese counterfeits write the usual “Wireless” network instead of “Bluetooth” - this is also a serious sign of a low-quality product.

Box

On the side of the box there must be detailed information about the manufacturer, as well as a serial number. Please pay attention to this, as many fakes release their boxes with the device without any information. Also, do not forget to evaluate the condition of the packaging itself in which your device is located. The original packaging will be glued together very well without any defects. It should not contain various scratches, unnecessary inscriptions, etc.

Frame

The body of a fake is usually made of plastic. The original has polymer fabric. Also pay attention to the location of the connection connectors and the logo itself on the device. It should not be larger in area, and the connectors must be in the right place - see photo below.

Equipment

JBL Charge 3 has standard equipment, which consists of: a charging adapter, a speaker, a micro-USB cable, documentation and two plug adapters.

In addition, I would like to say that the sound of the original JBL Charge 3 will be much better and more pleasant than that of a fake. In fact, distinguishing a fake from the original is not difficult. Buy a device only from trusted manufacturers, this way you can protect yourself from buying a counterfeit product.

JBL Charge 3 fake and original - we recommend watching the video

Barcode verification

If you often go out into nature with friends or family to relax, surely this holiday would not be complete without some musical accompaniment. However, the radio doesn't always play what you like, and modern phones load very quickly.

In this case, you can get a portable speaker - it has a built-in battery and excellent sound quality. Everyone will hear what kind of music you love. The most important thing in this business is not to run into the Chinese equivalent. Then all the benefits described above will dissolve in the air, like smoke from a fire.

One great audio option is the Harman JBL Charge 3 portable speaker. It has two speakers, a large battery, and wireless connectivity. And thanks to its relatively light weight (about 800 grams), compact size and moisture resistance, you can take it with you anywhere. It's all about the original speakers. We do not vouch for such fakes.

How to distinguish a fake JBL Charge 3 by packaging

The packaging of a speaker can tell a lot. The main thing is to act step by step. Let's start from the front side:

1. Let's look at the company logo located in the upper left corner of the box. The original logo also has the word “Harman” under the letters JBL. All this is drawn on the box itself. Whereas in a fake, the logo, in addition to being visually different, is simply pasted on the box.
2. We look at the photo of the speaker on the front side of the box. The fake one does not have the JBL inscription on the orange square on the speaker. Everything is in the original.

Now let's look at the end sides of the package. There you can also see a lot of interesting things:

On the side, located under the front of the box, the original contains all the information about the manufacturer, company representatives in our region, barcodes, serial number, quality control marks... This same side of the fake remains absolutely silent.

The side ends of the boxes are also strikingly different. Not only the inscriptions, but also the quality of execution. The smooth, clear, durable side of the original versus the swollen, crooked side of the fake, on which the inscriptions also managed to go under the other end. The Chinese probably assembled this box manually for speed.

The backs of the boxes also have a significant difference. It lies in the lack of information about the characteristics of the fake speaker, while the original one is described in great detail. In addition, it contains a QR code and lists the equipment of the column.

Which headphones are most often counterfeited?

EarPods

Original EarPods / walmart.com EarPods are headphones included with the basic iPhone and iPod. It is difficult for users to give up their usual headphones when they get lost or break. That’s why EarPods are in constant demand.

The product name on AliExpress includes the words Apple, EarPods and iPhone. But even with a quick glance it becomes obvious that this is a fake

Original EarPods in the Apple store

There are dozens of fakes that copy Apple headphones with varying degrees of accuracy. Some manufacturers forget to put the company logo on the box, others give themselves away through the cracks in the headphone mounts.

With the original EarPods, the gap between the plastic elements is almost invisible. A visible gap, like the model above, is a sign of a fake / macster.ru The most reliable way to identify a fake is to compare the dubious product with the original EarPods.

AirPods

Original AirPods / apple.com AirPods - wireless headphones from Apple

Having gone on sale at the end of last year, the plugs attracted the attention of users with their signature laconic design, compactness and convenience. But these headphones also have a significant drawback - their high price.

This is what sparked the demand for budget alternatives. As a rule, manufacturers do not try to sell pseudo-AirPods under the guise of the original, but openly call them replicas. There are quite a few types of such headphones. Some of them actually turn out to be quite good, others are just ordinary Chinese marriages.

Replica AirPods on AliExpress

Original AirPods in the Apple store

The main factor when buying AirPods is the price: even a used original is unlikely to cost $50.

Sennheiser headphones

Original Sennheiser HD 650 / majorhifi.com Sennheiser is a German company that has been making quality equipment for over 70 years.
Over the past decades, it has released dozens of headphone models, many of which have become popular and spawned thousands of fakes. A common feature of many counterfeits of German plugs is that the cable is insufficiently elastic and too thick. For the rest, you should rely on your feelings and comparison of the product with the original.

With full-size headphones, everything is less obvious, so try to follow the general rules.

These headphones are sold on one of the VKontakte pages for a couple of hundred rubles

The headphones from which the copy was made were produced by Sennheiser until October 2012 / ebay.com

Sennheiser is fighting counterfeits. The company's official website contains a list of models that are discontinued and cannot be sold in stores.

The manufacturer also recommends paying attention to the presence of a QR code and a sticker on the packaging indicating that the importer is Sennheiser Audio LLC.

QR code on the packaging of original Sennheiser headphones / old.sennheiser.ru

Beats Electronics Headphones

Original Beats Solo 2 / apple.com Many criticize the frequency response of Beats Electronics for biased sound, others consider the headphones to be unreasonably expensive. High price and popularity are the main reasons why counterfeits are found on sale no less often than original headphones.

Announcement about the sale of fake headphones on the VKontakte page

Original Beats Solo HD in M.Video (the store is the official distributor of Beats Electronics)

Many fakes copy the originals very faithfully. But you can still draw up basic rules when buying Beats.

Please note the serial number on the bottom of the package: it should be printed on a sticker, not on the box itself. Too many hieroglyphs are a sign of counterfeit

Inside the packaging of fake headphones there may be no tab that helps you pull the tray out of the box (this is important for Beats models with a removable tray). The tray itself should be made of textured material, not glossy plastic.

Original Beats Studio. The serial number is located on the sticker / snapguide.com

Bluedio headphones

The original Bluedio T2 / megaelectronics.com Bluedio appeared on the Bluetooth headphone market recently, but now you can come across fakes of various models.

There is a hologram on the packaging of Bluedio headphones. For the original product it is blue with a noticeable iridescence, for fakes it is blue, the iridescence is barely noticeable.

Hologram on the packaging of the original Bluedio / expert-auto.com.ua

If we are talking about over-ear headphones, pay attention to the ear pads: they should be elastic and retain their shape even after compression

Let's take a look inside the package

The internal contents of the original and counterfeit packaging are strikingly different. The following inconsistencies are worth noting:

1. If the column with the components of the original box is covered with a cardboard board with the inscription Charge 3, glued with foam plastic on the bottom to better protect the contents from damage, then the manufacturers of the copy do not particularly take care of their brainchild - a small thin layer of cellophane and that’s it.
2. Under the lid, the manufacturer placed a color photograph from a nightclub, although the box will be thrown away later. Manufacturers of counterfeits, guided by this argument, decided not to spend money on color printing.
3. The fake speaker is wrapped in a thin cellophane bag without any drawings. But the copy is carefully sealed in a soft bag, which also contains warning notices.

The original speaker is also accompanied by instructions, adapters, covers for different sockets (Euro, American), charging block and cable.

Counterfeits are usually supplied with a black Chinese cable, charging unit, and jack wire.

...The music played for a short time

The joy of the purchase gave way to bewilderment, even disappointment.
Everyone praises the bass sound of the accessory - but I got a frankly quiet copy with a dull and inexpressive sound. In addition to any lack of low frequencies, my speaker was surprised by other features. So, the wireless connection fell off already at a distance of 4 meters instead of the required 10 or even 15 (after all, the times of Bluetooth 4.x)!

The microUSB port refused to work as a charger. But the most unpleasant thing was the lack of a speakerphone mode.

And it's not a problem at all. It turned out that I bought a fake SoundLink Mini 2!

To prevent our readers from getting into this situation, before returning the purchase, we compared the original Bose SoundLink Mini 2 Bluetooth speaker and its cheap Chinese counterpart (thanks to M.Video for the real copy!).

Speaker connectors

All speaker connectors are collected in one place and covered from external influences with a lid. In a fake, this cover is soft, does not hold its shape and always wants to cover the connectors.

The cover of the original column has two layers, which means it does not close on its own and provides a good seal.

If you manage to get to the place with the connectors in the speaker, then remember: the original speaker only has three holes: USB, micro-USB and a jack cable. The fake has four holes - it is also supposed to play a microSD card.

In addition, again the lack of inscriptions in the connector area indicates a fake. In the original connector, in addition to engraved inscriptions, there is a sticker with the serial number of the column.

Conclusion

Don't be fooled. Check what you are going to buy. A real JBL speaker will delight you not only with excellent sound, but also with protection from water. You can safely take it to the bath, pool, foam parties.

You can forget about the built-in battery in a fake. In the best case, without an outlet, the speaker will play for an hour. The original one reproduces sound as stated - about 20 hours. At the end of the article, check out the video. In which fake and original JBL CHARGE speakers are disassembled. After watching, it will become clear why the original column is worth the money:

The difference is in the passive dynamics

Finally, let's look at the passive speakers on the sides of the speaker. What is important here is not so much their appearance as their mobility.

The fake speaker is made of shiny metal with ribbed tracks on it. They are quite deep and wide, they immediately catch the eye.

The speaker of the original is matte, and the applied tracks are so small and thin that they are visible only upon close inspection.

The quality of the speaker mounting in the original is soft, the speaker springs freely and smoothly when you press it.

The fake speaker is difficult to press and always slows down somewhere. We are not talking about smoothness and freedom of movement here. The quality of the material leaves much to be desired.

Of course, in order not to make all these comparisons, it is enough to purchase a speaker in a special store or from an official dealer.

I would also like to note that copies are always much lighter than the originals, they smell of “chemistry”, and they cost four times less.

Of course, if money is tight, you can buy a copy; the sound quality is also good. Especially if you haven’t listened to music from the original speaker before.

And for those who like to enjoy every note and nuance of a melody, our tips will come in handy.

Copies are many times more affordable than originals and there is no guarantee that the original will not crack on the same day. Well, there are minor differences in sound and build. The player itself is of great importance. If the player is crap, then no super acoustics will help. Take this factor into account, gentlemen. This speaker is intended for scuba diving. Why is it even needed underwater? An empty marketing ploy for which they cheat. They clung to the box that this box gives me aesthetic satisfaction, like a company... In general, I repeat, I don’t find any significant differences in sound, and there is no point in overpaying several thousand rubles for a “company”. Just like buying a “branded” rag, the quality is equal to a copy or other tailoring, overpaying large sums for the badge. My rating of the copy: good solid 4. A product of this profile is intended for country listening. To hold parties and discos, a completely different level of technology is required. Who wants to buy it too, here https://top-prodazh.com/charge-muz/?flow_hash=Int59, not an advertisement, but a verified site.

I completely agree with Serge, the original is a waste of money, I tested it on myself, bought the original, it didn’t work for six months, wasted a decent amount of money, the copy works for 2 years (it was given to my dad when he was 23), no complaints.

Why should you buy the original JBL rather than a cheap copy?

For lovers of good sound, the products of this company have established themselves as a quality product. But, as you know, it is a good product that pushes various unscrupulous manufacturers to produce counterfeits.

Only after purchasing original JBL headphones will you be able to fully enjoy the sound of your favorite music and get true listening pleasure. The manufacturer is constantly improving its products and trying to fully satisfy the needs of potential customers.

In order not to become the owner of a fake, we advise you to purchase goods in branded stores. In this case, the purchase of counterfeit goods is minimal. But if you decide to buy the necessary item secondhand or in a store that raises doubts, then we will give some tips to help you recognize a fake.

Some tips on how to distinguish a fake from the original

These recommendations will help you avoid buying a non-original product. These recommendations apply not only to headphones. They will help you not to make a mistake in choosing any product and to recognize a fake in time.

1. The absence of a barcode on the packaging clearly indicates that this is a fake. To avoid problems and to mislead the buyer, some manufacturers of counterfeit products deliberately do not put a barcode on their products.
2. Suspiciously low price. No store will sell goods to its own detriment. Even with sales of some goods, stores still have a small profit.
3. Cheap packaging. Thin cardboard or improper packaging can turn a potential customer off from purchasing. Real manufacturers carefully monitor these parameters.
4. Incorrect spelling in the company name or product name. This manufacturer will not release a product for sale that contains any errors or inconsistencies in the name.
5. Poor quality material is used in production. The appearance of the product plays a major role for the buyer. It is not profitable for reputable manufacturers to use cheap materials.
6. Overabundance of advertising information. Companies that produce quality products do not place on the product phrases such as: Super, Ultra and similar references praising the product.

We hope that these recommendations will help you choose the right product you are interested in and not make a mistake. Even though the original product is a little more expensive, do not forget that reputable manufacturers monitor the quality of their products. If necessary, you can return it or exchange it. But it’s unlikely that anyone will exchange a fake for you.

Main advantages of acoustics

The new product is practically no different from the original, and its cost is significantly lower. Even critics will appreciate the sound it produces. It's splash-proof, so you can safely take it with you to a pool party. In addition, the device has many undeniable advantages:

• Long-term operation without the need for recharging, up to 12 hours, will allow you to listen to your favorite music outdoors, at home or while traveling;
• the acoustics can be connected to other devices to obtain stereo sound;
• the device is quickly recharged to 100%, this requires no more than 4 hours;
• you can manage the new product online thanks to the application developed by the manufacturer; thanks to three active forty-millimeter emitters at the output, users
• get high-quality sound;
• Included with the device, users will receive all the necessary adapters, a USB cable for charging, instructions for use and, very importantly, a warranty book.

Design

The JBL Boombox column has a recognizable shape in the form of a barrel, with powerful emitters located at the ends. New to the design is a convenient handle for carrying the product. Under the handle in the center of the body there are control keys. These are buttons for volume control, Bluetooth activation, song scrolling, pause and also stop. The buttons are not touch-sensitive, but mechanical, which further extends the life of the device. You can also control the gadget from a smartphone and laptop using a special application.

The device is made in various colors:

• black;
• blue;
• red;
• green;
• red-blue;
• gray-blue;
• blue-orange.

There is a special stand at the bottom of the case that ensures the stability of the speaker. Therefore, even when operating at full sound power, it will stand level on the surface.

Other useful device features

This musical product can synchronize with other acoustics of the company. To do this, you need to establish a connection between the two columns. This step will allow you to enjoy stereo music. In addition, by connecting two speakers with lights, you can organize your own disco.

Another feature of the device is the ability to connect and use voice assistants such as Google NOW or Siri. To enable them, the user can reassign the play/pause key.