JBL Junior 320BT headphones make it easy, fun, and educational to be audio-savvy.
The ear is the only true writer and the only true reader.
Robert Frost
Engineered never to exceed 85dB (decibels – units used for measuring sound intensity), the new JBL Junior 320BT headphones are designed for young ears. With the app, parents can customize maximum volume and daily listening time, providing comfort to moms, dads and caregivers who love to watch the youngsters enjoy sounds or communicate with family, teachers, or friends (via the built-in microphone). Choosing the right color, thinking about how you might decorate your ‘phones, and learning how to best use them are parts of the tech-savvy fun.
Although the headphones are engineered NOT to exceed 80 decibels, I’d set them for 70 max. That’s plenty of punch for young ers while capturing all the sounds being played. As you unpack the Junior 320’s, you’ll find an instruction sheet in the box. The first three pictograms explain how to power/off the listening controls and connect to your devices. JBL has tried to make the instructions simple yet effective. Further on in the instruction sheet, there is a QR code. Use it to access the ‘JBL Safe Sound’ section. A maximum volume limiter is at the top of the page. You can set it to 70 decibels (my recommendation). You can also limit listening time per day. These controls are locked/unlocked with a PIN code.
That daily time limiter may be relevant when the young audio jockey in your house sees the trendy colours and feels the soft, foamy, 12 mm-thick comfort over their ears. The headband is adjustable for different situations and user growth. The oversized controls are another great learning experience. Learning how to use the ‘phones best and customizing them for the best personal listening experience is one of the lessons to be learned in the ever-changing world of tech. Fifty hours of battery life is pretty good. The USB charger is standard and, as we all know, easy to use. There’s a JBL sticker in the box, with customisation in mind. Don’t throw the box away, please. It folds into a handy device stand. The next family trip or a day with friends would be an opportune time to see how easy it is (they fold flat) to throw them in the suitcase or backpack and make the experience personal.





So … With your snappy new JBL Juniors … What to listen to? Parents, you might point your 6-12-year-olds to the world of podcasts for kids. You’ll find them on the ‘Net, listen to the stream, or save episodes for later.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Story Pirates is a podcast for story-lovers. There’s music, too, like “The Beart that Couldn’t Disco.” The website has information on related educational toys and games. Try stories written by kids, like “The PumpkinPatch Mystery”’ or “The Hockey Player Who Played the Ukelele”.
- Some Purple Rocket Podcast stories are a tad longer, and some evolve into long-running series. Featuring voices, sounds, and music, many of the Purple Rocket stories are brought to life for the active listener. One series is “Grampa’s Globe”, which takes listeners all over the universe to learn about other worlds. This is a good one to sink into with headphones on.
- Story Seeds has a novel new twist on story-telling. It takes young listeners into the world of story authors, starting with a ‘seed’ idea. The author and the kid take a fictional journey from that starting point. Different, right? You can download over two dozen episodes.
- Fierce Girls is an Australian podcast that promotes adventurous girls in wild situations. The podcast doesn’t shy away from telling true stories as they happen, but it gets a bit graphic for a nine-year-old. If the premise might make you wary, have a listen first.
- Planet Storytime mixes familiar stories (like Beatrix Potter) and new and not-so-well-known writers. The podcast aims to blend entertainment and education – a noble goal. At the end of each month, the episode is longer (about an hour) and has additional content. It’s a good introduction to long-form listening.
Listening to music, streaming from the web, or discovering the world of podcasts – a whole audio world. If used wisely, that world can be entertaining and educational. Sometimes, even when we don’t realize it,
WE’RE LEARNING!