Where do you listen to music?

Workout buds should block out the noise around you and fit securely.

As they say in real estate: location, location, location. Where you listen to your music, podcasts, and audiobooks determines what kind of earbuds you should buy. Those who plan to listen to music while commuting by train or bus will want to prioritize active noise canceling (ANC). Likewise, gymgoers will enjoy noise canceling too.

Sitting on the opposite end of the spectrum, bike commuters and people who live in urban areas can safely navigate the world with open earbuds like the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 and rumored AirPods (4th generation). If you’re a proud homebody, you may not have a use for noise canceling and dislike the fit of open earbuds. In that case, the world is your oyster.

Your conference call attendees will appreciate you for buying earbuds with a high-quality mic.

Anyone who spends time in virtual meetings will want to invest in earbuds with a good microphone, which often cost at least $100. Of course, spending more than that doesn’t guarantee a good pair of buds, but spending less than that typically yields unimpressive microphone quality.

Where you listen to your music may also influence how often you use your earbuds. If you don’t plan to use your buds more than once a week, keep it simple. Get something cheap and effective like the Jlab JBuds Mini. You can probably spend less than $100. However, if you use your earbuds every day, multiple times a day, you may want to get a pricier pair.

No matter where you listen, you’ll have to consider many features before clicking a buy button.

What features do you want from your earbuds?

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra noise canceling earbuds feature wraparound fins help keep the buds in place during exercise.

Noise canceling is one of the hottest audio features, and expensive and cheap earbuds alike share this feature. A good pair of ANC earbuds can unplug you from outside distractions, allowing you to focus on your music. The Sony WF-1000X5, for instance, can reduce the loudness of low frequencies like the rumble of your train car up by about 88%. Of course, commuters, especially those who fly often, will want to get something comfortable. Comfort is notably more subjective than ANC. However, for the most comfortable fit, we recommend earbuds with memory foam ear tips. Some earbuds, like the WF-1000XM5, come with foam tips, but you can always buy a pair from Comply to fit whatever buds you’d like.

Typically, the more features you want out of your earbuds, the more expensive the price tag.

Similarly, if you listen in the gym, noise canceling may help block out background noise. I find ANC earbuds to be particularly good at hushing the low, unending groan of a treadmill. A good fit will also quiet the metallic “clang” that inevitably happens from people dropping weights.

The Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 are a durable pair of earbuds and sadly, Jabra’s last pair of consumer buds.

Beyond ANC, gym rats and athletes at large will need to invest in durable earbuds. Fortunately, there’s an objective rating system that informs you of what conditions you can subject your earbuds to. A pair of durable earbuds will have an “Ingress Protection” (aka IP) rating. You can almost always find a pair of IPX4-rated earbuds in any price range. An IPX4 rating means your buds will resist water sprays from all directions. If you rock-climb or run on the beach, you may want to opt for earbuds with a dust-resistant rating too. A great example of durable earbuds are the IP57-rated Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2.

You should know that most wireless earbuds include a companion app for your phone. Nine times out of 10, you’ll need app access to enjoy 100% of your earbuds’ features. Once you get set up in the app, you can usually customize the sound, change the onboard controls, and more. Some of our favorite mobile earbud apps come from Sony, Jabra, and Nothing. All of these apps give you granular control over the multi-band custom EQ.

The Samsung Wearables app has a 9-band equalizer for the Galaxy Buds3 Pro.

Nearly all applications work equally well on iPhones as they do on Android phones. However, if you’re interested in the AirPods Pro or AirPods series, you’ll need an iPhone to access almost all the features. Apple reserves it’s (limited) customization options for its own hardware. Through the iOS or iPadOS Settings apps, you can personalize the Spatial Audio effect, customize the onboard controls, toggle auto-ear detection on/off, and more. Plus, Apple hides some of its best AirPods features in the Accessibility menu within the Settings app.

Do you have an iPhone or Android phone?

Android phones have more Blueooth codecs to choose from than iPhones.

Not only does smartphone compatibility determine app features and access, but it also affects Bluetooth audio quality. Different smartphones support different Bluetooth codes. The better the codec, the better your wireless audio quality. LHDC is one of the best Bluetooth codecs you can use regarding sound quality and lag (or lack thereof), but relatively few devices support it compared to other high-end Bluetooth codecs like aptX and LDAC. Android supports a variety of Bluetooth codecs, while Apple only supports two (SBC and AAC). All Bluetooth-enabled devices must support SBC, so it’s no boon for Apple, and AAC is quite good, but its transfer rates can’t hold a candle to LHDC.

Investing in earbuds that can make use of high-quality Bluetooth codecs is worthwhile for anyone. We especially recommend high-quality codec support to listeners who want the best audio quality from their earbuds. Gamers can also benefit from the virtually imperceptible lag that comes from high-quality Bluetooth codecs.

How much do earbuds normally cost?

The cost of earbuds and headphones can ramp up quickly, but just breathe. You don’t have to overspend to get good buds for your needs.

Once you’ve narrowed down the factors above, you can start to narrow down the price range. Budget earbuds usually cost less than $100; mid-range buds are between $100 and $200; and top-tier earbuds will run you more than $200.

Budget earbuds will usually have okay sound and call quality. You might find noise canceling on budget buds, but more often than not, it will do very little to quiet the sounds of your environment. The fit can be hit or miss because ergonomics often take a backseat to other features. Buds at the lower end of this price range often won’t have an app. A great budget option are the Moondrop Space Travel ().

You can toy with the smart case to control your earbuds in your phone’s stead.

Midrange earbuds are my favorite, because they cover all bases, bringing a whole lot of value to the table. You’ll start to find better build quality, very good sound quality, solid mic quality, and useful mobile applications. Examples of excellent midrange earbuds: Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro () and JBL Live Beam 3 ().

Last but not least, you have the best earbuds money can buy at $200 and up. At this price point, expect advanced ANC, very comfortable designs, wireless charging, and other premium features like multipoint connectivity. Premium earbuds are for listeners who want cutting-edge tech, price be damned. For this category, we recommend the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) () for iPhone owners, and Sony WF-1000XM5 () for Android users.

By listing out your needs and being true to them, you can find the perfect buds without breaking the bank.

Frequently asked questions about the cost of earbuds

JLab is known for offering great value on its headphones and earbuds. These are affordable, yet can compete very closely with much more expensive competitors, even at full prices. If you want an even sweeter deal, though, JLab audio products are getting some nice discounts right now, courtesy of Amazon Prime Day.

We especially like a couple of deals. The JLab JBuds Lux ANC seem like the better bang per buck, currently going for just $55, a 31% discount. If you want earbuds, and a bit of an upgrade, the JLab Epic Lab Edition are $100, down from a $200 MSRP.

Get the JLab JBuds Lux ANC headphones for $55

Get the JLab Epic Lab Edition earbuds for $100

The JLab JBuds Lux ANC deal applies to three color versions: Graphite, Cloud White, and Sage. The only exception is Mauve, which is going for $80, the full price. This is a Prime Day deal, so it’s exclusive to Amazon Prime subscribers. You can sign up for just a month, though. And if you’re a new member, you can even get a 30-day free trial.

If you’re more a fan of the JLab Epic Lab Edition, that discount isn’t labeled as a Prime Day deal. That means you can catch the offer without a Prime subscription!

JLab JBuds Lux ANC headphones

There’s no need to spend hundreds of dollars on a good pair of headphones. The JLab JBuds Lux ANC are great, and the normal price is just $80. That is already a lot of value, but at $55, we really can’t recommend these enough. We gave the JLab JBuds Lux ANC a great review. In fact, they are our favorite inexpensive headphones of 2024.

These headphones focus on the fundamentals and ignore all the bells and whistles. The sound quality is great, considering the price, and you even get active noise canceling. Of course, the ANC on these won’t compete with the best, but the fact that it’s there is already pretty enticing. These cans are comfortable, too. Battery life is also pretty impressive. We put the JLab JBuds Lux ANC headphones through our standardized battery test and they lasted well over 44 hours!

JLab Epic Lab Edition earbuds

Here’s another great deal for those looking for a nice pair of true wireless earbuds. The JLab Epic Lab Edition are packed with great specs and features that compete with high-tier models. At $100, they are a total steal, especially considering how well they did in our JLab Epic Lab Edition earbuds review.

We found the sound quality to be pretty amazing, and there’s ANC baked into the equation. You’ll also get great features you usually find in more expensive earbuds. These include wireless charging and Bluetooth multipoint support. They are also very portable and nicely built. We recommended them at $200, but at $100, we say these are a no-brainer for someone searching for great true wireless earbuds, but would prefer not to spend on premium brand earbuds, which can cost up to $300.

Make sure to catch these offers before they are gone. Today is the last day of Amazon Prime Day, which is running from July 16-17. Many of these discounts will disappear by tomorrow, so you have to act soon.

If you want more options, you should take a look at our lists of the best Prime Day deals on headphones and wireless earbuds. You’re sure to find something to your liking in those articles.

Editor’s note: this is the first version of the article. Updates will follow as the market changes.

What’s it like to use JLab JBuds Lux ANC?

The padding of the JLab JBuds Lux ANC is substantial.

The JLab JBuds Lux ANC is a set of over-ear headphones primarily constructed of matte-finished plastic and a band with an aluminum skeleton. Each ear cup is ringed by soft foam ensconced in plastic leather, shaped with a wider opening at the top of the cup to accommodate real ear shapes better than other headphones. At the top of each ear cup, a hinged yoke attaches each assembly to the band, allowing the headphones to fold up.

The band is padded underneath where it meets your skull, covered in a more breathable fabric. Though those with longer, finer hair might find that it tends to get caught in the clicky metal slider the band employs to keep your adjustment. Glasses-wearers will find little to complain about here as the padding is deep enough to handle the arms of most glasses.

The substantial padding of the band is cloth-covered, making for a more breathable fit.

Because of the padding, I had no issue listening to the JLab JBuds Lux ANC for hours, though the heat buildup on the subway was notable. Usually, I’d swap to fabric ear pads, but for $80, I’m not complaining here.

The JLab JBuds Lux ANC fold up quite nicely.

For frequent travelers, the JLab JBuds Lux ANC folds up quite compactly, allowing you to huck the cans into your bag at a moment’s notice. Though the headphones don’t have an ingress protection rating, considering the top brass at JLab are all fitness nuts, I wouldn’t be surprised if these headphones couldn’t handle a little sweat in your day-to-day life. Please don’t go to extremes to test that theory (we didn’t).

How do you control the JLab JBuds Lux ANC?

On the back of the right ear cup is the control cluster.

On-headphone controls come in the form of buttons on the back of the right ear cup, which are rubberized and impossible to miss if you’re fumbling for them. Though the buttons are very straightforward, advanced commands will rely on your knowledge of the following table:

JLab JBuds Lux ANC controls layout:

That said, you can customize the multifunction button, assigning different actions to each of the 1, 2, and 3-tap options via the app. You can also change the long press behavior on the volume buttons. But that’s it.

Should you use the JLab app for the JLab JBuds Lux ANC?

Though we’re always a little leery of installing an app to use headphones, you get a good software companion for your cans. JLab has one of the better apps to provide comforts like a 10-band EQ, adjustable ANC modes, a volume limiter, etc. It also will automatically check for new firmware so you can take advantage of important bug fixes and updates.

We strongly encourage you to tinker with the EQ if you find the sound objectionable. I say this because the most significant flaws with the JLab JBuds Lux ANC’s sound are relatively easily dealt with, and some EQ presets avoid this altogether. If you don’t like the sound out of the box, you can make it better, so don’t return these immediately.

How do the JLab JBuds Lux ANC connect?

The JLab JBuds Lux ANC’s solitary port is the USB-C connection.

The JLab JBuds Lux ANC connects to sources using Bluetooth 5.3 via SBC or wired over USB-C, though there is no option for a 3.5mm jack cable.

If you were hoping for a higher-bitrate codec, you won’t find one here. However, it’s been years since “SBC = bad” has been true, so we advise you not to worry about it so much. Bluetooth should be adequate here unless you’re listening to a library of FLAC files. If you are listening to FLAC files, that’s what the USB connection is for.

How long does the JLab JBuds Lux ANC battery last?

In a valiant fight against our standardized battery test, the JLab JBuds Lux ANC held on for 44 hours and 22 minutes, playing back music peaking at 75dBSPL. That’s a respectable amount of time, given that most other ANC headphones clock in around the 30-hour mark. The JLab JBuds Lux ANC doesn’t have the best battery in the segment, but that 44.3 hours per charge is more than enough for a week’s worth of work, plus most of your commutes. I’d call that a win.

How well do the JLab JBuds Lux ANC cancel noise?

Here is where the price point of the JLab JBuds Lux ANC starts to show, and that’s through somewhat weak noise canceling. Though they can’t match the segment they’re chasing, the ANC of the JLab JBuds Lux ANC allows you to hush out the commuting noise you encounter daily. For example, quieter metro systems like Vancouver BC’s are much more easily handled by the JLab JBuds Lux ANC than Boston MA’s MBTA.

With between 10 and 20dB of noise cancelation under 700Hz, you can expect between 50 and 75% of outside noise in the lows. But the JLab JBuds Lux ANC shines with high-frequency noise, as the ear cups do an outstanding job of creating a seal to your head. Because of this, the headphones isolate your ears from outside noise and physically block up to 46dB of outside noise the higher in frequency you go.

How do the JLab JBuds Lux ANC sound?

In short, the JLab JBuds Lux ANC sound pretty decent.

Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS)

The chart below shows how the sound of the JLab JBuds Lux ANC was assessed by the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score (MDAQS) algorithm from HEAD acoustics.

An overall mean option score of 4.5 points to a consumer-friendly sound with little in the way of unpleasant surprises.

Our virtual panel of listeners rated the JLab JBuds Lux ANC highly when it comes to the timbre and immersiveness of the headphones, leading to a respectable overall score of 4.5. That means someone needing cans for the subway will find little to nitpick here.

That high immersiveness score is worth pointing out, as they should faithfully reproduce the stereo image.

Reviewer’s notes

Though I’m usually one for listening at home more than someone who straps on the cans to head outside, my trips to and from the office were pleasant enough with the JLab JBuds Lux ANC. The headphones are a bit bassier than I like, but when there’s a lot of street and engine noise around you, that’s a feature and not a bug.

USB-C audio is an uncommon feature at this price point.

For example, a strong bass synth backing the chorus of Joji’s Ew can fade into the background noise if you’re in a loud area. However, with ANC and the strong bass emphasis, it was preserved even while waiting for a convoy of earth-movers to pass downtown. Conversely, mids can sometimes take a little bit of a backseat, but it’s something you can fix with the EQ.

I had a hard time listening for long periods because of the peak from 5-10kHz, boosting the volume of cymbals and sibilant sounds. Though manageable for the first few minutes, it can get grating over time. For tracks like Psychedelic Porn Crumpets’ Buzz or Bad Nerves’ Baby Drummer, this gets frustrating if you’ve been listening for a while.

Objective Measurements

Here, we can see that the JLab JBuds Lux ANC have some bass emphasis — about 2-5dB over what we like to see — from 300Hz down to 20Hz. There’s a little dip in the mids and then a large bump at 5-10kHz. This can help with spatial cues and sounds that typically get lost in mixes.

We’ve come to expect this frequency response from headphones for the commuting crowd. Even though it doesn’t conform to our preference target well, we know that headphones with widely different frequency responses can satisfy large numbers of people. A bass-heavy sound with plenty of high-end will appeal to someone listening for relatively short periods (i.e., less than a couple hours) and those who have to deal with lots of environmental noise.

Can you use the JLab JBuds Lux ANC for phone calls?

Like any Bluetooth headset, the JLab JBuds Lux ANC can be used for calls. If you’d like to hear how it performs, below are samples recorded using our standardized recording setup.

JLab JBuds Lux ANC microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

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Should you buy the JLab JBuds Lux ANC?

The JLab JBuds Lux ANC is a compelling buy under $80.

At $79.99, it’s tough to say no to the JLab JBuds Lux ANC. They may not come with eye-popping specs, but the headphones get all the main things right — with some software features thrown in. These are by far and away one of the better values on the market, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a better price-to-performance ratio. If you’re as allergic to spending money as I am, this is a set of headphones you should keep on your radar.

That said, anyone hoping for high-end ANC, spatial audio with head tracking, or health sensors will be out of luck — but it’s unreasonable to expect these features below $100. The JLab JBuds Lux ANC is a solid set of headphones that do precisely what’s expected with few frustrations or shortcomings.

What should you get instead of the JLab JBuds Lux ANC?

If you’re looking for alternatives at this price point, you will have to make some tradeoffs. JLab makes a point of out-competing others in the entry-level segment with good fundamentals, and the JLab JBuds Lux ANC very much fits that ethos.

The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus’ touch controls are easier to use than hunting for buttons.

You could try the Anker Soundcore Space One () if you’re looking for better ANC, but since the difference is so marginal, the poorer audio quality might be enough to dissuade you from spending the extra $10. The rest of the sub-$100 crowd doesn’t have much to offer over the JLab JBuds Lux ANC, and it may be the new king of the ring.

If you’re looking for a step up, you’ll have to shell out a lot more money. Specifically, I’m talking about the Sony ULT WEAR (), the Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless (), and the Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus (). These three headphones have similar ANC and sound quality performance to the JLab JBuds Lux ANC despite its disadvantages regarding higher-bitrate codecs. Still, they all offer improved controls and wider ear cups. However, the ACCENTUM Plus is the only other set of headphones here that offers USB-C audio — surprising, given the huge price disparity.

Frequently asked questions

Editor’s note: this is the first version of the article. Updates will follow as the market changes.

What’s it like to use JLab Epic Lab Edition?

The JLab Epic Lab Edition are JLab’s top-of-the-line earbuds. Consequently, they have many of the features you’d expect them to have to take on the AirPods Pros and Sony WF-1000XM5s of the world. The JLab Epic Lab Edition offers a new hybrid driver arrangement, Bluetooth Multipoint, spatial audio support, ear detection sensors, and more. You’re not missing out on significant features of the competition outside of a few platform-specific things you may not even want.

The JLab Epic Lab Edition are quite large — but small enough to fit most ears.

The earbuds are a little on the chunky side, but they’re pretty light, and there aren’t the usual comfort issues I’ve had with earbuds of this size. Instead of using a fin or secondary hook to keep these in place, the JLab Epic Lab Edition relies on their outer contour to stay in your ear’s concha. It’s not ideal, but it could be worse. If you have smaller ears, this might be where you run into issues.

The package includes three sizes of silicone ear tips and three sizes of memory foam ear tips. Because fit is the most critical aspect of any earbuds, the two kinds of ear tips are a nice addition. I use memory foam tips when I review earbuds because it’s one of the easiest ways to guarantee an excellent fit and decent isolation. Just roll the ear tips between your thumb and forefinger to compress, insert the buds into your ear, and hold them in place while the foam expands to fit. Very simple!

The JLab Epic Lab Edition’s case is chunky but small enough to fit into most pockets.

If you’re an exercise junkie — or live in a climate where it’s constantly raining, like here in Vancouver — you’ll appreciate the IP55 ingress protection rating offered by the JLab Epic Lab Edition. This means that you can take these pretty much anywhere without any fear of rain, sweat, or splashes. I still wouldn’t take these in the shower, even if they technically could handle it now and again.

The case of the JLab Epic Lab Edition can charge wired or wirelessly.

The JLab Epic Lab Edition case is a bit on the chunky side, though that means something quite different than it did two years ago. You can still jam it into tiny pockets with no sweat, though if you wear skinny jeans, you may have some issues with the girth of the case itself. Said case is also a bit heavier than you might expect, owing to some metallic elements, heavy-duty hinges, and internal components.

How do you control the JLab Epic Lab Edition?

Customizable touch surfaces make for an easy control experience.

The JLab Epic Lab Edition is controlled through taps and long-presses on either earbud’s touch interface. However, you can change the default behavior of these controls in just about any way you want.

JLab Epic Lab Edition default controls:

When you open the app’s controls customization feature, you can use the drop-down menus to tell the app which inputs should perform what function. No apparent restrictions exist so you can set any action to any input on either earbud. I often use the ambient sound mode, so I moved that to a double-tap on the left earbud while removing the EQ mode toggle.

Should you use the JLab app for the JLab Epic Lab Edition?

Though it’s frustrating to have to accept a companion app for core functions of a product like earbuds, it’s one of those things the consumer audio world has settled on. While we don’t know what user data the app collects, the app itself is one of the best on the market regarding user experience. There are no confusing menus, everything is intelligently laid out and easy to find, and anything you’d like to control on the earphones is front and center on the main page. You can also see device information and enable or turn off features.

JLab’s app is one of the easiest to use on the market.

I say all this because it’s rare for apps to be easy to navigate and a huge sore spot for me. Any product should be easy to use, and it’s impressive how few apps are as easy to navigate as JLab’s. Though it’s virtually mandatory, you should use the JLab app. Kudos to the designers.

To get more into the app’s functionality, there’s a 10-band EQ, the ability to toggle between ANC and passthrough modes, turn ear sensors on or off, and a volume limiter to prevent listening at unsafe volume. Though those probably don’t sound exciting, the volume limiter in particular is an essential feature to have if you want to continue to rock out as you age. Protecting your hearing is a big deal, and the American Academy of Audiology and SoundGuys agree that you should listen at lower volumes.

How do the JLab Epic Lab Edition connect?

One of the strongest suits of the JLab Epic Lab Edition is how versatile they are regarding Bluetooth. Though wireless earbuds will always suffer a few drawbacks due to the nature of wireless audio, some products handle these shortcomings better than others. The JLab Epic Lab Edition is one of those earbuds sets that do well here.

The JLab Epic Lab Edition has a USB-C dongle for sources without Bluetooth.

While they don’t offer Snapdragon Sound or any of the aptX Adaptive codecs, JLab gave their flagship earbuds LDAC and LC3, running on Bluetooth 5.3. This means that these earbuds can handle the same high-bitrate codec that gives Sony its advantage, and the JLab Epic Lab Edition can also use the best low-bitrate compression offered by LE audio. As far as earbuds go, you get the best of both worlds — provided you have an Android phone.

Going beyond that, inside the charging case is a USB-C dongle that entirely bypasses the need for Bluetooth. Just plug it into your computer, and the earbuds prioritize this connection over all others.

How long does the JLab Epic Lab Edition battery last?

The JLab Epic Lab Edition lasted 8 hours and 46 minutes in our standardized test, which is quite a bit better than average for wireless earbuds. Of course, your mileage may vary depending on how you listen. While this may not sound Earth-shatteringly good, just remember that 8 hours per charge is enough to get you through a transcontinental flight or an entire workday for most people. Given that you’ll also be charging your earbuds every time you drop them back into the case, you can expect more life from your JLab Epic Lab Edition if you take regular breaks.

Though not the undisputed king of battery life among ANC earbuds, the JLab Epic Lab Edition comes close.

If you’re the kind of person to set your charging case on a desk while you work or don’t like hunting for that USB cable to charge your gadgets, you should consider getting a Qi-compatible charging surface. Yes, it’s yet another cable and item to put on your desk — but as the case of the JLab Epic Lab Edition has wireless charging, you can set it on the pad and juice up while you’re working. It may sound like a little thing, but it’s a nice quality-of-life improvement.

How well do the JLab Epic Lab Edition cancel noise?

Choosing between silicone and foam tips is an excellent boon for performance and fit.

The JLab Epic Lab Edition blocks out 17-40dB above 1KHz with a good fit and do a fair job at canceling out noise up to 35dB below 1kHz. It’s a little inconsistent, so you won’t quite get the performance of top-tier noise cancelers like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, but you’ll get most of the way there.

If you want to hear your surroundings, you can also toggle a passthrough mode that pipes outside noise to your ear. You can also disable ANC, but it did not affect battery life enough to justify keeping it off.

How do the JLab Epic Lab Edition sound?

As a testbed for how one of the largest audio component manufacturers thinks earbuds should sound, the JLab Epic Lab Edition will be important for the next couple of years as a taste of what’s to come. Unsurprisingly, these earbuds perform very well when it comes to measured data, as well as for casual listening.

Can you use the JLab Epic Lab Edition for phone calls?

What would a set of earbuds be without a microphone? Not a headset, that’s what. The JLab Epic Lab Edition microphone performs well. However, you don’t have to take my word for it: below are samples collected in our lab.

JLab Epic Lab Edition microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

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Should you buy the JLab Epic Lab Edition?

The JLab Epic Lab Edition is a surprisingly solid choice.

If you’re in the market for earbuds, the JLab Epic Lab Edition are a compelling buy because they offer most of the features people want, but at a reasonable cost. Sure, they might not get the headlines that AirPods do, but for a person who is just looking for earbuds that work well in a broad range of situations and don’t cost as much as the Sony WF-1000XM5, these are an easy pick.

If you have the $200 to spare and you’re looking for ANC earbuds that can survive your daily life, the JLab Epic Lab Edition are an easy win. Not only do they offer some of the better audio performance on the market for their category, but they get a lot right where other earbuds fall short. My main gripes with the earbuds are largely academic. It will be interesting to see if JLab continues to make earbuds in this mold.

What should you get instead of the JLab Epic Lab Edition?

The JLab Epic Lab Edition only have a handful of peers and competitors. Mainly, we’re talking about the Apple AirPods Pro 2 (), the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (), and the Sony WF-1000XM5 (). Other lesser-known options include bleeding-edge options like the Creative Aurvana Ace 2 () — though this model is not quite there when it comes to the app, weatherproofing, or creature comforts.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 are among the best noise canceling headphones on the market — but they don’t come cheap.

The most compelling case to get the AirPods over the JLab Epic Lab Edition is if you own an iPhone, you won’t be able to use LDAC with the JLab earphones. However, if you’re older than 35, you may like the sound of the JLab Epic Lab Edition more than that of the AirPods Pro by virtue of their tuning. However, the AirPods Pro have several other features you might find enticing, like the ability to act as a personal sound amplification device (PSAP), or the Apple ecosystem integrations. If you’re an Android user, there’s no contest: the JLab Epic Lab Edition are the better buy by far.

Bose’s earbuds are a much closer contest, though to make the most of the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, you’ll need a brand-new (read: within the last year and a half) Android phone with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. If you’re near upgrade time, you may want to grab the Bose earbuds for their Snapdragon Sound compatibility. However, if aptX Lossless isn’t a huge draw for you, the JLab Epic Lab Edition will be a much better buy at almost $100 less.

Frequently asked questions

CES 2024 is only a few days away at this point, but that isn’t stopping JLabs from announcing two new audio products in its collection. One is the third iteration in the JBuds line and the other is a first for the company.

Today, headphone and earbud maker JLab announced the JBuds Lux ANC Wireless Headphones and JBuds ANC 3 True Wireless Earbuds. Both products are expected to make an appearance at CES this year.

JBuds Lux ANC Wireless Headphones

Starting with the headphones, JLab claims the JBuds Lux is its first foray into the higher-end market. As a result, the headphones come packed with a variety of features. These features include better sound quality, active noise canceling, spatial audio support, and Bluetooth multipoint and LE audio capabilities.

In regards to the sound quality, these headphones use 40mm drivers. JLabs claims that these drivers are capable of producing a 20—20 kHz frequency response with very low distortion for high-fidelity sound. These headphones will also filter out external noises for music playback and phone calls.

In addition, JLabs says owners will be able to customize their listening experience through the JLab app. This will allow you to use features like Safe Hearing Mode and the equalizer.

JBuds ANC 3 True Wireless Earbuds

As for the earbuds, the JBuds ANC 3 has a few improvements over its predecessor. In addition to active noise cancelation, these earbuds are said to offer 42 hours of battery life, Bluetooth multipoint connectivity, a water and dust resistance rating of IP55, and support for the JLab app.

One notable feature these earbuds will have is a low-latency mode made especially for watching movies. The Movie Mode reportedly enables flawless synchronization between the audio source and the earbuds for reduced lag.

Availability

JLab’s new headphones are available now for $79.99 () in four different colorways: cloud white, graphite, sage, and mauve. Cloud white, graphite, and sage will ship in Feburary, while mauve will ship by mid-March.

The earbuds are also available right now for $59.99, but they are only available in black. When you purchase the earbuds, you’ll get a two-year warranty, USB-C charging case, three soft gel tips, and a set of Cloud foam tips.

We spent a week with the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC to see how it really holds up.

Editor’s note: this review was updated on September 18, 2023, to update formatting, add charts.

What is the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC like?

The JLab Epic Air Sport ANC is a pair of wireless earbuds for people who like to work out, evidenced by its ear hook design that keeps the buds secure while you jog, lift, climb, or do whatever you want. The buds stay in place well, regardless of how intensely I move. Though the hooks are plastic, they have some give and I can adjust them to sit comfortably on my ears. An IP66 rating denotes the buds’ dust and water resistance.

The JLab Epic Air Sport ANC has an ear hook design to keep it stable on your ear.

The case is made of lightweight plastic, and it’s pretty large. However, it can still fit in some deeper pockets and will find a nice home in your gym bag or backpack. The case has an integrated USB-A cable, so you don’t have to carry one around with you. Note that the way the buds are arranged in the case is counterintuitive: the right goes on the left and the left goes on the right. This design is similar to the Grell Audio TWS 1 and takes some getting used to.

Each earbud has an infrared sensor to detect whether you’re wearing it, so it can automatically pause or play your music easily. The earbuds also have microphones on the outside to detect noise to either cancel out or let in sound, depending on whether you’re using ANC or Be aware mode.

How do you control the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC?

The JLab Epic Air Sport ANC has touch controls that you can change in the JLab Air ANC app.

The outside of each bud features a touch panel, and you can remap the default controls from the JLab Air ANC app (iOS/Android). Sometimes my gestures misfire or don’t get registered, but it’s not a super common occurrence and it doesn’t make using the earbuds bad at all.

Is the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC good for working out?

The JLab Epic Air Sport ANC is great for working out, since it’s secure on the ears, comfortable, water-resistant, and has a transparency mode for hearing your surroundings. This is a good option for any athlete, since it won’t fall out of your ears (and can also handle dust), so hiking, rock climbing, and lifting won’t pose any issues. If you, like me, enjoy an all-black workout gear situation, you will lose track of the case in your bag, though thankfully it’s big enough to feel with your hands even if you can’t see it.

The earbuds stay in place really well, regardless of what exercise I engage in.

While running, I find Be Aware mode really helpful so I can hear nearby cars or people and stay safe on the sidewalk. Hiking in it is also great for the same reasons, since I want to hear people around me on the trail or be able to hear unique bird calls in nature. Running motions never loosen the earbuds, though my mask gets caught on the ear hooks very easily when I take it off, which can pull the earbuds out.

When doing bodyweight workouts at home, ANC really helps block out distracting household noises, so I can just focus on the music and my workout. The earbuds stay in place really well, regardless of my position—whether I’m on my back doing crunches, doing a side plank, or doing push-ups.

Should you download the JLab Air ANC app?

The JLab Air ANC app is a really useful companion app for this pair of earbuds. Here, you can turn ANC on or off, or turn on its transparency mode which is dubbed Be Aware. Transparency is helpful if you’re working out outside and need to be aware of your surroundings, like cars or people around you.

The app also lets you switch between EQ modes, set your own custom EQ, customize touch controls, and get firmware updates for the earbuds.

What codecs does the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC support?

The Epic Air Sport ANC supports the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs, and uses Bluetooth 5.0. AAC connectivity means iOS users have a reliable high-quality audio option, but Android devices don’t always get consistent performance from AAC. Android users can force SBC instead in Developer Options menu.

How long is the battery life of the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC?

The JLab Epic Air Sport ANC has a great battery life of over 15 hours.

JLab claims that the Epic Air Sport ANC battery lasts 15 or more hours, and in our objective testing we found this to be quite accurate. When subjected to continuous music playback peaking at 75dB(SPL), the earbuds lasted 15 hours, 31 minutes. JLab also claims that the case adds an additional 55 hours of charge, and nothing led me to believe otherwise while using it.

How well does the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC block out noise?

Isolation from this pair of earbuds is good, especially with higher frequencies, and the ANC helps a lot with lower sounds. The ANC cancels out droning noise, like washing machines and dryers, cars and trucks, and even some speech. The JLab Air ANC app allows you to adjust your level of ANC, as well as adjust passthrough levels, so you have full control of how much of your environment is allowed in.

If you listen with ANC off, you’ll notice that the passive isolation alone is also really good as long as you get a good fit with your ear tips. We recommend playing with the ample tip options JLab provides. If you’re unable to get a reliable seal with the tips, then environmental noise will make it through the physical barrier of your earbuds and mask the sound of your music.

How does the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC sound?

The JLab Epic Air Sport ANC has a frequency response that follows our consumer curve fairly closely overall. The standard listening mode, JLab Signature, slightly emphasizes the sub-bass and bass ranges, slightly under-emphasizes the low mids, and rolls off a little prematurely in the highs (starting around 6kHz). Overall, it follows the gist of our consumer curve and will sound great with most music—though it will probably be most enjoyable with bass-heavy genres like EDM. A bass emphasis is great for workouts since a lot of athletes enjoy following the rhythm of the bass line in songs while training.

There are also other EQ options that bring some variation to listening. Bass boost, predictably, has a boost in the bass range, although not where you might expect (actually around 200Hz). The “Balanced” preset under-emphasizes the higher bass frequencies and emphasizes highs more than the other EQ options, which might work better for spoken word content like podcasts and classical music.

When I listen to Kiss Me More by Doja Cat featuring SZA, the bass emphasis from the standard signature EQ setting makes the already prominent bass much louder than the continuous synth melody throughout most of the song. Doja Cat’s and SZA’s voices are still clear enough to hear with this EQ setting, but if you really want to hear them, changing the EQ to “Balanced” makes their voices much more prominent.

In the 2011 remaster of This Charming Man by The Smiths, the bass is much louder than it is on my reference headphones and can be a bit distracting from the guitar part, though Morrissey’s voice still prevails. Changing the EQ setting to the “Balanced” preset makes the snare and cymbals more dominant comparatively, and the bass isn’t as overpowering.

How is the microphone on the Epic Air Sport ANC?

The microphone on the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC is fine for phone calls, but if you’re in a noisy environment, those sounds will come through and make it harder for the person on the other end of the call to hear your voice. Incidental sounds like car horns and keyboards are handled the worst, while the mics cancel droning sounds like wind a bit better.

Give it a listen here:

JLab Epic Air Sport ANC microphone demo (Ideal):

JLab Epic Air Sport ANC microphone demo (Street):

JLab Epic Air Sport ANC microphone demo (Wind):

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Should you get the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC?

The JLab Epic Air Sport ANC is a great option for athletes.

Anyone interested in earbuds that can handle a workout should consider the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC. At $99 USD, and sometimes even less than that, you get good isolation and ANC, good sound quality, and software that adjusts both of those and more. The buds are comfortable and durable, while the ear tips are likely to fit you. The biggest downfall is the microphone quality, but it’s not even that bad, and perfectly good for phone calls as long as your environment isn’t too noisy.

What should you get instead of the Epic Air Sport ANC?

The Jabra Elite 3 is a similarly priced pair of workout earbuds, and it has aptX for high-quality Bluetooth audio. It also has an IP55 rating, has EQ presets in the Jabra Sound+ app, and a similarly bassy frequency response. The biggest difference is that it doesn’t have active noise canceling, so if you don’t care as much about ANC but want aptX, this is a good choice. You can find it for .

For those with an additional $100 USD to spend, the Jabra Elite 7 Active has ANC, an IP57 rating, and fast charging for a more premium experience. It also has Bluetooth 5.2 for better connection strength, and it also uses the Jabra Sound+ app for adjusting ANC, an equalizer, and firmware updates. It doesn’t support aptX like the Jabra Elite 3, however. It’s available for .

The Beats Powerbeats Pro have the same over-ear hook design as the standard Powerbeats, but they ditch the wire connecting them.

If you’re an iOS user, you might want to consider the Beats PowerBeats Pro, since it has an H1 chip for better integration with iOS. This means you get access to features like Apple’s Spatial Audio, as well as fast pairing with iOS devices. It’s double the price at , but if you want some extra luxury from workout earbuds, it might be worth considering.

Frequently asked questions about the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC

True wireless earbuds come in all shapes and sizes, but what if you want the smallest buds possible? Well, JLab has something for you as it’s just announced the JBuds Mini.

JLab claims that the JBuds Mini are the smallest true wireless earbuds on the market among major manufacturers. The company adds that these new earbuds are 30% smaller than its previous Go Air Pop buds and have a smaller and lighter charging case than the “top leading brands on the market.”

These earbuds still come with a decent set of features, including noise canceling microphones in each bud, 6mm dynamic drivers, touch controls, and Bluetooth multi-point.

Other notable features include Bluetooth 5.3, Google Fast Pair, and an IP55 rating. As for endurance, you can expect 5.5 hours of playtime for each earbud and 20 hours of total playback when using the charging case. The biggest downside is the fact that the JBuds Mini only supports the SBC codec — no AAC, aptX, or anything else here.

The JLab JBuds Mini earbuds will be available for $39.99 when they launch. The earbuds will be available in Asia, Europe, and North America from September 1. JLab also showed the Nightfall gaming headset pictured above which is due to release around October 5. There is no confirmed pricing as yet for the JLab Nightfall headset.