JLab Epic Air Sport ANC Wireless Headphone [Review]

The JLab Audio JBuds Air ANC Truly Wireless are noise-canceling in-ears with a low price tag. They have a v-shaped sound profile that adds punch and sparkle to your favorite music, and though they don’t come with an accompanying app, they do come with three EQ settings. They also have respectable battery life. Their ANC, on the other hand, is adequate and provides almost the same level of noise isolation in the mid to treble region as when used passively. However, if you’re searching for fully wireless headphones with ANC, they’re a reasonable option.

Style

The JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless is truly wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation in black. They resemble the JLab Audio JBuds Air Truly Wireless in appearance but have a silver accent on their touch buttons and a silver brand logo on both ears instead of black.

Comfort

The JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless with ANC is a comfy pair of headphones. They are angled to provide a more comfortable fit and do not go all the way into your ear. Using the controls, though, can exert pressure on the ear canal, and the cush fin can shift about when you’re putting the earbud in your ear. They include three pairs of silicone ear tips in various sizes and one set of foam ear tips.

Controls

The controls on these headphones are adequate. Each earbud has one button, which might be a little confusing. When you tap the left side of the button, it reduces the volume, and a double-tap activates the voice assistant. You can turn on/off ANC or use talk-through mode by pressing and holding this button. With a tap on the right side of the button, the right bud raises the volume or answers calls. You can reject calls by pressing and holding for one second, hang up by double-pressing, and play/pause by double-tapping twice. You can skip tracks forward by pressing and holding for one second or switch them on by pressing and holding for three seconds. By triple-tapping either bud, you can cycle among EQs, and by pressing and holding both earphones for three seconds, you can switch between movie and music modes.

Unfortunately, while altering volume, there is no feedback, and the touch buttons aren’t always responsive. Only when audio is playing can the EQ be altered.

Portability

These headphones, like many other truly wireless earbuds, are extremely portable. They’re small enough to fit in most pockets. They also come with a hefty carrying case that may be stuffed into a bag or a larger pocket.

Case

The carrying case for the JLab Audio JBuds Air with ANC is adequate. It’s made of durable plastic, and the earphones are held in place by a magnet. It also features a built-in USB charger at the bottom of the casing that may be stored. There are three battery indicator LED lights that illuminate blue when charging. However, there is no locking mechanism to prevent the case from being opened accidently. It also lacks wireless charging capabilities.

Build Quality

The build quality of the JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless with ANC is excellent. Despite the fact that they’re primarily comprised of plastic, they have a sturdy feel to them. They’re also dust and water resistant, with an IP55 rating. We do not, however, currently test for this.

Stability

The stability of these headphones is excellent. If you’re jogging or working out, they shouldn’t fall out of your ears, but if you’re doing anything intense, they might. They also include three different-sized silicone ear tips and a pair of foam tips to assist you find the right fit.

Bass Accuracy

The bass accuracy of the JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless is adequate. Across the range, they’re overemphasised, creating in a thumpy boomy sound. Some users, on the other hand, may find the bass to be overbearing and muddy.

Mid Accuracy

The mid-accuracy of these headphones is excellent. The rest of the response is flat and neutral, resulting in clear and detailed voice and lead instruments, despite a small overemphasis from the bass region.

Treble Accuracy

The treble precision of the JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless is adequate. They’re pushed to the limit across the board, resulting in harsh and brilliant vocals and lead instruments. Sibilants, such as S and T, are also penetrating.

Imaging

The imaging is only acceptable. The group delay response is substantially below audibility, implying a tight bass and clean treble reproduction. Our test unit’s L/R drivers are similarly well-matched in frequency and loudness. The phase response mismatch, on the other hand, is exceedingly significant, affecting the placement and localisation of items in the stereo vision (voices, instruments, video game effects). These results, however, are solely applicable to our unit; yours may perform differently.

Passive Soundstage

The passive soundstage of the JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless with ANC is inadequate. Activating the outer ear with resonances is a key aspect of producing an out-of-head and speaker-like soundscape. In-ear earbuds, on the other hand, skip the outer ear and do not interact with it, resulting in a closed soundscape that sounds like it’s coming from inside your mind rather than out in front of you.

Noise Isolation

The noise isolation capability of the JLab Audio JBuds Air with ANC is satisfactory. Although its ANC feature can reduce bass-range noise, it may not be sufficient for bus or aircraft flights. The ANC works in a similar way to the passive noise isolation of these earbuds. Mid-range noise, such as ambient chatter, is minimised, while treble-range sounds, such as an AC unit’s hum, are also decreased. Try the EarFun Air Pro True Wireless in-ears if you’re searching for in-ears that do a better job of insulating you from sounds like bus or plane engines.

Leakage

The performance in terms of leakage is excellent. Because their leaking is focused in the treble band, others may be able to hear it if you listen to your music at maximum volume. It does, however, sound thin.

Noise Handling

The microphone has a good noise cancellation capability. It can distinguish your voice from background noise, but it has more difficulty in noisy surroundings. If you’re speaking in a more calm atmosphere, though, you should be heard clearly.

Battery

The JLab Audio JBuds Air’s battery performance is decent. They last almost eight hours on a single charge with their ANC turned on. Three extra charges are available in their carrying bag, and they charge in just under an hour and a half. To save battery life, they also have an auto-off timer.

Bluetooth

The Bluetooth connectivity on these headphones is adequate. They support Bluetooth 5.2, however they don’t have NFC or multi-device pairing, which is a letdown. They do, however, provide two alternative latency modes. For all devices, ‘Movie Mode’ has the lowest latency, which is especially low for iOS devices at 7ms. The other mode is ‘Music Mode,’ which has a latency of 224ms on PC and 167ms on Android, which is a bit high if you want to view videos. While it’s a little faster on iOS (130ms), it’s still far too long. Some programmes, however, can correct for this, so your results may vary.

Verdict

The JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless with ANC are suitable for a variety of applications. They’re lightweight and comfortable enough to wear on the go or at work, with a battery life of over eight hours. They also have an active noise cancellation feature to help minimise ambient noise, though they struggle with bus engines. However, they do a better job of reducing speech. They are, nonetheless, stable enough to engage in moderate physical exercise.