JLab Audio JBuds Air ANC Truly Wireless Headphones Review

Air ANC Truly Wireless Picture" />

The JLab Audio JBuds Air ANC Truly Wireless are budget-level noise cancelling in-ears. They have an excited, v-shaped sound profile to add thump and sparkle to your favorite tracks and while they don't have a companion app, they offer three EQ presets within their controls. They have a decent battery performance, too. However, their ANC is just satisfactory and does almost the same amount of noise-isolating in the mid to treble-range as when used passively. That said, they're an affordable choice if you're looking for truly wireless headphones with an ANC feature.

Our Verdict

The JLab Audio JBuds Air with ANC are alright for neutral sound. These headphones have an excited v-shaped sound profile that packs boom and brightness. However, it's not completely neutral. On the upside, their controls offer three EQ presets so you have a little more control over your audio experience.

The JLab Audio JBuds Air with ANC are good for commute and travel. These in-ears are quite small and lightweight, which makes them easy to take with you. They're also comfortable and have a continuous battery life of 8.4 hours. Unfortunately, their ANC feature struggles to cut down bass-range noise like bus or plane engines. It fares better when reducing ambient chatter.

The JLab Audio JBuds Air with ANC are great for sports and fitness. These lightweight, portable, and comfortable in-ears are stable enough for moderate physical activity and have a rating of IP55 for dust and water resistance, although we don't currently test for this. They also don't have any cables that can snag while you're moving.

The JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless with ANC are okay for office use. They're decently comfortable and can block out a great amount of ambient chatter around you. They also don't leak too much sound and their 8.4-hour battery life should be enough to get you through your 9-5 workday.

The JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless with ANC aren't recommended for wireless gaming. While you can connect them to a Bluetooth-enabled PC, the latency is likely to be too high for gaming. They also aren't compatible with Xbox One or PS4 consoles.

The JLab Audio JBuds Air with ANC are Bluetooth-only headphones that can't be used on a wired connection.

The JLab Audio JBuds Air with ANC are acceptable for phone calls. The integrated microphone has a disappointing recording quality, and your voice seems muffled and dark. It also has some trouble separating your voice from moderately noisy environments. On the upside, it has an ANC feature that can reduce some noise around you so you can focus on your call.

• 6.8 Neutral Sound
• 7.6 Commute/Travel
• 8.2 Sports/Fitness
• 6.9 Office
• 5.3 Wireless Gaming
• 5.2 Wired Gaming
• 6.3 Phone Calls

1. Updated Nov 24, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
2. Updated Nov 17, 2020: Review published.
3. Updated Nov 11, 2020: Early access published.
4. Updated Oct 21, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
5. Updated Oct 14, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
6. Updated Oct 04, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless with ANC come in one color variant: Black. You can see the label for the model we tested here. If you come across another variant, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.

Compared To Other Headphones

The JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless are sleek noise cancelling in-ears. They have a satisfactory ANC feature but it falls a bit short when compared to other truly wireless headphones like the Amazon Echo Buds True Wireless 2019 (1st generation). While they don't have a companion app, they offer three EQ presets via their controls so you can tweak their excited sound a bit more. Check out our recommendations for the best true wireless earbuds, the best noise cancelling earbuds and in-ear headphones, and the best noise cancelling headphones.

The JLab Audio GO Air POP True Wireless and JLab Audio JBuds Air ANC Truly Wireless are quite similar, but the JBuds are a bit better. The JBuds have much lower Βluetooth latency and have an ANC feature, although it only offers a slight improvement over their passive isolation capabilities. Also, they're rated IP55 for dust and water resistance, while the GO are only rated IPX4 for water resistance. Ηowever, the GO have a somewhat longer continuous battery life and a better mic recording quality.

The JLab Audio JBuds Air ANC Truly Wireless and the JLab Audio JBuds Air Truly Wireless are similarly designed in-ears. The biggest difference in features is that the JBuds Air ANC have an ANC feature but it doesn't perform as well as the JBuds Air's passive noise isolation. The JBuds Air ANC also has longer continuous battery life at the trade-off of having fewer additional charges. They also have a lower latency Movie mode which can help reduce audio-visual syncing issues, a better-balanced sound profile, and come with a pair of foam tips.

The Anker SoundCore Liberty Air Truly Wireless are slightly better headphones than the JLab Audio JBuds Air ANC Truly Wireless. The Anker have a better-balanced sound profile and they can isolate more noise passively than the JLab with ANC on. However, the JLab are better-built and offer a longer continuous and total battery life. The JLab also have less latency on PC, iOS, and Android, although some apps compensate for latency differently.

The Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless are better truly wireless headphones than the JLab Audio JBuds Air ANC Truly Wireless. The Apple are more comfortable and feel better built. They also have a more neutral sound profile, and their ANC can isolate more noise. However, the JLab have a somewhat better performing integrated mic and battery performance.

The JLab Audio JBuds Air ANC Truly Wireless and the Astro A40 TR Headset + MixAmp Pro 2017 are two very different headphones with different strengths. The Astro are better suited for wired gaming as they're more comfortable, feel better-built, and come with a MixAmp, which offers more gaming-specific controls. They also have a better overall microphone and have companion software to further customize them, though some users have experienced issues using it. However, the JLab are better suited for casual use as they have a more stable fit, come with a decent ANC feature, and have a wireless design that lasts over eight hours on a single charge.

The Jabra Elite Active 65t Truly Wireless are better truly wireless headphones than the JLab Audio JBuds Air ANC Truly Wireless. The Jabra have a more neutral sound profile, their integrated mic has a better recording quality, and they have a companion app that offers a graphic EQ plus presets. They can also passively isolate more noise than the JLab, even with their ANC on. However, the JLab are more comfortable, have a better battery performance, and come with a low latency Movie Mode to help reduce audio and visual syncing issues.

The Amazon Echo Buds True Wireless 2019 (1st generation) are better truly wireless headphones than the JLab Audio JBuds Air ANC Truly Wireless . The Amazon are more stable, have a more neutral sound profile, and comes with a companion app that offers a graphic EQ. Their active noise reducing (ANRC) technology can reduce more noise too. However, the JLab have better controls and their integrated mic offers better performance overall too. They also have lower Bluetooth latency when using their Movie Mode.

The JBL CLUB PRO+ TWS True Wireless are better headphones than the JLab Audio JBuds Air ANC Truly Wireless. The JBL are better-built, more comfortable, and have better noise isolation. Their sound profile is more neutral out-of-the-box, though some listeners may appreciate the JLab Audio's bass-heavy sound profile. However, the JBL have a parametric EQ and presets so you can customize their sound, unlike the JLab Audio.

Test Results

Air ANC Truly Wireless Design Picture 2" />

The JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless are black truly wireless earbuds with ANC. They look almost identical to the JLab Audio JBuds Air Truly Wireless but have a silver accent on their touch buttons as well as their company logo on both ears instead of black.

Air ANC Truly Wireless Comfort Picture" />

The JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless with ANC are decently comfortable. They don't go that deeply into your ear and are angled to give you a more comfortable fit. However, using the controls can put a bit of pressure on the ear canal and the cush fin can move around when you're putting the earbud on your ear. They come with three pairs of differently-sized silicone ear tips and one pair of foam ear tips.

Air ANC Truly Wireless Controls Picture" />

These headphones have decent controls. There's one button on each earbud but they can be a little confusing. The left bud lowers the volume when tapping the left side of the button, and a double-tap activates voice assistant. Holding this button allows you to turn ANC on/off or use talk-through mode. The right bud raises the volume with a tap on the right side of the button or answers calls. You can press and hold one second to reject calls, double-press to hang up, and double-tap twice to play/pause. You can press and hold for one second to skip tracks forward or press and hold for three seconds to turn them on. You can cycle through EQs by triple-tapping either bud or change modes between movie and music by pressing and holding both earbuds for three seconds.

Unfortunately, there's no feedback when adjusting volume and the touch buttons aren't always responsive. The EQ can also only be changed if audio is playing.

Air ANC Truly Wireless Breathability After Picture" />

Air ANC Truly Wireless Portability Picture" />

Just like many other truly wireless earbuds, these headphones are outstandingly portable. You can easily put them in most pockets. They also come with a slightly bulky carrying case but it can be put in a bag or a larger pocket.

Air ANC Truly Wireless Case Picture" />

The JLab Audio JBuds Air with ANC have a decent carrying case. It's made from hard plastic and has a magnet to keep the earbuds in place. It also has a built-in USB charger that stores at the bottom of the case. There are three LED light battery indicators that turn blue when charging as well. However, there's no locking mechanism to keep the case from accidentally opening. It also doesn't support wireless charging.

Air ANC Truly Wireless Build Quality Picture" />

The JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless with ANC have a good build quality. Although they're mostly made out of plastic, they feel solid. They also have an IP55 rating for dust and water protection. However, we don't currently test for this.

Air ANC Truly Wireless Stability Picture" />

These headphones have good stability. While they may fall out of your ears if worn during intense physical activity, they shouldn't fall out if you're jogging or working out. They also come with three differently-sized silicone ear tips as well as a pair of foam tips to help you get a suitable fit.

Air ANC Truly Wireless Angled Picture" />

Air ANC Truly Wireless Side Picture" />

Air ANC Truly Wireless Front Picture" />

Air ANC Truly Wireless Rear Picture" />

Air ANC Truly Wireless Top Picture" />

Air ANC Truly Wireless In The Box Picture" />

• JLab Audio JBuds Air earbuds with ANC
• Charging case
• 3x silicone tip sizes
• 1x foam ear tips
• Manuals

These headphones have an excited v-shaped sound profile, which helps to bring out a boomy, sparkling sound. While they don't have a companion app, they offer three different EQs via their physical controls.

The frequency response consistency is outstanding. If you're able to achieve a proper fit and an air-tight seal using the ear tips that come with these earbuds, then you'll get consistent bass and treble delivery every time you use these headphones.

The JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless have alright bass accuracy. They're overemphasized across the range, resulting in a thumpy boomy sound. However, some users may find this bass overwhelming and muddy.

These headphones have great mid accuracy. Although there's a slight overemphasis from the bass range, the rest of the response is flat and neutral, resulting in clear and detailed vocals and lead instruments.

The JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless have alright treble accuracy. They're overemphasized across the range, resulting in harsh as well as bright vocals and lead instruments. Sibilants like S and T sounds are also piercing.

The JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless ' peaks and dips performance with ANC is decent. There's a bit of unevenness in the bass range, resulting in a bit less thump and rumble, but more boom. There's also a dip between the low to mid-mid which nudges and slightly thins out vocals and lead instruments. There's a peak in the low-treble and another one in the mid-treble too, so vocals and lead instruments sound harsh and piercing while sibilants are piercing.

The imaging is just passable. The group delay response stays well below the audibility threshold, suggesting a tight bass and a transparent treble reproduction. The L/R drivers of our test unit are also well-matched in frequency and amplitude. However, the phase response mismatch is extremely high, which affects the placement and localization of objects (voices, instruments, video game effects) in the stereo image. However, these results are only valid for our unit and yours may perform differently.

The JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless with ANC have a poor passive soundstage. An important part of creating an out-of-head and speaker-like soundstage is activating the outer ear with resonances. However, in-ear earbuds bypass the outer ear altogether and don't interact with it, resulting in a closed soundstage that feels like it's coming from inside your head rather than from out in front of you.

These earbuds don't have any virtual soundstage features.

The weighted harmonic distortion performance is great. The entire frequency range falls within good limits, resulting in clean and pure audio reproduction.

The JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless with ANC's results are only valid for these settings. However, we were unable to determine the firmware version. If you own these headphones and know where to find it, let us know in the discussions.

The JLab Audio JBuds Air 's noise isolation performance with ANC is satisfactory. Their ANC feature can cut down some bass-range noise but it may not be enough for bus or plane rides. The ANC also performs very similarly to these earbuds' passive noise isolation. Mid-range noise like ambient chatter is reduced while treble-range sounds like the hum of an AC unit are also cut down. If you're looking for in-ears that do a better job of isolating you from sounds like bus or plane engines, try the EarFun Air Pro True Wireless.

The leakage performance is outstanding. Their leakage is concentrated in the treble range, so if you're listening to your audio at max volume, others may hear it. However, it sounds thin.

These headphones have an integrated microphone.

The integrated microphone's recording quality is disappointing. Your voice sounds dark, muffled, and lacking in detail.

Update 03/31/2022: These headphones have been updated to test bench 1.5. In this update, we made changes to the way we test noise handling. We now use a subjective evaluation of our audio clips. This new method has resulted in different results than what we had reported in our previous test bench. As a result, the scoring of this box has changed, and we have updated our results.

The microphone has okay noise handling. The mic has some difficulty separating your voice from moderate background noise. You should be heard clearly if you're speaking in more quiet environments, though.

The JLab Audio JBuds Air 's battery performance is decent. With their ANC on, they last over eight hours on a single charge. Their carrying case also offers three additional charges and they charge in just under an hour and a half. They also have an auto-off timer to help conserve battery life.

These headphones don't have any app support. For in-ears with a companion app that lets you customize their sound, check out the JBL CLUB PRO+ TWS True Wireless.

Update 03/31/2022: These headphones were updated to Test Bench 1.5 and their latency values have changed. As a result, we have updated our text to better reflect the new test bench measurements.

These headphones have satisfactory Bluetooth connectivity. They support Bluetooth 5.2 but lack NFC or multi-device pairing, which is a little disappointing. They offer two different latency modes, though. 'Movie Mode' is designed for streaming video, and it provides the better of the two latency results. When using this mode, audio latency is low when connected to your iOS or Android devices. Their latency falls outside of good levels when using this mode on PCs, though, and slight syncing issues may present. The second latency mode is 'Music Mode'. Using this setting, there's 336 ms of latency on PC, 217 ms on iOS, and 122 ms on Android. Unfortunately, these values are quite high on PC and iOS, so your audio and visuals may fall out of sync. That said, some apps compensate for latency differently.