JLab Epic Air Sport ANC first impressions: the holy grail of earbuds?
Yes, the name is a mouthful… But anyway, I just bought these earbuds after disappointing experiences with various other pairs, including more expensive ones, and feel like I might have finally found a good pair.
Most importantly, they stay in my ears, securely, at all times. With other buds, even well-reviewed “sport” ones like JBL’s Reflect Flow Pro, it was a matter of time until they were pushed out by bumps or wind while cycling, or by me putting on or taking off a sweater or my bike helmet or something. Another pair (I think some Philips earbuds) that also had hooks around the ears didn’t fall off, but would consistently get pushed out of my ear canal by wind while cycling, so I couldn’t hear much anymore. These ones simply stay in my ears. Also, the wind noise while cycling or in windy weather is not bad, unlike the JBL ones, which clearly reflected an idea of “sports” or “active” use that didn’t venture beyond an indoor gym.
Then, they have a ridiculously long list of features. Independent use of either one, automatic pause/resume when you take one bud off and put it back on, multi-point Bluetooth (double-device) connection, IP66 weatherproofing, active noise cancelling, ambient noise/passthrough mode, customisable touch controls for everything (whereas with the JBLs I had to pick two among track controls, volume controls, and noise cancelling/ambient controls), wireless charging for the case, long battery life (I think 70 hours with the case), and Tile support to find each earbud individually.
Some of the features are not must-haves, sure, but it’s surprising how many other, equally or more expensive earbuds fail at what I consider basic usage: wearing them while out and about, on foot or on my bike, also when it’s rainy or windy, without having to look for a dropped one on a dark pavement, and without being unusable on public transport like open-ear ones.
Now, they’re not quite perfect. The noise cancelling is not great (though I may have been spoilt by my Bose cans; I don’t think any buds can compete), the IP66 rating is not as water-resistant as the IP68 on the JBLs or the IP67 on my old Aftershokz (which I would still be using for cycling if I hadn’t accidentally snapped them in half somehow, but to be fair they were kind of bad for anything but cycling or running), and I’m sure there are buds with better sound quality… But overall, I’m quite happy so far.
Comments Section
I bought these about a year ago, I still love them. The only problem was with the silicone tips, I think i'm allergic to them, or something. They always irritate my ears and make them break out. But, I bought some comply ear bud tips for them from amazon, they are great. They always stay in too.
How do you feel about them now?
I had the jlab jbud air sport and they were alright but after a year of sweating during a run they just died lol (I did clean them pretty well after each use)
I bought them based on your post. They actually do stay in, huzzah! They don't get very loud, but it's loud enough, and that's probably better since I don't want to go deaf. These are not audiophile ear buds obviously, but they sound good enough and serve their purpose. You are right about ANC not being good. I can't tell a difference whether I turn it on or off.
That’s the main thing. They work great for “you”. Glad you found them.
Anyone try the gen 2 version?
I bought them from Best Buy because I had a credit to use and that’s what I needed at the time.
Two weeks later they stopped pairing to my phone.
I got a replacement code after sending the original back for review. Within a week my replacement pair stopped pairing with each other and won’t reset at all. Left earbud charges but no audio output.
I clean them after every use and I only use them for like 2 hours at a time.
I’m about to get my second replacement and not sure how I feel about it
Just came across this post randomly while researching something about my JLabs. The ANC is too good, you just have to use the old app of JLab sound cause they really messed up the update on the new JLab app. The sounds are too good.
I agree!! Mine just died recently after around 2.5 years of use and they were awesomee, I just noticed how much I missed the controls and battery life when my dad handed me his beats earbuds, the sound quality is nicer sure, but the controls and ear hook are really good features. Will get a replacement soon :DD
These earbuds are crap. I returned them after a couple hours trying to figure out how to make them not crap. ANC is zero. Sound level is way too low. Bass response is zero. I'm not an audio purist but good heavens these were bad.
If you found this post, the glowing review given by the OP is mostly bogus. It reads more like an advertisement than a report of actual use.
"I'm sure there are buds with better sound quality..." Yes. Yes there are.
Mate, if you have a recommendation for earbuds that are better without giving up features, I’m all ears. I tried several earbuds before these, and I don’t care about sound quality or noise cancellation if they pop out of my ears while I cycle, which I do every day, or if I can’t use them while raining because they’re not fully water resistant. For noise cancelling and bass response I have a pair of Bose cans that are better than any earbuds will ever be.