JLab Go Air Pop: review (*20*) one minute
Let's find out what's exciting about the JLab Go Air Pop: from February (*20*) this year, it's possible to buy a pair (*20*) of branded wireless earphones (*20*) for €20/€20, a fee that, three years, it was unimaginable. And they weren't from (*20*) someone in a dark alley, and they weren't counterfeit AirPods.
The well-known brand name is JLab, and its reason (*20*) for being is to provide durable listening equipment (*20*) at rock-bottom prices; staples on our list (*20*) the best budget wireless earbuds with the outgoing JLab Go Air as an example.
And while the company has yet to become our best (*20*) buying guide (*20*) for true wireless earbuds, it's not a fair fight considering the suggested retail prices they face, and that's not a fair fight. It's probably just a matter of (*20*) time.
Regular readers will know that TechRadar wrote their first thoughts on the remarkably affordable new JLab Go Air Pop shortly after (*20*) its launch, but, while it's a very affordable product, we want you to meet them in a comprehensive review. Hasn't your curiosity been piqued? Can these budget-conscious headphones really do a job?
We've all gotten burned buying low, buying low, buying twice, right? Not here. If you think a button will stop (*20*) pairing after (*20*) a week, or that the cap (*20*) the casing will come off in a day, or that a glance (*20*) the sleeve ( *20*) the wet jacket would kill them, or that "a speck (*20*) dust would damage the casing registering any content worth loading well... well, you're wrong.
What you need to know is that JLab Go Air Pop (try to (*20*) see past the name, (*20*) the same way we can see past (*20*) the collection (*20*) capital letters , hyphens and numbers (*20*) Sony to find a product (*20*) cutting edge) are actually pretty good overall. – and absolutely unbeatable for the money, though it's important to note that there's little to challenge them on the level. If this is where your budget maxes out for non-essentials like true wireless earbuds, you'll find a reliable product here.
These headphones belie their low price. It's not garbage. They sound much better (*20*) than is reasonable. And wouldn't life be better if more (*20*) of us could buy portable wireless music, instead of (*20*) not having any (*20*) music?
- JLab Go Air Pop True Wireless Earbuds at Best Buy for $19.99 (Opens in a new tab)
JLab Go Air Pop: price and date (*20*) release
- $20 / £20 / A$49,95
- Release: February (*20*) 2022
At €20, €20 or five cents below (*20*) €50 in Australia, to say that the latest JLab true wireless earphones (*20*) are aggressively priced is an understatement. As a reminder, JLab is a well-known (*20*) audio brand, founded in 2005 and respected by the (*20*) audio press.
Competition and profit margins (*20*) in the ultra-affordable (*20*) JLab market are brutal. The race to squeeze reliable connectivity, decent endurance, and on-device controls into ever more affordable prices, while still (*20*) turning a profit, never ends.
The truth is, JLab has designed a unique pair (*20*) new headphones that do it for €20 (€20) and I still don't know how. Did someone on the (*20*) JLab payroll sell his soul to the devil in a Robert Johnson-style Faustian pact? I hope not. But we can't be sure...
JLab Go Air Pop: features
- Bluetooth 5.1 and carrier detection (*20*)
- Three effective EQ profiles
- Control (*20*) volume on the ear
First of all, these Bluetooth 5.1 headphones connected to my phone on first request, and as basic as it sounds, having a product that just turns on, pops up in the (*20*) Bluetooth (*20*) menu on my phone and pairs, without the 15 minutes (*20*) head scratching, a third reading (*20*) the guide (*20*) quick start and a hard reset (*20*) factory - already puts them on the street ahead (*20*) some buttons that we have tested at a price up to 10 times higher.
The earbuds are also (*20*) sweat proof, but more importantly, you get eight hours with the earbuds and 32 hours with the full accessory when you include the case, and then (*20*) spend a week with them I can confirm that the statement is genuine.
After (*20*) placing the earbuds back in your ears after (*20*) charging them, they instantly pair with your last known device and calmly announce “Bluetooth connected, battery full.” These are small incremental checks for (*20*) JLabs, but they add up. Trouble-free operation may seem like the bare minimum, but JLab beats the competition much higher up the food chain just by passing these rudimentary tests.
Oh, and the (*20*) volume control on the device? Big check. I've slammed multiple pairs of (*20*) high-end (*20*) earphones for not offering what's so natural to want (*20*) your earphones (AirPods Pro, I'm looking at you), but here, a simple push (*20*) either (*20*) the headphones increase the volume (right) or decrease (left) one step. It's almost too easy. Double tap the (*20*) left for Siri or Google, double tap the (*20*) right to play or pause your music. Hold your finger on either (*20*) earphone for more than (*20*) one second and it will skip forward or backward one track. Pie.
There's a microphone on each earbud for handling (*20*) calls, and don't think for a second that no app means no profile (*20*) equalization: triple tap any (*20*) earbuds and you will hear the voice softly say "balanced", "boost (*20*) bass" or "JLab". Signature". In my time with these little units, they have never misinterpreted the morse code (*20*) my index finger.
Review (*20*) JLab Go Air Pop: quality (*20*) sound
- Good weight (*20*) bass and textured vocals.
- Treble crackles at higher volumes
These headphones are very capable (*20*) of playing music, and it's actually (*20*) rude to expect too much (*20*) of them. If you were expecting JLab to end up (*20*) getting Sonic Brilliance for the princely sum (*20*) €20, you'll have to think (*20*) again: you're getting SBCs (*20*) Bluetooth (*20*) vanilla at rock-bottom prices, not aptX HD, LDAC or hifalutin (*20*) hi-res codecs. .
The name hardly screams audio excellence anyway - 'air' and 'pop' aren't words we'd recommend using in the same sentence as 20mm (*6*) drivers and Bluetooth connectivity - but remember: Sony already released a limited edition 'white mute' colorway for the WH-1000XM4 and mute doesn't suggest big cans (*20*) sound either. What company had the biggest budget to possibly run this name through (*20*) a group (*20*) focus? Correct.
Any meaningful sonic comparison between these (*20*) €20 headphones and the best (*20*) Sony, Apple or Sennheiser products is more than a little unfair, and there is no current (*20*) class leader (*20*). *) €20 because it is not. There just isn't much serious competition at this price point. .
What you need to know is that the (*20*) JLab solution beats everything in its price range (*20*) in sound, hands down. It can even compete with the more expensive Sony WF-C500, which it actually beats in (*20*) battery life and design, if not in (*20*) audio quality.
Ok, the treble needs tweaking and is dynamically a bit flat (listen to Frisky (*20*) Tinie Tempah and the sinister intro is all over the place, rather (*20*) build and ponder), but I'm keeping the Go Air Pops (*20*) JLab are nice. listen in general, especially for this money. The vocals are relatively well handled in the mids and the weight (*20*) of the bass is reasonably managed, although I admit that the timing here lacks (*20*) a minimum (*20*) cohesion.
Stream Hootie & the Blowfish's Let Her Cry and the various guitars are also presented to each ear on a relatively large and open soundstage. Listen to Prince's Kiss and while you get all the funk (*20*) bass in the intro, the artist's unmistakable voice is a bit harsh. From a (*20*) sound point of view, it's hard to praise the sound quality, especially due to these trebles, which distort even in relatively easy passages, but that's not really the issue here.
The point is solid, budget-conscious sound. And you get that here - up to 32 hours.
- Rating (*20*) quality (*20*) sound: 3.5/5
Review (*20*) JLab Go Air Pop: Design
- Available in five glorious colors
- Only 3,7g per earphone
- Strange cable (*20*) shaped charge (*20*) tadpole
Refreshingly, JLab Go Air Pop arrives in a (*20*) 100% recycled paper, plastic-free box the size (*20*) of a deck (*20*) of playing cards. It's hard to imagine that a set of (*20*) headphones, their (*20*) charging case, (*20*) quick start guide, and (*20*) extra gel tips could fit in there, honestly, but they definitely are. there, and they are worth shouting about.
Let's start with the teardrop (*20*) ergonomic earphones. The (*20*) marketing spiel is that they are 15% smaller than previous (*20*) JLabs offerings. Thing is, they weigh just 3,7g per earbud (which is more (*20*) a gram lighter than Sony's LinkBuds S gem, which weighs 4,8g per earbud) and fit virtually any human ear. . When it comes to (*20*) true wireless earbuds, small is beautiful and the JLab Go Air Pops (*20*) are truly beautiful and small.
You get three sets of (*20*) ear tips in the same color as everything else for a sleek aesthetic (our sample is turquoise) and the case is easily as small and light as a box of (*20*) dental flosses, to Despite (*20*) that its USB grip charges and its a short cable sticks out (*20*) a hole in the base.
This diddy case can stand upright on its base (why can't other brands do this?) so you can open the magnetic lid with one hand to access the earphones. I spent a week slipping this case into my bag, near (*20*) my keys. There are no harsh metal trims to the design and no noticeable weak spots on the hinge. This thing wants to survive a ride unscathed.
Granted, the weird (*20*) charging cable is physically attached to the JLab Go Air Pop's case (can we still call it a wireless charger if there's still a cable?) and when charging it looks embryonic or juvenile compared to older cases. premium, like a tadpole is...