Review: JLab JBuds Lux ANC

A USB DAC in headphones for €139? I had to check twice to make sure I wasn’t mistaken. While Sony refrains from including this feature even in their top models, JLab gives you the option to connect your headphones directly to your mobile or PC with a USB-C cable for uncompressed 16-bit/48 kHz sound.

For iPhone users, this is worth its weight in gold. Apple’s AAC limitation of 256 kbps disappears when you use a cable, and the difference is palpable. Especially when you’re sitting in the office or at home and really want to enjoy the music.

Soft as clouds

The Cloud Foam cushions live up to their somewhat fluffy name. They fit velvety soft around the ears. The breathable synthetic lining on the headband is reminiscent of workout headphones, which, together with the low weight of 235 grams, made me almost forget I was wearing them.

The size fits both adults and children down to the age of 10, making these the perfect headphones for the whole family. And here, the volume limit in the app is particularly smart – you can lock the maximum sound to 85 or 95 dB for safe use by children. Conversely, it’s also nice that a responsible adult can opt out of this limit, which many are locked into due to some EU directive.

Share the experience with LabShare

One feature that sets JBuds Lux ANC apart from the crowd is LabShare. Two pairs of JBuds Lux (or other JBuds models) can be paired together so you can listen to the same audio source at the same time. Perfect when the kids want to watch movies on the tablet in the back seat, or when you and your seatmate want to watch movies or listen to music on the plane without disturbing others.

Setup is simple: the first pair connects to the device as normal, the second pair is put into LabShare mode with five quick presses of the power button. Five similar presses on the first pair and voila – both hear the same sound with individual volume control and EQ. An ingenious feature that competitors should copy.

EQ magic saves the day

Right out of the box, the “JLab Signature” EQ setting is activated. Fortunately. If you switch to flat EQ, the headphones reveal their true nature: compact and coloured bass with too little treble. It sounds stuffy and tinny – pretty much what you’d expect in this price range.

But the Signature curve works wonders. The bass sounds more natural and is better balanced against a clear midrange and enough treble that even classical music sounds surprisingly good. The headphones are on the bass-heavy side, but not so much that it’s annoying. Instead, it’s seen as an advantage, especially when Billie Eilish or Alex Warren are played at full blast. The Balanced setting makes the same type of adjustments as Signature, but to a lesser extent. However, I would not recommend the Bass Boost function, as it becomes too much of a good thing.

USB DAC – the hidden gem

When connected with a USB-C cable, the headphones really come to life. Although the resolution is limited to 16-bit/48 kHz, the difference from Bluetooth is striking. Classical music takes on a new dimension – strings sound more organic, Marie-Elisabeth Hecker’s cello has a better tone, and the sense of space is greatly enhanced.

When it comes to pop music, vocals become more prominent and detailed. The instruments are better separated, and the compressed feeling from the AAC codec on the iPhone disappears. It’s like lifting a veil from the music. The fact that this feature is available on headphones in this price range is very surprising – neither the Sony WH-1000XM6 nor the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, which cost four times as much, have this feature.

The DAC function is also useful when the battery runs out. Just connect your mobile phone and the headphones will be powered by the phone’s battery. A smart solution that saves the day when you’ve forgotten to charge. However, there is no analogue connection.

New feature: Spatial Audio

During the test period, an update was suddenly released that gave the headphones Spatial Audio. With this activated, you get a more spatial and vivid sound experience, somewhat reminiscent of surround sound. The difference is not dramatic, but you get a little more sense of space. It works well for games and films, while music sounds more dynamic and rhythmic when the feature is turned off. Please note that the headphones do not support head tracking, where the sound image remains in front of you even when you turn your head. Regardless, it is a very nice addition that ends up in the “nice to have” department.

Noise cancellation that works

Hybrid ANC up to 35 dB sounds impressive on paper. In practice, it effectively dampens the monotonous hum of my robot vacuum cleaner, but it’s nowhere near Sony, Bose or JVC. The ambient sound (JLab calls it Be Aware) lacks treble and is presented in mono – I can barely hear whether the vacuum cleaner is to my right or left.

Many headphones change the tonal character of the music when noise reduction is activated. The bass often becomes sluggish and muddy, while the dynamics become tame across the entire frequency range. Here, too, something changes: the bass becomes fuller and richer when ANC is activated. At low volumes, however, this just results in a more engaging sound, even if the dynamics suffer a little. As always, I recommend turning off noise cancellation if you are listening in a quiet environment, but it’s nice to hear that it sounds good anyway.

Call quality with reservations

During calls, the microphones work hard to reduce the noise of my own voice. In a café with background noise, they do a satisfactory job of suppressing noise and highlighting the voice. In quiet environments, unfortunately, they work just as hard, and you can hear that the consonants are being swallowed. S and F sounds sound the same, which means that the other party has to concentrate quite a bit during the conversation. It’s not catastrophic, but it’s a far cry from the quality of more expensive headphones such as the Sony WH-1000XM5, XM6 and JBL Tour One S3, to name but a few. On the other hand, I can’t think of any equally affordable headphones that do the job better.

70 hours of battery life

After using the headphones on a few short car journeys, my conclusion is that the battery life is really good. I haven’t had time to completely drain the battery, but with sporadic listening over a couple of weeks, the indicator has barely moved. Even with ANC enabled, the manufacturer promises 40 hours, and fast charging provides 4 hours of listening in 10 minutes. Which doesn’t seem unrealistic.

With Bluetooth multipoint, two devices can be connected to the headphones at the same time, while Google Fast Pair simplifies pairing with Android phones. Only the AAC codec is a limitation, but with the USB DAC option, it becomes less critical. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, as it’s obviously an advantage to have the best possible transmission, even wirelessly – but then it quickly becomes more expensive.

An important competitor

One of the JBuds Lux ANC’s arch rivals is the Sony ULT Wear. They have recently been reduced in price, so they are in the same range as JBuds, and they entice with LDAC and an insane amount of bass. But they lack the USB DAC function and are less comfortable with thinner and harder ear pads. They offer better codec support and more powerful sound, but JLab wins on comfort and digital connectivity options.

Conclusion

The JLab JBuds Lux ANC does a lot right and very little wrong. For €139, you get headphones that sound very entertaining and engaging, have exceptional battery life and include features that many more expensive models lack. Yes, the sound quality depends on the manufacturer’s EQ curve, and the codec support could be better. But when the result sounds so good and the comfort is impeccable, these are minor quibbles.

These are not headphones for audio purists who want neutral reference sound. But for those who want entertainment without compromising on sound quality, extreme battery life and the option of better sound via USB, these are easily the best buy of the year under £200.