JLab JBuds LUX ANC

The JLab JBuds LUX ANC can be folded for transport to save space and are relatively light at 235 grams. In addition, the fit offered stability for mobile use without being too tight, which meant increased wearing comfort. However, the teardrop-shaped earcups did not provide much space, which might lead to problems for those with larger ears. In summer temperatures, a certain amount of heat development was also noticeable, but it was possible to counteract this with occasional ventilation.

Battery life

In basic mode, these Bluetooth over-ears achieved a considerable runtime of 73 hours at a higher volume setting. If the noise cancellation was activated in the maximum setting, however, you can plan for a listening time of 44 hours. In addition, a ten-minute quick charge provides capacity for up to seven and a half hours (without ANC), and this would be useful when commuting or travelling. The headphones were fully charged after two hours.

In addition to wireless operation, these closed over-ears can also be used via USB cable, which expands their range of applications. However, they do not support Hi-Res Audio, as a resolution of 16 bit/48 kHz must be used with macOS. A 140-centimetre sheathed USB-C cable is included in the package. However, there is no USB adapter.

Bluetooth specs

In addition to Bluetooth standard 5.3 and Google Fast Pair for fast connection of Android devices, the JLab JBuds LUX ANC support multipoint connections, which means that smartphones and tablets or laptops can be paired simultaneously. The selection of audio codecs is limited to SBC and AAC. That said, the wireless connection made an above-average impression of stability during our test. It was possible to cross several rooms spread over two floors indoors without any problems, while the outdoor range was more than 30 metres.

Operation

There are a total of four remote buttons on the right-hand side of the ear cup for controlling playback, volume control, handling phone calls or calling up the voice assistant. It is also possible to skip forwards and backwards to make track selections. In addition, the latency-reduced film mode can be activated or deactivated, and you can switch between the sound modes and toggle through the basic, ANC and Be-Aware modes. You can customise the button assignment within a predefined framework via the headphones app (see screenshot), and this can be switched off if required.

The control options are also available via USB cable, which is a practical addition to the feature set, and it is possible to use functions such as the sound modes, Be-Aware mode and noise cancellation. However, you cannot access the app when using the cable, as parallel Bluetooth operation is not possible.

Finally, the headphones also offer ‘Share Mode’: You can connect another pair of JBuds LUX ANC to the primary ones and thus receive the same media content through both sets of headphones.

JLab app

The app’s noise control feature (for Android and iOS) includes ANC and a Be-Aware mode, both of which are smoothly adjustable and can be precisely adapted to suit different conditions. The EQ section offers three pre-set curves to choose from: ‘JLab Signature’, which is the default setting, ‘Balanced’ and ‘Bass Boost’. These can be supplemented with a customised setting, for which ten bands are available. However, the individual adjustments cannot be saved as pre-sets.

It is particularly commendable that the JLab app allows the volume to be limited to either 85 or 95 decibels. It is also possible to switch to film mode, install firmware updates and configure the buttons.

Voice intelligibility during phone calls

In a quiet environment, the JLab JBuds LUX ANC offered clear, distinct voice transmission, which the person on the other end of the call found agreeable. In addition, the ENC technology used by these headphones succeeded in virtually cancelling out wind noise, but this had a negative effect on the voice quality, as your own voice lost some of its naturalness and the transmission was not completely smooth. Loud background noises, on the other hand, were attenuated in a targeted manner without impairing the flow of speech, ensuring perfect intelligibility.

Noise cancellation (ANC) and Be-Aware mode

The attenuation and amplification of the external range can be continuously adjusted over the entire control range, something which has been well implemented. The background noise was also kept within limits in both modes, although the amplification in the Be-Aware mode was likely to be higher. From a medium setting, it was possible to communicate without any problems during paused playback without having to take off the headphones, but it would be helpful to have more intensity at the maximum setting to further improve external perception during listening sessions.

The hybrid noise cancelling provided the benefit of effective filtering, which, at the maximum setting, also noticeably reduced background voices or complex sources such as street and construction noise. As expected, the greatest effect was noticeable in the low-frequency range, but overall, due to fairly extensive attenuation, the results were convincing for this price range.

Sound

The down-to-earth basic tuning of the JLab JBuds LUX ANC conveyed an energetic impression in the bass and mid-range and was characterised by a full, warm sound image. The reproduction was quite soft, which made the present, spacious voice reproduction of pop and rock music sound very pleasing. However, we felt the lack of contour sharpness and clearer separation between the individual instruments, something which would particularly benefit more complex productions.

The balanced mode was noticeably brighter and leaner than the basic sound. Although the bass foundation also reached a long way down, it sounded distinctly tighter and more wiry. Voices also had slightly less body but were reproduced with greater clarity, and this was reflected in the impeccable intelligibility. In addition to vocals, this was also noticeable when listening to film dialogue or podcasts. The sound was also characterised by the fact that the upper registers were less restrained, which made the reproduction seem much fresher, more detailed and more contoured.

The Bass Boost profile provided a vibrant listening experience, which was aimed at powerful (low) bass reproduction. The bass-heavy focus would work well with action-packed gaming and for watching boxsets, but club-orientated music was reproduced in a rather uncontrolled and spongy manner. The sound became a little cloudy and one-dimensional, as the upper-frequency range could have done with more presence.

Conclusion

The advantages of the JLab JBuds LUX ANC are their long battery life and effective noise cancellation, emphasised by the fact that these Bluetooth over-ears are foldable, enable multipoint connections and can be used via USB cable. However, certain compromises must be made when in Be-Aware mode, as the amplification of the outside world was not particularly intense. If the bass-emphasised orientation of these headphones suits your own listening habits that would also be a plus point.