JLab JBuds Lux ANC Review

The Jbuds Lux ANC headphones from JLab are the latest ANC headphones to come from the manufacturer. Equipped with Smart ANC, Bluetooth Multipoint and Wireless Share Mode, the Jbuds aim to provide a superior user experience and a budget-friendly price point. Designed for portability, comfort and longevity there is a lot to like with this newest edition to the JLab lineup. However, there is more to good headphones than features alone, and the audio experience is something that needs to be unpacked.

The Jbuds are made of hard plastic. Each earcup is branded with the company logo, while the headband has the JLab title sprawled across it. While they’re a bit larger than I prefer, the headphones do look nice. However, the plastic attracts and holds onto fingerprints like a magnet, forcing continual wipe-downs to remain clean.

While the JBuds feel fairly sturdy, with the joints and swivel connections feeling solid when adjusted, the plastic casing used makes them look cheaper than they feel. This is unfortunate because otherwise, the JBuds feel fairly premium to handle. They are solid, with a nice metal strip supporting the headband, and the aforementioned connection points for the earcups feel sturdy even after several times collapsing them for travel. 

“The JBuds Lux cup the ear nicely, helping to passively reduce external noise while listening.”

The headband of the JBuds Lux features a nice cushion that rests atop your head. To add to the overall comfort of the JBuds JLab has also included 1” foam cushions on each earcup. When resting on your head, they feel quite comfortable feeling secure without applying too much pressure to your head and ears. Weighing 235g, the JBuds don’t feel heavy on the head either. Though they can get a little warm on your ears after a few hours of listening, the JBuds Lux cup the ear nicely, helping to passively reduce external noise while listening.

While the JBuds Lux do come with a nice USB Type-C charging cable, they do not feature any type of carrying case. It’s a bit unfortunate, but to help accommodate travelling with the JBuds, JLab has designed the headphones to collapse and fold in on themselves. The result is a much smaller profile for transporting. This design has been implemented by several other brands, such as Sennheiser, and it serves JLabs well with the JBuds.

As for the audio drivers, the JBuds Lux feature 40mm drivers with an output of 98+/- 3dB with an impedance of only 16?, which translates to very low power requirements. This is handy and aids in managing just over 40 hours (with ANC enabled) of battery life I managed out of the JBuds. The 600mAh battery offers quite a bit of longevity, actually, and thanks to the quick charging feature, there was very little downtime when listening.

This is where the audio experience of the JBuds Lux gets a bit interesting. In frequency testing, I noted quite a bit of noise in both the low and high-end frequencies. It’s important to understand that this doesn’t translate to terrible audio by any means. Rather, it refers to how clean and clear those frequencies come through in an audio mix.

In the case of music, I found that while the audio was good the JBuds Lux did lack some clarity in the mix. Often, the low end sounded a bit muddy and lacked punch, while higher frequencies weren’t as clean as I would have liked. While there is the option to customize the EQ to fit your preference, the overall quality of the drivers becomes a limitation to producing as clean a mix as I would prefer.

That said, the listening experience is still good. Instruments and vocals come through clear enough that it isn’t a major distraction. Watching shows and movies, likewise, is fine, with dialogue coming through nice and clear. It simply isn’t as clean and clear as some other headphones I’ve tested in that sub-$100 price range. It’s good, especially considering the price point, but not great.

“The JBuds support Spatial Audio, and it works impressively well, creating a wonderfully immersive experience.”

However, while the audio from the JBuds Lux isn’t the best in class, it is still solid. The JBuds Lux supports Spatial Audio, and it works impressively well. In testing, the JBuds did a solid job representing location-based audio samples and reproducing them clearly, creating a wonderfully immersive experience. Rewatching episodes of Stranger Things and The Witcher were a treat thanks to spatial audio support, and the JBuds handled each with ease.

Another feature that was also quite impressive with the JBuds Lux was the ANC and Be Aware modes. ANC (active noise cancellation) can be managed both on the right earcup via onboard controls or through the JLab App available on both Android and Apple. In testing, the ANC was quite effective, though it couldn’t completely block out background noise. Some frequencies (in my case, the dehumidifier running in the next room) can still be heard if the volume level is lower or if you are switching songs. Regardless, the ANC performs adequately.

The Be Aware mode is an interesting mode that lands somewhere between ANC and no ANC. It allows more background noise to seep into the headphones but still reduces the overall noise. It was a bit difficult to note any major difference between Be Aware mode and simply adjusting the ANC down to about 30% in the app, but if nothing else, it acts as a quick ANC adjuster without needing to load into the app. This mode, like ANC, can be accessed from the same earcup and controls.

“With Bluetooth 5.3 support, the JBuds connect to modern devices without issue, with no notable audio delay when listening to music or watching content.”

Another quite impressive area was phone call clarity. In testing, the audio coming through the JBuds Lux headphones was loud and clear, making it easy to hear and understand the person on the other end. Likewise, the microphone did a solid job of isolating the vocal frequencies and transmitting them clearly to the receiver. This is an area that many companies don’t invest a lot of time or energy into, and it shows. As someone who makes a lot of calls at work while listening to music, I appreciate that JLab took the time to get this right.

With Bluetooth 5.3 support, the JBuds Lux connect to modern devices without issue. There is also no notable audio delay when listening to music or watching content. Additionally, the Jbuds support dual connections, allowing for on-the-fly swapping between connected devices. The Jbuds performed well here, with no issue jumping between my Pixel 6 and iPad.

The JBuds also include a wireless share mode, which allows you to share your audio with another pair of the JBud Lux headphones. While I wasn’t able to test this feature, I’d be curious to see it in action, so I thought it was worth noting here. If it does what it says, it could be a useful feature.

While all of the major controls can be accessed from the headphones, JLab also provides access to its app, simply called the JLab App. From here, a host of settings and customization can be managed. EQ, button assignment, ANC settings, and safe hearing adjustments are all easily accessible within the app. As for the layout, it’s a fairly straightforward affair that is easy to navigate and use.

The JBuds Lux from JLab are a solid entry into the budget-friendly lineup. With solid ANC, great phone call support, Spatial Audio, and long battery life, there is a lot to like about the JBuds. Unfortunately, only okay audio and cheap-looking plastic take away from an otherwise impressive pair of headphones. Regardless, for a sub-$100 pair of ANC headphones, the JBuds are a solid entry.     

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