Latest news with #JLab
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I can't get over how perfect JLab's new speakers are for college students — they have LEDs, party mode and literally start from $19
JLab has been one of my favorite affordable audio brands since I reviewed its $79 JBuds Lux ANC headphones way back in August. I loved the sound quality for the price, the comfort, and most of all how easy to use the headphones were. The California-based brand has a huge range of audio gear: earbuds, headphones, mics and more. However, there's been one major absence: Bluetooth speakers. But that's all about to change with the brand-new lineup of Bluetooth speakers. JLab has just released four speakers: the Epic Party, JBuds Party, GO Party and Pop Party. I had the privilege of trying out these speakers today, so I'll give you the run-down. Spoiler alert: they're absolute steals. Maybe even some of the best Bluetooth speakers...? I think it's too early to tell. So there are four brand-new speakers, all with pretty similar-sounding names. Let's do this together, slowly. The smallest and most affordable is the $19 Pop Party. This super-compact speaker is just 7 ounces and has a 2 inch passive radiator. My favorite part is the fully-customizable RBG LEDs, which dance to the beat of whatever music is playing. While the speaker only has 5W power, it can still go pretty loud. The Pop Party isn't available on Amazon yet, but it's $19 on JLAB U.S.. Next is the JLab GO Party, which is $29 from JLab's website. The GO Party is like the Pop Party's older sibling; bigger, heavier and louder. It has a volume dial, which I find much more fun than volume buttons. Like the Pop Party, the GO Party has customizable LED lights that are delightfully bright. I can imagine this speaker at a party or on a beach trip (and the GO Party is IPX6 rated!). Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Rounding off the small speakers is the JBuds Party, $69 from JLab U.S.. As mentioned earlier, these speakers aren't quite available on Amazon yet. The JBuds Party is a step up from the GO Party, with 30W power and two 2.5-inch passive woofers. I was actually really surprised by the JBuds Party's bass and clarity — it sounded much more luxurious than its $69 MSRP might suggest. The GO Party and JBuds Party speakers are clearly intended to be $149 JBL Flip 7 or $67 Tribit StormBox 2 alternatives. I'll review all of these speakers in time, so I'll be able to tell you with confidence which is worth your money. I saved the biggest for last. The monstrous JLab Epic Party ($159 from JLab) is a huge 16 inches tall, but weighs just 10 pounds. When I say this speaker has bass, I mean it. The Epic Party shook the table. As with all the speakers in JLab's new range, the Epic Party has LED lights and is fully customizable in the JLab app. But my favorite part of the Epic Party is the omnidirectional drivers: it has four full-range drivers around the circular speaker body, so no matter where you're sitting, the Epic Party will be loud. And even better, the Epic Party has a 1/4-inch mic input, so the speaker effectively doubles up as a portable karaoke machine. I can see JLab's new speakers being adored by college students. Not only are they loud, fun, and expressive, the entire range is $19-$159. While none of the speakers have massively impressive battery lives (the Epic Party tops out at 16 hours), it's a worthy sacrifice for such affordable products. I'll be doing full reviews of each speaker, so keep your eyes peeled for those — just in time for back to school. You can get the speakers at JLab now.
Tom's Guide
5 days ago
- Tom's Guide
Forget AirPods Max — here's the 5 headphones I recommend for every budget
When your headphones die, it can often be a mission to try and work out what new pair you should pick up. One of the best ways to narrow down the search is to nail down your budget — that way, you can maximise the value of your headphone purchase, without spending too much. Sometimes that budget stretches to the $499 sticker price of the AirPods Max. Sometimes it doesn't. And sometimes, you're looking to go all-out for the crème de la crème of audio gear and the AirPods Max simply won't cut it. Whether your budget is tight or large, there are plenty of options to spend your money on. To make life even easier, I've got here 5 budgets and 5 pairs of the best headphones to fit them. JLab is well known for making some excellent headphones at bargain prices — and the JBuds Lux sit pretty close to the top of the pile. They forgo some luxuries like a protective case, but they more than make up for it with some solid battery life, good comfort, and extra features that outperform headphones that are even twice the price. For $79 they're something of a steal. Our reviewer, Erin, particularly liked the sound quality of the JBuds Lux, thanks to some lovely detail to the sound. ANC is excellent for the price, and they're built much better than you might expect. They more than prove that you don't have to spend hundreds upon hundreds of dollars to net yourself a great pair of headphones. For just $79 you're getting a pretty special pair of headphones. They're comfortable, feature ANC and other premium amenities, and they sound good too. For the price, they're a fantastic option. The $100-200 price range is jam-packed with excellent headphone options — but our review Erin was bowled away by the Soundcore Space One Pro when she got the opportunity to give them a test. They step up the design and the features from the previous model — the only thing missing in the package is a carrying case. They're very comfortable, with great padding on the earcups and headband. They fold up super small, so you can fit them in even the tightest of bags and packs. Sound is very good, and the ANC does a great job at silencing the outside world for long-haul flights or quick bus trips to work. Soundcore's second try at the Space One brought a "Pro" moniker along with some excellent features. They feature brilliant sound, classy looks, and very good ANC for the price. We loved them in our 4.5-star review, especially for their comfort that lasts all day. I love every second I spend with the Marshall Monitor III. I love the way that they look, I love the way that they sound, and I've found I can wear them for super long periods of time without any problems at all. ANC is good too, and I think they're some of the coolest looking headphones that you can buy today. Most people are going to be interested in their incredibly impressive battery life, however. They last for 100 hours if you leave ANC turned off, and if you turn noise canceling on they last for 70 hours. They are, in fact, the current battery life Tom's Guide record holders. For $150 less than the AirPods Max, they're a spectacular option. The Marshall Monitor III pack rock star looks and style into a great headphone package. They sound excellent, and they're extremely comfortable. It's the 100-hour battery life that really impresses though, especially when it only drops to 70 with ANC turned on. Now we're in the AirPods Max's price territory, and yet, the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 are the most impressive headphone launch of the year in my mind. They take a winning formula, and then slim it down and improve in some key areas to make a set of cans that take the fight to the more established competition. When I tested them earlier this year, I was incredibly impressed. The ANC is now comparable to similarly priced headphones, they're incredibly comfortable, and the battery life is more than enough for most of your daily applications. It's the sound that really wins the day here though. They've got plenty of detail, but they also manage to be a lovely warm listen as well. The Px7 S3 are currently my pick for the best headphones at the moment, with excellent sound quality, plenty of battery, and a comfortable fit. They might not be the cheapest pair on the list, but they likely tick the most boxes for largest amount of people. When I tested these headphones last year they just about fit into the budget — although since then there have been... happenings which have jacked up the price. The Dali IO-8 are still a pretty special pair of headphones if you've got a bit more money to spend. They sound sublime, with one of the best sound signatures I've heard in a pair of wireless headphones. They're comfortable too, and their physical controls are top notch. They're not for vegans — all of the padding is leather and there are no alternative options — but they are spectacular for the price. Dali's IO-8 are some of the best wireless headphones I've ever tested — they're also incredibly expensive. UK shoppers are in for the deal of the century when they only pay £500, while US buyers pay a more premium price. They sound incredible and offer excellent comfort.
The Verge
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
JLab's new party speaker puts a light show in your pocket
JLab has announced a new Party line of wireless speakers that continues an industry trend of adding animated RGB lighting to anything that plays music. That even includes the new budget-minded JLab Pop Party speaker — which is small enough to squeeze into a pocket but still features customizable LEDs. The $19.99 Pop Party is the lightest and cheapest of the four new speakers, all of which are available now through JLab's online store. It delivers up to 5W of sound through a two-inch full-range driver that's paired with a matching two-inch passive woofer to boost the presence of lower frequencies. When not stuffed in your pocket it can be hung from a bag or strapped to the handlebars of a bike using a detachable loop, and its RGB lighting can be customized with animations, your favorite color, or to flash and pulse to match the beat of what you're playing. Battery life is claimed to be over eight hours of playtime, but that drops to over five hours when you're also using the RGB lighting. The Pop Party's IPX5 rating means splashes or rain won't hurt it, but the speaker won't survive a complete dunking. The other three speakers have a slightly improved IPX6 water-resistance rating, but they also can't be fully submerged. The larger $29.99 Go Party speaker doubles the Pop's sound output to 10W using a pair of two-inch full-range drivers and dual two-inch passive woofers while expanding battery life to up to 16 hours, or up to eight with lighting activated. It also adds speakerphone functionality using a built-in mic. The $69.99 JBuds Party speaker features the same number of drivers as the Go Party, but increases the size of the dual full-frequency drivers to 2.5-inches so they deliver 30W of sound with 12 hours of battery life, or up to 10 hours with lighting. As with the rest of JLab's new lineup, the JBuds speaker's sound profile can be adjusted using a mobile app, but it adds a media control knob and additional buttons on top for easier access to commonly used functions. The $149.99 Epic Party speaker is the most expensive model in JLab's new lineup by a long shot, but it boosts sound output to 100W in all directions using four 2.5-inch full-range drivers, a five-inch passive woofer, and a larger 5.25-inch subwoofer. The Epic offers the longest battery life of the new lineup with up to 16 hours of just sound, or up to 14 hours with the accompanying light show. All of JLab's new Party speakers include the ability to pair with a second speaker for a stereo sound experience, and using the company's 'LabSync technology,' up to 100 can be connected together with their sound and lighting effects synchronized to fill a larger space.
Forbes
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
JLab Re-Enters The Bluetooth Speaker Market With A New Range Of Party Animals
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, wireless earbud maker JLab is re-joinng the Bluetooth speaker market with the launch of four new portable speakers designed to get almost any party started. These four new models mark JLab's return to the Bluetooth speaker market as the brand continues to grow its product lineup. The JLab Pop Party Speaker, Go Party Speaker, JBuds Party Speaker and Epic Party Speaker all have plenty of innovative features and JLab says they are offer a loud and impactful performance at a competitive price. The new range will be available in multiple colorways. The new speakers range from a pocket-size model to a party-ready monster and include features like customizable audio, vibrant RGB lighting and the LabSync function for syncing audio across multiple JLab speakers by creating stereo pairs with a wider soundstage. Kicking off the range is the JLab Pop Party Speaker. It's small enough to go almost anywhere and can connect with other JLab Party speakers using LabSync to produce a bigger and more immersive sound. Other key features include a small and compact design with a big sound courtesy of a 2-inch, full-range driver alongside a 2-inch passive radiator. Users can add a splash of color to their party with built-in RGB lighting which can be fully customized using the JLab App. The JLab Party Anywhere has an IPX5 waterproof rating as well as flexible mounting options that include a detachable loop and handle. The 10W JLab GO Party Speaker also has customizable lighting, LabSync support and an IPX6 rating for shrugging off water. The speaker is fitter with a pair of 2-inch full-frequency drivers and a couple of 2-inch passive woofers that create a big sound and a deep bass. The JLab GO Speaker is designed to light up parties with its vibrant RGB lighting and users can customize the light show with different colorc, patternc and frequencies, ensuring the lights match the vibe of the music. Next up is the JBuds Party Speaker with its output of 30W for a deep bass and clearer treble. This is a rugged and waterproof speaker designed to go almost anywhere and has a multi-function volume knob for controlling volume levels as well as the play/pause functions. The JBuds Party Speaker can be updated and customized with the JLab App which also controls the RGB lighting and has three EQ presets: Signature, Balance or Bass Boost The JLab says this is one of the only speakers at the price point with RGB lighting. It's also one of the most powerful speakers for the money thanks to its 30W of amplification, dual drivers and twin bass radiators. Finally, JLab's Epic Party Speaker is the flagship model and designed to fill a room with 360-degree sound and 'ground-shaking bass.' With an impressive output of 100W, the Epic Party Speaker has a quartet of 2.5-inch full-range drivers, a 5.25-inch subwoofer plus a 5-inch passive radiator. With a battery that can play for up to 16 hours on a single charge, this is speaker that can party hard and sync with other LabSync-compatible speakers. The Epic's 360-degree sound has four EQ presets which can be accessed using the JLab app which also controls the speaker's customizable RGB lighting. The speaker's other features include a 3.5mm AUX input which can also accept a microphone for impromptu announcements or Karaoke nights. The full line of Bluetooth speakers from JLab will be available to buy on from June 18, 2025. The Pop Party Speaker sells for $25.99 while the Go Party model costs $39.99. The JBuds Party Speaker is priced at $64.99 while the flagship Epic Party Speaker costs $189.99. All the new JLab Party Speakers are available in black, with the Pop Party, Go Party and JBuds Party Speakers available in navy and mulberry colorways later this year. Target customers in the U.S. will also be able to buy exclusive Cyan, Pink and Lime colorways for the Pop Party, Go Party and JBuds Party models.
Forbes
10-06-2025
- Forbes
The Best Earbuds For Small Ears, Tested By Our Tech Editor
While it's not difficult to find a great pair of earbuds, if you have small ears, a regular earbud may be uncomfortable—or worse, fall out during your morning run. The best earbuds for small ears stay firmly in your ears, and though they're smaller in size than larger wireless earbuds, they don't sacrifice any audio quality. After extensive research and hours of testing, I found the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 to be the best earbuds for small ears. Not only are they comfortable in my own petite ears, but they also feature stellar noise cancellation and dynamic EQs that have a lovely audio quality. After extensive testing and research, we found the best earbuds for small ears. But if you're an iPhone fan, the Apple AirPods Pro 2 may be a better choice for you—they're designed with the iOS ecosystem in mind, and they feature extra small ear tips. There's also the JLab JBuds Pods ANC, a budget-friendly pair that includes wireless charging. Here are the best earbuds for small ears you can get today. Amazon Forbes Vetted Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence. Battery life: Up to 12 hours (without ANC), up to 8 hours (with ANC) | Wireless charging case: Yes | Waterproof rating: IP54 (buds), IPX4 (case) | Drivers: 11mm | Noise-canceling: Yes Best for: Skip if: The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are small wireless earbuds that left a pretty big impression during testing. They feature three ear tip sizes, and I ended up having to switch mine out from a medium to a large for mine to fit. That's great for small ears—they're designed to fit all ear sizes, and a tiny wing keeps them tucked firmly in your ears. Make sure you insert them and then slide that wing toward the back of your ear to ensure a secure fit. They have a small profile, too, resting almost discreetly in my ears. One feature I liked was the swipe controls included. Swipe forward on the earbud to increase volume, and swipe backward to reduce volume. The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 may be small, but they have a powerful, rich audio quality. The 11mm drivers pack a surprisingly powerful bass, which I appreciated when I tested lower frequencies across Ashnikko's and Kendrick Lamar's tracks. The Google Pixel Buds software, found in an app, also offers multiple EQs to customize your audio preferences. I found these were very hit-and-miss, depending on which one I chose. Ultimately, I opted to customize my EQs to reflect a more dynamic profile and to better hit all frequencies, which made the audio quality simply stellar. Battery life is solid at around eight hours with ANC on and 12 hours without. That ANC is pretty darn strong, which makes them great for travel; I found it on par with my Technics EAH-AZ100, which are the best wireless earbuds I've tested to date (the Technics are borderline too big for my own ears). The earbuds are waterproof rated at IP54, and the case is rated IPX4. Just keep in mind: These are Android earbuds, and so they work best with an Android device like a Samsung, Google or Motorola phone. If you have an iPhone, there are reports of lag during video chats and playback. While I didn't experience this during testing, your mileage may vary. If you want a pair of earbuds for iPhone, I go into detail about my top Apple pick below. JLab Forbes Vetted Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence. Battery life: Up to 8 hours (with ANC), Up to 56 hours with charging case | Wireless charging case: Yes | Waterproof rating: IP55 | Drivers: 11mm | Noise-canceling: Yes Best for: Skip if: For less than $100, I expect some kind of trade-off, whether that's super weak noise-cancellation technology, a mediocre audio quality or something else. The JLab JBuds Pods ANC therefore took me by surprise. Yes, the hybrid ANC could be improved, but for the price, the audio quality rivals that of high-end earbuds I've tested. You can swap the ear tips for a smaller fit; I used the medium and felt they were comfortable. Connect them to the JLab app and you get access to three EQs: JLab Signature, Bass Boost and Balanced. You can also create your own customized profile and, if you prefer, you can turn on Safe Hearing modes. The drivers are fairly large, so for the most part, it can hit deep basses while keeping other frequencies balanced. The stem offers programmable touch controls. The case also offers wireless charging, which again, at this price point, feels like it should have not been included. There's also Bluetooth multipoint technology and an IP55 waterproofing. My only concern? They may be too big for the absolute smallest ears, but you can adjust the ear tips to a smaller size. When I tested, I kept the medium that comes pre-installed, but the small should suit most users just fine. Apple Forbes Vetted Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence. Battery life: Up to 5.5 hours (with ANC), up to 30 hours with charging case | Wireless charging case: Yes | Waterproof rating: IP54 | Drivers: 11mm | Noise-canceling: Yes Best for: Skip if: The Apple AirPods Pro 2 may look bulky for those with small ears, but they come with something that appeals to many Apple fans: extra small ear tips. While a lot of the best wireless earbuds I tested come only with small, medium and large ear tips, Apple adds another size designed for extra small ears. The silicone tips are good enough that no matter how much I jumped around, they didn't shift in my ears. The Apple AirPods Pro 2 have stems for easy-access controls and offer multiple sizes of its ... More oval-shaped silicone ear tips for a comfortable fit. The audio quality is stellar—frequencies and balance sounded lovely during Florence + the Machine tracks, and it nailed the deep, punchy basses when I tested across Ashnikko and Kendrick Lamar albums. Don't expect any ability to adjust the EQs, though. Apple offers a minor EQ adjustment via the Accessibility tab, where you have to listen to a short amount of EQ presets to find your preferred balance. But for now, you can't manually adjust to a customized EQ. The Apple AirPods Pro 2 tuck nicely into my small ears. A few other features help make this a standout pair of wireless earbuds. Conversation Detection registers when you're speaking and automatically turns on ambient mode so you can hear around you. Once you stop, the AirPods register that you're finished speaking and turn noise canceling on again. It's nifty, but it's not without flaws: It registered my husband speaking with his parents in another room and automatically turned on the aware mode. If you plan to watch movies on your iPhone, you can expect spatial audio, which is nice. That said, these are the most expensive AirPods on the market at around $250 before a sale. Best Buy Forbes Vetted Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence. Battery life: Up to 8 hours, up to 24 with charging case | Wireless charging case: Yes | Waterproof rating: IPX4 | Drivers: 8.2mm | Noise-canceling: Yes Best for: Skip if: The Beats Studio Buds have a small profile that just barely jutted out of my ears during testing. Like the rest of the earbuds on this list, they come with multiple ear tip sizes so you can find a comfortable fit. The oval shape also makes it easy to tuck and twist in your ear for a secure fit. One of my favorite features about the design was the physical controls: You can play, pause, fast forward and rewind your music using these buttons. Long press to activate the ANC. The Beats Studio Buds use physical controls and don't have any kind of stem. Because they're built for iPhone, it's a seamless setup experience, but you can use these with Android if you download the Beats app. For iPhone users, open the case and the earbuds automatically find and ask to pair with your iPhone. For most, the out-of-the-box sound suits just fine, and I was pleasantly surprised. Note the low profile of the Beats Studio Buds in my ear. I found some minor drawbacks to these affordable earbuds. For one, they can't quite hit the lowest bass frequencies. They also don't have the absolute best ANC—it can drown out some noise, but I could still hear children playing outside my apartment window. If you can stomach these minor tradeoffs, then the Beats Studio Buds are just fine. Amazon Forbes Vetted Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence. Battery life: Up to 8 hours (with ANC), up to 44 with charging case | Wireless charging case: Yes | Waterproof rating: IP55 | Drivers: 10.2mm | Noise-canceling: Yes Best for: Skip if: The JBL Tour Pro 3 are, simply put, a stellar pair of earbuds that are great for traveling. The earbuds may feel a little bulky, and the case feels pretty darn hefty, but it's all worthwhile: The earbuds can last up to eight hours with active noise cancellation on, and up to 11 hours without. Tack on the multiple recharges available from the case, and you can get up to 44 hours on these earbuds. While the JBL Tour Pro 3 earbuds are a little bigger, I still found them comfortable to wear for ... More long periods. The case itself is unique in that it acts as a hub if you don't want to unlock and find the app on your phone. You can see a slew of at-a-glance information, including listening modes, EQs, spatial audio, screen brightness and more. The case also offers something I've yet to see in any other pair of wireless earbuds, too—a flashlight. It's pretty bright, too, so it can help in a pinch to find a dropped earbud between a plane seat, for example. The audio quality is pretty darn good, and it comes with LDAC, which left me impressed. There were a few different EQs that wowed me, while others underwhelmed me. The good news is that if you like to change your EQs while you listen, again, just use the case instead of your phone. But the JBL app is equally intuitive, too, if you prefer to make any adjustments on your mobile device. Could the noise cancellation be stronger? Absolutely. But if you like to watch movies, the case can also double as a dongle for watching movies on a plane. The Forbes Vetted team has published hundreds of tech and electronics guides that leverage our hands-on testing and research. We also have specialized audio stories for all of your listening needs like wireless headphones, wireless earbuds, outdoor speakers and more. To find the best earbuds for small ears, I narrowed my options to top-rated brands like Google, JLab, Beats and more. From there, I put my shortlist to the test. The best earbuds for small ears should be, well, small, and feel comfortable and secure in your ears. They should also ideally have some kind of water-resistance, especially if you plan to take them on a run or on the go. This was where the bulk of my testing came into play. No matter what genre you're listening to, your audio quality should have a good balance of bass, mids and treble frequencies. None of these frequencies should sound muddled or distorted during listening sessions, and so I looked for crystal clear clarity and smoothness among the frequencies. I cross-checked audio quality across a variety of songs. I also considered differences across multiple EQs and noted how well EQs sounded, noting where I could create a customized EQ profile. Some of the genres that I listen to include alternative, rock, classical, audiobooks/podcasts and more. Specifically, some of the songs I tested each pair of earbuds include: When you're listening to your music, you want to be able to listen for hours without interruptions. While I wore each pair of earbuds for a minimum of ten hours, I tested each earbud for 30 minutes, logging battery percentages at the beginning and at the end. I also cross tested this across multiple frequencies and volumes to see if there were any changes as I shifted features. This way, I could get a sense of whether each pair lived up to its claims. What Are The Best Earbuds For Small Ears? Based on our testing and research, the best earbuds for small ears are the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2. They're designed to fit all ear sizes and include three ear tip sizes to help achieve the best fit. Despite their small size, the earbuds offer impressive ANC and a powerful bass. Which Earbuds Are Most Comfortable For Small Ears? The most comfortable earbuds for small ears are lightweight, have a small profile and feature different ear tip sizes for adjustability. 'Look for designs that rest gently in the ear concha without creating pressure,' says Huang. 'Long-term comfort often comes down to weight distribution and how deep the earbud inserts—lightweight and shallow is better.' How Do I Get Earbuds To Stay In Small Ears? 'Try memory foam tips—they mold to the ear for better grip and seal,' says Huang. 'You can also use ear hooks or silicone stabilizers that loop into the ear ridge.' When inserting earbuds, Huang also recommends rotating them slightly to help lock them into a more stable angle.
