A Battery Beast if There Ever Was One

Should you’re going to make a pair of wi-fi earbuds in at this time’s day and age, you’d higher have one thing to carry to the desk. As I’ve mentioned one million instances now (perhaps extra instances than there are pairs of wi-fi earbuds on this planet), the wireless headphones and earbuds market is crowded. That makes quite a lot of pairs redundant, and it makes deciding which of them to purchase a little bit of a puzzle.

Everybody’s priorities are a bit completely different within the wi-fi earbuds world, however the core tenets sometimes stay the identical: you most likely desire a pair that sounds good, seems respectable, and has options like lively noise cancellation (ANC). And also you most likely desire a pair with a logical quantity of battery life, too. Actually, perhaps you desire a pair with an illogical battery life. One which has so a lot battery that it’s nearly silly. If that’s what you need, JLab’s $100 Epic Pods ANC have you ever lined.

Battery beast

After I learn the battery life determine for JLab’s Epic Pods ANC, I believed it was a typo. The corporate advertises 13 hours of battery life outdoors the case, with ANC turned on. Flip ANC off, and also you’ll get a formidable 16 hours of battery life from the wi-fi earbuds. For the file, I don’t suppose that’s a champion-level determine, even when it’s quite a bit. The Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW from 2022 promote 15 hours with ANC enabled, which beats the Epic Pods ANC simply barely. However both means, titleholder or not, 13 hours is quite a bit, and with the charging case, you’ll get about 50 hours with ANC on (as much as 60 hours with ANC off) altogether between the buds and the case battery.

With some testing, I’m inclined to belief JLab on that determine. As of scripting this, I’ve been taking part in the Epic Pods ANC for almost 3 hours with ANC on at about 65% quantity, and based on the JLab app in addition to the earbuds’ readout if you put them in your ears, the battery is almost full (I can’t offer you a share as a result of there’s none within the app). If battery life is one in all your greatest metrics, the JLab Epic Pods ANC must be in your radar, particularly as a result of the Epic Pods ANC truly price $50 lower than the aforementioned ATH-CKS50TW from Audio Technica.

Not unhealthy, JLab, not unhealthy in any respect.

Respectable sound, however removed from the most effective

Battery life is all nicely and good, nevertheless it doesn’t imply quite a bit if all you wish to do is rip the wi-fi earbuds out of your ears as a result of they sound so unhealthy. Fortunately, JLab holds it down within the sound division, too, so I don’t anticipate any annoyed earbud throwing. The Epic Pods ANC didn’t blow me away, however I do suppose they punch above their weight class, given the truth that they solely price $100.

Mids and trebles are a spotlight within the Epic Pods ANC, since each are sharp and clear. Listening to a jazz playlist with each previous and new songs (some ballads and a few extra energetic tunes), I used to be glad with the audio high quality. Within the rock style, the Epic Pods ANC shined a bit brighter, for my part. Listening to one in all my favourite grungy rock/people bands, Wednesday, the DIY-ish manufacturing and really feel of their older songs actually popped. Guitars had been good and soiled, and every little thing sounded just a bit lo-fi.

Behind the JLab sound is definitely a dual-driver setup, which features a 10mm dynamic driver in addition to a Knowles balanced armature, a kind of driver that’s identified for its compactness and talent to ship an honest quantity of quantity.

The bass within the Epic Pods ANC can also be notable, although not significantly standout. I just like the presence within the combine with the default tuning out of the field, however the precise sound and texture of the low finish didn’t precisely impress me. I nonetheless discover equally priced wi-fi earbuds, just like the Soundpeats Air5 Pro+ I lately reviewed, to ship extra natural-sounding bass that feels enough and nicely blended.

I do suppose that, by spending a bit bit extra, you will get higher sound out of a pair of wi-fi earbuds on this common worth vary, although the battery life on that pair of buds (be it the aforementioned Soundpeats or one thing else) will nearly actually not be as beastly because the JLabs Epic Pods. Once more, it comes again to priorities. If battery life is paramount for you, then the Epic Pods ANC take the cake. If sound is the primary factor you’re on the lookout for, you might wish to contemplate shelling out a bit extra money.

Talking of sound, the microphone high quality can also be sturdy. On a short cellphone name, I used to be informed that it seemed like I used to be “speaking proper into the cellphone,” which is an efficient signal. Name high quality additionally sounded respectable on my finish, although I did should crank the amount a bit to get to a snug degree.

Issues that aren’t as epic

As you will have already gathered from the truth that JLab put ANC within the title, these wi-fi earbuds have ANC. Having ANC says one thing a couple of pair of wi-fi earbuds these days, however not a ton as a result of it’s a reasonably commonplace function. What you actually wish to know is how good that ANC is, and I’m right here to inform you that it’s… simply okay.

Identical to the sound, I wasn’t tremendous impressed with the ANC on these wi-fi earbuds, however I wasn’t tremendous upset both. I gave them the compulsory subway take a look at, and I acquired an honest quantity of noise bleed from the ruckus from the prepare. These are removed from the most effective noise-canceling wi-fi earbuds that I’ve tried (that honor nonetheless goes to the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2nd Gen), however general, they’re about center of the highway, perhaps slightly below. Whereas we’re speaking about ANC, it’s value noting that these wi-fi earbuds even have a transparency mode for if you wish to hearken to music whereas nonetheless having the ability to hear your environment. This works nicely sufficient that I used to be truly snug strolling right into a espresso store and ordering with transparency on, which is greater than I can say for many different wi-fi earbuds. It’s not crystal clear, nevertheless it’s higher than you’d count on from $100 wi-fi earbuds.

From a controls perspective, the Epic Pods ANC function each contact and squeeze controls, which is form of good because it caters to each preferences. Each work pretty nicely, although I didn’t love the default controls. Fortunately, with the JLab companion app, I used to be in a position to assign my most popular faucets/squeezes (one faucet for play/pause, two faucets for monitor skipping, and three faucets for turning ANC off/on and activating transparency). These aren’t probably the most delicate faucet controls on this planet, however they’re serviceable. I did discover myself gravitating extra to the squeeze controls, if that tells you something.

If there’s one deficiency that jumped out to me in regards to the Epic Pods ANC, it’s the Bluetooth connectivity. I typically had points with them pairing to my iPhone 17 correctly, which was form of annoying and never a difficulty I’ve with the overwhelming majority of wi-fi earbuds that I take a look at. Generally, that necessitated that I overlook the wi-fi earbuds in iOS and re-pair them. Not superb. Bluetooth points are robust to diagnose typically (it may very well be a difficulty with my cellphone), however since different wi-fi earbuds appear to work simply advantageous, I’m going to place the blame on JLab.

There are some good options within the JLab Epic Pods ANC. Wi-fi charging is a pleasant perk, and there are some preset EQs. There’s additionally adaptive ANC, which robotically adjusts noise-canceling ranges primarily based on how loud your surroundings is. To be sincere, there are some options that really feel considerably ineffective. An included “film mode” is nearly unlistenable, for instance, and amplified the background noise of an X-Recordsdata episode a lot that I might solely endure a couple of minutes. There’s additionally a exercise function that may information interval coaching by utilizing an in-app interface to play chimes at predetermined instances, signifying when to work out or relaxation. To be sincere, I can’t see any cause to make use of JLab’s function over free apps like 7 Minute Workout.

There isn’t a in-app listening to take a look at that personalizes the EQ to your listening to, which is a little bit of a bummer, particularly as a result of a number of wi-fi earbud rivals now embrace that function of their companion apps, they usually can typically change the sound drastically for the higher.

Appears to be like-wise, I don’t discover the Epic Pods ANC to be offensive in any means, although the buds themselves are a bit on the massive aspect. I do like that the within of the wi-fi earbuds’ housing is a bit clear, so you possibly can see the circuitry. I do not like that the plastic on the charging case is so slick that I discovered myself dropping the case and earbuds on a number of events.

Battery so epic, dude

Actually, there’s quite a bit to love in regards to the Epic Pods ANC. The sound is respectable, the battery life is killer, and whereas the ANC falls a bit quick and the Bluetooth connectivity might or will not be a bit finicky, they’re not unhealthy for the worth. You could possibly get cheaper wi-fi earbuds like these made by CMF, however I do suppose that JLab Epic Pods ANC are higher throughout for not that rather more cash.

That being mentioned, if sound is your primary precedence and never battery life, there are higher wi-fi earbuds available for barely extra money. So, it’s as much as you to do some soul looking out. Do you want 13 hours of battery life with ANC on? Or are you okay with a mean battery (about 6 to 7 hours) with a barely higher all-around expertise?