JLab Epic Lab Edition Earbuds review – a step up for JLab

REVIEW – When normal people (not audiophiles) shop for earphones, sound quality is usually not at the top of the list. It’s always price and convenience first. Some earbuds (earphones, in-ear headphones, whatever) are expensive ($500+) while others are more affordable and thus, more popular. JLabs is an audio company famous for its line of uber-affordable headphones and earbuds—until now. In a daring move, JLabs has upped the ante with the Epic Lab Edition wireless headphones (again, earbuds). The Epic Lab Edition has a hybrid driver design (more on that later) with smart active noise canceling. The daring part? They retail for 200 bucks—about double that of their previous most expensive earbuds. Are they worth the upgrade? 

What is it?

The JLab Epic Lab Edition are hybrid driver wireless earbuds with a list of features: Smart active noise canceling (ANC), 56 hours of playtime, spacial audio, water resistance, and wireless charging to name a few.

They come housed in a top-hinged metal case that has built-in wireless charging. A dongle allows the earbuds to bypass Bluetooth for gaming and other situations where Bluetooth may be an issue.

A USB-C to USB-C charging cord is included as are a generous supply of silicone and foam ear tips. The large silicone tips work best for my ears. JLab states that they will send additional ear tips when the Epic Lab earbuds are registered.

What’s included?

• JLab Epic Earbuds
• Ear tips
• USB-C cable
• Case 

Tech specs

Design and features

By offering an earbud that costs almost double the other JLab models, JLab has placed itself in direct comparison to other high-end in-ear headphones. In some ways, they’ve succeeded.

When the Epic Lab Edition earphones were opened, I was struck by how weighty the case was. The earbuds are light and comfortable, but the case can easily weigh down a pocket. The empty case weighs about 8 grams more than the Apple AirPods Pro including the earphones. It’s a difference you can feel.

Having said that, the metal case is a solid build with a double-hinged top that opens and closes solidly. There’s no cheap anything here. The earbuds magnetically snap into place—and stay there. In fact, it can be a bit difficult to grab onto them for removal. 

There are three lights on the front of the case that indicate battery life and charging status. Each earbud lasts over 10 hours before recharging. Add the case’s battery and you have over 50 hours of available power. Plus a 10-min. quick charge provides almost 2 hours of listening. These same lights shine blue when pairing.

Pairing the Epic Lab earbuds could be simpler. They are supposed to pair automatically when the case is first opened, but that didn’t happen for me. I had to pair them following the multi-step instructions in the manual: place the buds back into the case, re-open the case, and pull them out.  Alight on the left bud will flash, then go solid, blah, blah, blah. Just pair the darn things, already! Once they were (finally) paired, they stayed that way and my iPhone remembered them every time.

My iPad also remembered them every time after I paired them—much easier this time! Since the JLab earbuds have what is called multipoint Bluetooth, the earbuds seamlessly switched between my iPhone and iPad depending on which device was playing. One would fade out and the other fade in. There was no abrupt switching. Impressive.

I’m still trying to figure out the included USB-C dongle. It’s made for connecting both a PC and MAC—mostly for gaming, I assume. It also works when connected to my iPhone 15 Pro Max (with a USB-C port). I plugged in the dongle and then turned off Bluetooth. My music played perfectly—sans Bluetooth. I get why one might need it if Bluetooth is glitchy. I couldn’t find out if the dongle improves music quality or range. JLab had no such info that I could locate.

One big issue with the dongle was that its size prevented it from working with a smartphone protected by a case. Since I always have a case, it’s always Bluetooth for me. 😉 

JLab touts that HiRes Audio is certified with the LDAC Bluetooth codec. That’s wonderful unless you are part of the Apple Borg (like me). Here’s my take on LDAC, AptX, and ALAC (Apple lossless) codecs. Because I’m Apple, I can’t use LDAC or AptX. I can’t even use Apple’s ALAC because its lossless quality is wired only. Despite all that, my music sounds great from my iPhone via Bluetooth!

Note that the settings and other important prefs and info are available in the JLab app (iOS and Android).

The hybrid drivers (speakers) are comprised of both dynamic and armature drivers. A dynamic driver looks like a speaker—only tiny. These drivers are known for producing lower frequencies. An armature driver looks nothing like a speaker. It’s derived from the hearing aid industry. Armatures are famous for clarity and higher frequencies. Note that this description is generic. Both dynamic and armature drivers can be tuned to specific frequencies. 

JLab has worked closely with Knowles—maker of most armature drivers—to create an equalizer setting (a first for any earphone) to take advantage of both drivers’ strengths. JLab also offers its own specific EQ along with a bass boost and custom 10-band equalizer.

I listened to some of my favorite albums such as Blood, Sweat, and Tears “Child is Father to the Man”, Talking Heads “Remain in Light”, and even a new David Bowie/Brian Eno single “Get Real”. The hybrid drivers deliver punchy bass and sparkling highs. Beyond that cliched description, I enjoyed listening to music with the Epic earbuds. I preferred JLab’s own EQ setting over the others. The Knowles EQ sounded a bit too bright for me. The Bass Boost EQ was just that—too much bass. I usually make my own EQ, but the JLab EQ worked for me.

What I like about the Epic Lab Edition Earbuds

• Sound great—with or without LDAC hi-res
• Good use of hybrid driver setup
• Long battery life
• Solidly built

What needs to be improved?

• First-time pairing may be finicky

Final thoughts

So, are the JLab Epic Lab Edition wireless headphones worth the upgrade? If you have other JLab earphones and are happy with them, maybe save your money. But if you feel like something might be missing and you want upgrades like smart ANC, then definitely consider them. Plus, as this is written, the Epic earbuds are on sale for $149.99!

Price: $199.99
Where to buy: JLab and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by JLab. JLab did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.