JBuds Hi-Fi Noise-Reducing Ear Buds (Black)
by JLAB
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List Price: Our Price: $9.95 You Save: $40.00 (80%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Speakers See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of JBuds Hi-Fi Noise-Reducing Ear Buds (Black)
Customer Review: For their price range and use a decent buy.
Summary: 3 Stars
Sept 2008 edit
After my first set of earbuds failed I contacted the company and explained that one earbud quit working. From the looks of it the 3.5 mm jack housing is constructed at a 45degree angle different than typical L looking jacks. This appears to be a serious design flaw. I'm not going to even ask for another pair and will look somewhere else.
Do not recommend. At all.
For their price range and use a B grade
These Jlab headphones work well for the price. I purchased these due to my iPod's headphones wearing out. To my layman's eyes I believe the `noise canceling' act of these headphones is the fact that the ear grips completely seal your ear canal. I cannot hear any conversation our outside noise aside from yells or extreme noise. I prefer my Audio Technica QuietPoint ATH-ANC7 Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint Active Noise-Cancelling Headphonesover these but I got them for their small size.
The ear buds are extremely prone to popping out of your ear canal if the cord is at all moved; which was not my case with the stock iPod ear buds. The input connector of the headphones seems to be the weakest hardware aspect as I found them to be scratchy if the body behind the jack is bent in anyway.
Sound levels of the headphones feel muted and dull. I tried changing EQ on my iPod to various levels and I never felt the quality matched the AudioTechnica's. But then again they are not the most advanced and I knew that when I bough them.
Pros: Completely blocks out all outside sounds. Small. Gold connector jack, Price
Cons: Ear buds pop out extremely easily, muted sounds not much high treble or bass feeling,
Customer Review: Poor quality control
Summary: 1 Stars
The sound was a little tinny compared to my old ear buds, but I could adjust my audio player settings to minimize this effect.
After about a week, the sound in one bud stopped coming in. I started using them with just one ear in. After about a month, the coating on the wire started to wear off in one spot. I put some electrical tape on it and sought out another pair of buds.
I used these mostly while lightly walking or sitting at a computer or on the bus. I took care of them by neatly wrapping them around my audio player and storing them alone in a zippered backpack compartment. My last pair of buds (not this brand) lasted two and a half years under these conditions.
I understand this might be a quality control issue. Ear buds tend to be hit or miss. Skullcandy (Product Out Of Date, Newer Version Available) SC-SBB3.5 Smokin' Earbud Black are the buds that lasted for so long. Before them, I always used Sony Mdr-E10Lp/Blk Headphones - Fashion Earbuds (Black) that were rugged, but were less comfortable and did not block out other sounds.
I think issues with ear buds tend to relate to the cord not being thick and sturdy enough to protect the wires within. The cord on these ear buds was much, much thinner than the two I mentioned above.
I bought these Skullcandy S2SBBZ-IB Smokin' Buds Earbuds, (Mint/Black) to replace my broken ones. I got them because the cord looked more durable and I got an amazing deal at a close-out sale ($1.50). They sound better and have lasted longer so far... though they are hideous.
Customer Review: Great Buy!
Summary: 5 Stars
These buds are the best I've owned for the iPod yet and I've been through no less than 10 others in this price range. I won't spend more money on a pair because they are so easily damaged. I like the snug fit and the earbuds are deceptively sturdy. They are thin and weightless in the ear with a strong metal-like construction rather than the easily snapable plastic that most buds offer. The gold-plated plug fits tight in the iPod jack and because it is L-shaped it rarely pulls out like those straight jacks always do when the wire gets a tug. And, you will like the length of the wires and the ratio of the split wire to the whole length. I think they got that just right. There's room to move while wearing them but not so much as to give the wire too many opportunities to catch onto things and get ripped from your ears. And, in the case they do come tearing out of your ear sockets unexpectedly, just relax-its painless. That's because there is no hard plastic in your ear canal to rub across the skin as they go in or out. Yet, all the while, they keep out excess noise from the environment and, even at the lowest volumes, the music is crisp and clear. Its a very nice design. A great buy!
UPDATE: After only 2 months the L bud started to crackle and today stopped working altogether. Too bad. The problem is that the wire connection is too fragile inside the bud so that the twisting motion they get when connected to any iPod in use actually snaps the wire in two. Manufacturer needs to fix this flaw or they will be replacing every purchase of these things under their 1 year warranty program. I'm sending mine back under warranty so I'll let you all know if they honor it without hassle. Too bad because these buds were perfectly designed on the outside. Now they need to match the internal design to the same quality standards.
Customer Review: Excellent pair of buds.
Summary: 5 Stars
I'll keep it short and sweet. I've had my buds for a month now, and i absolutely love them. Im not an audiophile by any means, but they are far, far superior to the ipod ear buds. I never even knew that you could FEEL bass through ear buds until i got my jbuds, they are truly amazing for the price.
They're also way more comfortable than the ipod earbuds. I can easily have them in my ears for hours and not be bothered. The quality of the wire and the connection is comparable to that of the ipod earbuds. Their not thicker, and they dont look much stronger, but its good enough, considering the price.
I've gotta give props to Jlabs. They've built a really good product, and their customer service is top-notch. Would i buy again? Definitely. Im already considering getting the J2's, and i'd be the first to upgrade when they come out with a new product.
UPDATE:
Just today, I regret to say that my JBuds stopped working properly. The left earbud just stopped working completely. I was really frustrated, because i took really good care of them, and even kept them in a little carrying case. However, I have heard really good things about JLabs customer support, so i have decided to try to get them replaced, since its been well under a year. I will keep you updated on how that process works out...
Stay tuned.
Update 2:
It took only 3 days for my replacement to arrive. Jlabs was very prompt with their emails, and very professional and cooperative. If you're still wondering whether or not to purchase jbuds, this should help. Even if your earbuds break, there's absolutely no risk! Jlabs will replace them. I didnt even have to send my old pair back. with such superior customer service, you have nothing to lose.
Thank you jlabs.
Customer Review: Great value!
Summary: 4 Stars
JBuds
>Fit
I have medium sized ears. The earphones come with 3 different sizes of rubber surrounds. The medium come pre-installed an worked fine for me. Something that I would like to mention is the size of the bud itself. This is a low profile type of bud I would say. I have had some other ear buds with a larger cone and stick out further from your ear. Those say they produce better sound quality... but if they are falling out of your ear all the time then they won't sound at all. These are pretty small and tend to stay put even while running.
>Sound quality
They are not Bose but they are also not bubble gum machine quality. For the price the sound it just right. I use these for working out, because I don't have to worry about destroying an expensive pair, and they provide adequate volume, a clear sound, and a bit of base.
>Value for money
5stars. $10 for a good quality set of ear buds. I couldn't imagine paying less for these.
>Comfort
3 different sizes of interchangeable surrounds. Low profile bud. They stay put while running. The cord is long enough so if your player is low in your shorts it doesn't pull on your ears.
>Noise reduction
Like I said before, they are not Bose. They do block a bit of noise but not all. I am happy with the amount blocked for this price.
>Durability
So far so good. I don't worry about the cord being caught in weights. The cord seems secure at the ear bud and at the jack.
>Cord length
Perfect length. I hate short cords. This cord is long enough so, if I do wear bigger shorts while running, when my mp3 player is low in my pocket it doesn't pull at my ears.