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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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of JBuds Hi-Fi Noise-Reducing Ear Buds (Black)
Customer Review: Overrated sensitivity; Poor durability
Summary: 2 Stars
On the bright side, these headphones fit well, are fairly comfortable, and give clear sound reproduction. The primary detractions are the low sensitivity and the lack of durability. These headphones claim to have a sensitivity rating of 106 <whatever the standard units are for headphones>, which seemed quite good in contrast to my cheaper maxell headphones that were rated at 102 <whatever the standard units are for headphones>. With the maxell headphones and my ipod at 50% volume, songs are loud- on the verge of becoming uncomfortable. With the same songs played through the jbuds, I have to turn up the volume to 75-80% to get the same output. I went through all of the different ear bud sizes they provided and made many physical manipulations (pressing and jostling them around in my ears) but the results were essentially the same. I also made sure to run this experiment after the "warmup period" described in the manual, but nothing was different. However, all of this became irrelevant as of yesterday, when they broke. It hasn't even been 2 months yet, and the cord has failed- I can only get sound out of one side; the other being intermittent (primarily off) as I flex the cord near the insertion to the plug.
To be fair, there are a lot of variables involved in the durability rating that I have given: perhaps my pocket is a harsher environment that what was intended for these headphones; perhaps I unknowingly yanked the cord at some point... I couldn't say. But the sound output I would expect to be more consistent, and just based on this alone, I don't think I would recommend these.
Customer Review: Good sound and comfort - horrible build quality
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased a pair of the original JBuds back in Dec of 2007 because they were inexpensive and the reviews were pretty good at that time. When I got them, I thought they felt a little cheap, but that didn't bother me when I put them in my ears. They were really comfortable and the sound was better than I was hoping for. I used them daily for about 4 1/2 months and one of the earbuds started to stop making any sound depending on how the plug was positioned in my mp3 player. It was pretty clear that a wire had either broken in the earbuds near the plug or maybe come loose from its solder. I emailed the company and told them about the problem I had just so they would know that they had a quality issue. With no questions, the jlab support person sent me a replacement pair. I was pretty happy with that. But 9 months later, the same thing happened. They died from what appeared to be a broken wire in the same place. JLab offered me an upgrade to the J2s.
I'm giving this model of JBuds a 1 star because the quality was just poor for me to go through 2 pairs in a little over a year. I should not expect to have to purchase ear buds at that rate. I'm also giving it 1 star because of the support from the company. Even though I received excellent service for the malfunctioning two original JBuds, the quality of the company's support seems to have diminished. I have been trying unsuccessfully for a week to get a resolution on my new pair of J4s that just failed. I recommend against purchasing these particular ear buds or anything else from this company
Customer Review: Pretty good sound quality, awful fit
Summary: 3 Stars
In need of a new pair of earbuds, I purchased these along with a pair of Coby CVE92 Isolation Stereo Earphones in order to compare the two. Now, I'm no earbud connoisseur, nor do I have a finely tuned ear for grading sound quality. In my eyes (or ears, I suppose you could say,) the sound quality of the JBuds is decent. It is certainly superior to the Coby earbuds. My problem is that the JBuds just don't fit very well; none of the three sizes of silicone buds seem to work for me. Even the largest buds seem to bounce around in my ear when I wear them. I suppose one could say that this is the fault of my ear, and not the product; however, I can assure you, the last pair of earbuds I purchased (iFrogz brand) fit well in my ear, as have other brands.
I'll keep these for now, because I have nothing else to use, but I'm purchasing a pair of JBuds J3 Micro Atomic In-Ear Earphones with Travel Case (Jet Black) which comes with four sizes of earbuds; hopefully, I'll find the fit of those more satisfactory.
UPDATE: I received my JBuds J3 Micro Atomic In-Ear Earphones with Travel Case (Jet Black) earbuds a couple of days after posting my initial review, and I am extremely satisfied with them. I highly reccomend them as an alternative!
Customer Review: Great headphones, great service
Summary: 3 Stars
I just bought my second set of these headphones last month, but I've been using these for over two and a half years. My first set lasted roughly nine months before one of the buds stopped working. However, after a quick email to Jlab, I was immediately sent a replacement pair under their one-year warranty. The service was amazing, I really do hope they keep it up.
The second pair lasted maybe 8 months before completely crapping out, so I had to buy a new pair, but at this price it seems worth it.
The sound quality is fine, similar to other headphones, although I enjoy how it tends to muffle background noises. The biggest reason I use these is for the comfort. When my last pair broke I switched to using the headphones which came with my ipod, and couldn't wear them for more than an hour at a time because of how big the buds were, and how uncomfortably they fit in my ear. These jlab buds are so comfortable I've fallen asleep with them and haven't had any ear discomfort. They are also great for jogging.
Bottom line: these probably won't last you a year, but with a 1-year warranty, good service from JLab, and the cheap price, the value's unbeatable.
Update 6-19-10: I went through about two more pairs of these, with each one breaking in 5 months or less. I'd contacted JLab about replacements, but never heard anything back. With these costing between 10-20 each, I think it's more economical to just get a durable pair that'll last over a year. I've since switched brands.
Customer Review: Sound Quality and Customer Service
Summary: 5 Stars
The sound quality is great for the price I bought it at ($10) and above all the customer service is great. don't get me wrong, the headphones are prone to "mono-ear" within a few months if you use them as "harshly" as I do, as my headphones are on for maybe five to ten hours a day, usually leaning towards ten or sometimes even threratening to spill over. However, once the headphones broke, Jlabs sent me a replacement...within two days of the first operating day, even though my email was sent on a weekend. For all those who complain that the durability is not great, please remember that these are not beautifully crafted sixty dollar headphones, but rather great headphones with great sound quality and above all a dealer that is willing to stand behind it's product.
Fod those comparing with the Coby's...if you are listening to anything with bass or vocals, choose the Jlabs. Every single time. Nothing I purchased from coby's (two so far) has bass, vocals, or volume. On the other hand, Jlabs has isolation, volume, bass, vocals...honest to god I'm in love with these. The only thing I recommend more would have to be the second version (J2) Jbuds, because the isolation and sound quality is even better.
The only time I would ever chose Coby's over Jbuds would be for soft listening that requires little or no isolation, so if you're listening to classical or instrumentals, you can save a few dollars and buy the coby's. BUT, if you're a s picky about sound quality as I am, please do yourself a favor and get the Jbuds.