JBuds J2 Premium Hi-Fi Noise-Isolating Earbuds -Onyx Black
by JLAB
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of JBuds J2 Premium Hi-Fi Noise-Isolating Earbuds -Onyx Black
Customer Review: Great after break-in use
Summary: 4 Stars
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JBud J2 Earphones
Summary:
A lot better than original Apple iPod earphones, but have limited low end range until broken in. The great noise isolation means you don't need to turn the volume up.
Details:
I tested the J2 phones on a cross-country plane flight on an MD-80 and a 737-800. The headphones were compared using an iPod nano first generation as a source and 2nd generation Apple iPod earbuds and Koss in-ear memory earbuds as comparison units. I used some classic rock (e.g. Chicago) and male an female vocalists (IZ and Norah Jones, among others) as listening material.
The fit of the J2 buds worked out well for me. I'm usually hard to fit with in-ear or semi-in-ear phones. The J2 comes with three sets of compliant rubber ear inserts, and one of them fit me perfectly, which is just great. During the four hours I kept them in my ears they were very comfortable and worked well. During my flights, half volume on the old iPod was sufficient to block out the competing plane noises.
The J2s look good, feel sturdy and are nicely finished overall. I wish they would include some sort of case or cord-keeper, though.
The J2 buds are very weak on the low end in my opinion. To put this in context, I'm in my fifties, I don't listen to hip-hop or rap on any regular basis, and I don't need/want bone crushing bass. I just want to be able to have a reasonable feel of the bass and rhythm line. Even if I set the EQ for "Bass boost" I couldn't get these buds to give me sufficient bass line. They're just very weak down there. To my ear, they roll off sharply below something that feels like 100Hz. This is surprising for in-ear buds which usually require bass attenuation rather than bass boost. By comparison, my Koss phones sounded like the bass from a "bad-boy" car stereo at the stop light at the same settings. The J2s are weak enough in the low range that it could be a non-starter for you.
UPDATE: I read another review which claimed the J2 needs a break in period of about 24 hours of on time at medium volume to loosen up and sound good. I found that the bass level on mine went up from poor to good. It's still weaker than my Koss phones, but overall the sound is now more balanced.
The goodness of the J2s comes when listening to solo vocals, piano solos, and other material that has strong mid-range and upper mid-range frequency content. They sound clear and well-defined. In particular, if your musical taste leans toward vocals accompanies by acoustic guitar, these are your earbuds. With the noise isolating earpieces, the J2 buds sounded good with this kind of material even while sitting on the plane.
Pros:
Three sets of in-ear rubber cushions (small, medium, large) allow for good seal and comfortable fit.
Noise isolation good enough for plane travel.
-It's not like having a set of Bose because it blocks ALL sound equally, which means you need to take them off if you need to hear the flight attendant, etc.
Clear sound in midrange and highs - great for vocals.
The plug is narrow near the business end so that it fits past the too-small hole in my iPod case.
-I haven't checked, but it seems likely it would fit an iPod touch, too.
Cord and fittings seem sturdier than others (e.g. Apple).
Cons:
Weak bass until break in period of 24 hours use - I messed with my EQ controls a lot to correct the weak low range and couldn't get sufficient bass for my taste until after the break in period. Even then it's
-NOT a great rocker or hip-hop set.
-About the same bass output as the original Apple.
-Much weaker than a comparison "in-ear" phone like the Koss.
Conclusion:
If you primarily listen to acoustic, folk, vocals, or audio books, these could be great for you. If you listen to bass heavy rock or hip-hop, you need to continue to search.
Customer Review: Very pleased overall with these earbuds!
Summary: 4 Stars
I just got these Jbud J2 in Onyx Black after gazillion research and a combination of user/consumer + professional technical reviews. Yes, I admit, I have OCD when it comes to researching a product before buying it. :-)
My previous headphones before these where the Zune premium head phones, and my heart broke in two when I accidentally drop them while closing the door, and it trapped the cord, which snapped them in half. I was heavily satisfied with the Zune headphones (outside of the moderate microphonics it does have). The sound was great, with all the bass, treble, and everything in between is strong and clear. I always loved the noise-isolation. I've had them for more than 2 years!
So, yeah, I was very careful trying to purchase another earbuds with the same sound and more, minus the microphonics.
I decided to go with the J2's after the reviews I read, particularly with how most of the reviewers praised JLab crews for their one-on-one service with the customers.
Mine came Thursday, and listened to them for 30 mins with different songs on my Zune. I intended to do that before the burn-in process. The songs sounded hollow, muffled, and the mid's, high's, and lows sounded mushed up all together. I finally parted with them, and went to [...] for the the burn-in directions, and I used their non-stop loop of pink, white, radio, variable frequencies etc... for the first 12 hours. I then used the different songs on my Zune for the next 12 hours (I have everything from Joan Jett, David Foster to Rachmaninoff, from Lady Gaga, Black-eyed Peas to Mozart all the way to Nature massage music, so I figured that is varied enough for the burn-in period ;-) I also put the volume at medium/slightly above medium.
Almost 52 hours+ later of burn-in, I finally have been listening to these earbuds almost 5 hours now, and this is what I personally and honestly think:
SOUND: Very satisfied! The bass in particular is well-defined and clean. The mid's and high's are clear. I can hear very minute detailed of background instrument in my songs. I have to turn up the volume a little louder than my Zune premium buds, but this just a very minor blah for me.
NO mocrophonics!!! I love it! I rub the cords and I don't hear any static vibration noises!
The noise-isolation is quite excellent too! I immediately went outside in rush-hour traffic noise and listened to Enya, and her voice sounded awesome and clear, and a lot of the outside noise was blocked.
COLOR: I like my onyx black. I wished they have a dark metallic gray of some sort, but that's just me being nit picky with color.
FIT and COMFORT: This is where I deduct the star from my rating. The silicone tips, for me, don't fit all that well. I tried all the sizes, and none of them seem to fit just right. I settled for the smallest tips. I just think the silicone material is too hard. It's not "contouring" or soft enough. I feel like I have to almost put it in way too in, just to keep it to stay, and it gets uncomfortable sometimes.
All in all, I am very happy with my purchase, and I just hope my ears won't hurt in a few days from them. I was very happy at the prompt processing and delivery of my J2's, and I sure will enjoy these a lot. I've only had them for 4 days, so I can't comment on durability and longevity just yet.
Customer Review: Nice little brother of the J4s.
Summary: 4 Stars
There's no such thing as a pair of earbuds perfectly suited to every pair of ears and every type of music. Your mileage will always vary. So let's focus in on what these buds bring to the table, even in light of them being two product revisions behind on the JBuds evolutionary ladder.
The buds are well made, as is to be expected of a JLab product, though they're not quite up to the epic, over-the-top build quality of their J3 and J4 successors. I feel confident they'll hold up to the rigors of basic use without a problem, but they're merely 'very good' buildwise -- the later revisions of the JBuds line are positively epic in this respect. They're also a bit heavier than their J3 successors, and the weight makes them less 'invisible' in the ears than the light-and-tight J3s. The J4s are definitely an improvement here in balance and weight, and an epic step forward in durability, but the J2s aren't bad in any of these respects.
The sound is rich, a more balanced midpoint between analog creaminess and the crisp, lucid digital clarity that is the JBuds line's hallmark. The middle frequency boost skews lower than the J3s, making melodic bass warmer and fuller, emphasizing the bottom end of guitar and scooping the mids a little. The shimmering separated clarity of the J3s is absent here, but that's not necessarily a bad thing -- a more blended, less sparkly sound makes the complex soundscapes of synth rock, busy classical passages, and prog-rock melt together a bit, but this is very much a matter of personal taste. Treble fans will definitely want to skip these and beeline to the J3s, but those who found them too trebly and miss the warmth and fullness on the bottom end -- yes, I like big bass, and I cannot lie -- but find the J4s' higher price point daunting may want to check these out instead.
For those who argue that the J2s don't have adequate midrange sparkle, listen to Duran Duran's "Lonely In Your Nightmare," and listen to what these buds do to the little chorus guitar licks. It's not as bright as the J3s or even the J4s, but it's still there and it's still satisfying.
I've heard better sound from other manufacturers' earbuds, yes, but not until the price quadrupled (or more). In the sub-$50 range, the JBuds line offers fantastic value for the money, and I heartily recommend all of them. If you like treble, or need a really light set of buds, try the J3s, and if you'd like a bassier sound but don't want to jump up to the J4's price point, these J2s are likely for you.
Still, if you're don't mind jumping to $40-$50, the J4s are definitely the best of breed, and I think you'll be even happier with them. These J2s are a very respectable budget younger sibling of them, and if you don't mind the slight compromises in durability, balance, weight and sparkle, this bids are definitely strong contenders in the $20 range.
Another great job, JLab, but your masterpiece is definitely the J4s!
Customer Review: An Exciting Earbud Experience
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I am not a very picky person when it comes to sound -- as long as I hear my music with as little static as possible I don't care about anything else. I honestly think these earbuds may affect my opinion of earbuds in the future, however, because they set a high bar.
Ear sizes?:
I was a bit surprised when I saw that the package for the earbuds came with three different sized inserts to get the perfect fit. I only tried the medium size given I have about average ears (and to avoid any Three Bears comparison methods -- this one is too small, this one is too large, this one is just right). I do think it's a pretty unique aspect of these, however, that they were built to fit your ear regardless of the size and can imagine people with larger or smaller than average ears will definitely appreciate some special treatment.
Earbud Feeling:
The earbuds feel snug in my ears without any discomfort. I also don't feel like they'd be easy to slip out so likely could be used for exercise with little issue. With the added options regarding ear sizes, as mentioned above, this would allow you to make it the perfect fit for that as well. In general though a lot of ear buds feel like you have something gushy in your ears but the JBuds J2s feel right.
Music Sound:
I really noticed nothing all too special related to the sound but given I listen to MP3s (compressed music already) I probably wouldn't have noticed any huge changes. I did notice that all the elements of my music were present so there was nothing negative about the sound. If you want a more detailed look into sound you'll have to check out the other reviews because I really have no idea of the difference. I did notice, however, the variation of sound was much higher than any of my other earbuds in that turning the sound to the highest level is really loud so you somewhat have a more balanced sound spectrum to work with.
Sound Isolation:
I figured given the nature of the buds (and the fact the title calls this out) I'd give the sound isolation a test. I pulled over my girlfriend and asked her to plop the earbuds into her ears and listen to music at a normal level. I couldn't hear the sound at all during this. I asked her to take them out as well. Again, even right in front of me, I couldn't hear the sound at all. Confused, I shoved the earphones into my ears and asked her to talk to me. I could only hear muffled noises of her speaking. Sound isolation - game, set, match.
I would suggest these earbuds to anyone looking to spend a modest amount of money for a quality experience. Sound will likely be sufficient for your needs but the other benefits make it even more worth it.
Customer Review: Good on-the-go earbuds
Summary: 5 Stars
JBuds J2 Premium Hi-FI Noise Isolating Earbuds (Onyx Black)
Scroll down for update.
Pros:
Great comfort, good sound, better than most other in-ear ones I've tried(jvc, philips 'surround sound', philips premium, others).
Amazing design and looks.
Generally good construction
The J2's isolate surrounding noise very well, a little better than the Koss Plugs do (my normal earbuds).
Cons:
Even after a burn-in, playing mp3's at 192kbit/s, the sound still doesn't match the $12 koss plugs, specifically in the very high and very low frequency ranges.
The cords are very durable, but also transmit more vibration and other sounds along the cord. When the cord touches your jacket or is just out in the wind, you hear it, and it is distracting.
JLabs is a great company, and I respect them for their amazing customer service!
The highs are a little muted, as is the bass. The low bass frequencies don't come out particularly well--I just can't hear some of the lower bass parts in certain songs. The Koss Plugs have strong and deep bass, which I like. They have clearer highs, but don't isolate sound nearly as well as the J2s. This is because the Plugs have holes on the outside of the earbud casing to vent backpressure [hence the deeper bass], whereas the J2's are sealed--hence the noise isolation, but also less bass. Sorry this turned into a comparison...
To the great people at JLAB,
Why does movement against the cords create a stethoscope-like effect? i.e. cord microphonics as another reviewer put it. It is distracting during any kind of activity--also the strain relief does not attach in any way to the cord, and consequently the cord can ride in and out of the casing/strain relief just a little...I imagine that the cord is just knotted inside.
Overall, great earphones. Just a couple annoyances, but easily overlooked, and subjective to music preferences:
If you want more balanced sound and more durable construction on-the-go, in noisier environments, go for the J2's.
If you want deeper bass, care more about sound overall, and won't be taking them in/out often, go for the Plugs.
Hope I could help.
***UPDATE Nov 09 ***
After considerable use, (burned in, had them for a year) the bass and overall sound quality and clarity have improved and now are GREAT! NO COMPLAINTS. I think it's a mark of a high-quality driver if it does require burn-in. All aspects of the construction remain stellar. I find myself appreciating many features that annoyed me initially--simply because they work! The silicone ear parts are durable, just don't forget to clean them :) Get these earbuds. you won't regret it.
Worth every penny.