ANC Performance that Perfectly Matches the Price

If you’re looking for a decent set of active noise-canceling headphones, the JLab JBuds Lux certainly fit the bill. While there’s plenty I’d change about them, they do an excellent job of matching performance to price.

Price and Availability

The JLab JBuds Lux ANC Wireless Headphones cost $79 and can be purchased online through Amazon or the JLab web store. They’re also available both in-store and online at Best Buy.

Design, Fit, and Controls

The JBuds Lux look and feel like a $79 pair of noise-canceling headphones. I found the build quality to be decent, although I wish the uncushioned parts of the headband were made with a textured plastic for easier gripping. And although the ear cup and headband cushions are perfectly comfortable, I advise those with bigger noggins to go with another pair of headphones. My head is on the larger side, and I was only able to wear the JBuds for five minutes or so before they felt confining.

I like it when headphone manufacturers decide to place all the buttons, ports, and indicators on one ear cup instead of spreading them between the pair. Why? I’m the type of person who forgets what cup has what controls or where that dang USB-C port is located!

Speaking of which, the JBuds Lux relegates all buttons, ports, and indicators to the right ear cup. Power on and off, play and pause, and EQ preset switching is handled with one, two, or three sequential taps and long presses. I liked that JLab chose to give the JBuds Lux its own noise-canceling button (labeled “NC”), which lets you switch between ANC, Transparency, or no noise-canceling whatsoever. However, I was disappointed by the lack of onboard volume controls. If you want to turn your music up or down, you have to reach into your pocket and press the volume buttons on your phone.

Sound Quality

Despite their entry-level price, JBuds Lux boast the modern Bluetooth 5.3 protocol and support Spatial Audio systems like Dolby Atmos. These headphones utilize the common SBC codec, though they unfortunately lack LDAC and aptX high-resolution audio compatibility.

Personally, I couldn’t listen to much of anything without the headphones being set to the Bass Boost preset. The JBuds Lux sound pretty boring and, at worst, distorted and painful without the bass cranked. Alvvays’ debut record is mixed in a way that lets sibilance and reverb dominate, so I couldn’t listen to any of its tracks without Bass Boost enabled. In most cases, the higher frequencies would take over intrusively. I would also find myself adjusting the volume an annoying amount to try and reduce the harshness.

Even after creating my own preset that I had modeled on the Bass Boost levels, the extra oomph of the built-in JLab EQ was still my preference. But on a very positive note, the premade Bass Boost setting is really great! As the name would indicate, the low end gets a nice EQ boost, but not to an overwhelming degree. I actually found the extra bass helped to elevate the clarity of the mids and highs, too.

The band Every Time I Die is a solid go-to for sonic brutality, and it was a blast listening to some cuts off their final record with the JBuds Lux (Bass Boost was incredibly kind to Post – Boredom). Cranking down the noise, I opted for something a bit more orchestral. Bring You Down is the first track on a great The Dear Hunter album called Migrant. Starting small and quiet, the song eventually blossoms into an anthemic rocker, a musical war of tension and release that sounded so good through the Lux cans.

The singer-songwriter genre is a great testing ground for any headphones or earbuds. For the JBuds Lux, I called on Richard Thompson’s 1952 Vincent Black Lightning. Thompson fingerpicks his guitar in a percussive manner akin to railroad tracks, a rhythmic detail I had never honed in on before. My guess is the headphones did the honing in for me.

The football field scene in The Dark Knight Rises is always a cinematic classic. From crowds cheering for the home team to crowds screaming in fear once Bane and his cronies emerge, a lot is going on in this sequence. The JBuds did a solid job of balancing the soundstage in a way that made everything feel big and important, and goodness-gracious does Bane sound chilling through a pair of decent ANC headphones!

Noise Canceling

The JBuds Lux deliver a satisfying ANC experience that all but vanquishes most types of environmental drone. One test I like to do with any pair of ANC cans is standing out right next to my apartment’s HVAC equipment. The constant fan noise can be heard from just about anywhere in the home, and the droning is at its peak right next to the blower unit. Using default ANC settings (levels can be adjusted in the JLab app), the Lux silenced the rumbling, leaving only the higher-frequency fan noise in its wake.

Taking a walk around my apartment community, I was able to catch the occasional blip of dialogue from passersby, both on foot and in passing cars. Traffic sounds and overhead planes were reduced to a minimum. Switching over to the Be Aware mode brings a rush of nearby sound into the cans, while switching back to ANC returned the silence just as quickly.

The JBuds Lux uses an adaptive ANC system that can be fine-tuned in the JLab app. I experimented with the slider and was able to notice a few subtleties between the different levels, though my personal preference was keeping the ANC at full strength.

Call Quality

Call quality is one area where wireless headphones seem to struggle. And, unfortunately, JBuds Lux aren’t the exception I was hoping for. Taking phone calls with these headphones is achievable but not something I’d ever do on a daily basis.

I found my test caller’s voice to be compressed and somewhat distant. Fortunately, the person talking to me didn’t have the same experience and was able to report that I sounded pretty clear. I was also disappointed to learn that you can’t actively adjust Lux settings in the app when you’re taking a call. Yeah, definitely not my top choice for conversations.

Battery Life

On a full charge, JLab claims the JBuds Lux should last for up to 70 hours with ANC disabled and 40 hours with ANC enabled. Those are solid specs, especially for a pair of ANC headphones that only cost $79.

So, what was my experience? I never charged them once in the week or two I tested them. I always had ANC enabled and usually kept the volume around 70%. The last time I powered the Lux down, the battery was somewhere in the area of 60%. Not too bad if you ask me.

Using the JLab App

The official JLab app is available for both Apple and Android devices. I downloaded and used the app on an iPhone 12.

If you had told me that the JBuds Lux didn’t have a companion app, I would totally understand. After all, they’re only $79. Thus, you can imagine my surprise when I realized that, not only do these headphones include an app, but it’s actually a pretty solid bit of software.

All the headphone settings you’d want to adjust in a pinch are located right on the JLab app’s Devices screen. Options include Noise Control Modes, Equalizer, Button Controls, Music and Movie listening presets, and a Safe Hearing feature that lets you introduce a decibel limit to the Lux cans (which comes in handy if you’re letting a child use them at any point).

One feature I highly recommend is Ambient Sounds, which you’ll find by tapping the My JLab button at the bottom of the screen. You’ll be able to choose between nine white noise loops, and you can layer up to four sounds on top of each other.

Should You Buy the JLab JBuds Lux ANC Wireless Headphones?

If you’ve got $80 burning a hole in your pocket, and you want to own (or gift) a decent and reliable pair of cans, the JLab JBuds Lux ANC Wireless Headphones do fit the bill. Mind you, they’re not the most extraordinary cans on the market, but they work well, last a long time on a single charge, and the free app gives you some cool customizations to play with.

JLab JBuds Lux ANC Wireless Headphones

If you can tolerate modest audio quality, the JBuds Lux are an absolute bargain in terms of active noise cancelation and battery life.