Summary
- Strong ANC cancels out distractions effectively.
- Wireless charging and clear call quality are standout features.
- Poor sound quality and disappointing Spatial Audio features spoil the overall package.
The JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition have helped remind me of what’s far and away the most important when looking for headphones—sound quality. Even with a laundry list of other great features like ANC and wireless charging, the poor sound quality spoiled what looked to be a great set of headphones.
JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition
The JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition offer ANC and more without having to break the bank. The over-ear headphones provide up to 90 hours of playback on a single charge. Along with a travel case, JLab includes a wireless charging puck to juice up the headphones when not in use.
- Strong ANC can help cancel out distraction
- Wireless charging pad works well
- Four microphones help provide clear call quality
- Audio quality is poor, sounding distant
- Spatial Audio feature is very poor
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Price and Availability
The JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition Headphones retail for $199.99 and can be purchased directly from JLab. It’s only available in black.
Premium Looks and Tons Of Accessories
Taking a quick look at the Epic Lux Lab Edition, you immediately think of high-end headphones. The back of the ear cups are covered with a matte black material that looks really great. Both the headband and front of the ear cups are protected with tons of comfortable foam covered with a soft, leather-like material.
The headband is connected to the ear cups with a metal rod that can rotate easily to put the headphones back into the included carrying case, something not often found in this price range. JLab also includes a USB-C to 3.5mm AUX cable and USB-C to USB-C cable. You can charge the headphones using the USB-C plug on the right earcup or with the included wireless charger.
On that note, I was surprised to encounter wireless charging in a low-cost pair of headphones. But the feature worked really well. Just align the left ear cup with the charger and it does its thing. You can use the charging pad to juice up smartphones or other devices, too, which is a nice touch.
Battery life is a major winner with the Epic Lux Lab Edition. You can go for up to 90 hours of playback on a single charge and up to 60 hours of use with ANC turned on. Those are spectacular numbers and are some of the best on the market.
I also enjoyed the wide variety of control options. Instead of just buttons, the right ear cup is touch-sensitive. For example, you can swipe up and down to adjust the volume and left and right to skip or rewind a track. The JLab logo is tap sensitive. You can toggle ANC, noise control, and spatial audio with a specific tap.
The one control button on the same earcup powers up the headphones and can be used for other features like Bluetooth pairing, Siri or Google Assistant, answering a phone call, and more.
Sound Fails to Measure Up
With so many great features, I was excited to put the headphones on and start rocking out. But the sound fell far short of my expectations. I always like to listen to a wide variety of audio when trying out headphones, everything from podcasts to movies and TV shows. From the first moment I tried out the headphones, the audio sounded problematic, like I was listening through a wall.
I tried everything possible, including adjusting the EQ sessions and trying out the ANC and other listening modes. Through the companion JLab app, available for iPhone or Android devices, I even used the burn-in tool that plays audio for 40 hours to help break in all the headphone components like the drivers. That helped a bit, but audio still strongly suffered while listening. It’s not the worst sound I’ve ever heard from over-ear headphones, but it was very close.
With the poor sound quality, I wasn’t really able to discern how well the ANC feature worked. I did try the built-in Spatial Audio mode on the headphones, but that was also another huge bust. The audio sounded like it was sent through a voice synthesizer; it didn’t immerse or envelope me.
The only high note was the call quality. There are two microphones on each earcup, and they provide clear and crisp audio for the other party on the phone. Callers said my voice sounded strong and clear, even when I was outside.
Should You Buy the JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition Headphones?
On paper, the JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition looks spectacular with extraordinary battery life, strong ANC, a wireless charger, and more for substantially less than other headphones with similar features.
But it’s very hard to recommend the headphones with subpar audio quality. No matter what I listened to, the audio quality failed to live up to the rest of the package. Everything sounded distant and far away, always leaving me trying to turn up the volume to improve what I was listening to. It’s best to avoid these and look at some of the best headphones available.
JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition
The JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition offer ANC and more without having to break the bank. The over-ear headphones provide up to 90 hours of playback on a single charge. Along with a travel case, JLab includes a wireless charging puck to juice up the headphones when not in use.
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