JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition review
JLab is best known for making affordable audio gear, with most of its earbuds and headphones costing less than $100, but the JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition headset is the exception. This ‘luxury’ headset, available for $199, features powerful 32mm dynamic drivers that make most genres sound incredible, long 90-hour battery life (ANC off), effective ANC, and spatial audio with fantastic head tracking.
They’re built extremely well too, with plush, comfortable earcups and a mesh headband that ensures comfort for long periods of use. The minimalist design makes them look classy and expensive, setting them apart from the brand’s cheaper headphones.
But there are a few problems, such as guitar riffs sounding scratchy when spatial audio is enabled and finicky wear detection. Do they then make the cut to be considered as the best over-ear headphones? Read my full JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition review to find out.
JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition review: Cheat sheet
- What is it? ‘Luxury’ over-ear headphones from a budget brand
- Who is it for? For people who want superb sound quality and ANC from a brand other than JBL and Beats
- How much does it cost? $199 / £199
- What do we like? The minimalist and comfortable design, highly effective ANC, 90-hour battery life, and fantastic sound quality
- What don’t we like? Sound quality is slightly scratchy at times, the earcups are delicate, and wear detection is hit-or-miss
JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition review: Specs
|
Specs |
JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition |
|---|---|
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Price |
|
|
Colors |
Black |
|
Battery life (ANC off) |
90 hours |
|
Battery life (ANC on) |
60 hours |
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Multipoint connectivity |
Yes |
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Paired devices max |
2 |
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Connectivity |
Bluetooth 5.4 with AAC, SBC and LDAC |
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Weight |
10.58 ounces |
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Durability |
Not specified |
JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition review: Price & availability
JLab is most commonly associated a hard-won budget-friendly image, with most of its headphones and earbuds coming in less than $100. The JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition headset, though, is the brand’s most expensive set of cans, available for $199 / £199 direct from JLab.
Their price tag sees them competing against the likes of the Beats Solo 4, the JBL Live 770NC and the Soundcore Space One Pro — all of which cost $199. JLab notes that the Epic Lux Labs are its most advanced headphones ever thanks to the packed feature set. Where these headphones easily edge out competitors is in the battery life department — and more.
JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition review: Design & comfort
- Plush, comfortable earcups
- Premium, classy design
- Can’t fold for easy transport
The JLab Epic Lux Labs sport a minimalist, all-black design that looks classy. I took one look at them and instantly knew they cost more than $150 at least. Branding is low-key with ‘JLab’ running across the top of the headband, and each earcup housing small logos made of reflective material.
The Epic Lux Labs are one of the most comfortable set of cans I’ve had the pleasure of testing. Their headband is made of a soft mesh material that sits comfortably while providing a cushioned feel on the top of my head. It also helps that the headset isn’t very heavy either, weighing 10.58 ounces, similar to the Soundcore Space One Pro (10.1oz) and slightly heavier than the JBL Live 770NC (9oz). I never felt weighed down while wearing the Epic Lux Labs — even for long periods of time. The adjustable headband also allows for plenty of adjustment to achieve maximum comfort.
Their earcups are made of what JLab calls “cloud foam,” but they’re really just made of plush faux leather. They feel very snug and comfortable, but they’re very soft. So soft that I’m worried if a sharp nail rubbed across them, they’d tear. Best be careful and not use sharp objects near the Epic Lux Labs.
Another thing to note is that unlike the Soundcore Space One Pros and the JBL Live 770NCs, the Epic Lux Labs aren’t foldable. This means you can’t collapse the earcups for easy transportation. You do get a hard carry case though, which is a nice addition, but it takes up a lot of space in a backpack or handbag.
JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition review: Connectivity
- Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint connectivity
- AAC, SBC and LDAC support
- Hit-or-miss wear detection
The JLab Epic Lux Labs utilize Bluetooth 5.4 for seamless and stable connectivity, and they support AAC and SBC codecs. And unlike the Beats Solo 4 and the JBL Live 770NCs, the Epic Lux Labs support LDAC for hi-res wireless playback.
Thanks to multipoint connectivity, these headphones can effortlessly connect to two devices simultaneously, so I kept them connected to my Google Pixel 7 Pro and MacBook Air M2. If I was listening to music on my phone and I played, say, a YouTube video on my MacBook, the headphones would automatically pause the music — nifty!
If I was listening to music on my phone and I played, say, a YouTube video on my MacBook, the headphones would automatically pause the music.
On top of everything, the Epic Lux Labs feature wear detection where playback is automatically paused when the headband loses connection with your head. Now, wear detection is one of my favorite features on earbuds, but I haven’t been a fan of it on over-ears since I tested the HP Poly Voyager Surround 80 UC ($349).
I usually find wear detection on over-ear headphones finicky at best, and here was no different, as I found that the slightest movement paused playback when using the Epic Lux Labs. I was sitting at my desk, barely moving, and the music kept pausing. That’s not ideal, so I ended up disabling it altogether.
JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition review: Controls & app
- Only two physical buttons
- Highly responsive touch controls
- Detailed, user-friendly app
The JLab Epic Lux Labs feature just two physical buttons: the power button and the pressable JLab logo on the right earcup. These double (triple and quadruple) as additional controls, as tapping and long-pressing either lets you play/pause, enable spatial audio, switch equalizer, etc.
If you want to adjust the volume or skip to the next song, you’ll need to use your fingers for the touch controls. Again, it’s only the right earcup that houses these touch controls. I found both the touch and physical controls easy to use. The right earcup has a big surface area which means your fingers have enough space for accurate movements.
The buttons and touch controls are fully customizable via the JLab companion app, available on iOS and Android. It’s extremely user-friendly and intuitive. Here, you can go through the three noise control modes, assign commands to touch and physical controls, enable spatial audio, adjust the safe hearing limit (in dB), and update the Epic Lux Labs’ firmware. It’s through this app that I disabled the frustrating wear detection auto play/pause sensors.
And of course, the app is where you can customize the equalizer. There are three preset EQs available: JLab Signature, Balanced and Bass Boost. There’s also a Custom tab that lets you personalize it according to your preferences. I love playing around with EQ when I’m testing headphones, and the JLab app made it very easy.
JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition review: Sound & performance
I’m a music aficionado, having been in love with music for as long as I can remember and to this day regularly diddle away tunes on my guitar. It’s very important to me, then, to have a set of cans that produces the best possible sound — and the JLab Epic Lux Labs do just that. Almost. I say ‘almost’ because, well, you’ll soon see why.
The Epic Lux Labs are fitted with 32mm dynamic drivers which provide a wide soundstage and great frequency range (20Hz-40KHz). To test the headphones, I listened to my trusty playlist on Spotify Premium on my Goggle Pixel 7 Pro, with ANC enabled. I played a variety of genres, most of which sounded fantastic and very pleasing to my ears.
Details
I didn’t realize Pink Floyd’s ‘Money’ could sound better than it already did. Through the Epic Lux Labs, I could hear every single ka-ching in one ear and coin drop in the other, making for a more immersive listening experience. This was made even better by the headphones reproducing each bass note clearly and accurately. This was while listening in the JLab Signature EQ. I toggled Bass Boost on and I could feel the powerful basslines in my temples.
I love discovering new sounds in songs I love, like in Green Day’s ‘Minority.’ I’d never noticed the drumsticks hitting the set’s frame throughout the song, and that gave the song more depth — especially listening to it with LDAC enabled.
Percussion
The Epic Lux Labs handle percussion instruments well too. The snare drum and triangle in My Chemical Romance’s ‘Welcome to the Black Parade’ don’t sound too sharp or piercing. Gerard Way’s screaming yelling in the pre-chorus is reproduced well too but kept at a slightly lower volume to let you appreciate the drums.
Spatial audio
My only issue with these headphones is that some guitar riffs tend to sound scratchy when spatial audio is enabled, which we found with the JBL Tour One M2s ($299) too. This was especially clear in Alt-J’s ‘Every Other Freckle’ where the guitar is scratchy by default but it sounded piercing through the Epic Lux Labs.
But what works well is head tracking when spatial audio is enabled. I moved my head to the left and the sound came only from the right earcup and vice versa. If I moved my head upwards, it sounded like music was playing behind me.
Overall, if you take the scratchy guitar out of the equation, the Epic Lux Labs perform extremely well.
JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition review: ANC
- Highly effective ANC
- Three modes
The Epic Lux Labs, according to JLab, can block out noises up to 42dB. Competitors like the Beats Solo 4 don’t even feature active noise cancelation so color me impressed that a ‘luxury’ headset from a budget brand does. And boy is it effective. You get three modes that can be toggled either via the app or touch controls: Off, Be Aware and On. Be Aware is the transparency mode and it works well if you want to be aware of your surroundings while on a walk.
When ANC is active, it’s extremely effective. I take the bus to and from work three days a week, so it’s important for me to be able to block out the world and focus on, say, my Wordle. The Epic Lux Labs blocked out idle chatter and the rattling of the bus, and I couldn’t even hear the man talking very loudly on the phone while sitting right next to me.
Indoors, I couldn’t hear the kettle as I was making a coffee, and I couldn’t even hear my partner sneaking up on me until I saw her — yes, I did nearly jump out of my skin.
I’m utterly delighted with the Epic Lux Labs’ ANC performance. To get this at less than $200? Wow.
JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition review: Battery life
- Better battery life than competitors’
- Charging pad for wireless charging
- Up to 90 hours
There are two ways of charging the JLab Epic Lux Labs: you can either plug in a boring old USB-C cable, or you can use the included charging pad to wireless charge them. The matte black disc-like device firmly stays in place on plastic and wooden surfaces. The Epic Lux Labs’ left earcup magnetically snaps into place and thanks to the great weight distribution, the headset stays upright as it charges.
JLab claims that with ANC off, the Epic Lux Labs can last 90 hours on a single charge. That’s 66 hours more than the pricier Bose QuietComfort Ultra ($429), and 40 more than the Beats Solo 4 and the JBL Live 770NC. If you want more, you’ll have to extend your budget on the Marshall Monitor III ANCs ($349), which last 100 hours with ANC off and 70 hours with ANC on.
I actively used the Epic Lux Labs for 13 hours and left them playing music on medium volume overnight (9 hours) with ANC on. After 22 hours, I had 75% battery remaining.
Turn ANC on and the Epic Lux Labs drop to 60 hours which is still excellent. And yes, I am one of those people who keeps ANC turned on all the time. I actively used the Epic Lux Labs for 13 hours and left them playing music on medium volume overnight (9 hours) with ANC on. After 22 hours, I had 75% battery remaining.
If you’re on the move and notice your headphones are out of battery, you can plug them in for five minutes — this should yield five hours of playtime.
JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition review: Verdict
As over-ear headphones go, the JLab Epic Lux Lab Editions are fantastic. Their 32mm dynamic drivers produce a wide soundstage, and music sounds consistently great across a variety of genres. Their long 90-hour battery life, included wireless charging pad and comfortable design means you can keep jamming to tunes for long periods of time. Equipped with effective head tracking and ANC, they sound like they’re hard to beat, don’t they?
But guitar riffs tend to sound scratchy when spatial audio is enabled, making for an uncomfortable listening experience. While the leather earcups are mighty comfortable, they feel very delicate. Wear detection is finicky too, and you may be tempted to turn it off entirely.
At the end of the day though, the Epic Lux Labs are powerful enough to give the likes of JBL and Beats a run for their money. And yes, they do look luxurious.
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