JLab JBuds Air Executive Review

Forget spending mountains of cash on great earbuds.

JLab has built quite the reputation when it comes to affordable earbuds. They offer great sound, durability, and comfort at a fraction of the cost of premium earbuds like AirPods or Beats.

With a price sub $70, there is a lot to love; whether it be the sound quality or the intuitive touch controls, there is something here for everyone.

So, let’s go through our JLab JBuds Air Executive review and see what these earbuds have to offer…

Design

The first thing you’ll love is the sleek, synthetic leather wrap over the charging case. This makes the whole package look and feel much more expensive than it really is. Plus, there are three notification LEDs on top that provide information on battery levels and the connection status of the earbuds.

JLab continues with their integrated USB-A charger that’s built into the case. This way, you never have to worry about carrying around a charger for your earbud’s case.

Simple operation…

The earbuds themselves look great and feel solid, even though they are plastic. The touch controls are easy to use, and we rarely had issues increasing the volume, answering calls, or muting and skipping songs.

The earbuds also have an included “aware mode” which is essentially an ambient noise mode. This allows for outside noise to pass through with the music so you can be aware of your surroundings while outside. Great for people who love to jog or cycle through noisy neighborhoods.

Good looking…

The angled design fits well in your ear canal, but the earbuds are a little wide and may cause some discomfort for some users after a few hours of use. However, the short stem looks much better than Apple’s overreaching earbud stems that look like cotton earbuds sticking out of your ears.

The IP55 rating means these are gym proof with dust and water resistance. However, if you are shopping for earbuds that are specifically made for exercising, JLab does have their very own Jlab JBuds Air Sport earbuds that are perfectly suited for running or lifting weights.

Sound

These earbuds are heavy-handed with the bass. Even with JLab’s signature sound profile, the bass is quite loud, but after switching to the bass boosted option, things get completely out of hand.

With the lower end frequencies, at around 100Hz boosted to almost double that of the higher low-range frequencies at 400Hz, auditory masking is a given. This results in the bass being almost twice as loud as any other instrument or vocals in the mix.

Great for bass-heads…

This leads to the mid and high range frequencies sounding muddy and unclear for the most part. However, if you enjoy listening to bass-heavy music like EDM, these might be the perfect fit. But if you are looking for earbuds that provide a more neutral mix, stay clear of these.

There is some decent isolation, especially if you find the right size ear tip for you. There are three different sizes included, plus an additional pair of memory foam ear tips that are more comfortable than the normal ear tips. Finding a good fit and seal is important for sound clarity and also avoids having to turn the volume up too loud.

Microphone is OK, considering the price…

The microphone quality isn’t much different than most budget earbuds. Your voice will sound a bit thinner due to a lack of low-end frequencies. This is because the microphones de-emphasize a lot of the low-end, which helps with background noise, but leads to loss of voice quality.

We were still able to understand the person on the other end speaking, but there was also a lot of background noise present whilst using the microphone.

Connectivity and Battery Life

The earbuds lasted us just under four and a half hours before we needed to charge them up. It’s not the best performer, but commendable. And the case is able to charge an hours’ worth of playback in 15 minutes if you are in a pinch.

It takes two and a half hours to charge the case full, which is great considering the case gives you five full charges.

Quick and easy pairing…

These earbuds to pair differently than most other earbuds. Instead of taking out one at a time and pairing them, you take out both first. The earbuds connect to each other first, before pairing with other devices.

The earbuds use Bluetooth version 5, which gave us an excellent connection all around the office without any interruptions.

Unfortunately, there is only support for AAC for IOS users. Android users will have to be happy with standard SBC connectivity, which means no hi-res music for android users. But considering the sound quality, these were never really meant for audiophiles anyway.

Who is the JLab JBuds Air Executive for?

Firstly, people who enjoy traveling and like looking the part. The earbuds design and leatherette case look great and are easy to carry around.

Or if you are an iPhone user looking for a cheaper alternative with AAC support, these easily fit the bill.

These earbuds are also great for people who want the perfect all-rounder. These earbuds are comfy enough to be worn at work and then later on used at the gym again. Throw in a budget-friendly price, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

JLab JBuds Air Executive Review Pros and Cons

Looking for some more fantastic earbud options?

If so, check out our reviews of the Best Skullcandy Earbuds, the Best Sound Quality Earbuds, the Most Durable Earbuds, and the Best Headphones And Earbuds For Sleeping.

Or how about our reviews of the Most Comfortable Earbuds, the Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds, and the Best Bluetooth Headphones for Commuting.

JLab JBuds Air Executive Review Round-Up

If you love the design, price point, and want the heavy-handed bass profile, then these are right up your alley.

JLab took a chance by marketing these towards the luxury market but offering them at a much more appealing price. What you get are earbuds that look better than they sound. So, if you want to impress your friends, these will do the job for sure.

For the price point, there isn’t much that performs better than these earbuds, except the Creative Outlier Air, which has a more desirable, neutral sound.

Considering they look much better than anything else at this price, they are definitely worth the purchase.

Happy listening.