#PRODUCT/REVIEW: JLab ANC 3 True Wireless Earbuds Offer Great Features For A Great Price

JLab ANC3 Earbuds Paring

BY Christopher Gardner—The JLab ANC 3 wireless earbuds offer solid sound quality and great optional noise-cancelling capabilities. They do so with a convenient and versatile case and at a great price. JLAB claim a 42+ hours of playtime. Let’s find out…

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However, using all the features on the JLab ANC 3 earbuds themselves can be a bit fiddly if, like me, you have fingers built for pressure rather than grace, but the Bluetooth hookup to your phone is as easy as one should expect and the JLab app offers loads of configurations. But surely there are limits for a pair of earbuds selling for $59.99?

JLab offers a wide array of earbuds and headphones for every taste and in a generous price range between about $20 and $200. What seems distinct about their marketing of their ear gear is that customers can buy bundles of some of their multi-color offering, which could be a great deal for getting much of the holiday shopping done in one stop or if you’re the type to coordinate ear buds with the day’s running shorts. I should note that JLab also has some Bluetooth gear for work (keyboards and mice) and USB microphones, some of which also can be bundled for better deals.

JLab ANC3 Earbuds Unpackaged

Getting into the earbuds involves a bit of wrestling with some impressive origami packaging, but the quality of said packaging is a hint of the quality of the packaged gear. The set comes with a case with the earbuds inside and two more pair of silicone ear inserts in a larger and smaller size than the ones already on the ear pieces. The case has its own USB-C cable that pops out to be about 1.5 inches long, which is adequate to plug into a laptop or charging block into the wall. The charge goes into the earbuds and into the case, which will top-up the buds each time you return them to their required ports.

Indeed, the buds will only lock in on their appropriate sides, which is a benefit for those of us with eyes that struggle to see small black letters L or R imprinted on black plastic. The case has a small indicator light that goes green when the buds are properly inserted—and magnetized ports will ensure alignment to the charging points—then blue as a charge is transferred to the buds. The light goes red when the case has lost its charge. The case feels solid and I liked the positive magnetic pull on the buds to get them to click into place (if in the correct port).

Others have developed cases that take a charge, but mostly these are done with a separate wire that plugs into a USB-C port. I love the USB-C cable on these JLab ANC3s because they (could) eliminate the need for carrying any other gear, if you have a hotel or car with USB-C ports. If not, I’d rather carry just a plug than a plug and a wire, so the JLabs traveled with me to Texas while my hitherto faves, my 2nd Generation AirPod Pros, stayed in the drawer.

Using the JLab ANC3 Earbuds

JLab ANC3 Earbuds Paring

Once comfortably in the ears, one can control them through the phone’s or computer’s software, and via the touch-sensitive JLab logo on each bud. Nevertheless, though I get a bit miffed with each object in my life needing its own app, I recommend getting JLab’s for your Android or Apple phone. It gives you a great deal of control to set up the features and settings of the earphones, including how the multi-touch controls work. You also will likely get the opportunity for a firmware upgrade to the buds, which cannot be accessed any other way. I tweaked my own EQ setting to go with the three built-in settings, plus, one can set volume limits and extent of both noise cancellation and “Be Aware” settings. (But why would you want to lower full noise cancellation abilities?)

JLab ANC3 Earbuds App Settings
JLab ANC3 Earbuds App Settings

One, two, or three taps on the left or right bud’s JLab logo does something like adjust volume, replay a song, (de)activate noise cancellation, and jump to the next track. The app allows you to change the factory settings to what you might find logical/intuitive. I found a couple of ‘pairings’ between the left and right unit a bit odd, so I switched a few things, but you could remap the whole configuration if you are so inclined. After those settings are tweaked (one can even jump through the various EQ pre-sets with a combination of taps), one need not fiddle in the app again. Nevertheless, as I noted above, people with heavy fingers like mine might find the tapping a bit tricky, especially while running/exercising. A notable disappointment, though, is the fact that one cannot set up a touch pattern to answer or hang up on phone calls, though you can configure Siri/Google to do the work.

Well, after all that, what do they sound like? This question will elicit an array of responses because what one likes to hear in one’s music is doubly subjective. As for the specs, the frequency response ranges from 20 Hertz to 20 KHertz, which is the range of most human hearing, though you might get some clipping, especially at the bottom end if your music is bass heavy (Tweak those EQ settings!). JLab’s top-of-the-line Epic Lab Edition ($199.99) has a range of 20 Hz to 40 KHz, for example, so high-end tones should be clearer for the classical audiophiles. The Epic Labs also have an impedance of 16 Ohms, which can make for a louder ear piece than the ANC3s (at 32 Ohms), but I have listened to podcasts on planes, music while walking in an urban environment, and I have been using the ANC3s to drum to some of my favorite classic rock. The kick drums of my favorite tracks boom through without sounding muddy and the ride cymbals ting through the guitar riffs. If these buds can offer solid clarity without clipping while I bash my way through Rush’s “Tom Sawyer”, I dare say they will work well for most any setting beyond a lighted stage. 

Noise cancellation is great as well. As a motorcyclist, I was hoping to try them under my helmet but the speaker drivers are just a bit too big with my in-helmet communication system. You certainly could remove comm-system speakers for these to fit within your lid, if so inclined. JLab sells JBuds Protect, which come with two noise-suppression settings, though. I’m tempted to give them a go for a mere $20, and that I can tweak the sound dampening is certainly appealing. As for these ANC3s, I found the “Be Aware” setting best for moving around town, which I programmed to about 70% cancellation in the app: ambient noise was notably trimmed and music came in clear (and at a nicely lowered volume), but I could tell from which direction cars were coming without looking, which helped me feel safe.

Final Thoughts on the JLab ANC3s

The one awkward issue I found with these devices is that when I made phone calls, the buds only turned down the volume of the music. I could not figure out a configuration to make them pause the music. When others called me, I had to go to my phone (or set up Siri) to answer it, but at least the music stopped when others called me. Sure, Siri/Google is a widely accepted means of controlling such tech, so most users can just ignore this paragraph, but I would have preferred to have a way to customize a touch setting. Once the call is connected though, my sample set could not tell I was talking to them via Bluetooth buds in a public space. Admittedly, I still feel old-man awkward talking to the seemingly invisible friend in front of me when people are around, but the conversation quality was great.

Which leads me to a final point about fit and comfort. True, earbud technology has gotten better and smaller across the board. But I have never especially enjoyed wearing them because they either don’t fit well in my tiny ear canals or their weight jostles them loose as I walk or drum or get on with my yard work. No matter the quality of speaker drivers or frequency range, if your buds hook awkwardly over your ears or sag out of the canal as you jog or run out of a charge because you forgot both wire and plug, you’ll not be enjoying your music. These JLab ANC3s fit snugly without forcing open the ear cartilage and stayed put as I did all the things noted in the review, so I have enjoyed every song and podcast thus far. With three pairs of plugs included, and even optional foam tips for the peculiarities of your ears, I am sure you will too.

JLab ANC3 Earbuds In Use
JLab ANC3 Earbuds Open Case
JLab ANC3 Earbuds App Settings
JLab ANC3 Earbuds Outdoor Use
JLab ANC3 Earbuds
JLab ANC3 Earbuds USB-C Cable
JLab ANC3 Earbuds Optional Foam Tips
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