For such affordable buds, the JLab JBuds Open Sport offer genuinely decent features.
While not necessarily essential, hearing protection features and ambient sound generators for relaxation are definitely nice to have.
Unfortunately, their sound does display some compromises.
Ultimately, opting for cheap open-ear buds such as the JLab JBuds Open Sport will involve some tradeoffs.
If you do, youll find these buds do a perfectly adequate job.
Its an odd dance to have to sashay your way through, but it works and connectivity seems stable.
First off, the app offers access to the JBuds EQ prefs.
Theres some more unusual features bundled in the app as well.
As someone who has already ruined his hearing attending many clubs and gigs, I appreciate the thought here.
JLab JBuds Open Sport review: sound quality
Lets start with the obvious.
A less predictable benefit of the JBuds open design is their soundstage.
However, where things start to come undone is the expression of individual instruments.
Its only really by probing the sonic balance further that I came to understand what was going on.
Its practical yet entirely unexciting, like a pair of sweatpants for your ears.
But with buds that dont slide in your ear, some kind of hook or band is essential.
On the plus side, they should be hardy enough to survive most workouts.
So at $49.99 / 79.99, these are firmly priced at the budget end of the market.
Viewed through this lens, some of the Open Sports weaknesses become more palatable.
Should I buy the JLab JBuds Open Sport?
Category
Comment
Score
Features
Decent range of features, solid battery life and great EQ options.
4/5
Performance
Impressive soundstage and decent enough built-in mics.
However, sound balance can be so-so, with mids in particular feeling cluttered.
3.5/5
Design
Comfortable, secure and sweat-proof.
But they do jiggle around a little and their look isnt that exciting.
There are even more bargain-priced buds out there, but theyre unlikely to have quite as decent features.
Theyre also nice and light, and are comfortable to wear once youve positioned them correctly.
Read our fullShokz OpenFit Air review.
They sound fantastic even when compared to closed-ear rivals and even more impressively offer truly immersive spatial audio.
Theyre also comfortable to wear and intuitive to use.
Really their only drawback is their high price, but you absolutely get what you pay for here.
Read our fullBose Ultra Open Earbuds review.
