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JLab jumps into hi-res and Bluetooth LE audio with $200 Epic Lab Edition earbuds

By Simon Cohen November 10, 2023

JLab has a reputation for making very affordable headphones and earbuds that also deliver good sound quality and features. But today, the company has decided to try its hand at satisfying a more upscale buyer — its JLab Epic Lab Edition are its first wireless earbuds to promise hi-res audio, as well as its first earbuds to use a hybrid dual-driver architecture. Preorders , with the first orders getting shipped about 12 days later.

JLab Epic Lab Edition wireless earbuds. — JLab

The $200 Epic Lab Edition use a dynamic driver along with a Knowles balanced armature driver and are among the first wireless earbuds to be tuned using the Knowles Preferred Listening Response Curve — a sound signature that places a greater emphasis on boosted treble, something that Knowles claims listeners across age ranges and hearing abilities prefer.

Any Android user will be able to take advantage of hi-res audio on the Epic Lab Edition as long as they have access to a source of hi-res music — the earbuds use Sony’s LDAC Bluetooth codec which has been included with Android since version 8 of the software.

Woman wearing JLab Epic Lab Edition wireless earbuds. — JLab

The earbuds are also compatible with the new Bluetooth LE Audio specification, which can deliver lower latency audio for gaming applications. Most smartphones and computers aren’t yet ready to deliver LE Audio natively, so JLab has included an LE Audio USB-C dongle inside the Epic Lab Edition’s charging case, so you can enjoy the benefits of LE Audio immediately.

In typical JLab fashion, the Epic Lab Edition possess many additional features including:

Wireless charging
Bluetooth multipoint
A claimed 13+ hours of playtime per charge with a total of 56+ hours when you include the case
IP55 protection from dust, sweat, and water
Smart active noise cancellation (ANC) that can be tuned using the JLab app

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Woman wearing Technics EAH-AZ40 true wireless earbuds in silver.

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Edifier NeoBuds Pro hi-res true wireless earbuds with charging case.

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Edifier's Indiegogo campaign page claims that the NeoBuds Pro are the "first hi-res ANC earbuds," but technically, that title belongs to Sony, which introduced the hi-res-capable WF-1000XM4 earlier in 2021. Edifier's press release makes a more nuanced (and more accurate) statement, in which it says, "the Neobuds Pro are the first hi-res-certified, noise-canceling, truly wireless earphones in the market that boast a dynamic driver, Knowles balanced armature, and LHDC+ACC codec."