Tag Archives: jlab

Off-beat JLab Blue XL headphone speakers can be worn around the neck

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Move over Boomboxes, TWS earbuds, and Clip-On headphones, as JLab has just revealed a bizarre audio accessory fit for the giants of planet earth. These are the Blue XL headphone speakers that overshadow any chunky pair of headphones with their large presence. So how would you put these huge pair of cans on your head, at least they would not even stick to my face even for a second?

Well, they are not meant to be sported as a normal pair of headphones, rather you wear them around the neck to function as a pair of Bluetooth speakers. However bizarre or cool they might look, implementing such an offbeat idea is a bold step. Having made their debut at the Birmingham Bowl, the oversized speakers are touted as the MVP of victory moments. JLab thinks these will have many takers for $99, but we believe only a few will fancy them wearing comfortably out in public.

Designer: JLab

These speaker headphones come with dual 2.5-inch drivers and passive radiators to beam 30 Watts of audio. According to JLab, the speakers can play immersive sound for almost 20 hours on a stretch. The 10W fast charging refills the battery in three hours flat, while a quick charge of 15 minutes will make them good to go for another couple of hours. Given the size of this audio accessory, it’s not surprising that it can play for such a long time, almost a day nonstop at full blast. Though listening to your playlist on the local commute on the Blue XL is going to raise some eyebrows.

If you’re not that bold enough to sport them around the neck, you can use them as normal desk speakers, as one earcup rests on the surface, and the other one sits on top of it vertically. Blue XL speaker headphones support SBC and ACC audio codecs, which should play seamlessly with most of the audio streaming services and offline media players. With the JLab Signature EQ settings, you can adjust the sound to your preference. The speaker headphones are going to be available in a limited number, and that’s not surprising.

The post Off-beat JLab Blue XL headphone speakers can be worn around the neck first appeared on Yanko Design.

JLab Flex Open earbuds match Bose Ultra Open for a fraction of a price

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The earbuds’ answer to open-ear headphones is the clip-on style that doesn’t sit deep in the ear canal, therefore less chance of permanent hearing damage if you listen to music at high levels. Bose Ultra Open earbuds created quite the buzz at CES 2024 for this new earbuds design but a price tag of $300 only attracted enthusiasts.

Now JLab has come up with a similar open clip style design called Flex Open earbuds. The pair offers most of what the high-end earbuds offer and that too at a fraction of a price. Being only $50 makes this open-ear accessory worth the try if you are eager to try out new audio accessories.

Designer: JLab

For those who want to be aware of the ambient sounds around them, the open-ear design is perfect. That’s where the Flex Open excels for a sixth of the price offered by the best in the industry. They even manage to beat the Bose’s earbuds with an IP55 rating and multipoint connectivity right out of the box. Battery life is also impressive at seven hours on a single charge and 21 more hours on the charging case. Compare that to the Ultra Open which lasts a couple of hours less in real-life testing. While you cannot expect the audio quality to be anywhere close to Bose, still the 12mm drivers deliver a thumping sound.

The only thing you can complain about is the lack of spatial audio with head tracking, but most people like me don’t bother much. Call quality in noisy environments can be a bit of a hit-and-miss with these, but if you’re using them majorly for music listening, they are a bang for the buck. After all for that price, how much wrong can these go? One thing that’ll make you ditch these earbuds is the lack of the latest lossless Bluetooth codec from Qualcomm if you care about those things.

The companion app for the Flex Open lets you toggle the sound signature to stay close to the preferred curve. In a way, these earbuds tick all the right boxes if you are on a budget and want to try out this new open-ear earbuds trend for once without breaking the bank.

The post JLab Flex Open earbuds match Bose Ultra Open for a fraction of a price first appeared on Yanko Design.