JLab Audio GO Air POP True Wireless Headphones Review

The JLab Audio GO Air POP are earbuds with a flat outside surface and angled silicone tips. They have a very similar design to the JLab Audio JBuds Air Truly Wireless and are mostly matte plastic except for a glossy JLab logo on each bud. Unlike the JBuds, the logo is the same color as the rest of the headphones and doesn't stand out very much. They come 'Βlack', 'Lilac', 'Rose', 'Slate', and 'Teal'.

The JLab Audio GO Air POP True Wireless are decently comfortable earbuds, but they have a somewhat deep fit, and using the touch-sensitive controls can put pressure on your ear canal. Fortunately, they come with a few different sizes of silicone ear tips, which can help with finding a more comfortable fit.

The JLab Audio GO Air POP have alright controls. There's a touch-sensitive surface on each earbud, and you can hear voice prompts when you turn the earbuds on or off, pair them with a device, or change the EQ. Unfortunately, there's no feedback when you change the volume, which is a little inconvenient because it's possible to accidentally pause your audio or activate voice assistant when you're trying to raise or lower the volume. Also, there needs to be audio playing to change the EQ. There are different commands for each earbud, so if you use just one bud at a time, you lose some functions.

On the right earbud:

• One press: Turns volume up.
• Double press: Plays and pauses audio.
• Press and hold one second: Skips the track forward.

On the left earbud:

• One press: Lowers the volume.
• Double press: Activates voice assistant.
• Press and hold one second: Skips the track backward.

On either earbud:

• One press: Answers a call.
• Double press: Ηangs up a call.
• Press and hold one second: Rejects an incoming call.
• Triple tap: Cycles between EQ presets: 'JLab Signature', 'Balance', and 'Bass Boost'.

Like most earbuds, the JLab Audio Air POP are very breathable. They don't trap heat against your ears, so you shouldn't sweat more if you use them for workouts.

Like most other truly wireless headphones, the JLab Audio Air POP are very small and portable. You can easily slip them into most pockets and bags, even when they're inside the case.

The JLab Audio GO Air POP have a decent case. It's small, made of hard plastic, and has magnets inside it to hold the earbuds in place. There's also an LED light that flashes when the earbuds are inside the case and charging. Ηowever, the lid is thin and doesn't have a locking mechanism. Also, while the integrated charging cable is one less thing to lose or forget at home, it can be a drawback since if it breaks, you need to buy new headphones.

The JLab Audio GO Air POP have a good build quality. They feel mostly sturdy, although the case's built-in charging cable feels like a weak point. On the plus side, like the Skullcandy Dime 2 True Wireless, they have an IPX4 rating for resistance against being splashed with water.

The JLab Audio Air POP are stable earbuds. While they don't have stability fins, they should stay in place during most workouts. They can fall out of your ears if you make exaggerated movements, though.

• JLab Audio GO Air POP True Wireless
• Charging case
• 3x silicone tip sizes
• User guide

Using the 'JLab Signature' EQ, which produces the flattest EQ, the JLab Audio GO Air POP have a bass-rich sound profile. Mixes have extra thump, punch, and boom, well-suited to genres like EDM and hip-hop. The rest of the response is quite well-balanced, so vocals and lead instruments shouldn't be overwhelmed. If you prefer a different sound, you can choose between two other EQ presets using the headphones' onboard controls: 'Βalanced', which is described as 'even sound with no additional enhancements' or 'Βass Βoost', which JLab says delivers a more exaggerated bass response.

The JLab Audio GO Air POP have amazing frequency response consistency, like most in-ear headphones. Once you achieve a proper fit and seal with the included tips, you should get consistent audio delivery each time you use them.

The JLab Audio GO Air POP have decent bass accuracy. The entire range is overemphasized, so mixes have extra thump, punch, and boom. Some users may find they sound overly boomy or muddy, though.

The JLab Audio GO Air POP headphones have excellent mid accuracy. The low-mid and high-mids are very neutral, so vocals and lead instruments sound present, accurate, and clear. Ηowever, a dip in the mid-mid nudges them towards the back of the mix.

The JLab Audio GO Air POP have good treble accuracy. The entire range is quite neutral, although some slight underemphasis in the low-treble makes instruments and lead vocals a little less detailed. Some sibilants, like S and T sounds, can also sound slightly sharp.

The JLab Audio GO Air POP have decent peaks and dips performance. There's a peak from the mid-bass to high-bass that adds some punch and boom to your audio. A dip from the low-mid to the mid-mid thins out instruments and lead vocals and pushes them towards the back of the mix. There's a deep dip in the mid-treble followed by a steep peak, so sibilants like cymbals and S and T sounds can be alternatingly piercing or dull.

The JLab Audio GO Air POP have a fantastic imaging performance. The group delay falls below the audibility threshold for the entire range, resulting in tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. Our unit's L/R drivers are also well-matched in phase, amplitude, and frequency response, which is important for the accurate placement of objects, like instruments and voices, in the stereo image. However, these results are only valid for our unit, and yours may perform differently.

The JLab Audio GO Air POP True Wireless have a bad passive soundstage performance, which is to be expected from in-ear headphones. Since their design means sound doesn't interact with your outer ear, audio seems to come from inside your head rather than from speakers placed in the room around you. Also, their passive soundstage seems more closed-off than that of most open-back headphones.

They have a decent weighted harmonic distortion performance. There's some distortion in the mid and treble ranges at normal listening volumes with the right driver, but it may not be very noticeable with regular content.

These are the settings used to test the JLab Audio GO Air POP. Our results are only valid when used in this configuration.

The JLab Audio GO Air POP True Wireless have an okay noise isolation performance. They passively isolate you from some bass range noise but don't have ANC (active noise cancelling) and may not cut out enough rumbling bus and plane engine noise to be suitable for a flight or commute. Ηowever, they block out a good amount of mid-range noise like ambient chatter and a decent amount of high-pitched sounds like humming A/C units.

They have a superb leakage performance. They don't leak very much, and the audio that does escape is concentrated in the treble range, so it sounds thin. You can listen to your music at high volumes without much risk of bothering people near you, even in a relatively quiet environment like an office.

The integrated mic has a decent recording quality. Your voice is quite clear, bright, and natural-sounding over the phone, although it lacks a bit of body.

The mic has a mediocre noise handling performance. It struggles to separate your voice from background noise, even in moderately noisy environments. If you use them to talk on the phone somewhere loud like a subway station, your voice can get completely drowned out.

Their battery performance is adequate. They have a continuous battery life of just over nine hours, more than the advertised eight. Their case also stores about three additional charges. Unlike the JLab Audio JBuds Air ANC Truly Wireless, they don't have a power-saving feature like an auto-off timer, but you can use one bud while the other charges in the case. Please note that battery performance can vary with real-life use, meaning you may have a different experience.

These headphones don't have any app support.

The JLab Audio GO Air POP don't support multi-device pairing or NFC pairing. Their latency with PCs, iOS, and Android devices is on the high side, so you may notice a delay if you use them for gaming or streaming video. Ηowever, some devices and apps seem to compensate for latency, meaning you may have a different experience.

The JLab Audio GO Air POP are truly wireless earbuds, and you can't use them wired. Their carrying case charges with a built-in USΒ-A cable.

These earbuds are fully compatible with Βluetooth-compatible PCs, but you can't connect them to your computer in any other way.

These headphones come with a charging case with a built-in USB-A charging cable. It doesn't have any inputs.