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 in 'Black,' Navy,' 'Lilac,' 'Rose' (red), 'Slate,' 'Pink,' 'Violet,' and 'Teal.'

They're decently comfortable. However, they have a somewhat deep fit, and using the controls can put pressure on your ear canal. Overall they aren't quite as comfortable for most people as earbuds like the Jabra Elite 3 True Wireless.

The controls are alright. 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 inconvenient because it's possible to accidentally pause your audio or activate voice assistant when trying to raise or lower the volume. Also, there needs to be audio playing to change the EQ. Each earbud has different commands, so if you use just one bud at a time, you lose some functions.

On the right earbud:

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

On the left earbud:

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

On either earbud:

• Single 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.'

They're very breathable. They won't trap heat against your ears, so you won't sweat more if you use them for workouts.

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

They have a decent case. It's small, made of hard plastic, and has magnets inside to hold the earbuds in place. There's also an LED light that flashes when the earbuds are inside the case and charging. However, 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, you need to buy new headphones if it rips or breaks.

They're well-built. 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.

These earbuds have good stability. Although they don't have stability fins, they can stay in your ears during a run in the park. If you make big, exaggerated movements, they can slip out of place.

• JLab Audio GO Air POP True Wireless earbuds
• Charging case
• 3x silicone tip sizes (S, M, L)
• User guide

Using the 'JLab Signature' EQ preset, which produces the flattest frequency response, these earbuds have a bass-rich sound profile. Mixes have extra rumble and boom, which makes them a great choice if you love to feel the punch of EDM kick drums. Vocals and instruments sound clear and present, but a dip in the mid-mid nudges them toward the back of the mix. A dip and peak in the mid-treble can render sibilants like S and T sounds dull or piercing depending on their pitch. To adjust their sound, you can choose between two other EQ presets using the headphones' onboard controls: 'Βalanced,' which the manufacturer describes as "even sound with no additional enhancements" or 'Βass Βoost,' which delivers a more exaggerated bass response.

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

The JLab Audio GO Air POP have decent bass accuracy. The flattest EQ setting still overemphasizes the entire range, so your audio has extra rumble, punch, and boom. However, all this extra bass can also make mixes sound a touch muddy. Boomy 808 bass drums in songs like Caribou's All I Ever Need are exciting to listen to but can drown out mid-range synth sounds a little.

The JLab Audio GO Air POP headphones have excellent mid-range accuracy. The low-mids are well-balanced, ensuring mixes sound full without feeling too cluttered. A dip in the mid-mids can push sounds like the guitar solo outro in Sultans of Swing by Dire Straight to the back of the mix. The high-mids are virtually flat, ensuring vocals are rendered accurately and with clarity, but never sound harsh.

They have good treble accuracy. The low-treble is well-balanced so instruments have plenty of presence without sounding painful. However, a dip and a big peak in the mid-treble can make sibilants, like S and T sounds, sound dull or piercing depending on their pitch.

These earbuds have a decent peaks and dips performance, meaning they follow their own sound profile reasonably well. A peak from the mid-bass to high-bass adds some punch and boom to your audio. A dip from the low-mid to the mid-mid thins out instruments and lead vocals, pushing them toward 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 are alternatingly dull or piercing.

They have a fantastic imaging performance. Most JLab products we've tested have good imaging, which suggests the brand has solid ergonomics and quality control. 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, imaging performance can vary between units.

As expected with in-ear headphones, they have a bad passive soundstage. Since their design means sound doesn't interact with your outer ear, audio lacks a sense of distance and width, so sound 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 most open-back headphones.

These earbuds 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. While it's audible, it's hard to spot with real-life 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 have a decent noise isolation performance, especially considering they don't have ANC. They can passively reduce more bass-range noise like rumbling engines than the similarly designed Anker Soundcore P25i/P20i True Wireless, but they're still not ideal if you like to listen on your commute. You'll hear plenty of mid-range sounds like passenger chit-chat and doors slamming shut. That said, they do a better job of reducing higher-pitched noise like humming computer fans.

The JLab Audio GO Air POP 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 will sound intelligible and clear to whoever you're talking to. You'll sound a bit thin, as the mic doesn't capture much high-bass, and you won't sound airy as the response shelves off in the mid-treble.

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

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. That said, battery performance can vary with real-life use.

These buds don't have companion app support. If that's important to you, you'll want to consider the JLab Audio JBuds ANC 3 True Wireless instead.

These earbuds don't have features like multi-device pairing or NFC for quick pairing. Their latency with PCs, iOS, and Android devices is on the high side, so you'll notice audio lag when watching videos on your phone or computer. However, some apps and devices compensate for latency differently.

Since they're truly wireless earbuds, you can't use them wired. Their carrying case charges with a built-in USΒ-A cable that fits into a small storage compartment at the bottom of the case.

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.