I have previously reviewed earphones from JLab, an American company known for its affordable audio products. At the end of last August, at the IFA technology exhibition in Berlin, JLab introduced the JBuds Mini. These are extremely small earphones that come with a compact carrying case and a price tag of 200 shekels.
Design and Control: JBuds Mini - Like a keychain
What sets JBuds Mini apart is their compact appearance, and when I opened their packaging, I realized how small they are. The earphones themselves are very small compared to other earphones, weighing only 3.3 grams, and surprisingly comfortable in the ears, hardly noticeable. However, their miniature structure, while beautiful and discreet in the ears, causes unintentional touches on their touch surface, often accidentally pausing or playing songs.
The earphones and the carrying case come in matching colors: blue, light green, black, gray, and pink. The carrying case feels like a keychain and weighs only 18.5 grams. JLab includes an adapter in the package, allowing them to be connected to a keychain. The earphones themselves are sweat and dust resistant to IP55 standards.
You can control the earphones through the touch surface with all important capabilities: play/pause, skip forward/backward, switch EQ profiles, and of course adjust the volume. Button customization can be done through the company's app, and in addition, you can also adjust the EQ and use the volume limiting feature for safer
listening. One feature missing from the app is the ability to see the battery status of the earphones in percentages. There is only a general battery level indicator, and no indication at all for the battery status of the charging case. To know the battery status of the case, you need to look at a flashing red light that indicates critical battery level.
The earphones also support multipoint connectivity (connecting to two devices simultaneously) and it works well. Additionally, there is an option called "Be Aware" that allows you to be aware of your surroundings. There is no automatic music stop sensor when you remove the earphones from your ears, and there is no active noise cancellation (ANC) capability.
Battery: JBuds Mini - Almost a day of music
The battery life of the earphones is 5.5 hours, which is very respectable for earphones of this size. Together with the charging case, you get 20 hours. A 15-minute charge provides a single hour of music.
Usually, manufacturers include a short charging cable with the earphone set, one that has a USB-C connection on one side and USB-A on the other. To my delight, a USB-C to USB-C cable is included here.
Price: 200 shekels (official importer in Bikunqet)
In conclusion, the JBuds Mini are a successful surprise. They are comfortable, small, and sound good. They are not packed with features like more expensive headphones, but they make up for it with their colorful and very compact appearance.