JLab’s true wireless in-ears have six hours of juice in the buds, 32 in the case

By Parker Hall Updated September 21, 2021

JLab has released an updated version of its Epic Air true wireless headphones that is sure to please anyone who wants to listen to the maximum amount of tunes before they need to juice up their headphones. Called the Epic Air Elite, the new model boasts an industry-leading six hours of battery life in the earbuds, with a whopping 32 hours of charge coming from the included charging case.

With competitors like Jabra and Apple topping out at just five hours, that’s a big win for the budding audio brand, which has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years.

“The Epic Air Elite are a true testament of innovation when you listen to the community,” said JLab CEO Win Cramer in a press release. “We listened to customers of our original Epic Air. They loved the design, the battery life, and the fit. We adopted their recommendations into the Epic Air Elite true wireless earbud. Now, with our world-class fit and best-in-class battery, we have a superstrong Bluetooth connection to make cutouts obsolete, Be Aware Audio for a safe experience while running or biking, improved user interface, quick access to Siri/Google with an even sportier design.”

Best of all, the Epic Air Elite come with a very competitive price tag. At just $150 for a set, they easily compete with the more expensive Jabra Elite Active 65t (currently our favorite true wireless earbuds),and Apple AirPods.

The one and only drawback we can see with the new iteration of JLabs true wireless in-ears is their form factor. With big clips that go around each ear, they may remind some of the workout headphones they may have worn in the 1980s and ’90s, rather than the kind of sleek true wireless in-ears they are seeking.

Still, if you’re after the biggest possible battery and charging case, and a totally serviceable set of true wireless in-ears (we recommended the first iteration of the Epic Air headphones when we first spent time with them), the JLab Epic Air Elite may just be the headphones for you.

For more information, we recommend you check out the company’s website. And as always, be sure to check out our list of the best true wireless headphones available right now if you need a bit of inspiration for your next purchase.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Parker Hall is a writer and musician from Portland, OR. He is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin…

Audio / Video

Nothing’s transparent Ear 1 earbuds get blacked out for stealthy special edition

Nothing Ear 1 Black Edition earbud.

Are the Nothing Ear 1 true wireless headphones, in that ice-cool white and transparent finish, a little too stark-looking for you? If so, then you’ll probably really like the new version just announced. This is the Black Edition of the Nothing Ear 1 in-ear headphones, and while they retain the trademark transparent casing, the white color has been replaced by black for a stealthy aesthetic.
What’s new?
The Nothing Ear 1 Black Edition has a classy mix of dark shades, with the body of the earbuds in matte black with gloss black collars, and the transparent plastic over the stems adding shine to the black components inside. The case’s transparent lid is now smoky black rather than completely transparent, the molded inner section is black, and the various metal parts that were polished on the first version, are also in black to complete the theme.

There’s another, arguably more important thematic reason for the introduction of the Black Edition, as the company has also announced the Ear 1 is carbon neutral. Nothing has worked with several third parties to assess the headphones, and will add the 1.78kg carbon footprint data to the Ear 1’s latest packaging.

Audio / Video

Denon’s first true wireless earbuds are now available starting at just $99

Denon Noise Cancelling Earbuds

Denon is the latest big audio brand to join the true wireless earbuds world, and it's doing so in fine form, with two models: The Denon Noise Cancelling Earbuds (AH-C830NCW), which sell for $159, and the $99 Denon Wireless Earbuds (AH-C630W). Both come in your choice of black or white and are available to buy starting November 16.

Denon isn't exactly taking the true wireless world by storm with these two models -- neither offer features we haven't seen on countless other models from Sony, Bose, Apple, and others -- but they are quite competitively priced for what you get. Both offer IPX4 protection from water and sweat, and both have what Denon describes as "astonishing levels of detail, dimensionality and dynamics never before experienced with conventional earbuds." That sounds like classic marketing hyperbole, but at least Denon has a long history of walking the talk when it comes to audio quality, so for now we'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

Audio / Video

Shure’s first true wireless earbuds focus on music and call quality

Shure Aonic Free in charging case.

After years of being the company that audio pros have looked to for their wired in-ear monitors, Shure has finally debuted its first set of genuine true wireless earbuds: The $199 Shure Aonic Free. They're available in a single color (graphite gray) starting November 4.

We say "genuine" true wireless earbuds, because technically speaking, the company's Shure Aonic 215, which it released in 2020 for $229, were also true wireless earbuds in the sense that each earbud had its own power source and wasn't connected with any kind of tether. But their over-the-ear loop design let you swap out the acoustic portion for a different earbud module and that made them far bigger than any other true wireless earbuds.