Just how affordable can a set of true wireless earbuds get? Until today, we would have said $25 — the price that Skullcandy charges for its surprisingly good Skullcandy Dime. But now, there’s no denying that JLab has raised the bar on lower prices with its $20 Go Air Pop, which are available today in a variety of bright colors like lilac, rose, slate, and teal, plus basic black.
Despite the rock bottom price, the JLab Go Air Pop are remarkably well-equipped when it comes to features. Each earbud will operate for a claimed 8 hours per charge, with a total playtime of 32 hours when you include their charging case. That’s far longer than some very well-known white earbuds that cost more than seven times as much.
They’re IPX4 rated, so they should withstand both sweat and rain, and JLab backs them with a two-year warranty. The standard for the true wireless space is one year. The charging case comes with its own integrated USB charging cable, something we’ve seen on several JLab models including the $30 Go Air, which until now was the company’s most affordable true wireless earbuds. The Go Air Pop are 15% smaller than the Go Air, which JLab says should help more people find a better fit.
Each earbud can be used independently, and JLab claims that with their Bluetooth 5.1 connection, you should be able to get about 30 feet of distance between the buds and your phone. The tap controls cover the most-used functions like play/pause, track skip forward/back, volume, voice assistant access, as well as JLab’s three built-in EQ modes: JLab Signature, balanced, and bass boost — no smartphone app required.
The Go Air Pop already cost less for a full set of earbuds than most companies charge for a single earbud replacement, but JLab also plans to offer replacement earbuds for the Go Air Pop. Replacement earbuds will be available to purchase at “a fraction of the cost,” the company said in a press release.
At $20, there’s reason to be skeptical of the Go Air Pop’s sound quality, but JLab has surprised many times in the past with just how good a set of affordable earbuds can sound. Does Skullcandy need to worry? Probably. But we’ll let you know which company has the better product when we get a set of Go Air Pops to try for ourselves.
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