Skip to main content

JLab’s new earbuds are smaller than a dime, and it says $99 hearing aids are on the way

Ahead of next week’s CES 2023 show in Las Vegas, JLab is giving us a sneak peek at what it will be showing to attendees. The company, which has a reputation for very affordable audio gear, is showing off its JBuds Mini, a $40 set of wireless earbuds that are tiny — 30% smaller than the JLab Go Air Pop, which were already remarkably small. They come in a charging case that’s designed to attach to a key ring, much like the Skullcandy Dime, and the entire package is no bigger than most wireless car keyfobs.

JLab Jbuds Mini.
JLab

Previous JLab earbuds have come with charging cases that have integrated USB cables, but the JBuds Mini take a more conventional approach, with a separate USB-C cable. The JBuds Mini are expected to hit stores in the fall of 2023, with six hours of playtime per charge in the earbuds, and 24 hours when you include the charging case. They’re also compatible with Bluetooth Multipoint for simultaneous connections to two devices.

JLab also has something new for those who want a more premium wireless experience. Also arriving in the fall, the $199 JLab Epic Lab Edition earbuds use a hybrid driver design that combines a 10mm dynamic driver and a Knowles balanced armature (B.A.) driver. JLab says this produces the most detailed, balanced, and clear sound the company has ever achieved from a set of earbuds. They also support JLab’s customizable active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency modes, plus wireless charging.

JLab Epic Lab Edition.
JLab

The most unusual aspect of these new buds is the included USB-C dongle that stows away inside the case. This gives devices like phones and computers the ability to connect to the Epic Lab Edition using Bluetooth LE Audio. LE Audio offers a new codec called LC3, which is more efficient than the previous Bluetooth standard, SBC, but JLab is most interested in LC3’s low latency capabilities, which make it a very good choice for gamers.

There’s no word yet on battery life, Bluetooth Multipoint, or whether the Epic Lab Edition will support additional Bluetooth codecs like AAC, LDAC, or Qualcomm’s aptX family of codecs.

JLab OTC hearing aids.
JLab’s OTC Hearing Aids. JLab

Finally, JLab is taking a stab at the newly opened market for OTC hearing aids. Though the details remain thin, the company says it intends to sell two types of these devices: an OTC Hearing Aid ($99), and a Self-Fitting OTC Hearing Aid (price still TBD). JLab hasn’t said how these two devices will differ, but claims they will both offer a discreet design, iOS, and Android streaming compatibility, “impressive” battery life, and a two-year warranty.

Considering that typical hearing aids cost in the thousands and that even new OTC hearing aids from companies like Sony cost as much as $1,000, a set of devices that cost only $100 would be a remarkable achievement — if they’re effective. JLab hasn’t indicated when its hearing products will be available.

Editors' Recommendations

Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like…
Best Buy has a 50-inch QLED 4K TV for $400, and it’s not a bad buy
TCL 5-Series 4K QLED Google TV sits on an entertainment center in a living room.

If you’re looking to expand, upgrade, or build your home theater entirely from scratch, there’s a price drop on a QLED TV at Best Buy right now. The 50-inch model of the TCL 5-Series 4K Smart TV is discounted $30 from down to $400. Its regular price of $430 is pretty impressive for a QLED TV, and this discount makes it even more so. Best Buy is including free shipping with your purchase, and the TV also comes with three free months of AppleTV+ and one month of free FuboTV.

Why you should buy the TCL 50-inch 4K QLED Smart TV
When it comest to ensuring you get a TV with superior picture quality, QLED and OLED picture technologies are pretty much the cream of the crop. OLED TVs use self-lit pixels to create impressive image contrast, but this 50-inch 4K TV by TCL utilizes QLED technology, which provides impressive picture quality using nanoparticles called quantum dots. These supercharge its brightness and color, and make the TCL 50-inch 4K Smart TV a great option for your home theater if you’re looking to create an immersive and lifelike viewing experience. It also supports Dolby Vision HDR, which adds another layer of depth to the experience.

Read more
Are TCL and Hisense the next LG and Samsung?
A village built into a seaside mountainside shown on a Hisense U6K.

If you had told me 20 years ago — or, heck, even 15 — that Samsung and LG were going to be the top TV brands in the U.S., I’d have laughed in your face. But I feel like I’ve learned to see the writing on the wall since then. And now I’m wondering: Are TCL and Hisense the next Samsung and LG?

If we take a look at TCL and Hisense's 2023 TV lineups, their recently inked partnerships with huge national sports organizations, and their progress over the last five years in terms of both technological advancement and sales, I think there's a strong argument in favor of TCL and Hisense becoming the top two TV brands in the U.S.
TCL in 2023
We’ll start with TCL’s 2023 TV lineup. You already know about the QM8 Mini-LED,  right? If not, you have got to check out that TV. But what else does TCL have in store? Well, there’s the Q7, which, while not a mini-LED TV, does have a full-array local dimming backlight system, quantum dots, high brightness with 1,000 nits peak, and a slate of other desirable features. Plus, the 65-inch model, for price reference, is $1,000. Now, in case you don’t recall, last year’s 6-Series, the R655, was a mini-LED TV, and the 65-inch version of that TV sold for $1,000.

Read more
Google ends support for the original Chromecast
Google's first-gen Chromecast dongle.

Ten years is not a bad run in the world of smart devices. That's how long it's been since Google released the very first Chromecast, a tiny $35 HDMI dongle that let you wirelessly stream audio and video to your TV, with your phone serving as the remote. We liked it so much when it debuted, we named it the best product of 2013.

Unfortunately, all good things must pass, and 9to5Google recently noticed that Google quietly ended support for the original Chromecast on April 27, 2023, which means it will no longer get any feature or security updates.

Read more