Not too long ago, ANC on headphones was considered a premium feature that’s unsurprisingly accompanied by a premium price tag. Like every novel technology, though, it gets popular enough that it eventually becomes commonplace, so much so that it becomes a lot more affordable. The JLab Go Pop ANC, for instance, makes the once-premium noise canceling tech more accessible than ever.
Yes, the outfit already makes very affordable, ANC-capable true wireless earbuds for just $60. This time, though, they put the tech in even more affordable earbuds, making the very idea of paying premium for noise cancellation seem like an absolutely preposterous thought.
The JLab Go Pop ANC probably won’t have the same stellar active noise-canceling performance as you’re likely to find in more expensive earbuds from Sony and Bose. That’s because it doesn’t use the hybrid, multi-mic ANC systems now employed in most high-end earbuds. Instead, it uses a simpler feed-forward ANC that relies on two external microphones to pick up ambient sound, with no internal mics to supplement them. It’s still an effective system for eliminating a lot of ambient noise, albeit not as capable of detecting and removing the wider range of frequencies modern hybrid systems are able to handle. The device comes with three ANC settings, namely ANC On, ANC Off, and Be Aware, with the latter offering passthrough for outside noises.
The earbuds are equipped with 10mm dynamic drivers, which is pretty standard for this category of devices. It comes with a companion app that gives you access to an equalizer, allowing you to fine-tune the sound reproduction to your liking, either via built-in presets or custom settings. You can also set volume limits on the app, allowing you to cap sound levels to protect your hearing from excess loudness, as well as separate Movie and Music modes, so you can use the earbuds for different types of content.
The JLab Go Pop ANC uses noise-canceling mics for taking voice calls, allowing you to carry out phone conversations without any background noise, while multipoint Bluetooth allows you to connect with two devices at once for easier switching between audio sources. It supports Google Fast Pair, so you can pair it quickly and seamlessly with Android devices, while an IP55 rating gives it adequate water resistance to shrug off sweat, splashes, and even the occasional spill. The size is pretty compact, too, making this an overall excellent option for affordable earbuds.
According to the outfit, you can expect over six hours of listening time on the earbuds with ANC running, so you can binge watch multiple episodes on your laptop before needing to recharge. It comes with a charging case, of course, which holds an extra 15 hours of playtime with ANC turned on. With ANC turned off, it gains an extra hour of listening time on the earbuds and a full three hours of additional juice from the case. There’s a fast charge feature, too, that lets you give the earbuds an hour’s worth of charge in just 10 minutes of sitting in the case.
The JLab Go Pop ANC is available now, priced at $29.99.