Home > Consumer Reviews > JBuds J2 Premium Hi-FI Noise Isolating Earbuds (Orange Citrus)

I had high hopes for these after reading so many positive reviews. Its true that the clarity is incredible and they are effective for blocking out most external noise while being reasonably comfortable. But the lows were virtually non-existent and they never opened up. They also proved to be inadequate for music on the go as there was considerable static when I walked and the cord rubbed against my clothes.

If you plan to use these at home ONLY and listen to classical music, then these are probably great for you. However, if you listen to any hip hop or reggae or any music with a lot of bass these don't cut it.

The final straw broke when they stopped working after six months due to a problem with the cord near the plug-in. Going back to my cheapie Sony's

These earbuds are great. Comfort may become an issue but it is easy to adapt. The sound quality is good as I could barely hear anyone or anything else. To truly appreciate the earbuds use them in a quite in environment that is were they truly shine. Though the best part of these earbuds must be the NO TANGLES. Seriously for the course of 2 months they have never tangled, and trust me I am one of those people who just shoves them in their pockets. Every earbud I have used has tangled because I just shove them anywhere whether its a pocket, bag or backpack but these just seem not to tangle. Overall good product.

These earphones are really comfortable. When I first got them and tried them on, I felt like they were going to fall out because I didn't feel the pressure against my ear canals. It feels like I didn't even have them on. Really good earphones. My only criticism would be that maybe it should have a tad more bass; other than that.. they're worth the money.

I realize the J2 earbuds are near the lower end of the JLab product line, but I decided to purchase after reading many good Amazon reviews for the J2. What I actually like most is the funky color I got - citrus orange. Other than that, they leave a lot to be desired and I'll explain why.

I've been listening to a music shuffle on my ipod containing all kinds of music for the past 3 hours after breaking the J2's out of their plastic sarcophagus. So far they have yet to come close meeting my expectations. And as I'm writing this review I'm continuing to log listening time on the J2's.

The overall sound quality after what is now approaching 4 hours of play is still is somewhat muddy or muffled. When I first plugged them into my ipod, it sounded as if I was listening through a layer of cotton. I figured they needed a break-in period and wasn't very surprised or disappointed. However, I expected a significant improvement at this point since they've been playing now for 3+ hours but the J2 has yet to hit that mark. Sorry to say, it's not even close.

Another area where the J2 also falls short for me is the thin cord. I wrap the cord over my ear from behind to help ensure a proper fit. The cord will just not stay on my ears! It is an annoyance for me because it is distracting having these wires moving around every time I move my head so I've given up on the over-ear approach. Also, the rubber(?) tips you insert in you ear are quite flimsy so the seal and comfort for me are both marginal at best. After about an hour, I changed the tip size but the change has not improved anything yet and I'm now at the 4+ hour mark (it's taking some time to get all my thoughts in this review).

I picked these up in order to have a second set of IE phones should anything happen to my primary IE phones, the Altec Lansing UHP326 Backbeat Series In Ear Headphone with Ultimate Ears technology. Prior to buying the J2s, I picked up the 326 and they've so far performed splendidly. I got them on Amazon for half their normal Amazon price so they ultimately cost me only $1 more than what I spent on the J2. The sound quality and comfort of the 326 is by far superior to the J2 (I had reviewed the 326 while the J2 was still sealed in plastic). For me there is a night and day difference between what were comparably priced products. The 326 for me is the superior product. Between the two, the 326 has a much cleaner sound and is the considerably more satisfying product.

The J2 in ear headphones are probably good for young kids or, for that matter, anyone who doesn't fully appreciate or need quality sound and wants a product above the cheapest low end earphones. As for me, I'll give the J2's to my 6 year old and look elsewhere for my 'new' spare pair.

I'll be brief. I'm a pretty huge fan of music, more than just about anyone I know so my expectations may be a bit higher than many. That being said, I bought these despite the reviewers who claimed the high end was muddy, not very clear and the bass was ok because so many other people reviewed it and gave it good ratings - and - the price was right at the time.

However, I should have listened to the more critical reviews because they were dead on. I let them burn in over the weekend and then tried them out for a while. While they fit well and I've had no problems with the quality the hardware, the high end sound is very poor. It is muddied and there's a very big difference between the very nice set I have at work and these earbuds that I use when I'm at the gym most nights. The bass is fair, but doesn't blow me out of the water.

If you care about sound quality at all, I'd stay away from these. (Ok, that ended up being not so brief, sorry.)