I tested these $36 earbuds and now every other pair of budget earbuds are ruined for me

I’m going to start this nice and simple: the JLab Go Pods ANC earbuds are, hands down, the best earbuds you can get at this price. There’s no doubt in my mind.

The Go Pods ANC may be just $36/£29, but they perform like a pair of $99 earbuds. I know that doesn’t sound like a massive deal, but be assured that most sub-$40 earbuds sound like… well, they sound like garbage.

The JLab Go Pods ANC actually sound phenomenal for the price, with loud bass and non-tinny mids. No, they’re not going to give Bose a run for its money, but for $36? These earbuds are by far the best bang-for-buck buds out there. I’ll talk about everything in detail in this JLab Go Pods ANC review.

JLab Go Pods ANC review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? Perhaps the cheapest earbuds I’ve ever tested, and also surprisingly some of the best
• Who is it for? These earbuds are a no-brainer for people who need budget earbuds that are actually good
• What does it cost? Sit down for this: $36/£29
• What do we like? Uhm, do you need me to write that price again? But no, seriously, these are some of the most affordable earbuds I’ve ever seen — let alone good earbuds
• What don’t we like? They’re a little uncomfy after a long time, but that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make for $36

JLab Go Pods ANC review: Specs

JLab Go Pods ANC review: Price & availability

The JLab Go Pods ANC are some of the cheapest earbuds I’ve ever tested. They’re just $36 on Amazon U.S. and £29 on Amazon U.K., making them $13 cheaper than the second-cheapest earbuds I’ve ever tested, the EarFun Air 2.

EarFun is probably JLab’s closest competitor here: the EarFun Air 2 NC earbuds are $69 and the Air Pro 4 are $99. Even though the EarFun models are crazy affordable, the performance and price of the Go Pods ANC just blow them out of the water.

Other budget options are Soundcore’s offerings, like the Soundcore Liberty 5s ($129) and the P20i buds ($39). The P20i earbuds are just $3 pricier than the JLab offering, but they don’t have ANC. They’re often on sale for around $20.

In terms of baseline performance for price, the JLab Go Pods ANC blow the competition out of the water.

JLab Go Pods ANC review: Design & controls

• Overly large nozzle uncomfortable for long periods
• Responsive touch controls (hallelujah!)
• Comes in lilac or sage!

I love when earbuds come in fun colors, and if you do too, you’ll be pleased to know that the JLab Go Pods ANC are available in lilac, dark sage, and the more standard black. I tested the lilac shade and I was obsessed — it’s so pretty!

The charging case is quite plasticky, though, as are the buds themselves, but I don’t think this is a major issue considering they’re just $36. The lid of the charging case feels very stable.

One of the most unique features is that the USB-C charging cable is built into the case itself. Now, I don’t know how to feel about this. On the one hand, it’s great that I’m never going to forget my charger again. Yet… on the other hand, I always carry a USB-C cable with me anyway (for my phone), and I know how volatile charging cables are. If that cable breaks, does that mean I have to buy a whole new set of earbuds?

Well, seeing as some charging cables (by brands like Anker) can go for $10 on Amazon, I’m technically just spending $16 on the earbuds. Right? Hm.

Anyway… JLab has a 2-year warranty anyway so this shouldn’t be an issue in the long term. I like pretty much everything about the Go Pods ANC, except…

Oh, they’re kind of uncomfortable for long periods of wear.

It’s a massive shame, because I love everything about these earbuds. Except for this one thing. Why is the nozzle so big? Listen, I didn’t think I had particularly small ears until I started testing earbuds. But for some reason, I evidently have tiny ears, or every manufacturer is just making massive earbuds for no reason.

The nozzle of the Go Pods ANC is 2 ½ millimeters, so about 0.5mm longer than the AirPods Pro 2. I know that doesn’t sound like a lot, but considering it’s about 25% larger, it feels like a lot on my cartilage.

I gave the earbuds to my boyfriend to try and he said they were a little uncomfortable, but nothing major.

This doesn’t seem to be a JLab issue, though: the EarFun earbuds I’ve tried suffer from the same problem. I think it’s a budget earbud issue: if you have really small ears but want to stick to a low budget, I’d recommend the JLab JBuds Mini, which I’m also testing as we speak.

JLab Go Pods ANC review: Features & connectivity

• Multipoint connectivity
• Custom EQ and controls in app
• IP66

It brings me great pleasure to announce that the JLab Go Pods ANC have multipoint connectivity. This is majorly refreshing to see on a pair of budget earbuds. Connecting is easy: you just have to connect to the first device, turn off Bluetooth, connect to the second, turn on Bluetooth on the first device, and you’re good to go.

Unfortunately, the Go Pods ANC have no wear detection, but this is an acceptable sacrifice for a pair of $36 earbuds. They do stop playing when you place them in the charging case.

Most budget earbuds (EarFun, Soundcore) have a waterproof rating of IPX5-IPX7, but the Go Pods ANC have an IP rating of IP66. This means the buds are protected against particles (so think dust, sand) as well as water. This is a really impressive IP rating for a $36 pair of earbuds.

Actually, the existence of any features at all is impressive. Custom EQ, durability rating, multipoint connectivity… these are all features I would expect on a $50+ pair of earbuds. If they’re present on a pair of $36, that’s a bonus.

Obviously there are no hi-res streaming codecs like aptX or LDAC, but I don’t mind. For just $36, I’m happy with whatever I’m given. In the case of the Go Pods ANC, the EQ, durability, multipoint, and touch controls that actually work, are more than enough to please me.

JLab Go Pods ANC review: Audio quality

• Surprisingly great sound quality
• Loud bass
• Non-tinny mids

On top of my daily listening, I tested the JLab Go Pods ANC by listening to a range of genres on Qobuz, our best streaming service for audiophiles. I listened using the custom EQ, which you can read more about in the ‘App’ section below.

I listened to ‘Pockets’ by Panic Shack, which is a DIY punk track. The stereo guitar riffs were prominent without overpowering the rhythm section of the track, and the bass was loud, albeit almost too loud. For a pair of $36 earbuds, though, I’m not complaining.

Afterwards, I listened to ‘In Degrees’ and ‘On the Luna’ by Foals. ‘In Degrees’ has a looping synth section at the head of the track, with a house beat. While, yes, the bass was a little overpowering in some parts and a little anticlimactic in others, the Go Pods ANC performed considerably better than the Soundcore Liberty 5, which were too loud and quiet at the same time.

‘On the Luna’ has sharp synth peaks and a heavy bassline, and sounded surprisingly great through the Go Pods ANC. I found myself wanting more when the song finished.

To give the Go Pods ANC a fair test, I switched up the genre next. I went for electronic with ‘Slow Burner (Effy Remix)’ by Interplanetary Criminal, which is an atmospheric, ethereal UKG track. The synth notes were loud and the percussion was impactful without being tinny, and I was really impressed.

‘Tir Ha mor’ by Gwenno is a folk-pop-indie track (sung entirely in the Cornish Celtic language, which is very cool), with twinkling keys and a dreamy soft vocal. While I wanted the bass to be a tiny bit louder, there was no tinniness, even in the glistening percussion. Tinniness is usually the main symptom of cheap earbuds, but in the Go Pods ANC’s case, there’s none of that whatsoever.

For some bassy sass, I listened to ‘Von Dutch’ by Charli xcx. The bass was pumping and the drums were layered, albeit the tiniest bit tinny at the top of the treble (but I know this song well, and that’s also a stylistic choice).

Lastly, I played ‘Cobra’ by Megan Thee Stallion, which has a nu-metal guitar riff layered over a hip-hop beat. The vocals were clear and the production was deep, although I did long for a touch more bass. This could be easily rectified by adjusting the EQ, though.

I definitely recommend playing around with the EQ settings in JLab’s app based on what genres you commonly listen to. On the whole, though? Wow, I can’t tell that these earbuds are so cheap. I would believe me if you told me they were $99. Obviously, they’re not going to defeat the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds in a battle to the death, but they can definitely hold their own.

JLab Go Pods ANC review: ANC

• Three ANC modes: ANC on, ANC off, HearThru
• I wish the earbuds announced ANC mode
• ANC on a little vacuum-reminiscent, but not too bad

As I wrote above, the ANC is a little vacuum-like. However, it did a fantastic job of drowning out environmental noise. I couldn’t hear myself typing that loudly, and all of the seagulls screeching outside my apartment were pleasantly silenced (as they all should be, controversial opinion).

I couldn’t hear any traffic noise from the busy road outside my apartment, even when I was sitting on the balcony. I don’t get public transport much (I am a big fan of walking), but, judging from the ANC performance around the city and in shops, I would have faith in the Go Pods ANC’s ability to silence bus and train rides.

If I have one qualm with the ANC, it’s that the buds don’t announce which ANC mode you’re in. I mean, it’s kind of obvious when you’re in each mode, but I’d like to have the reassurance that I’m not just imagining the seagull noise, you know?

JLab Go Pods ANC review: App

• JLab app, easy to use and clean UI
• Customize EQ, workout interval timer (because why not)
• Customize touch controls, music/movie mode, and more

I love the JLab app. It’s so simple, clean, and easy to use. I would recommend downloading the app as soon as you unbox the earbuds and fiddle with the EQ to find a setting you like. Here’s what I went for.

If you want to get the best out of your earbuds, this is the EQ you’ll want. In my humble opinion, anyway.

The JLab app has a huge range of functions: you can activate movie or music mode, do a HIIT workout with the built-in interval timer, and customize touch controls. If you’re concerned about hearing health, there’s even a volume limiter.

Yes, you can even choose from a selection of ambient soundscapes to relax. This app is actually so useful.

JLab Go Pods ANC review: Call quality

• 2 mics in each bud
• Colleagues reported clean and audible speech

I tested the Go Pods ANC’s mic and call quality on a work call. My colleagues all reported that they could hear me perfectly, and the mic was pretty good. Although it wasn’t the best call quality they’d ever heard, it was better than alternatives.

JLab says there are 2 mics in each earbud, but doesn’t specify if these mics are loaded with an environmental-noise-reducing AI algorithm. I don’t think it needs it, though, as the quality was already great.

JLab Go Pods ANC review: Battery

• 26 hours in charging case
• 7.5 hours in earbuds
• Built-in USB-C recharging cable

The JLab Go Pods ANC have great battery life. Obviously, these earbuds aren’t going head-to-head with the big guns in the audio industry, but just for comparison: Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 have just 24 hours of battery. The battery life is one of my least favorite aspects of my beloved Apple earbuds.

While other budget buds have better battery lives (the EarFun Air 2 and EarFun Air Pro 4 I mentioned earlier are 40 hours each, at $49 and $99 respectively), I’m really not complaining for $36. I tested these buds for over a week and haven’t charged them yet.

JLab Go Pods ANC review: Verdict

There’s no competition whatsoever. I am not afraid to come out and say it with confidence: the JLab Go Pods ANC are the best super-cheap earbuds on the market. Nothing else compares.

Yes, EarFun earbuds are good, but they’re priced at around $50-$100. For $36 earbuds? Sheesh, it’s the Go Pods ANC or bust. There’s no question about it: Go Pods ANC take the crown in every this vs. that budget earbuds contest.

The sound quality is mind-blowing for the price, and the premium features have no right to be this good. I think I’ve found my favorite super-budget earbuds forever. Any other budget earbuds I test in the future have a lot to live up to — I’m not jealous of them right now.

The JLab Go Pods ANC are the best value earbuds out there, and I’ll fight anyone who disagrees.