These new $30 earbuds bring ANC and 24 hours of battery life for less than a month's coffee

A pair of earbuds on top of a laptop — (Image credit: JLab)

"AirPods, ShmairPods" seems to be JLab's approach to earbuds right now. The firm makes some super cost-effective devices, filled with features that you'd find on more premium headphones. I've really enjoyed my time testing buds from the budget-conscious brand, but this new model seems to be its most interesting yet.

Costing just $30, the brand-new Go Pop ANC pack in some top-notch features to rival far more expensive competition. For one there's that ANC and its accompanying modes, but there's far more besides that make these a very tempting proposition.

Budget buds with flagship promise

There is no shortage of low-cost earbuds with ANC, but the Go Pop ANC bring the feature to an even lower price. There are extra modes in the ANC as well, including a 'Be Aware' mode. That's JLab's version of transparency mode, letting you hear more of the outside world when you need to buy a bus ticket or chat with a store clerk. Most cheap noise-canceling buds only have ANC, so for there to be an extra mode is a big bonus in this case.

There's more besides the active noise-canceling. They'll connect to a couple of different devices thanks to Bluetooth Multipoint connection. You can connect them to the solid JLab App, so you can change their EQ and adjust detailed settings. Their battery life sounds very good for the price as well. 6 hours in the buds and 24 in the charging case rivals the far more expensive AirPods Pro 2.

Most important to me is the sound, and the Go Pop ANC could well be a top performer. There's a 10mm driver on board that should sound great, although it'll be down to JLab's tuning in the end. I'm excited to see just how good the newest budget buds on the block are — we're hoping that they take a spot on the list of the best cheap wireless earbuds. They're available to order on JLab's website now.

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Tammy and her generous collection of headphones have found a new home — Tom's Guide! After a two-and-a-half-year stint as iMore's resident audiophile, Tammy's reviews and buying guide expertise have more focus than ever on Tom's Guide, helping buyers find the audio gear that works best for them. Tammy has worked with some of the most desirable audio brands on the planet in her time writing about headphones, speakers, and more, bringing a consumer focussed approach to critique and buying advice. Away from her desk, you'll probably find her in the countryside writing (extremely bad) poetry, or putting her screenwriting Masters to good use creating screenplays that'll never see the light of day.