If you remember a few months ago I received my first bluetooth earphone, the Havit Sports Bluetooth Earbud. I greatly enjoyed the freedom it provided me during my workouts seeing I no longer had a cord flapping merrily in the wind. So when a fellow head-fier offered to trade me the JLab Epic Bluetooth Earphones in exchange for my Monster Inspirations that I no longer used, I happily took the gentleman up on his offer. So, how do I find the JLab Epic’s performance? Let’s find out.
The Opening Experience
The JLab Epic was packaged pretty nicely, though it was previously opened by the previous owner he did a very appreciated job of placing everything back the way it would’ve been new. The box is presented very nicely as well it possesses a front opening flap that allows you to view the product without opening it. From a retail standpoint that’s very convenient, and from a professional standpoint, eh it’s cool. The inside is traditionally packaged with nothing really standing out that sets the Epic apart from other BT IEM’s at a similar price point, however the included carrying case is one of the coolest I’ve came across for it’s big enough for a phone (roughly 5.3” or less) as well as a clip to hook onto your pants.
Construction
These are built to take a beating. They don’t look that luxurious, nor are they built using premium materials, but they do bestow me the confidence that they can be used, abused and put through the ringer and continue to come back for more. That is exactly what I expect from a workout earphone, I don’t need nor want fancy I want results and efficiency and the Epic provides this in spades.
Comfort
The JLab Epic rates amongst the most comfortable iem I’ve ever listened to. Of course everyone's experience will vary but the Epic’s just fit perfectly into my ears to such a degree that I could confuse them as a custom. Never once during any period duration of listening did I have any fatigue with these and also something that is EXTREMELY rare for me personally is that I had zero, none, nilche problems with the silicone tips. For those familiar with me know, I almost have to use exclusively Comply memory foam tips because silicone almost always irritates my ears but this is most certainly not the case with the JLab Epic.
Sound
So how’s the performance of these $100 bluetooth iem’s? Well they’re most certainly a huge upgrade from the Havit’s I’ve been using and these can also function as an audio enjoyment iem as well as a workout earbud and that’s HUGE.
The soundstage on the Epic’s are pretty respectable considering the category they’re in, as well as the positional cues are quite revealing. Transparency is respectable but I can most certainly tell I’m listening through iem’s so the lifelike appeal isn’t too strong with these.
A small downside to the sound, at least I believe it would go in this section, is that the range on these are horrible. The standard range is rated at 32ft. but these maybe get 20 before they start falling off and if there’s any obstructions of the signal path then is over. So for those of you who are like myself and prefer to put these in your pockets as you run then you will want to invest in an arm band for the signal will consistently break up. But that’ enough of a synops, let’s dive into the individual aspects of the JLab Epic.
Treble
The highs are respectably clean and accurate but they do tend to peak quite early. Often times this is of little concern but when I’m listening to techno or electronic music, which I only do when I run, I do find it sometimes annoying. When I’m looking for that chilling peak in the music for that extra adrenaline push to start the last x distance of my run and the Epic falls quite short of that deliverance I have to refocus my mind into the overall beat of the song to avoid losing my groove. I hate running.
Mid
My personal favorite aspect of audio pieces. For to me the mids are where the soul of the music lies. The JLab Epic’s do a very good job at delivering the vocalists performance despite being slightly recessed when compared to the rest of the frequency band. There’s still plenty of body in each note as is realism but the vocals to still sound distant. A great example of this is in Nathaniel Rateliff’ & The Night Sweat “S.O.B.”
Bass
Like every other workout geared audio piece I’ve tried, the bass if most certainly the focal point of the Epic. It’s very punchy and hard hitting with drawn out decay, this from an audiophile perspective is horrible and bad but from a workout angle it’s ideal. Most often when people are working out they have music playing as a background beat and music such as rock, techno, etc… are the most common genres for this activity. So having said bass response allows the listener to get that heavy beat they’re wanting for that extra pump in their workout.
Conclusion
To sum up the JLab Epic bluetooth earphone I’m overall rather impressed. The more hours I put into it the more it ties into other wireless iem’s of similar price put the comfort and built quality is most certainly a separating factor. But for these to retail for $100, I find their performance well within their asking price and I am very satisfied with my trade.
Till next time my friends, make sure you check out my YouTube unboxing & review video as well!
The Opening Experience
The JLab Epic was packaged pretty nicely, though it was previously opened by the previous owner he did a very appreciated job of placing everything back the way it would’ve been new. The box is presented very nicely as well it possesses a front opening flap that allows you to view the product without opening it. From a retail standpoint that’s very convenient, and from a professional standpoint, eh it’s cool. The inside is traditionally packaged with nothing really standing out that sets the Epic apart from other BT IEM’s at a similar price point, however the included carrying case is one of the coolest I’ve came across for it’s big enough for a phone (roughly 5.3” or less) as well as a clip to hook onto your pants.
Construction
These are built to take a beating. They don’t look that luxurious, nor are they built using premium materials, but they do bestow me the confidence that they can be used, abused and put through the ringer and continue to come back for more. That is exactly what I expect from a workout earphone, I don’t need nor want fancy I want results and efficiency and the Epic provides this in spades.
Comfort
The JLab Epic rates amongst the most comfortable iem I’ve ever listened to. Of course everyone's experience will vary but the Epic’s just fit perfectly into my ears to such a degree that I could confuse them as a custom. Never once during any period duration of listening did I have any fatigue with these and also something that is EXTREMELY rare for me personally is that I had zero, none, nilche problems with the silicone tips. For those familiar with me know, I almost have to use exclusively Comply memory foam tips because silicone almost always irritates my ears but this is most certainly not the case with the JLab Epic.
Sound
So how’s the performance of these $100 bluetooth iem’s? Well they’re most certainly a huge upgrade from the Havit’s I’ve been using and these can also function as an audio enjoyment iem as well as a workout earbud and that’s HUGE.
The soundstage on the Epic’s are pretty respectable considering the category they’re in, as well as the positional cues are quite revealing. Transparency is respectable but I can most certainly tell I’m listening through iem’s so the lifelike appeal isn’t too strong with these.
A small downside to the sound, at least I believe it would go in this section, is that the range on these are horrible. The standard range is rated at 32ft. but these maybe get 20 before they start falling off and if there’s any obstructions of the signal path then is over. So for those of you who are like myself and prefer to put these in your pockets as you run then you will want to invest in an arm band for the signal will consistently break up. But that’ enough of a synops, let’s dive into the individual aspects of the JLab Epic.
Treble
The highs are respectably clean and accurate but they do tend to peak quite early. Often times this is of little concern but when I’m listening to techno or electronic music, which I only do when I run, I do find it sometimes annoying. When I’m looking for that chilling peak in the music for that extra adrenaline push to start the last x distance of my run and the Epic falls quite short of that deliverance I have to refocus my mind into the overall beat of the song to avoid losing my groove. I hate running.
Mid
My personal favorite aspect of audio pieces. For to me the mids are where the soul of the music lies. The JLab Epic’s do a very good job at delivering the vocalists performance despite being slightly recessed when compared to the rest of the frequency band. There’s still plenty of body in each note as is realism but the vocals to still sound distant. A great example of this is in Nathaniel Rateliff’ & The Night Sweat “S.O.B.”
Bass
Like every other workout geared audio piece I’ve tried, the bass if most certainly the focal point of the Epic. It’s very punchy and hard hitting with drawn out decay, this from an audiophile perspective is horrible and bad but from a workout angle it’s ideal. Most often when people are working out they have music playing as a background beat and music such as rock, techno, etc… are the most common genres for this activity. So having said bass response allows the listener to get that heavy beat they’re wanting for that extra pump in their workout.
Conclusion
To sum up the JLab Epic bluetooth earphone I’m overall rather impressed. The more hours I put into it the more it ties into other wireless iem’s of similar price put the comfort and built quality is most certainly a separating factor. But for these to retail for $100, I find their performance well within their asking price and I am very satisfied with my trade.
Till next time my friends, make sure you check out my YouTube unboxing & review video as well!
