Everyone seems desperate to tie a pair of smart glasses to their face (or at least tech) companies seem desperate to sell us with this solution), but what we have closer right now is the $ 200 Bose frames or he $ 250 Amazon Echo frames. The problem is them just send audio. That’s a lot to pay for an alternative to headphones that doesn’t sound as good as real headphones; so keep in mind JLab Audio’s new DIY solution, which allows you to easily upgrade existing glasses with wireless sound.
JLab JBuds aren’t really hoodies in the sense that you plug them in your ears like you do with a pair of AirPods. Instead, they are designed to attach to the arms of the glasses (whether it’s prescription glasses or just sunglasses) and then output audio to the ears via speakers down. They are another solution for open headphones like the Bose Sport open headphones announced earlier this week, that allows you to listen to your music while listening to everything around you. That does ideal for runners or anyone who doesn’t want to silence the world around them. Unlike headphones and earphones nor do they come into physical contact with any part of the ear, so they are potentially more comfortable to wear for extended periods of time..
The JBuds have an IPX4 water resistance, which means they should easily survive both sweat and heavy rain, but they will not survive a flood. Probably because of the large opening of the speakers that allows the sound of JBuds 16mm drivers to reach your ears. It’s the same approach that headphones use without headphones (drivers sit slightly off the ears) but without the earcups, tan there is one concern for this type of personal audio devices that everyone can hear what they hear. JLab promises that it is not a problem since the sound is directed towards the ear canal, but it is not a black hole from which no audio can be reflected. If you’re changing your songs, you can probably expect someone close to you to come out as well.
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JBuds include buttons to adjust playback volume, answer calls, and even change equalizer settings, and battery life is over eight hours. It’s amazing to see that a $ 50 headset includes its own custom charging cable, which in this case is split into two magnetic connectors to help them minimize the open ports on each speaker. But at the same time, proprietary charging cables are never a welcome solution, even with the convenience of magnets.
The JBuds will be available this spring for $ 50.