.png)
As one of Tom's Guide's resident audiophiles, I get to test out some of the wackiest audio gear. This week that includes "the world's smallest earbuds."
The JLab JBuds Mini are just $39 from Amazon, and they promise to deliver solid sound from their tiny design. These buds weigh just 3.3 grams each and measure 21 x 19 x 14 mm.
Although I can't go out and measure every single pair of earbuds ever made, my research suggests that the JLab JBuds Mini actually are the world's smallest earbuds. So can these uber-tiny earbuds actually compete with other options? I went hands-on to find out.
The JLab JBuds Mini earbuds are same size as... grapes
I feel like Gulliver in Lilliput. The JLab JBuds Mini are so tiny. That's literally their selling point — JLab isn't harping on about these being the smallest earbuds in the world for fun.
I'm going to list the size in millimeters, as inches just isn't precise enough for something this small. The JBuds Mini are an astoundingly-tiny 21mm x 19 mm × 14 mm.
In JLab's own words, this makes the Mini buds around the same size as a dime. When I was trying to find something in my apartment to compare them to, I settled on grape. These buds are definitely grape-sized.
Surely the drivers can't be that good, I thought to myself, because they'll be so infinitesimally small?
As far as I can tell, JLab's claims that these are the smallest earbuds in the world seem to be true. If you know of a smaller pair, please let me know in the comments — I'll try them out for comparison.
This tiny size does rustle up some issues, though. Surely the drivers can't be that good, I thought to myself, because they'll be so infinitesimally small?
Well, I was both right and wrong. The JBuds Mini use tiny 6mm dynamic drivers, much smaller than the common 11mm drivers. But these drivers have the industry-standard frequency response of 20 Hz-20 kHz, 16 Ω impedance (standard for mobile-forward earbuds), and an output sensitivity of 103dB (in simple terms, how loud it can get).
These are all standard specs: not particularly worse or better than even premier options like Apple AirPods Pro 2, Bose QuietComfort earbuds, and Sony WF-1000MX5 (without LDAC).
So... does this 6mm dynamic driver actually sound good?
Honestly? It depends on your definition of good.
Do the JLab JBuds Mini sound good, considering their $39 price tag and the über-mini size? Then yes. Yes, they sound good.
However... are they good enough to pry my cold, dead hands from my AirPods Pro 2? No. Of course not.
All that being said, the JBuds Mini sound weirdly good. I had my doubts ($39, 6mm drivers), but I was pleasantly surprised.
The bass in 'The Less I Know The Better' by Tame Impala was groovy and made me want to get up and dance. There was a touch of tinniness in the percussion, but I was able to overlook that, seeing as these earbuds are literally $39.
Again, 'Nothing Matters' by The Last Dinner Party was a little tinny at the top of the frequency range, but the vocal was clear and powerful.
I haven't had a chance to play around fully with the sound yet — please await my full review of the JLab JBuds Mini — but it's also possible to adjust the EQ in JLab's app. I'll see if it's possible to negate this tinniness with custom EQ for my review.
I can't believe the JLab JBuds Mini double up as a keychain accessory
How cute would these earbuds be as an accessory on your baggy pants or keychain? Thanks to the metal clip, you can easily slide the charging case onto anything. Theoretically, you could even hang them from a bag strap or a hoop earring. Not sure why you'd want to, but hey, it's nice to have options.
The charging case is just 2 inches long, which means it'll happily fit into any pocket or even in my wallet. If you don't want to lose the tiny case in the mess of a backpack, though, you can easily connect to an inner pouch or zip using the clip.
I'm knownl for losing stuff, so I'll definitely need to make sure the JBuds Mini are secured to my backpack's inner zip during my testing period. Hopefully they'll survive my mistreatment until my review is ready.
I'll have my full, comprehensive review ready in the next few weeks. In terms of first impressions, I'm really impressed. Considering the miniature size and even more miniature price, I didn't necessarily have high hopes. But I'm happy to be proven wrong, and in this case, I fear JLab might just do that.
In the mean time, the JLab JBuds Mini are available for $39 from Amazon.
English (US) ·