OPEN DESIGN WITHOUT SOUND LEAKAGE

– The unique thing about JBuds Open Air Headphones is their completely open design. They sit around the ears and let air in, allowing the drivers to work optimally, says Frederic Wedeld, key account manager at JLab.

We meet him before the summer at the PowerUp CE training fair at The Qube at Gardermoen.

– Sound needs air, and here the drivers get plenty of air for the best possible response, he says.

Open without leakage

The fully open construction is intended to provide a different listening experience from traditional headphones.

– The open design gives more natural dynamics and removes the boxed-in feeling many associate with closed-back headphones, says Wedeld.

At the same time, he rejects the idea that the open construction means disturbing sound leakage to the surroundings.

– Absolutely not, they leak minimally. Even at almost full volume, you have to put the headphone right up to your ear to hear anything, he says.

The explanation, according to Wedeld, lies in how the drivers are designed.

– The sound is directed into the ear canal instead of being spread out, so you get minimal deviation even in a fully open format, Wedeld tells trade magazine Elektronikkbransjen.

JBuds Open Air costs NOK 1,400.

For training and the office

JLab highlights several use cases for the new model.

– Instead of sweaty, clammy sessions with closed headphones, you get continuous airflow and a good sound experience while you work out, says Wedeld.

He also points to the office market.

– If you work in an open-plan office, you can listen to your favourite podcast while still being available to colleagues when they call out. At home, with your favourite album, you get a quiet and airy listening experience, and you are still aware if something happens around you, he says.

JBuds Open Air comes with a removable mesh ring.

– We see it as a way to express yourself. You can have it completely open with no visible grille, or attach the grille for a tougher design, says Wedeld.

– We have microphones and solutions in other headphones, such as JBuds Lux, where you can reverse the noise-cancelling function to let ambient sound in. But Open Air is a different concept: we are going to let the sound in and at the same time make it better, says Wedeld.

New Epic Pods

JLab is also launching the true wireless earbuds Epic Pods at the same time.

– Epic Sport ANC 3 came top in tests for sound quality. We have brought the same drivers into the Epic Pods series, but in a more everyday design that looks cool without being obtrusive, says Wedeld.

Epic Pods cost NOK 1,400.

According to Wedeld, the company wants to challenge the perception of it as purely a low-price player.

– Many have probably thought that we are a cheap brand. Yes, we have affordable products, but we innovate and spend the money on product development rather than marketing, says Wedeld.

– Customers say we offer a lot for the money. That is our whole point – we are to provide a premium product without a premium price, he says.