JBuds J2 Noise Isolating Earbuds

JBud J2 Earphones Summary: A lot better than original Apple iPod earphones, but have limited low end range until broken in. The great noise isolation means you don't need to turn the volume up. Details: I tested the J2 phones on a cross-country plane flight on an MD-80 and a 737-800. The headphones were compared using an iPod nano first generation as a source and 2nd generation Apple iPod earbuds and Koss in-ear memory earbuds as comparison units. I used some classic rock (e.g. Chicago) and male an female vocalists (IZ and Norah Jones, among others) as listening material. The fit of the J2 buds worked out well for me. I'm usually hard to fit with in-ear or semi-in-ear phones. The J2 comes with three sets of compliant rubber ear inserts, and one of them fit me perfectly, which is just great. During the four hours I kept them in my ears they were very comfortable and worked well. During my flights, half volume on the old iPod was sufficient to block out the competing plane no... Read more

Maybe I got a lemon because everyone else seems to really theirs. The pair I got is decidedly mediocre. I gave them a good 10-15 hours or so of burn-in time, but still find myself gravitating toward other earphones that I already own. Comfort is very subjective because it really depends on the size and shape of your ears. But for me, while they were ok in terms of comfort, they weren't nearly as comfortable as the V-Moda Bass Freq Earbuds. And I think because of that, they didn't isolate that well for me either. The isolation was decent, but it definitely could have been better. I also like my music (primarily rock and alternative) to be rather bass-heavy. So I didn't enjoy the JBuds as much as the V-Modas. But it wasn't just the bass that was lacking. The overall sound wasn't as full or rich. They don't sound terrible. But it didn't impress me at all either. I'm not an audiophile. But these didn't sound any better than the Ipod pack-ins to me. They're ok, but in no wa... Read more

The people who manage the health club I belong to in Irvine (LA F. . .) think that they are running a disco, and they play the club music so loud that it rattles the windows in my car all the way in the parking lot. All efforts to get them to lower the volume have failed. Their response is, "If you don't like it, join another club." So when I saw these earbuds advertised with "noise isolation," I thought that I had found an answer to my problem. I have been using a Sennheiser headset for some time, and although the sound quality is great, the only way I can block out the noise coming from the club PA system is to crank the volume way up. The JBud Premiums arrived promptly from Amazon (great service, as always). They come with three sets of rubber fittings (small, medium, large) that are supposed to allow users to find the best fit for the ears. The problem is that these fittings aren't based on human physiology and are more properly sized for critters. Thus, the sizes are a... Read more

Let me preface this review with the fact that I have owned several pairs of earphones over the years, from cheapo over-the-ear-clip sony's to premium zune earbuds, to audiophile grade cans like the sennheiser hd-590 and 280 pros. FOR THE PRICE, these are the best headphones I've ever purchased hands down. I decided to switch to earbuds since I listen to music all day pretty much at work while programming, and decided over the ear headphones left bad hair rings (you know what I'm talking about if you've had them) around my ears, and was kind of annoying. So I switched first to the earbuds from my Zune, which are not bad since they come free with Zune gen2 pmps. So I decided to go shopping to see what was out there, and came across the J2's and was surprised by the reviews being so good for such reasonably priced headphones. When I read a particularly mediocre review, and found that in the comments a company representative had actually responded, I was sold. If they care that m... Read more

This is a great value with a great sound! It has good bass and produces sound with a wonderful, crisp quality. When you buy these, the package insert tells you to lower the volume on your mp3 device--they're right! I now use the lowest volume because these earphones are very efficient! They also stay in your ear very nicely, even when you're exercising or doing anything physical. Just buy these, and if you're silly like me, buy the case too as a value package :)