[Review] JLabs J5M series earbuds; Serious style, design and Sound

Some of you may remember the review we posted back in July for JLabs J4M series. They had a lot of great qualities and some serious sound capabilities. We even received many confirmations from users that they were outstanding and they loved them. A couple of weeks ago I got my hands on one of JLab Audio’s newest ear bud line, the J5M’s. Being the next model up, JLab made changes and redesign elements that make them a refreshing addition to their line up. These are actually produced to help celebrate JLabs 5th anniversary. That also helps make them extra special.

So what is so different about the anniversary edition? A whole lot actually. The entire ear bud, cord, mic and jack plug were all redesigned. They are like a whole new monster. Just take a look at the pictures and you can easily see the difference. They didn’t come in a super cool case like the J4M’s did, that was a little depressing but I will survive. The J5Ms still have the Kevlar reinforced cords to help give you added protection from bending and damage. They went back to the round cable design instead of the tangle free flat cords.

The ear buds themselves have been redesigned are much more bullet like then the flat cap found on previous models. And the speaker housing is all aluminum. No plastic here guys. Following the cable down you will get to the mic which is about 3/4 of the way to the splitter. Anyone that is annoyed by chinsy mics and call buttons housed in plastic will be happy to know that this one is also all aluminum bodied. They kept the reinforced splitter that they are fo famous for, although it is not aluminum it is still made from a very stiff rubber. At the base you will find your headphone plug. Again they used the hard rubber casing at the entry point and finished it off with another aluminum housing for protection and style. Instead of your traditional straight plug this one is angled at 45 degrees. It is a nice change.

A small note that is pretty cool. The headphone plug itself is coated in 24 karat gold. Pretty cool.

As far as sound is concerned. You can’t go wrong with these guys. They have some great deep bass, luscious mids and crisp, vibrant highs. They sound phenomenal for ear buds. What ever changes they made to the inline mic has worked as well. I had a few issues with people unable to hear me in the past on the J4M’s. No one has even noticed I was using an ear bud with the new J5M’s.

If you are looking for great sound, at a great price with one heck of a warranty plan included, these are them. They normally retail for $59.95 but are currently on special for $34.95. Not to shabby for something of such great build quality.

Here is a little side by side of the J4M’s next to the J5M’s so you can see the differences that were implemented. The J4M’s are on the left and the new J5M’s are on the right, obviously.

 Here is a full gallery of images for you to compare against if you are so inclined.

 

Head over to their website at jlabaudio.com to take a closer look at these, plus all the color variations they offer. Be sure to check out their other products while you are there.