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Updated April 10, 2024·
If you prioritize sound quality and an open, immersive listening experience, the Focal Elex over-ear headphones are excellent, especially for music and TV, but they are not built for exercise, have no wireless capability, and do not block out noise, making them unsuitable for travel and noisy environments. On the other hand, the Jlab Go Air Sport earbuds are budget-friendly, portable, offer great functionality for exercise with sweatproof certification, and have a very good built-in mic for calls, but they compromise on sound quality and are not optimal for high-fidelity music or TV watching. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Focal Elex
Good for music
Very good for TV and video
Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Jlab Go Air Sport
Very good for exercise
Very good for air travel
Key differences
Music
7.7/10
5.6/10
The Focal Elex is good for music, while the Jlab Go Air Sport is poor.
Gaming
6.9/10
5.4/10
The Focal Elex is only fair for gaming, while the Jlab Go Air Sport is poor.
Phone Calls
4.3/10
5.2/10
The Jlab Go Air Sport and Focal Elex are both poor for phone calls, though the Jlab Go Air Sport is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.1/10
5.6/10
The Focal Elex is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Jlab Go Air Sport is poor.
TV and Video
8.3/10
5.8/10
The Focal Elex is very good for TV and video, while the Jlab Go Air Sport is poor.
Noise Reduction
2.5/10
6.0/10
The Jlab Go Air Sport is only fair for noise reduction, while the Focal Elex is poor.
Battery
N/A
8.0 Hours
The Focal Elex does not have a battery. The Jlab Go Air Sport has 8 hours of battery life.
Cost
$749
$20
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The Focal Elex has a price of $749 and the Jlab Go Air Sport costs $20.
Build Quality
9.0/10
8.0/10
The Focal Elex has excellent build quality, while the Jlab Go Air Sport has very good build quality.
"The Focal Elex are an excellent pair of headphones for the money and a great all-rounder that will suit many tastes. They’re an easy recommendation for anyone looking for something comfortable, well built, that looks good, and will work with just about any genre."
"If you want seriously bass-forward earphones for the gym, you'll be hard-pressed to find a pair more affordable than the JLab Go Air Sport. We like their long battery life and solid water-resistance rating, though we aren’t fans of their finicky on-ear controls and the case’s hardwired charging cable."
Get a great deal on the Focal Elex or the Jlab Go Air Sport
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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