Regular readers won’t need any more fanfare from us on JLab’s Go Air Pop, the cheap $20/£20 headphones that somehow managed to get an unprecedented 4.5 stars out of five under intense review in this post – us leaving you with no option but to place them right near the top of our best headphone buying guide. And naturally, they’re also right in pole position in our best cheap headphone roundup.
Now, JLab is capitalizing on its success by releasing these winning budget headphones in a series of neutral colors, all aimed at changing the way people view wireless headphones.
Make no mistake, JLab’s Go Air Tones headphones are the Go Air Pop wearing a different jacket, but they may just be the first collection of mass-produced skin-tone-based headphones designed to be more discreet in appearance. than the visual. black, white or vivid color options that are most commonly available – Apple AirPods and Beats Studio Buds, we’re looking for you.
JLab explains that the idea for JLab’s Go Air Tones came from customer feedback asking for muted color options that wouldn’t immediately draw attention to the headphones themselves (we get it, you’re at a lecture and shouldn’t be listening music…but then again, music!), but until now, there hasn’t been a headphone option available in a variety of nuanced, neutral, and inclusive color options.
Interestingly, headphones often come with a ‘tonal’ moniker, but it usually refers to sound rather than tone – and we like that difference.
It’s also not a process that JLab has taken on lightly. The San Diego audio specialist partnered with Orly Color Labs, a division of Los Angeles-based nail care brand Orly, to select the finishes.
Together, JLab and Orly (a leader in creating custom nude nail polishes for different skin tones) selected Go Air Tones color options from an original palette of over 60 shades, which the senior mixologist at Orly Color Labs has scaled down to encompass a variety of skin tones tones with a mix of warm, neutral and cool tones.
Drawing on existing color data, as well as the team’s experience in blending shades to please clients with a wide range of skin tones, Orly Color Labs is confident that the shades match real skin tones and are flattering to people on a spectrum of skin tones.
The result is a collection of headphones that spans seven Pantone colors, covering a wide range of neutral tones, otherwise known as headphones designed to be heard but not seen.
Opinion: JLab’s winning Go Air Pop headphones just got better
And that’s not all you get for $20 / £20 / €25, because the Go Air Tones headphones have also been integrated into JLab’s online Fitting Room (opens in new tab)an augmented reality filter that lets us see how the different options would look in our ears – above, you see me, virtually using the 474C tone.
In the ever-expanding world of true wireless headphones, it’s hard to deliver a USP, and in all honesty, new colors don’t exactly break the internet for originality. But this is different. Not only are this a great set of headphones for the wallet, but as far as I can gather, this was done with care, love, and inclusion at its heart — and for a ridiculously inclusive fee, too.
As mentioned, JLab Go Air Tones are already a winning recipe in my book; it’s not audiophiles’ choice (true wireless headphones are rarely audiophiles’ choice over wired options) but I keep my JLab Go Air Pop review in my bag because the battery is long, they fit beautifully on smaller ears, the charger is built right into the case, and the sound is punchy and musical.
If you’re in the UK, JLab Go Air Tones are available to buy for £19.99 at JD Williams (opens in new tab) or in the US you can buy them at amazon (opens in new tab)Best buy (opens in new tab) or JLab’s own website (above).
Maybe you want headphones that don’t look like you’re wearing them, and maybe you just want true wireless headphones that look and sound a lot more expensive than they are. Either way, JLab’s Go Air Tones are a big scream.