Having so many options is good. Though sometimes it's confusing too. Cutthroat competition in the headphone world cut the price and improved the performance of audio gears. Choosing between the two brands like JLab and Tozo is sometimes easy.
But picking up the right audio gear with the same brand isn't always easy. I am talking about the two affordable true wireless earbuds from the same brand JLab.
JLab Go Air and JLab Go Air Pop are below $50. Each of them has their pros and cons. Let's compare them and decide who the winner is or which one is suitable to you.
Let's compare the specifications of JLab Go air and Go Air Pop
Specifications | JLab Go Air | JLab Go Air pop |
|---|---|---|
Price | $25 | $25 |
Battery Life | 5 hours in each earbud | 8+ hours in each earbud |
Charging time | 1.5 hours | 2 hours |
Fast Charging | 1 hr playtime with 15 minutes charge | 1 hr playtime with 15 min. charge |
IP Rating | IP44 | IPX4 |
Bluetooth version | 5.0 | 5.1 |
Driver Size | 8 mm | 6 mm |
Weight | 5 gm per earbud | 3.9 gm per earbud |
weight Charging case | 50 gm | 28.5 gm |
Release date | 2020 | 2021 |
If you look at the specification table, You get the difference easily. but this is just on paper. Each of these has its pros and cons. Taking the final decision just by looking the comparison table isn't a good idea.
You shouldn't be in a hurry. First let's list the pros and cons of each so that you will get better idea.
JLab Go Air
Pros:
Cons:
JLab Go Air Pop
Pros:
Cons:
Bottom Line:
It's not always the case that new is better. Sometimes older version overpowers the new. JLab Go Air was released in 2020 with 5.0 Bluetooth, 5+ hours of battery life for each bud, and an 8mm driver size. It has punchy bass and louder volume.
Go Air Pop has a 6mm driver, 8 hours of playtime, and 5.1 Bluetooth technology. If we compare the design Go Air Pop is better. If we compare the sound, Go Air gives better bass.
The battery life of Go Air Pop is better. Overall, I would say Go Air Pop is better if you are a traveler, want smaller buds and you have small ear canals. if you are a bass lover go for JLab Go Air. Both costs $25.
JLab Go Air
Design and Build Quality
When you compare the design and build quality of JLab Go Air and Go Air Pop, you can notice a few differences. Go Air Pop is smaller than JLab Go Air. The same is true for the charging case. The charging case and buds of both models are entirely plastic. The build quality of both the buds isn't great which is fair considering the price.
But the size of JLab Go Air may feel discomfort if you have smaller ear canals. While JLab Go Air Pop is suitable for small ears due to their size. The charging case of Go Air Pop is also compact compared to Go Air which means they are better than Go Air for travelling.
Both models have responsive touch controls which makes them easy to operate.
I observed a difference between the charging cases of both buds. JLab Go Air Pop has a protective design. It has a cap which can open and close. This cap protects the buds from falling out of the case whereas JLab Go Air has an open design. The charging case doesn't have a cap. Suppose the charging case falls on a ground earbuds may come out from the case.
Due to the smaller size taking the Go Air pop out of the case is a little bit difficult for new users whereas Go Air is easy to take them out of the case because of the bigger size.
Now let's talk about the color options. JLab Go Air is available in four color options. You can choose between Black, Green, Navy, and white color. JLab Go Air pop has 7 color options. Giving three more color options is an added advantage for Go Air Pop.
Considering all the points it's clear that there is no significant difference in the build quality of both but JLab Go Air Pop has better design. More compact and protective design of GO Air Pop makes them better than Go Air in this department.
Go Air Pop
Sound Performance
Let's talk about the sound quality of JLab Go Air and Go Air Pop. Both have average performance in this department. Compare these two, Go Air has better bass and it's louder than Go Air pop. Go Air has an 8mm driver. Go Air Pop has a 6mm driver. Go Air Pop doesn't give punchy Bass. It's decent but not powerful. If you are a bass lover JLab Go Air is your kind of bud.
I feel vocals are clear with Go Air Pop than with Go Air. Mids are balanced and sharper highs. Both of them have three EQ settings. Signature mode, balanced mode, and bass boost mode. I didn't feel a significant difference with the change in EQ settings. JLab Go Air and Go Air Pop are value-for-the-money buds with their own pros and cons.
If you want an affordable pair for a workout, you need bass-heavy earbuds. JLab Go Air can be a better choice for the purpose. If you want balanced mids and don't like heavy bass, JLab Go Air Pop is right for you.
Connectivity
As you see, JLab Go Air supports 5.0 and Go Air Pop has a 5.1 Bluetooth version. If you compare these two Bluetooth versions, you won't get significant differences but when you get both things with the same price it's better to choose the latest. Though both have the same latency, 5.1 saves more power which results in longer playtime.
Go Air and Go Air Pop supports SBC and AAC audio codecs. that means you get equal audio quality. In the end, you won't get any major difference between the two but the latest version is beneficial. so I would suggest going for 5.1 Bluetooth means Go Air Pop.
Charging and Battery performance
Battery life is a crucial factor when looking for a true wireless earbud. Many TWS like Tozo and Anker are made tws with decent battery life. JLab Go Air Pop has 8+ hours of battery life for each bud with 2 hours of charging time.
Smaller drivers don't consume more power which results in longer battery life. Go Air has 5+ hours of battery life on each bud with a single charge. Both has quick charging feature which gives you 60 minutes of playtime with 15 minutes of charging. I didn't find much difference in this area.Both have good battery playtime.