If you’ve never been a fan of sticking tiny speakers into your ears just to listen to music, you probably know alternative solutions for open ears, like bone-conducting headphones or sunglasses with audio ports. We have seen many offers in this regard over the years, but they have never been particularly affordable. Trying to approach this angle, JLab is presenting its new JBuds frames, with the objective of transforming its existing glasses into glasses with integrated audio.
The open-ear frames consist of two independent modules that fit the rods of your existing glasses. Instead of using bone conduction technology, the buttons simplify with a down-firing speaker, designed to channel music to your ears without leaking sound to people nearby.
Each unit has a 16 mm driver, but you probably shouldn’t expect to be surprised at the audio quality; after all, open headphones, by nature, are made to allow you to still hear the world around you.
JBuds frames come with multiple ear tips to ensure a comfortable fit.
These Bluetooth audio devices are classified as IPX4 and can also be used independently. They also have built-in buttons that can accept / reject calls, adjust the volume and even change the equalizer settings. Finally, they say they last up to 8 hours on a single charge.
JBuds Frames are priced at $ 50 and will go on sale in early spring. At such a low price, they have drastically hampered offers like the Bose Frames, which cost $ 250 – now we just have to see what the audio quality looks like.
