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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want serious active noise cancellation in a wired over-ear pair you can fold up and toss in a bag, choose Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B; if you need fully wireless earbuds with a pocket charging case and sweat resistance for the gym, choose JLab JBuds Air True.
• Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B – biggest strength: Active noise cancellation that the spec sheet says cuts environmental noise by roughly 90%, plus 40 mm drivers and a fold-flat travel design.
• Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B – biggest trade-off: It's wired, over-ear and bulkier, so it's not the pair you grab for a run or a quick errand.
• JLab JBuds Air True – biggest strength: True wireless freedom with auto on-and-connect out of the case, three EQ modes and IP55 sweat resistance.
• JLab JBuds Air True – biggest trade-off: It has no active noise cancellation, so it relies on the in-ear seal to block sound.
• Buy the Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B if you fly, commute or work in loud rooms and want maximum quiet in a wired headphone.
• Buy the JLab JBuds Air True if you want compact, cable-free earbuds for workouts, walks and everyday listening.
The ATH-ANC7B is built around one job: quiet. Its QuietPoint circuitry is designed to reduce environmental noise by around 90%, which is the kind of claim that matters on a plane, on a train, or in an open office where the drone never stops. The large-aperture 40 mm drivers with neodymium magnets are there to keep the music itself full — impactful bass and extended treble, according to the spec sheet — so the noise cancelling isn't doing all the work on its own.
The physical design tells you who it's aimed at. It's a closed-back, over-ear headphone with generously cushioned earcups shaped to sit over any ear, and it folds flat into a compact package for travel. Everything is integrated — no external module dangling off the cable — and the box includes a 1/4-inch adapter, an airline adapter for in-flight entertainment, an AAA battery and a carrying case with an accessory pouch. Battery life for the noise-cancelling circuit is listed at up to 40 hours on that AAA.
Who should buy it: frequent flyers, commuters who want a wired connection they never have to pair or recharge, and anyone who prefers the over-ear fit and wants the option of plugging into seat-back entertainment or a desktop amp. Who should skip it: runners, gym-goers and people who hate cables. It's wired, it's over-ear, and it's not sweat-resistant — this is a home-and-travel headphone, not a workout one. If you mainly want to walk around untethered, this isn't your pick.
The JBuds Air True is the opposite philosophy: small, wireless, and always ready. Take them out of the charging case and they turn on and pair with each other automatically — no fiddling, no buttons to hold. That auto-on-and-connect behavior is the whole pitch for people who want earbuds to just work the second they leave the case.
On the sound side, JLab gives you control without an app. You cycle through three EQ modes — JLab Signature, Balanced and Bass Boost — straight from the earbuds. The 20 Hz to 20 kHz dynamic drivers cover the standard range, and the in-ear, angled design with gel tips plus Cush Fins is meant to keep the fit stable. That fit matters, because there's no active noise cancellation here. Any isolation you get comes from the seal the tips create and the passive blocking of the earbud itself.
Battery is where you'll want to read carefully. JLab lists 6+ hours per earbud with 18 extra hours in the case — about 24 hours total — while a separate part of the description rounds it to 3–4 hours per earbud plus 10 in the case. The charging case is compact enough for a jacket pocket and has indicator lights on the outside. Connectivity is Class 1 Bluetooth 5.0, and the packaging may still say 4.2 even though the earbuds ship with Bluetooth 5. IP55 sweat resistance and push-button controls for volume, music and voice assistants round it out.
Who should buy it: commuters, gym users, runners and casual listeners who want cable-free earbuds that disappear into a pocket and survive sweat and light weather. Who should skip it: anyone who needs deep active noise cancelling on a plane, or who wants the big soundstage and secure over-ear fit of a full headphone.
• Best for noise cancellation → Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B. It's the only one of the two with active noise cancelling, and the spec sheet claims roughly 90% reduction of environmental noise.
• Best for workouts and sweat → JLab JBuds Air True. IP55 sweat resistance and a stable in-ear fit with Cush Fins make it the one you can actually exercise in.
• Best for battery on paper → Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B. Up to 40 hours of noise-cancelling runtime on an AAA battery versus roughly 24 hours total for the JBuds Air with the case.
• Best for travel convenience → JLab JBuds Air True. A pocket-size charging case beats a wired headphone plus adapter pouch when you're moving light.
• Best for flights → Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B. The airline adapter and the ANC circuitry are made for exactly that environment.
• Best for call and voice-assistant use → JLab JBuds Air True. It has a built-in mic for calls and Siri/Google Assistant, plus push-button volume control.
• Best for sound tuning without an app → JLab JBuds Air True. Three EQ modes on the earbud itself.
• Best for plugging into a desktop or amp → Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B. The wired 3.5 mm jack and included 1/4-inch adapter let you connect to gear a wireless earbud can't touch.
If I had to pick one, I'd take the Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B — but only because my priority is quiet. For flights, loud commutes and long listening sessions, active noise cancelling plus 40 mm drivers and a fold-flat wired design is a combination the JBuds Air simply can't match. That said, if you want earbuds for the gym, walks and pocket-carry convenience, I'd hand it to the JLab JBuds Air True without hesitation. Match the pick to how you actually listen, not to which one sounds more impressive on paper.
Yes. The ATH-ANC7B has active noise cancellation designed to reduce environmental noise by about 90%. The JBuds Air True has no active noise cancelling at all — it relies on the in-ear seal for passive isolation.
For that use, yes. They're IP55 sweat-resistant, use a stable in-ear fit with Cush Fins, and have no cable to snag. The ATH-ANC7B is wired, over-ear and not sweat-rated, so it's a poor fit for workouts.
The ATH-ANC7B's noise-cancelling circuit is rated up to 40 hours on an AAA battery. The JBuds Air True lists 6+ hours per earbud plus 18 in the case — about 24 hours total — though JLab's own description also cites a shorter 3–4 hour figure. Treat the JBuds number as approximate.
Only the ATH-ANC7B. It's a wired headphone with a 3.5 mm jack and comes with a 1/4-inch adapter and an airline adapter. The JBuds Air True are wireless only — no jack.
I don't quote prices here, since they change. The ATH-ANC7B is the more specialized, feature-heavy headphone and the JBuds Air True is the compact everyday earbud, so check the current price on Amazon for both and weigh that against which feature set you actually need.
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