How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a true wireless pair with an app-tunable "Be Aware" passthrough, long battery life, and a pocketable charging case for mobile gaming on the go, choose JLab; if you need a Bluetooth transmitter that pipes in-flight or AUX audio into your own ANC earbuds while letting outside sound in, choose Avantree Relay.
• Avantree Relay — biggest strength: it's a Bluetooth 5.3 transmitter/adapter that turns any AUX source (planes, TVs, gym equipment) into a wireless feed for your own headphones, with aptX-Adaptive and a hybrid ANC earbud (Clan N1) bundled in.
• Avantree Relay — biggest trade-off: it's a two-part system (adapter + earbuds), not a standalone everyday pair, and it's wireless-only with no headphone jack of its own.
• JLab — biggest strength: genuine true wireless earbuds with three noise-control modes including Be Aware passthrough, 10mm dynamic drivers, and long total playtime with fast charge.
• JLab — biggest trade-off: Bluetooth 5 rather than 5.3, and the case is the battery backbone — you're limited to what fits in your pocket.
• Choose Avantree Relay if you fly, game on a TV or console, or want to hear cabin announcements without pulling your earbuds out.
• Choose JLab if you want comfortable Bluetooth earbuds for mobile gaming, calls, and commuting with app control.
The Avantree Relay is really two things in one box: a Bluetooth 5.3 audio transmitter and the Clan N1 active noise-canceling earbuds. The transmitter is the star for anyone stuck with an AUX-only source — the seatback screen on a plane, a hotel TV, gym equipment — because it accepts a 3.5mm feed and rebroadcasts it wirelessly to virtually any Bluetooth headphones or earbuds. The included dual 3.5mm adapter means it works whether the jack on your flight is the standard single or the odd double-pin type.
Who should buy it: frequent flyers, TV watchers who want private audio, and anyone who already owns a favorite pair of headphones and wants to use them wirelessly with a wired source. Who should skip it: someone who just wants one simple pair of earbuds for the gym and phone calls — the adapter half of this kit adds complexity you won't use. The earbuds are in-ear with rounded tips, touch controls, and a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range, and the case has a battery display so you can see charge state at a glance. If you're building a mobile-gaming setup around a console or a handheld with a headphone jack, this is the piece that makes your existing cans wireless.
JLab: Who It's For
The JLab Go Pop ANC are standalone true wireless earbuds, and they're aimed squarely at people who want one pair to do everything. Three noise-control modes — ANC On, ANC Off, and Be Aware — let you decide how much of the world gets in. Be Aware is the transparency side: it passes outside noise through so you can hear a train announcement, a teammate, or traffic without removing a bud. The 10mm dynamic drivers cover a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range, and the JLab App lets you pick EQ presets (JLab Signature, Balanced, Bass Boost), remap the touch controls, and adjust the Be Aware level.
Battery is where the Go Pop ANC is strongest. Each earbud is rated for 7+ hours solo, and the USB-C case adds 20+ more, for 27+ hours total. Fast charge gives you an hour of playback from a 10-minute top-up — genuinely useful when you forgot to charge before a commute. The case is smaller than a credit card and has a built-in USB-C cable, so there's no loose cord to lose. Dual Connect lets you use either earbud independently, Google Fast Pair speeds up Android pairing and helps find a missing bud, and a MEMS mic in each bud handles calls.
Who should buy it: commuters, students, and mobile gamers who want one lightweight pair with configurable sound and a real transparency mode. Who should skip it: anyone who needs to wirelessly beam audio from a plane screen or TV into their headphones — the Go Pop ANC receives Bluetooth, it doesn't transmit from an AUX source. The plastic build and Bluetooth 5 spec keep it firmly in the everyday-carry lane rather than the audiophile one.
• Best for turning wired audio wireless → Avantree Relay. The transmitter is the whole point: any AUX source becomes a Bluetooth feed for your own headphones.
• Best for all-day battery → JLab. 7+ hours per bud and 27+ hours total with the case, versus a transmitter-and-bud kit built around travel sessions.
• Best for configurable sound → JLab. App EQ presets and remappable touch controls give you more knobs to turn.
• Best for flights and shared TVs → Avantree Relay. The dual 3.5mm adapter and aptX-Adaptive low-latency transmit are exactly what cabins and hotel rooms demand.
• Best for mobile gaming with a console or handheld jack → Avantree Relay. It feeds game audio into your own low-latency earbuds.
• Best for mobile gaming on a phone → JLab. True wireless, Dual Connect for one-bud play, and Be Aware so you still hear your surroundings.
• Best for a compact everyday carry → JLab. The case is smaller than a credit card with a built-in cable.
• Best for hearing cabin crew without removing a bud → either one. Both offer a transparency/ambient mode; pick based on whether your source is wired or wireless.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to where your audio starts. If it starts at a phone, a laptop, or a console with Bluetooth, I'd buy the JLab Go Pop ANC — the three noise modes, app EQ, and 27+ hours make it the more flexible everyday pair for mobile gaming and commuting. If your audio starts at a jack — a plane seat, a gym machine, an older TV — I'd buy the Avantree Relay, because no ordinary pair of earbuds can do what its transmitter does. Match the product to the source, not the spec sheet.
Transparency mode uses the earbuds' microphones to feed outside sound back into your ears, so you can hear conversations and announcements without removing them. On the JLab Go Pop ANC it's called Be Aware and is adjustable in the JLab App; on the Avantree Clan N1 it's Ambient Mode.
It's for staying aware while keeping your buds in — hearing a gate announcement, a teammate, or traffic. Both products here offer it, so the deciding factor is whether you need a transmitter (Avantree Relay) or standalone true wireless earbuds (JLab).
Switch the noise-control mode back to ANC or Off. On the JLab Go Pop ANC you cycle between ANC On, ANC Off, and Be Aware via the touch controls or the app; the Avantree Clan N1 uses touch controls to toggle Ambient Mode off.
Both are in-ear with rounded tips, which is the shape most people find stable for long sessions. JLab ships three gel tip sizes for a personalized fit; the Avantree Clan N1 uses touch controls, which suit quick in-game adjustments.
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