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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-05 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• JLab Epic ANC — biggest strength: three noise control modes (High ANC, Low ANC, Be Aware) plus wired 3.5 mm backup, so it adapts to noisy commutes and safe outdoor listening in one pair.
• JLab Epic ANC — biggest trade-off: no water-immersion rating beyond IP54 sweat resistance, so it's not a swimming headphone.
• MARLALL Swimming — biggest strength: IP68 waterproofing, an open-ear bone conduction design, and 32 GB of built-in MP3 memory for music without a Bluetooth signal.
• MARLALL Swimming — biggest trade-off: no noise cancellation at all, and Bluetooth simply doesn't work underwater — swimming is MP3 mode only.
• Who each is for: JLab for anyone who wants quiet-when-they-want-it earbuds on land; MARLALL for swimmers and open-ear athletes who hate things stuffed in their ears.
The JLab Epic ANC Earbuds are built around controlling what you hear. You get three noise control modes: High ANC, Low ANC, and Be Aware. High ANC is what you'd use on a plane or in a loud office when you want the world gone. Low ANC is the gentler setting for a quieter room. Be Aware mode is the interesting one — it lets outside sound pass through the mics so you can hear traffic on a run, a gate change announcement, or the person beside you without pulling the buds out.
That three-way flexibility is the whole pitch, and it's a genuinely useful feature set. Two levels of cancellation means you're not stuck choosing between "everything muffled" and "everything loud." Four microphones work together on the noise cancelling, and there's a Knowles microphone plus an in-line remote for calls and track control. The earbuds are magnetic, so they snap together around your neck when you're not using them.
Battery is where this design shows its logic. You get 25+ hours of plain Bluetooth playtime, but running ANC at the same time drops that to 14+ hours. That's normal — cancellation costs power — and the included 3.5 mm AUX cable is the safety net: when the battery dies, you go wired. Bluetooth 5 with a 10-meter range covers the usual phone-in-pocket reality.
In my opinion, this is the pick for the person who wants bluetooth earbuds for mobile gaming and everyday listening with the option to shut the world out. The theme is even listed as video game, and the low-latency-friendly wired option helps if you'd rather plug in than fight Bluetooth timing. The IP54 rating handles sweat and light rain — fine for the gym, not fine for laps in a pool.
Who should skip it? Anyone whose main sport is swimming. IP54 is sweat resistance, not immersion. And if you dislike in-ear tips entirely, the rounded-tip in-ear shape here is the opposite of what you want. Also worth noting: if you care about price, check the current price on Amazon before deciding — that's the only number that really changes here.
The MARLALL S800 is a specialist, and it's honest about it. The design is bone conduction: sound travels by vibration through your cheekbones to your inner ear, so nothing seals into your ear canal. That's why it can stay comfortable for long sessions — no pressure points, no ear fatigue, no trapped moisture. A lightweight open-ear fit also means you keep awareness of your surroundings while biking, hiking or running outdoors.
The headline feature is the IP68 waterproof rating. This thing is made for water immersion — swimming, snorkeling, boating — with a nano-coated sealed design protecting the internals and a liquid silicone build that resists pool and saltwater. It's listed at 22.68 grams, so it's light enough to forget about.
Here's the catch you absolutely must understand before buying: Bluetooth does not transmit underwater. When you swim, you switch to MP3 mode. That's exactly why MARLALL includes 32 GB of internal storage — enough for roughly 8,000 songs — so your music plays from the headphone itself, no phone required. Above water, Bluetooth 5.4 handles streaming, calls and audiobooks with a 10-meter range, and magnetic charging doubles as a way to load playlists from a computer.
Two practical notes from the spec sheet. First, dry the microphone after a swim or calls will suffer. Second, there's no noise control at all — this is an open-ear, hear-everything design by nature, and the sheet confirms noise control is "None." If you want silence, this is the wrong product.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for active noise cancellation → JLab Epic ANC Earbuds (High ANC, Low ANC, Be Aware).
• Best for hearing your surroundings on purpose → JLab Epic ANC Earbuds (Be Aware passthrough) — and MARLALL also keeps you aware, just passively through its open-ear design.
• Best for swimming → MARLALL Swimming Headphones-Bone Conduction, and it isn't close. IP68 plus MP3 mode.
• Best for battery life → JLab Epic ANC Earbuds at 25+ hours of Bluetooth playtime (14+ hours with ANC running).
• Best for offline music with no phone → MARLALL Swimming Headphones-Bone Conduction, thanks to 32 GB of built-in memory.
• Best for calls → Both work, but JLab's dedicated Knowles mic and in-line remote give it the edge on land; MARLALL needs a dry mic after swims.
• Best for long-wear comfort without ear-canal pressure → MARLALL Swimming Headphones-Bone Conduction (open-ear, 22.68 g).
• Best all-rounder for commuting, flights and casual mobile gaming → JLab Epic ANC Earbuds, with the 3.5 mm cable as a wired fallback.
If I had to pick one for the way most people actually listen — commuting, working, gaming on a phone, wanting the option of silence — I'd buy the JLab Epic ANC Earbuds. Three noise modes including Be Aware, 25+ hours of Bluetooth, and a wired backup make it the more versatile daily driver, and it fits bluetooth headphones for mobile gaming duty well. I'd only steer you to the MARLALL Swimming Headphones-Bone Conduction if water is non-negotiable. If you swim, that IP68 rating and 32 GB MP3 mode are features the JLab simply doesn't have, and no amount of ANC makes up for a headphone that can't get wet.
FAQ
Ambient or "be aware" audio uses the microphones to pass outside sound into your ears instead of blocking it. On the JLab Epic ANC, Be Aware mode is designed for situations where you need to hear traffic, announcements or people nearby while still wearing the earbuds. The MARLALL, by contrast, gives you awareness passively because its bone conduction design never seals your ear canal.
Probably not for swimming — the MARLALL has no noise control and instead relies on an open-ear design so you stay aware in the water. For running on roads, the JLab's Be Aware mode is the more deliberate version of the same idea. Pick based on whether you want silence available at all.
Above water, yes — Bluetooth 5.4 covers streaming, audiobooks and hands-free calling across iOS and Android within about 10 meters. Just remember Bluetooth won't work underwater, so swimming means switching to MP3 mode, and the mic should be dried after a swim for clear calls.
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