We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-29 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a do-everything pair with wired backup and adjustable noise control, choose JLab Epic ANC Earbuds; if you need marathon battery and a stay-put sport fit, choose GNMN Active Noise Cancelling.
• JLab Epic ANC Earbuds — biggest strength: Three noise control modes (High ANC, Low ANC, Be Aware) plus a 3.5 mm AUX cable, so you can go wired when the battery runs out.
• JLab Epic ANC Earbuds — biggest trade-off: ANC cuts playtime to roughly 14 hours, and the earbuds rely on a neckband-style in-line remote rather than fully independent touch controls.
• GNMN Active Noise Cancelling — biggest strength: Up to 96 hours of total playback with the charging case, IPX7 waterproofing, and ear-hooks that hold on during hard workouts.
• GNMN Active Noise Cancelling — biggest trade-off: No headphone jack at all, so once the battery is gone you are done listening until you recharge.
• Who each pick is for: JLab suits commuters, flyers and travelers who want flexible listening modes and a wired fallback; GNMN suits runners, gym-goers and anyone who hates charging.
The JLab Epic ANC Earbuds are built around control. You get three noise control modes — High ANC, Low ANC and Be Aware — so you are not stuck choosing between total silence and total awareness. On a plane, High ANC plus the 3.5 mm AUX cable is a genuinely useful combination. In a city, Be Aware lets outside sound back in so you can hear traffic, a gate announcement or the person next to you without pulling an earbud out. That flexibility is the whole point of the design, and it is where this model earns its place.
Battery is the honest compromise. JLab states 25+ hours of straight Bluetooth playtime, but that drops to 14+ hours once you run ANC at the same time. For a daily commute or a flight, that is plenty. For a multi-day trip with no charger, it is not. The wired mode softens the blow — the included AUX cable means a dead battery does not mean dead silence, which is a real advantage over fully wireless-only rivals.
I would point commuters, frequent flyers and anyone who wants one pair for both noisy and open environments toward the JLab. The IP54 rating covers sweat and light splashes, so light workouts are fine, but this is not a design aimed at heavy sweating. The rounded-tip in-ear shape with three sets of standard eartips plus a triple-flange set gives you fitting options, and the in-line remote handles tracks, volume and calls through the built-in Knowles microphone. Skip it if you want maximum battery life above everything, or if you need a hook-style fit that survives sprint intervals.
The GNMN V7 is a sport-first design, and every spec points that way. The ear-hook shape and soft hooks are meant to keep the earbuds locked in during running, lifting or anything sweaty, and the IPX7 waterproof rating is a step above splash resistance — it is rated to survive being submerged, which matters if you sweat heavily or get caught in rain. If earbuds have ever worked their way loose mid-run for you, that hook design is the reason to look here.
Battery is the headline. GNMN claims up to 8 hours on a single charge and up to 96 hours total with the charging case, and the case has a dual LED display showing the battery level of both the case and the earbuds. That combination is genuinely convenient — you can see what you have left instead of guessing. Charging is over USB-C, and the earbuds auto-pair when you take them out of the case.
Noise handling is different in character from the JLab. GNMN rates its active noise cancellation at up to 45 dB of depth, and it offers a Transparency mode you switch to when you want to hear your surroundings. There are three modes in total — ANC, Transparency and Normal — and you cycle through them by tapping the function button four times. Audio comes from a 16 mm dynamic driver, which is a large driver for in-ear buds and is the kind of spec that usually translates to fuller bass. Controls are touch-based, and there is no headphone jack anywhere, so this is a wireless-only product. I would recommend it to runners, gym regulars and anyone who wants to charge as rarely as possible. Skip it if you need a wired fallback or prefer physical controls.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for battery life → GNMN Active Noise Cancelling. Up to 96 hours total with the case versus JLab's 25+ hours of Bluetooth-only playtime.
• Best for running and heavy sweating → GNMN Active Noise Cancelling. Ear-hooks plus IPX7 waterproofing versus JLab's IP54 sweat resistance.
• Best for flights and travel → JLab Epic ANC Earbuds. The 3.5 mm AUX cable lets you plug into in-flight systems and keep listening when the battery dies.
• Best for battery visibility → GNMN Active Noise Cancelling. The dual LED display shows the charge level of both the case and the earbuds.
• Best for call and track control without a touchscreen → JLab Epic ANC Earbuds. The integrated in-line remote is physical, so you can find it by feel.
• Best for big-driver bass → GNMN Active Noise Cancelling. The 16 mm dynamic driver is the larger unit on paper.
• Best for a single pair that covers commuting, calls and light workouts → JLab Epic ANC Earbuds.
In my opinion, the JLab Epic ANC Earbuds are the safer buy for most people. The three noise control modes, including Be Aware, plus the wired backup and physical in-line controls give you more ways to handle real days — flights, commutes, calls and unpredictable battery. That said, if your priority is never charging and never re-seating an earbud mid-run, I would take the GNMN Active Noise Cancelling instead. Its 96-hour case and IPX7, hook-based fit are exactly what a serious runner needs. Pick based on whether flexibility or endurance matters more to you, and check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
How to turn off aware mode on jlab headphones
The JLab Epic ANC Earbuds cycle through three noise control modes: High ANC, Low ANC and Be Aware. Be Aware is the pass-through setting, so to turn it off you switch to either High or Low ANC using the integrated controls. That leaves you in active noise cancellation rather than ambient listening.
What is ambient aware on headphones
Ambient aware — JLab calls it Be Aware, GNMN calls it Transparency — is a pass-through mode that pipes outside sound into your ears through the earbuds' microphones instead of blocking it. It lets you hear traffic, announcements or a conversation without removing the earbuds. Both products here include it.
How to turn on aware mode on bose headphones
That is a Bose-specific control, and neither product on this page is a Bose model, so the steps do not transfer. On the JLab Epic ANC Earbuds the equivalent is Be Aware mode, reached by cycling the noise control modes; on the GNMN V7 it is Transparency mode, reached by tapping the function button four times.
Only the JLab Epic ANC Earbuds can. They ship with a 3.5 mm AUX cable, so you can plug in and keep listening wired once Bluetooth playtime is gone. The GNMN Active Noise Cancelling has no headphone jack, so it is fully wireless and needs a recharge before it plays again.
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