A few months back, I tried out the JAM Exec TWS Earbuds and they were pretty good. JAM now have a newer version, of sorts, an upgrade you could say, that includes ANC or active noise cancellation, meaning these new earbuds have entered the big boy market. What am I talking about? The brand new JAM TWS ANC Earbuds. I have a pair here and I’ve been using them on and off for the last week, and the results are in.

Features

  • Active noise cancellation
  • 6hr playback with ANC on, upto 21hr total via charging case
  • Touch controls
  • 10mm drivers
  • Bluetooth 5.0

First impressions are positive. The earbuds and case come in a matte black finish and that is the only colour option at present. The earbuds look and feel like many others, with a single rubber bud on the tip, a larger section behind that, housing the controls and battery. They’re not the smallest, they do include the vertical part too, whereas, some do not include these now, but they’re not overly large and look perfectly fine when in the ear.

jam_anc_2
£24.99
in stock
as of August 16, 2023 12:56
Amazon.co.uk

The case is compact, it’ll fit in your hand or pocket with ease but it is slightly heavier than others I’ve recently tried, most likely because this has a larger battery. The lid lifts nicely and the earphones have a very snug fit within the case, magnetically secured in place. The case is charged via a USB C port at the rear, just plug it into your wall adapter or pc. There is no wireless Qi charging. The case has four small indicator lights at the front, indicating battery level of the case in 25% increments.

In the box you get the earbuds, the carry case, different sized rubber buds, a USB C cable and some instructions.

Overall audio performance was good. Nice tone, well balanced and it had a decent thump to it too, which was much appreciated and not overpowering in anyway. I listened to some country (wife got me into that), some chart bangers and then some heavier rock numbers, all of which sounded good. Listening to Joel Corry ‘Sorry’, that thumping bass line sounded so good. Volume is more than loud enough, but note there is no volume control on the earbuds, so it can only be controlled via your smart device.

jam_anc_4

These include ANC and the difference between having it on and off, is minimal. Having the earbud sit within the ear, that’s already a substantial amount of passive cancellation, which is topped up by the active. Sound quality is unaffected, no hiss or change in quality like some headphones would. I switched between on and off, several times while music was playing, and I purposefully had my kids sing and shout nearby, and I did notice a difference. There is no transparency mode, which you do find in some other earbuds in this price range.

Ok, as for controls, mostly like other earphones. There are touch controls that work on either earbud, like play/pause is a single tap, while double tap on the right is next song, double tap on the left is previous track. Now turning the ANC on and off is a little confusing. On the right earbud, tap 3 times and if you hear a single beep, that means its off. Tap 3 times again and if you hear two beeps, that means its activated. It would have been nice to have voice prompts instead of beeps. There is an option, if you hold down either earbud, or both if you wanted, for three seconds, it will turn that earbud, or both, off. Handy if you want just one earbud functioning. The overall controls are ok, but there was a few times where I’d tap three times and nothing registered, so I had to do it again. The face of the earbud, where the JAM logo is, is the touch sensitive section.

jam_anc_3

The earbuds are very comfortable to wear and I didn’t need to swap out the rubber tips at all. They sit well within my ear, they’re light and I didn’t feel the need to adjust them during use. This was casual listening though and for me, these wouldn’t be suitable for use during exercise, as although comfy, they are not the most secure, unless sitting or walking. This is my experience with them, we all have different sized and shaped ears, so these may feel more secure for you.

Battery life was good, several hours in, the case has lost one indicator light, meaning its down to 75% or so.

Overall, a sleek and well performing pair of earbuds. They miss a couple of features, touch volume control and transparency mode, which you may find some competitor earbuds at this price. The price? £99.99 at present.

For more info and to purchase, head over to the official JAM website.