JLab JBuds J6MS Single Earbud Headset with Microphone, 3.5mm, Mono, Black

I've been on a quest to find the right earbuds for running and this is my 7th set. I decided to try a single earbud because I'd like to be able to hear what's going on around me when I'm running and it's difficult with a standard pair of earbuds. This earbud is amazing. It is the most comfortable I've used. It has numerous cushions (7 I think) to find just the right fitment. The earbud itself is small and very comfortable. I was able to find a cushion that allowed the earbud to fit snuggly without being uncomfortable. The sound is fantastic and there's no external noise or "whooshing" in the ear with the earbud. The cord is about 6" shorter than I would like, but it's not a deal-breaker. The button works well and I can play/pause/skip my music on my Android phone. I haven't tried the mic yet. The only difficult part (which is not the fault of the earbud) is simply getting used to sound coming from one ear instead of both. In just a few days, it doesn't seem strange and I expect in a few more days it will seem perfectly normal. To clarify a point about the earbuds (this was confirmed with JLabs): The earbuds DO play stereo sound through the single earbud. It combines both channels into the single earbud. I assumed that was the case, but the description was unclear so I asked before purchasing. The sound really is fantastic. One of the best purchases I've made. Now I just hope they hold up to the abuse of running 4-5 times/week. Update after a LONG time of usage: I have come to depend on these earbuds. I use them multiple times a day for audio/video conferences as well as music and videos. I've gone through 3 pairs ONLY because I accidentally misplaced them. I am obsessive about my earbuds, but it has happened. I've always replaced the exact model just fine. However, when this happened a few weeks ago, Amazon indicated they were no longer available. I was crushed, but ultimately thought... they are just earbuds. I researched a ton and ordered a different brand. Ugh. Awful. All kinds of sounds from it wiggling in my ear regardless of what size cushion I tried. Button was crap. I looked on Amazon again to check for these and OMG, they were available. Came two days ago and I couldn't be happier. Seriously, these are the best.

It sounds surprisingly good for something its size. There's even a good amount of bass, which I didn't expect to get. I plan to listen to music at work with a single earbud so I can pay attention to my surroundings. I was looking for exactly this because I hate having to recharge blue-tooth earbuds. So yes, I would recommend.

I've had 4 of these. I'm deaf in one ear, and I use them at night, so I can hear music instead of everything else. The sound is superior, I wish I could say the same for the longevity. They have all lasted from one to several months, never a year. What happens is, I will put a working earbud in my ear, push it in, and then, instantly, for no apparent reason, it's not working anymore. There's still sound, It's just below my hearing threshold. This has happened on all of them. I'm on the last one now. That said, they are still the loudest, clearest sound I've found, and I'm back for more.

I've had this one for about two to three weeks now and it is leagues better than any one of these I've ever had. I go through these wired hands free devices about every 3 to 6 months, not because I am careless with them but because they are usually pretty cheap and that's about their typical life expectancy (I usually buy ones that are between 10 and 15 bucks). The quality in the sound and the microphone (I can tell by how incredibly well people can hear me even if the mic isn't that close to my mouth, I no longer have to shout!) of this JLab J6MS are amazing. The speaker is great, not crackly and cheap sounding, just a real great solid quality sound. I cannot yet say if it will crap out in 3 to 6 months, so I will have to keep you posted on that score. But even if it does, I will continue to buy this one every 3 to 6 months rather than any other. Oh and FYI, it comes with a little bag full of different size rubber ear pieces so you can change it out on the end to the right sized one that fits your ear perfectly. And it comes with a clip you can use to clip it to your shirt so you can make the mic hang any where you want it to.

Horrible audio quality. My eardrum hurts after only a minute. Very low quality. Do not attempt to use with music. Might be OK for an audiobook or a phone calls, but even then it’s still very harsh and low quality. It’s strange that this has such a higher reviews. I question everyone, lol

I listen to a lot of music on my Android cell phone, Android tablet, and a separate MP3 player. I also do a lot of walking on neighborhood streets as I recover from back surgery, and to make this mind-numbing activity more tolerable I take my tunes along. I prefer to keep one ear open so I can hear approaching traffic. I also like to go to sleep with music from a bedside radio or my portable sources via earphone so as not to disturb my wife who is a very light sleeper, and since I sleep on my side, I prefer to use a single earbud. In both cases, I want to have both stereo channels blended into mono channel for listening via a single bud. I've been using JLab J3MS single ear buds for some time. They blend stereo to mono very nicely, have amazing sound for the price and seem to have a more durable cord than others I've used. (A good quick test for stereo-to-mono blend is the drum sounds in the first second or two of Santana's Evil Ways -- in stereo they roll back and forth between channels, and in the J3s they stayed at a constant volume indicating one is hearing both channels.) With a year or so of hard use the first J3MS started losing connection due to fatigue at the plug end, so I moved on to my backup one, and it was time to order a couple more backups. When I returned to the Amazon J3MS page, they were not available and were said to be discontinued by JLab, but there was a link to "a newer model of this item", i.e. the J6MS. Unfortunately, this is NOT "a newer model of this item", it is a different animal altogether.. As a number of folks have pointed out, the 6JMS do not combine stereo into mono, they only play one of the channels. (They don't pass the Evil Ways drum test as the 3JMS ones did.) Okay, so I should have read everything on the 6JMS page and I probably would have known this, but I took Amazon at their word that the J6s were really replacements for the J3 buds that I liked. I can work around this problem with my Android devices - they have a setting to output mono to the earphone jack. But I use my MP3 player a lot too, and it has no such setting, nor does my bedside radio. Aside from the single channel issue, to my ear the J6s don't sound as good as the J3s either. Listening in the Android mono setting, the old J3s have more bass response and just seem to have a fuller, more natural sound. The J6s are going to be adequate for telephone voice use (a very minor component of my overall use) but don't seem to be as good for music listening. In fairness, the JLab literature does say their phones need to be "broken in" and their sound should improve with use. As I recall the J3s sounded great from the get-go. So color me disappointed. I've now ordered a couple of Scan Sound 1-BUD-Pro stereo-to-mono single ear buds (www.amazon.com/Scan-Sound-Inc-1-BUD-Pro-Gold-Earphone/) which is what I was using before finding the J3s. I think they have better sound than the J6s. My only complaint was that the cord seemed to be more prone to fatigue failure.

I didn't have very high expectations for the item with a $19.00 price tag but I was honestly and happily surprised with both the build quality and sound quality of the headphone. Let's be clear on one point; these are not meant to be not are they marketed as a reference grade product. You're not going to get 20hz-20khz response from a $19 product. That said, I needed a good single earphone with a stereo mix for when I am out mountain biking. I always want one ear open so I can hear other riders on the trail and when you use one side a pair of headphones you will lose either the left or right track (not much fun listening to only one guitar on an AC/DC track, Hells Bells turns into jingle bells in a dark place when you can't hear Angus). The earphone covers a respectable sonic spectrum, stays in my ear even while covering miles of bouncing downhill single track and will handle enough volume without distorting that I can hear the music clearly. I liked it enough to place a second order the same day I received the first. I have not and don't plan to use the mic but it is a nice added feature to have.

*Months later - I just have to tell you, this earbud is still going strong and I'm really impressed!! Thanks for making a really quality product for the price. Originally: This is just what I hoped it would be, makes me seem like less of a jackass when I am listening to a book/podcast/music around the house or at work. [No, i'm not */really/* trying to tune everyone else out, I'm just listening to stuff in the background... really...] The wire seems pretty durable so far. I accidentally stitched it into something - twice at one go - and while the needle didn't puncture the wire, the heavy thread we use on leather did pinch down on the wire a bit but it bounced right back. Sound is fine, no apparent damage to the wire. It's not super loud, but that may be because i"m using a smaller rubber stopper at the end and it's letting noise leak in. And, obviously, I'm hearing ambient noise with the other ear that's not got the earbud in it. Very good earbud, will def. buy again when this one is at the end of its life (or I lose it, which will be more likely knowing me).