I just went hands-on with the world's smallest earbuds — here's what happened (and yes, they have ANC now)

Last year, I tested the $39 JLab JBuds Mini and found them to be near-perfect earbuds, except for the lack of Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). Fortunately, JLab has addressed this shortcoming in the 2026 version, which also comes in a variety of vibrant colors. In addition to ANC, these new JBuds Mini ANC now feature Apple-accredited Find My technology.

Priced at $42.99, they are slightly more expensive than their non-ANC counterparts, but the overall value remains excellent. At IFA 2026, I was able to try out the JLab JBuds Mini ANC and share my experience. Measuring at 20.3 mm x 13.2 mm x 21.3 mm, these earbuds are among the smallest available. While not the smallest, they certainly stand out with their ANC capabilities.

In a bustling conference hall filled with chatter and general noise, the ANC performed impressively, blocking out 95% of conversations and 100% of high-frequency sounds such as typing. The sound quality, while not on par with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2, was exceptional for the price. The grungey vocals in Amyl and the Sniffers' "Mandalay" were textured and evocative, and the bass and percussion were well-balanced.

Similarly, the warmth of "Leave Me Alone" by Deki Alem and the frenetic guitars in Bloc Party's "Coming on Strong" were present and accurately reproduced. For $43, I was genuinely impressed with the JLab JBuds Mini ANC.