JLab JBuds Air Icon vs KZ ZS3

While the JLab JBuds Air Icon makes for a passable Canal Earphone for its asking price, the KZ ZS3 simply doesn't make the cut and should be avoided by the majority of people. In either case, we suggest that you look into some better alternatives that cost around $45 or $16.

However, if you'd nonetheless like to find out more about the JLab JBuds Air Icon and the KZ ZS3, you can continue reading for our summary of what we know about them:

The JLab JBuds Air Icon was loved by reviewers at TechGearLab, a highly trusted source that performs reliable in-depth testing. It did great in its "Best Waterproof Earbuds of 2020" roundup where it was named its "Long Distance Bluetooth Connection", which, in itself, makes it a product worth considering.

As for the KZ ZS3 - Head-fi, a source that conducts reliable hands-on testing, has featured it in its KZ-ZS3 Hifi High-End 3.5mm In-Ear Earphone Headphones Earpiece Original Headset Bass Earbuds With Microphone review roundup. However, it didn't make it to any of the top spots.

We couldn't find any sources that tested both of these Canal Earphones, so we only analyzed how they performed in reviews from different sites.

We first examined which sources rated each of these best and found that the JLab JBuds Air Icon got its highest, 7.6, rating from SoundGuys, while the KZ ZS3 earned its best, 9, score from Head-fi.

Lastly, in order to better compare them to the rest of their competition, we averaged out their review scores. The KZ ZS3 managed to get 9.0 out of 10 - considerably better than the 7.4 review average of Canal Earphones in general - whereas the JLab JBuds Air Icon earned 7.3 points.

It should be said that doing a direct JLab JBuds Air Icon vs. KZ ZS3 comparison might not be entirely fair due to the difference in their prices - some sources don't put much weight on value for money and thus tend to give better review scores to more expensive products.