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Updated January 10, 2024·
For an immersive audio experience with balanced sound quality, the AirPods (3rd generation) are superior, but keep in mind they perform poorly for gaming and TV due to latency. JBL Live Pro 2, being more affordable, offer better battery life and active noise cancelling which the AirPods lack, making them suitable for noisy environments and longer usage periods. AirPods excel in seamless integration with Apple devices and offer spatial audio for a more engaging experience. JBL Live Pro 2 provide better customization through its app and are also sweatproof, thus fitting for exercise. Consider these aspects and your specific needs alongside budget constraints. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple Airpods (3rd generation)
Good for music
Good for phone calls
Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the JBL Live Pro 2
Very good for exercise
Key differences
Music
7.1/10
5.9/10
The Apple Airpods (3rd generation) is good for music, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Phone Calls
7.6/10
5.2/10
The Apple Airpods (3rd generation) is good for phone calls, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.6/10
5.8/10
The Apple Airpods (3rd generation) is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Noise Reduction
2.5/10
9.1/10
The JBL Live Pro 2 is excellent for noise reduction, while the Apple Airpods (3rd generation) is poor.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.3 Hours
The Apple Airpods (3rd generation) has 6 hours of battery life. The JBL Live Pro 2 has 8.3 hours of battery life.
Cost
$178
$150
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
The Apple Airpods (3rd generation) has a price of $178 and the JBL Live Pro 2 costs $150.
Build Quality
9.0/10
7.0/10
The Apple Airpods (3rd generation) has excellent build quality, while the JBL Live Pro 2 has good build quality.
"The Apple AirPods improves upon the 2019 model with its more ergonomic, yet unsealed, fit, water-resistant build, MagSafe charging case, and advanced software features. You can enjoy a wholly immersive movie experience with the new AirPods' spatial audio with head tracking, and enjoy HD audio during FaceTime calls. Of course, most of these features are limited to Apple hardware."
"The JBL Live Pro 2 TWS occupy an interesting space in the wireless earbuds market. They’re a step up from cheap wireless earbuds and allow you to access better sound quality without having to make the jump to more premium options from the likes of Bose, Sony and Sennheiser. They’re an entertaining listen, easy to use and manage to pack in a lot of useful features. We think they’re well worth a listen."
Get a great deal on the Apple Airpods (3rd generation) or the JBL Live Pro 2
About Apple
Apple Inc. is an American technology company, founded in 1976, known for its wide range of premium products, including smartphones, computers, and audio solutions. Apple offers the very popular personal audio line AirPods, highly regarded for their wireless, smart capabilities and their seamless integration with the iPhone, iPad and Mac devices. They provide a high-quality sound, comfort and lifestyle features perfect for all users invested in their ecosystem.
About JBL
JBL is an American audio equipment manufacturer. Owned by Harman International which is, itself, owned by Samsung Electronics. JBL markets a wide array of monitoring speakers, professional headphones and consumer market headphones and earbuds. It was founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing (whose initials give the company its name) and has become one of the most prolific audio companies ever. Their products were responsible for audio during the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Luis Torres
Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.