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Updated April 11, 2024·
If you're on a tight budget and need earbuds primarily for exercise and travel, the Baseus Bowie MA10 would be a suitable choice; they're sweatproof, have active noise cancelling, and hold a longer battery life for typical use. However, they may not deliver the best audio for music or calls, and their larger size may be a consideration for comfort. On the other hand, the JBL Live Free NC+ offers better overall sound quality, which is great for enjoying music and handling calls, and they support wireless charging, which could be convenient. Keep in mind, the JBLs have a shorter battery life, so frequent charging may be required. 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 Baseus Bowie MA10
- Very good for exercise
Advantages of the JBL Live Free NC+
- Good for phone calls
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Phone Calls
5.3
7.6
The JBL Live Free NC+ is good for phone calls, while the Baseus Bowie MA10 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.7
8.4
The JBL Live Free NC+ is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Baseus Bowie MA10 is poor.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Baseus Bowie MA10 has 8 hours of battery life. The JBL Live Free NC+ has 5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$23
$60
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The Baseus Bowie MA10 has a price of $23 and the JBL Live Free NC+ costs $60.
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Key similarities
Music
5.8
5.8
The Baseus Bowie MA10 and JBL Live Free NC+ are both poor for music.
Gaming
5.3
5.0
The Baseus Bowie MA10 and JBL Live Free NC+ are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
5.8
5.6
The Baseus Bowie MA10 and JBL Live Free NC+ are both poor for TV and video.
Noise Reduction
6.7
7.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers JBL Live Free NC+ to be good for noise reduction, while the Baseus Bowie MA10 is only fair.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Baseus Bowie MA10 and JBL Live Free NC+ both have very good build quality.
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How the Baseus Bowie MA10 and the JBL Live Free NC+ compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Baseus Bowie MA10 | JBL Live Free NC+ |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$23 | $60 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Baseus | JBL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | March 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.9/10 | 5.9/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.3/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.4/10 | 5/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.9/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8.7/10 | 7.7/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 8 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 3 Hours | 1.3 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.3 | 5.1 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 132 | 18 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 6.8/10 | 7/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Large | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 10 Grams | 7 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Shopping
Baseus Bowie MA10
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Dig into reviews and images
Digital Trends
Simon Cohen | August 2023
"Even if the Bowie MA10 only had some of the features and performance they offer at double the price, they’d be a helluva good value. But given that they far exceed any other earbuds at this price, if you’re looking for an ultra-affordable set of wireless earbuds and you don’t mind their big charging case, you just can’t go wrong."
JBL Live Free NC+
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Dig into reviews and images
HeadphoneCheck
Maike Paeßens | 2020
"JBL has added great-sounding, rock-solid all-rounders with a pleasant, warm sound character to their range. They are equipped with a high level of functionality that can be customised via the app. Some compromises have to be made with the active noise cancellation, which has a discreet effect, while the ambient mode and the Talkthru function proved to be powerful despite a perceptible background noise."
Get a great deal on the Baseus Bowie MA10 or the JBL Live Free NC+
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.
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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.
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