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Updated April 11, 2024·
If you prefer a more portable, truly wireless option for listening to music, podcasts, or making calls, especially during exercise, the Beats Studiobuds would suit you well, but keep in mind they may not be the best for gaming or watching TV due to their sound latency. The JBL Live 670NC headphones offer better noise isolation with active noise cancelling and longer battery life, which makes them great for air travel and noisy environments; however, they're bulkier and not as ideal for physical activities. Neither are particularly optimized for low-latency applications like gaming, and both have decent build quality and control features. The choice is between the portability and exercise-readiness of the Studiobuds against the noise cancellation and battery life of the JBL 670NC. 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 Beats Studiobuds
Good for music
Good for exercise
Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the JBL Live 670NC
The JBL Live 670NC has no clear advantages over the Beats Studiobuds.
Key differences
Music
7.2/10
6.5/10
The Beats Studiobuds is good for music, while the JBL Live 670NC is only fair.
Battery
6.0 Hours
65.0 Hours
The Beats Studiobuds has 6 hours of battery life. The JBL Live 670NC has 65 hours of battery life.
Cost
$80
$100
$40
$60
$80
$100
$120
$140
$160
The Beats Studiobuds has a price of $80 and the JBL Live 670NC costs $100.
Build Quality
8.8/10
8.0/10
The Beats Studiobuds and JBL Live 670NC both have very good build quality, though the Beats Studiobuds has somewhat better build quality.
The JBL Live 670NC and Beats Studiobuds are both poor for gaming.
Phone Calls
7.0/10
7.4/10
The JBL Live 670NC and Beats Studiobuds are both good for phone calls.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.0/10
8.6/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Beats Studiobuds to be excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live 670NC is very good.
TV and Video
5.6/10
5.5/10
The Beats Studiobuds and JBL Live 670NC are both poor for TV and video.
Noise Reduction
6.5/10
6.7/10
The JBL Live 670NC and Beats Studiobuds are both only fair for noise reduction.
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How the Beats Studiobuds and the JBL Live 670NC compare to other earbuds and headphones
"For less than the price of the AirPods, the Beats Studio Buds delivers a good fit, great sound, and active noise cancellation. This is also the first set of Apple-owned Beats earbuds to feature quick pairing with Android devices, albeit at the expense of some key features for Apple users."
Get a great deal on the Beats Studiobuds or the JBL Live 670NC
About Beats
Beats is an American, consumer-focused, audio products manufacturer. Founded originally by American rapper and producer Dr Dre, the company is now a subsidiary of Apple. Beats sells a wide range of audio products, including several models of headphones, earbuds and speakers as well as full car audio systems.
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.