The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize sound quality and use during exercise, the Beats Studiobuds may be the better option since they have a higher overall sound quality and score for use during exercise. However, if you value noise isolation for commuting or air travel, the JBL Live Pro 2 offers superior noise isolation and a higher score for air travel. Both have AAC Codec support for Apple devices, but only the Beats have active noise cancelling. The JBL has a slightly longer battery life, wireless charging capability, and is more lightweight, which could be convenient for extended use and recharging on the go. 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 phone calls
Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the JBL Live Pro 2
Very good for exercise
Key differences
Music
7.2/10
5.9/10
The Beats Studiobuds is good for music, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Phone Calls
7.0/10
5.2/10
The Beats Studiobuds is good for phone calls, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.0/10
5.8/10
The Beats Studiobuds is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.5/10
9.1/10
The JBL Live Pro 2 is excellent for noise reduction, while the Beats Studiobuds is only fair.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.3 Hours
The Beats Studiobuds has 6 hours of battery life. The JBL Live Pro 2 has 8.3 hours of battery life.
Cost
$80
$90
$40
$60
$80
$100
$120
$140
$160
The Beats Studiobuds has a price of $80 and the JBL Live Pro 2 costs $90.
Build Quality
8.8/10
7.0/10
The Beats Studiobuds has very good build quality, while the JBL Live Pro 2 has good build quality.
"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."
"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 Beats Studiobuds or the JBL Live Pro 2
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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Earbuds or Headphones guides you might be interested in
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.
By the numbers
108
Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
15
Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
128,300
Recommendations made
19,245
Consumer hours saved
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.