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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prefer a more immersive listening experience, the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 offers superior overall sound quality and is particularly suited for air travel and portable use due to its noise isolation capabilities. However, for making calls and participating in meetings, the JBL Live Free NC+ is a better choice due to its higher mic quality. Additionally, the JBL has longer battery life in its case, which can be beneficial for extended use without frequent recharging. The Bowers & Wilkins is a midrange priced product with additional features like aptX HD codec support, suggesting higher audio fidelity, especially useful if your devices support these codecs. On the other hand, the more budget-friendly JBL Live Free NC+ supports only the AAC codec, which is sufficient for most users but may not offer the same level of audio quality as aptX HD. Choose the Bowers & Wilkins for better sound and noise isolation if you are willing to spend more, or opt for the JBL if you value call quality and longer battery life with a more affordable price tag. 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 Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2
- Good for music
Advantages of the JBL Live Free NC+
- Good for phone calls
- Good for exercise
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
7.5
5.8
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 is good for music, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is poor.
Phone Calls
5.2
7.6
The JBL Live Free NC+ is good for phone calls, while the Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.6
8.4
The JBL Live Free NC+ is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.3
7.0
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 is very good for noise reduction, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is good.
Cost
$127
$60
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 has a price of $127 and the JBL Live Free NC+ costs $60.
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Key similarities
Gaming
5.3
5.0
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 and JBL Live Free NC+ are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
6.0
5.6
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 to be only fair for TV and video, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is poor.
Battery
5.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 has 5 hours of battery life. The JBL Live Free NC+ has 5 hours of battery life.
Build Quality
8.9
8.5
The Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 and JBL Live Free NC+ both have very good build quality.
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How the Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 and the JBL Live Free NC+ compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 | JBL Live Free NC+ |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$127 | $60 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Bowers and Wilkins | JBL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | March 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.5/10 | 5.9/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.2/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.4/10 | 5/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 6/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.3/10 | 7.7/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 0.75 Hours | 1.3 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5.1 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 13 | 18 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 8.4/10 | 7/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Large | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 7 Grams | 7 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Shopping
Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2
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Dig into reviews and images
Engadget
Billy Steele | March 2023
"While the overall sound quality is great, these earbuds fall short in terms of battery life, customization and ANC performance. Bowers & Wilkins’ ability to consistently deliver pristine sound isn’t enough to make up for what the Pi7 S2 lacks, which is unfortunately quite a bit."
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 Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 or the JBL Live Free NC+
About Bowers and Wilkins
Bowers and Wilkins is a British audio equipment manufacturer with a focus on innovation and product development. It was founded by a couple of real-life James Bonds, the co-founders John Bowers and Roy Wilkins, who met while working for MI6 during World War II. The company keeps being favored by enthusiasts due to their sound quality, craftsmanship and signature aesthetics.
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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