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ER2SE
Company ProductName Specs




Live Free NC+
Company ProductName Specs




What we think

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The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

For high-quality sound, the Etymotic ER2SE stands out with better overall sound quality and exceptional noise isolation, but lacks features like a microphone and wireless connectivity. In contrast, the JBL Live Free NC+ offers good comfort, useful built-in controls, microphone quality suitable for calls, wireless convenience, and additional features like active noise canceling, at a lower price. The JBLs are also more suited for exercise and air travel, but if sound fidelity is a priority and you don't need wireless functionality, the Etymotic may be worth the extra cost. 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 Etymotic ER2SE
  • Very good for music
  • Good for TV and video
Advantages of the JBL Live Free NC+
  • Good for phone calls
  • Good for exercise
  • Very good for air travel
  • Very good for podcasts and audiobooks

Key differences

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Music

8.8
ER2SE
Live Free NC+
5.8
The Etymotic ER2SE is very good for music, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is poor.

Gaming

6.2
ER2SE
Live Free NC+
5.0
The Etymotic ER2SE is only fair for gaming, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is poor.

Phone Calls

4.9
ER2SE
Live Free NC+
7.6
The JBL Live Free NC+ is good for phone calls, while the Etymotic ER2SE is poor.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

7.6
ER2SE
Live Free NC+
8.4
The JBL Live Free NC+ is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Etymotic ER2SE is good.

TV and Video

7.8
ER2SE
Live Free NC+
5.6
The Etymotic ER2SE is good for TV and video, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is poor.

Noise Reduction

9.1
ER2SE
Live Free NC+
7.0
The Etymotic ER2SE is excellent for noise reduction, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is good.

Battery

N/A
ER2SE
Live Free NC+
5.0 Hours
The Etymotic ER2SE does not have a battery. The JBL Live Free NC+ has 5 hours of battery life.

Cost

$100
ER2SE
Live Free NC+
$60
Product image
Product image

$40

$60

$80

$100

$120

$140

$160

The Etymotic ER2SE has a price of $100 and the JBL Live Free NC+ costs $60.

Build Quality

9.0
ER2SE
Live Free NC+
8.5
The Etymotic ER2SE has excellent build quality, while the JBL Live Free NC+ has very good build quality.
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How the Etymotic ER2SE and the JBL Live Free NC+ compare to other earbuds and headphones

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Spec Comparison

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Etymotic ER2SEJBL Live Free NC+
Etymotic ER2SEJBL Live Free NC+

GENERAL

Price
$100
$60
Brand
EtymoticJBL
Release Date
February 1, 2019March 1, 2021
Form Factor
EarbudsEarbuds
Connectivity
WiredWireless

SOUND

Music Score
8.9/105.9/10
Phone Calls Score
5/107.6/10
Gaming Score
6.3/105/10
TV and Video Score
7.9/105.6/10
Exercise Score
4.2/107.7/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
N/A5 Hours
Wireless charging
N/AYes
Charging time
N/A1.3 Hours
Bluetooth version
N/A5.1
Case Battery Life
N/A18

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
NoYes
Noise Reduction Score
9.1/107/10
Virtual Surround
N/ANo
Android App
N/AYes
iOS App
N/AYes
Mic Quality
N/A7/10

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
9/108.5/10
Comfort score
6/107.6/10
Size
SmallLarge
Weight (headset or single earbud)
4 Grams7 Grams
Microphone style
N/AIntegrated

Shopping

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Etymotic ER2SE

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Dig into reviews and images

Sound Guys

Lily Katz | April 2022
"Etymotic isn’t playing around: it takes audio seriously and has mastered the art of the noise-isolation earphone. Sure, the fit of the earbuds looks silly but it’s a signature Etymotic thing and could be considered charming by some. If you’re looking for best-in-class audio for a realistic price, the ER2SE is it."

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 Etymotic ER2SE or the JBL Live Free NC+

About Etymotic

Etymotic Research is an American based research, development and manufacturing company founded in 1983. They invented the first insert earphones that were used for the diagnosis and research of hearing loss and other auditory disorders. They went on to pioneer the market of high fidelity, isolating, in-ear earphones.

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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Why trust us

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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.

By the numbers

108
Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
15
Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
122,900
Recommendations made
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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.

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