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Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Focal Elex headphones offer a superior sound quality with an expansive soundstage, but they are open-back, wired, and quite expensive. They excel with TV and video but aren't suitable for exercise, have no noise isolation, and are not portable. The JBL Live Pro 2 earbuds, on the other hand, are more affordable, closed-back, wireless, and have active noise cancelling, making them great for travel and exercise. However, their sound quality doesn't match the Focals, and they are better optimized for calls and meetings rather than critical music listening. If sound quality is paramount and money is no object, go with Focal Elex; if practicality and value are priorities, choose JBL Live Pro 2. 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 Focal Elex
- Good for music
- Very good for TV and video
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the JBL Live Pro 2
- Very good for exercise
- Very good for air travel
Key differences
Music
7.7
5.9
The Focal Elex is good for music, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Gaming
6.9
5.3
The Focal Elex is only fair for gaming, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Phone Calls
4.3
5.2
The JBL Live Pro 2 and Focal Elex are both poor for phone calls, though the JBL Live Pro 2 is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.1
5.8
The Focal Elex is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
TV and Video
8.3
5.5
The Focal Elex is very good for TV and video, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Noise Reduction
2.5
9.1
The JBL Live Pro 2 is excellent for noise reduction, while the Focal Elex is poor.
Battery
N/A
8.3 Hours
The Focal Elex does not have a battery. The JBL Live Pro 2 has 8.3 hours of battery life.
Cost
$749
$150
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Focal Elex has a price of $749 and the JBL Live Pro 2 costs $150.
Build Quality
9.0
7.0
The Focal Elex has excellent build quality, while the JBL Live Pro 2 has good build quality.
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How the Focal Elex and the JBL Live Pro 2 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Focal Elex | JBL Live Pro 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$749 | $150 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Focal | JBL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2017 | June 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.8/10 | 5.9/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 4.4/10 | 5.2/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 6.9/10 | 5.4/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.4/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.3/10 | 8/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | N/A | 8.3 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | N/A | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | N/A | 0.8 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | N/A | 5.2 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | N/A | 24 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 2.5/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | N/A | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | N/A | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | N/A | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 7/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Small | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 450 Grams | 4.8 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | N/A | Integrated | |
Shopping
Focal Elex
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Dig into reviews and images
Golden Sound
Golden Sound | October 2021
"The Focal Elex are an excellent pair of headphones for the money and a great all-rounder that will suit many tastes. They’re an easy recommendation for anyone looking for something comfortable, well built, that looks good, and will work with just about any genre."
JBL Live Pro 2
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Dig into reviews and images
What HiFi?
What HiFi? | February 2023
"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 Focal Elex or the JBL Live Pro 2
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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