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Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize sound quality and are mainly listening in a quiet environment, the HifiMan Edition XS offers a superior sound experience but is not portable and lacks a microphone for calls. In contrast, the JBL Live Free NC+ provides good noise isolation, portability, and has a microphone for calls, making them more versatile for use during exercise and travel at a lower cost. However, the JBL's sound quality isn't quite on par with the HifiMan and their over-ear, open-back design is not suitable for noisy environments. 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 HifiMan Edition XS
- Very good for music
- Good for gaming
- Best in class 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
Music
8.8
5.8
The HifiMan Edition XS is very good for music, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is poor.
Gaming
7.4
5.0
The HifiMan Edition XS is good for gaming, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is poor.
Phone Calls
5.0
7.6
The JBL Live Free NC+ is good for phone calls, while the HifiMan Edition XS is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.9
8.4
The JBL Live Free NC+ is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the HifiMan Edition XS is good.
TV and Video
9.5
5.6
The HifiMan Edition XS is best in class for TV and video, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is poor.
Noise Reduction
2.5
7.0
The JBL Live Free NC+ is good for noise reduction, while the HifiMan Edition XS is poor.
Battery
N/A
5.0 Hours
The HifiMan Edition XS does not have a battery. The JBL Live Free NC+ has 5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$269
$60
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The HifiMan Edition XS has a price of $269 and the JBL Live Free NC+ costs $60.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The HifiMan Edition XS and JBL Live Free NC+ both have very good build quality.
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How the HifiMan Edition XS and the JBL Live Free NC+ compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HifiMan Edition XS | JBL Live Free NC+ |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$269 | $60 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | HifiMan | JBL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | March 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.9/10 | 5.9/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.5/10 | 5/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.5/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.4/10 | 7.7/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | N/A | 5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | N/A | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | N/A | 1.3 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | N/A | 5.1 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | N/A | 18 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 2.5/10 | 7/10 | |
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 | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7.6/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 421 Grams | 7 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | N/A | Integrated | |
Shopping
HifiMan Edition XS
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphonesty
Eric D Hieger | January 2023
"The Edition XS easily compete with headphones in their price range with a very high price-to-performance ratio. The XS are an amazing value and offer performance not far off from headphones more than twice their cost. These will be a mind-blowing revelation for enthusiasts and music lovers who have only heard standard big-brand mainstream headphones."
JBL Live Free NC+
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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 HifiMan Edition XS or the JBL Live Free NC+
About HifiMan
HiFiMAN is a Chinese, high-end, audio product manufacturer, with 20 years of experience, that specializes in amplifiers, digital audio players and planar magnetic headphones, some of which have become a staple in the audiophile community such as the entry-level Sundara, the midrange Edition X, and the very well-regarded, high-end, Arya.
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
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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