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Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The HifiMan Edition XS offers exceptional sound quality and a natural soundstage but lacks a microphone and built-in controls. These headphones are great for immersive music experiences, like critical listening, thanks to their open-back design and planar magnetic drivers, which aren't suitable for noisy environments and have no active noise cancelling. The JBL Live Pro 2, as more affordable earbuds, provide good portability, wireless convenience, decent sound for music, and are suitable for exercise with sweatproof certification and active noise cancelling. They also support calls and meetings better due to the integrated mic and longer battery life with a charging case. Choose HifiMan if sound quality is paramount and you're mainly using them in quiet settings; select JBL Live Pro 2 for versatility, portability, and use in various 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
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the JBL Live Pro 2
- Very good for exercise
- Very good for air travel
Key differences
Music
8.8
5.9
The HifiMan Edition XS is very good for music, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Gaming
7.4
5.3
The HifiMan Edition XS is good for gaming, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.9
5.8
The HifiMan Edition XS is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
TV and Video
9.5
5.5
The HifiMan Edition XS is best in class 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 HifiMan Edition XS is poor.
Battery
N/A
8.3 Hours
The HifiMan Edition XS does not have a battery. The JBL Live Pro 2 has 8.3 hours of battery life.
Cost
$269
$150
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The HifiMan Edition XS has a price of $269 and the JBL Live Pro 2 costs $150.
Build Quality
8.5
7.0
The HifiMan Edition XS has very good build quality, while the JBL Live Pro 2 has good build quality.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
5.0
5.2
The JBL Live Pro 2 and HifiMan Edition XS are both poor for phone calls.
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How the HifiMan Edition XS and the JBL Live Pro 2 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HifiMan Edition XS | JBL Live Pro 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$269 | $150 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | HifiMan | JBL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | June 1, 2022 | |
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 | 5.2/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.5/10 | 5.4/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.5/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.4/10 | 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 | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7.6/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Small | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 421 Grams | 4.8 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 Pro 2
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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 HifiMan Edition XS or the JBL Live Pro 2
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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