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Updated April 11, 2024·
If you prioritize sound quality and are prepared to invest in a premium open-back over-ear experience, the HifiMan Sundara may be for you, especially for music and TV where spacious soundstage matters. These headphones excel in sound, but lack convenience features like a microphone or wireless connectivity, and they're not suited for exercise or noisy environments. However, they're bulky and require an amplifier for best performance. On the other hand, the JBL 510BT offers closed-back on-ear convenience with wireless features, built-in controls, and a foldable design, making them more portable and suited for casual listening or travel, despite their lower overall sound quality. They're also budget-friendly and have integrated mic capabilities for calls but are not ideal for critical listening or gaming. 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 Sundara
Excellent for music
Good for gaming
Very good for TV and video
Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the JBL 510BT
Good for air travel
Key differences
Music
9.3/10
6.2/10
The HifiMan Sundara is excellent for music, while the JBL 510BT is only fair.
Gaming
7.2/10
5.4/10
The HifiMan Sundara is good for gaming, while the JBL 510BT is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.8/10
5.6/10
The HifiMan Sundara is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL 510BT is poor.
TV and Video
8.8/10
5.5/10
The HifiMan Sundara is very good for TV and video, while the JBL 510BT is poor.
Noise Reduction
2.5/10
5.3/10
The JBL 510BT and HifiMan Sundara are both poor for noise reduction, though the JBL 510BT is somewhat better.
Battery
N/A
38.0 Hours
The HifiMan Sundara does not have a battery. The JBL 510BT has 38 hours of battery life.
Cost
$279
$30
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The HifiMan Sundara has a price of $279 and the JBL 510BT costs $30.
Build Quality
8.2/10
6.5/10
The HifiMan Sundara has very good build quality, while the JBL 510BT has only fair build quality.
"The HiFiMan Sundara is the set of headphones to get if you want high-end audio, but don't want to shell out a king's ransom for it. These planar magnetic headphones are comfortable, straightforward, and excellent performers."
"The JBL Tune 510BT is affordable and compact, making it a great companion for a commute, so long as you don't need active noise canceling. If you wear glasses or have ear piercings, the on-ear design might not be comfortable, since the ear cups will squish your ears."
Get a great deal on the HifiMan Sundara or the JBL 510BT
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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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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