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Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The HifiMan Sundara offers a high-fidelity listening experience often preferred by audiophiles, with an open-back design that gives a sense of openness and detail but leaks sound and offers little isolation from external noise. They're great for quiet environments where you want to enjoy the nuance in high-quality tracks. On the other hand, the JBL Live Pro 2 is a more versatile, budget-friendly in-ear option with active noise cancellation, making them suitable for various environments, especially on-the-go. They often include features like touch controls, a charging case, and a built-in microphone for calls, which the Sundaras likely lack. So if you prioritize sound quality and are using them in quiet spaces, the Sundara might be worth the higher cost, but for everyday use with convenience features and portability, the JBL Live Pro 2 could be a better deal. 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 Live Pro 2
- Very good for exercise
- Very good for air travel
Key differences
Music
9.3
5.9
The HifiMan Sundara is excellent for music, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Gaming
7.2
5.3
The HifiMan Sundara is good for gaming, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.8
5.8
The HifiMan Sundara is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
TV and Video
8.8
5.5
The HifiMan Sundara 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 HifiMan Sundara is poor.
Battery
N/A
8.3 Hours
The HifiMan Sundara does not have a battery. The JBL Live Pro 2 has 8.3 hours of battery life.
Cost
$279
$150
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The HifiMan Sundara has a price of $279 and the JBL Live Pro 2 costs $150.
Build Quality
8.2
7.0
The HifiMan Sundara has very good build quality, while the JBL Live Pro 2 has good build quality.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
4.9
5.2
The JBL Live Pro 2 and HifiMan Sundara are both poor for phone calls.
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How the HifiMan Sundara and the JBL Live Pro 2 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HifiMan Sundara | JBL Live Pro 2 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$279 | $150 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | HifiMan | JBL | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2020 | June 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 9.3/10 | 5.9/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5/10 | 5.2/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.2/10 | 5.4/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.8/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.5/10 | 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 | N/A | 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 | 8.2/10 | 7/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8.4/10 | 7/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Small | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 394.6 Grams | 4.8 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | N/A | Integrated | |
Shopping
HifiMan Sundara
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | July 2023
"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."
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 HifiMan Sundara 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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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Earbuds and Headphones Expert
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