The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·
If you prioritize sound quality and versatility for various activities like calls, meetings, and exercise, the Jabra Elite 4 earbuds, with their very good microphone, stable fit, and sweatproof certification, would suit you. They offer active noise canceling, making them great for air travel as well. However, if your budget is constrained and you're looking for basic headphones with a significantly longer battery life for extended listening sessions, the JBL 510BT might be more appropriate, but you'll compromise on comfort and sound isolation. Neither option is ideal for gaming due to their low gaming score. The JBL lacks noise cancelling and is not sweatproof, making the Jabra more versatile for different environments and activities. 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 Jabra Elite 4
Very good for phone calls
Good for exercise
Very good for air travel
Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the JBL 510BT
The JBL 510BT has no clear advantages over the Jabra Elite 4.
Key differences
Phone Calls
8.8/10
5.1/10
The Jabra Elite 4 is very good for phone calls, while the JBL 510BT is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.6/10
5.6/10
The Jabra Elite 4 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL 510BT is poor.
Noise Reduction
7.0/10
5.3/10
The Jabra Elite 4 is good for noise reduction, while the JBL 510BT is poor.
Battery
5.5 Hours
38.0 Hours
The Jabra Elite 4 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The JBL 510BT has 38 hours of battery life.
Cost
$100
$30
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The Jabra Elite 4 has a price of $100 and the JBL 510BT costs $30.
Build Quality
9.0/10
6.5/10
The Jabra Elite 4 has excellent build quality, while the JBL 510BT has only fair build quality.
"The Jabra Elite 4 is a good midrange option with solid isolation and aptX codec for Android. It sounds consumer friendly from the box and the app has some EQ to adjust to taste. Some included luxuries include multipoint, sidetone, and Spotify Tap"
"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 Jabra Elite 4 or the JBL 510BT
About Jabra
Jabra is a subsidiary of GN Store Nord, a 150-year-old Danish company that specializes in the manufacturing of hearing aids, headsets and earphones. Jabra has a focus on fit and comfort and quality control over everything else. According to Peter Karstromer, Jabras CEO, they “design and engineer technology that frees people to work, live and communicate how and where they want to, equipping them with the tools to live their life to a new rhythm”.
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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Earbuds or Headphones guides you might be interested in
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.
By the numbers
108
Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
15
Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
94,400
Recommendations made
14,160
Consumer hours saved
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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.