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Updated April 11, 2024·
If you prioritize call quality and a secure fit for activities like exercise, the Jabra Elite 4 would be a better choice, especially due to its superior mic quality and sweatproof certification. However, if you're looking to save money and want longer battery life, the JBL Tune Buds would be more cost-effective while offering a decent listening experience. The Jabra has better overall sound quality and active noise cancelling for travel or noisy environments, but the JBL supports the AAC codec, which may provide better audio quality for Apple device users. Neither is well-suited for gaming due to low gaming scores, but both are good for listening to music and podcasts, with the Jabra having a slight edge. 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
Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the JBL Tune Buds
The JBL Tune Buds has no clear advantages over the Jabra Elite 4.
Key differences
Phone Calls
8.8/10
4.9/10
The Jabra Elite 4 is very good for phone calls, while the JBL Tune Buds is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.6/10
5.8/10
The Jabra Elite 4 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Tune Buds is poor.
Battery
5.5 Hours
10.4 Hours
The Jabra Elite 4 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The JBL Tune Buds has 10.4 hours of battery life.
Cost
$100
$60
$40
$60
$80
$100
$120
$140
$160
The Jabra Elite 4 has a price of $100 and the JBL Tune Buds costs $60.
Build Quality
9.0/10
8.5/10
The Jabra Elite 4 has excellent build quality, while the JBL Tune Buds has very good 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"
"JBL’s Tune Buds stick with the company’s signature bass-heavy sound by default, but a quality in-app EQ lets you sculpt the audio to taste. These noise-cancelling true wireless earphones also mitigate environmental distractions fairly well for the price and offer good battery life. If you're specifically seeking bold, bass-tuned audio out of the box, the Tune Buds are worth a listen."
Get a great deal on the Jabra Elite 4 or the JBL Tune Buds
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.
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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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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.
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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.