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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're looking for earbuds mostly for exercise, the waterproof and dustproof Jaybird Vista 2 with excellent secure fit would be a better choice despite the higher price, plus they have active noise cancelling for focus and portability for on-the-go use. In contrast, the Steelseries TUSQ, being wired and lacking noise cancellation, costs less and has a more durable build quality, with better mic quality which makes it suitable for gaming and calls if you don't mind the wires and absence of noise cancellation. 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 Jaybird Vista 2
Very good for phone calls
Best in class for exercise
Very good for air travel
Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Steelseries TUSQ
Good for music
Very good for gaming
Good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
6.3/10
7.6/10
The Steelseries TUSQ is good for music, while the Jaybird Vista 2 is only fair.
Gaming
5.2/10
8.5/10
The Steelseries TUSQ is very good for gaming, while the Jaybird Vista 2 is poor.
Phone Calls
8.0/10
5.2/10
The Jaybird Vista 2 is very good for phone calls, while the Steelseries TUSQ is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.0/10
4.7/10
The Jaybird Vista 2 is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Steelseries TUSQ is poor.
TV and Video
5.6/10
7.3/10
The Steelseries TUSQ is good for TV and video, while the Jaybird Vista 2 is poor.
Noise Reduction
7.0/10
6.0/10
The Jaybird Vista 2 is good for noise reduction, while the Steelseries TUSQ is only fair.
Battery
6.0 Hours
N/A
The Jaybird Vista 2 has 6 hours of battery life. The Steelseries TUSQ does not have a battery.
Cost
$118
$30
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The Jaybird Vista 2 has a price of $118 and the Steelseries TUSQ costs $30.
Build Quality
9.0/10
8.0/10
The Jaybird Vista 2 has excellent build quality, while the Steelseries TUSQ has very good build quality.
"Compared to the original Vista, the Jaybird Vista 2 adds some key features including ANC and SurroundSense to control how much environmental noise you hear. If you're an athlete and are looking for rugged earbuds with tons of customization options, the Jaybird Vista 2 makes for a good option—but only if you are able to achieve a proper fit from the proprietary ear tips."
"The SteelSeries Arctis Tusq is a great headset for those on a more modest budget. You can use it for gaming or music, and I daresay it's also great for Zoom meetings when you don't want to be wearing on-ear or over-ear headphones."
Get a great deal on the Jaybird Vista 2 or the Steelseries TUSQ
About Jaybird
Jaybird is an American headphone and activity tracker manufacturer focused on the exercise and sports market. The company was founded in 2006 by Judd Armstrong who sought for a product that was thoroughly sweatproof and that wouldn’t get in the way during physical activity. Jaybird is a part of the Swiss company Logitech International, since 2016.
About Steelseries
Steelseries is a Danish gaming products manufacturer founded in 2001 and owned by GN Store Nord. Beside a large variety of gaming peripherals like mice, keyboards, and mousemats, Steelseries markets the Arctis line of gaming headsets which feature integrated boom microphones and RGB lighting. Steelseries has partnered with several game publishers and studios for limited editions of their products like a line of Cyberpunk 2077 themed headsets in 2020.
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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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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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.