The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·
If you're on a budget, the JBL 510BT headphones offer a less expensive option with decent sound quality and very good built-in controls, making them suitable for casual listening. However, they are not ideal for exercise or travel due to poor comfort, noise isolation, and lack of portability. Conversely, the JBL Live Pro 2 earbuds are more expensive but provide excellent noise isolation, very good portability, and are specifically designed to excel during exercise and air travel with features like sweatproof certification and a secure fit. They also support wireless charging and have a better battery life, which may be crucial for extended use. Consider if these enhanced features justify the higher price depending on your primary use-case, such as needing earbuds for active scenarios versus requiring headphones primarily for home use. 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 JBL 510BT
The JBL 510BT has no clear advantages over the JBL Live Pro 2.
Advantages of the JBL Live Pro 2
Very good for exercise
Very good for air travel
Key differences
Noise Reduction
5.3/10
9.1/10
The JBL Live Pro 2 is excellent for noise reduction, while the JBL 510BT is poor.
Battery
38.0 Hours
8.3 Hours
The JBL 510BT has 38 hours of battery life. The JBL Live Pro 2 has 8.3 hours of battery life.
Cost
$30
$90
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The JBL 510BT has a price of $30 and the JBL Live Pro 2 costs $90.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers JBL 510BT to be only fair for music, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Gaming
5.4/10
5.3/10
The JBL 510BT and JBL Live Pro 2 are both poor for gaming.
Phone Calls
5.1/10
5.2/10
The JBL Live Pro 2 and JBL 510BT are both poor for phone calls.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.6/10
5.8/10
The JBL Live Pro 2 and JBL 510BT are both poor for podcasts and audiobooks.
TV and Video
5.5/10
5.5/10
The JBL 510BT and JBL Live Pro 2 are both poor for TV and video.
Build Quality
6.5/10
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers JBL Live Pro 2 to have good build quality, while the JBL 510BT has only fair build quality.
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How the JBL 510BT and the JBL Live Pro 2 compare to other earbuds and headphones
"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."
"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 JBL 510BT or the JBL Live Pro 2
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
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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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