A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·
If you value comfort and are looking for headphones for longer listening sessions or calls and meetings, Sony WH-CH520, with its best-in-class comfort, would be better for you, though they tend to be slightly more expensive than the JBL 510BT. For gaming and watching TV, the Sony also stands out with very good ratings. However, if budget is your main concern and you want a pair with a longer battery life for extended use without frequent charging, you might lean towards the JBL 510BT despite their lower comfort rating. Neither model supports active noise cancelling, but if you travel by air often or need to concentrate in noisy environments, the Sony’s superior noise isolation quality could be more beneficial despite its lesser portability. Sony also has an app with an equalizer and customization options, which is great if you enjoy tweaking your audio experience. 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 Sony WH-CH520.
Advantages of the Sony WH-CH520
- Good for music
- Very good for gaming
- Very good for TV and video
- Very good for air travel
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
6.2
7.6
The Sony WH-CH520 is good for music, while the JBL 510BT is only fair.
Gaming
5.4
8.8
The Sony WH-CH520 is very good for gaming, while the JBL 510BT is poor.
Phone Calls
5.1
6.7
The Sony WH-CH520 is only fair for phone calls, while the JBL 510BT is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.6
8.0
The Sony WH-CH520 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL 510BT is poor.
TV and Video
5.5
8.2
The Sony WH-CH520 is very good for TV and video, while the JBL 510BT is poor.
Noise Reduction
5.3
4.6
The JBL 510BT and Sony WH-CH520 are both poor for noise reduction, though the JBL 510BT is somewhat better.
Battery
38.0 Hours
52.0 Hours
The JBL 510BT has 38 hours of battery life. The Sony WH-CH520 has 52 hours of battery life.
Cost
$50
$60
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The JBL 510BT has a price of $50 and the Sony WH-CH520 costs $60.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
6.5
7.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony WH-CH520 to have good build quality, while the JBL 510BT has only fair build quality.
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How the JBL 510BT and the Sony WH-CH520 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| JBL 510BT | Sony WH-CH520 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$50 | $60 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | JBL | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2021 | April 1, 2023 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.2/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.2/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.6/10 | 8.2/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 5.8/10 | 6.4/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 38 Hours | 52 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | 1.9 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5.2 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 5.3/10 | 4.6/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | N/A | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | N/A | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 5.5/10 | 10/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 158.7 Grams | 147.41 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
JBL 510BT
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Dig into reviews and images
SoundGuys
Sam Smart | September 2023
"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."
Sony WH-CH520
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | September 2023
"If you’re looking for headphones that simply do what you ask them to: the Sony WH-CH520 is a decent option, even if it isn’t very exciting. Sony’s WH-CHXXX line fits this role quite well, and the WH-CH520 offers a decent raft of quality-of-life updates over its predecessor that should keep listeners happy. If the Sony WH-CH520 were a car, it’d be the boring-but-safe commuter compact."
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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.
About Sony
Sony is a multinational corporation, based out of Japan, with over 75 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry. In the audio market, Sony has been a trendsetter several times throughout its history. In 1979 they released the first-ever portable music player, the Sony Walkman, followed by the Discman 20 years later. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the wireless headphone and earbud market, especially in terms of Active Noise Cancellation technology.
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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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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.
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