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Updated April 10, 2024·
If budget is a significant factor and you mainly listen to music or podcasts, the JBL Live Free NC+ would be a more cost-effective choice, offering good sound and noise isolation without breaking the bank. However, for a more dynamic listening experience, especially if you value sound quality during active pursuits or require features like heart rate monitoring and activity tracking, the Sennheiser Momentum Sport could justify the higher price. They support aptX Adaptive for lower latency, which is beneficial for video and gaming, and they have higher durability and comfort levels with additional features like ear detection and better battery life, though these come at a premium cost. The JBL Live Free NC+ may underperform in soundstaging, making them less immersive for critical listening or gaming. If active noise cancelling and exercise use are crucial for you, both options are suitable, but the Sennheiser's sweatproof certifications and health tracking integration lean it towards more active and health-conscious users. 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 Live Free NC+
Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sennheiser Momentum Sport
Good for music
Very good for gaming
Good for TV and video
Very good for exercise
Key differences
Music
5.8/10
7.5/10
The Sennheiser Momentum Sport is good for music, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is poor.
Gaming
5.0/10
8.8/10
The Sennheiser Momentum Sport is very good for gaming, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is poor.
Phone Calls
7.6/10
7.0/10
The JBL Live Free NC+ and Sennheiser Momentum Sport are both good for phone calls, though the JBL Live Free NC+ is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.4/10
7.8/10
The JBL Live Free NC+ is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser Momentum Sport is good.
TV and Video
5.6/10
7.8/10
The Sennheiser Momentum Sport is good for TV and video, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is poor.
Noise Reduction
7.0/10
8.0/10
The Sennheiser Momentum Sport is very good for noise reduction, while the JBL Live Free NC+ is good.
Battery
5.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The JBL Live Free NC+ has 5 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser Momentum Sport has 6 hours of battery life.
Cost
$60
$330
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The JBL Live Free NC+ has a price of $60 and the Sennheiser Momentum Sport costs $330.
Build Quality
8.5/10
9.0/10
The Sennheiser Momentum Sport has excellent build quality, while the JBL Live Free NC+ has very good build quality.
"JBL has added great-sounding, rock-solid all-rounders with a pleasant, warm sound character to their range. They are equipped with a high level of functionality that can be customised via the app. Some compromises have to be made with the active noise cancellation, which has a discreet effect, while the ambient mode and the Talkthru function proved to be powerful despite a perceptible background noise."
"We hadn't been expecting a new pair of dedicated sports buds but the surprise was nonetheless exciting. I got to try out the new buds at CES 2024 and while they have stayed true to delivering that "signature" Sennheiser sound, with a wide soundstage and strong sense of detail, it’s the extra wearable tech inside them that stands out to me against the best workout headphones."
Get a great deal on the JBL Live Free NC+ or the Sennheiser Momentum Sport
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 Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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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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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.
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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.