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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The JBL Live Pro 2 earbuds are often less expensive and offer better noise isolation due to their closed design, which makes them suitable for use during exercise and air travel. They have a longer battery life than the Sony Linkbuds and support wireless charging. On the other hand, the Sony Linkbuds, with their open-ring driver type and larger soundstage, provide a more natural listening experience, which may be preferable for outdoor use. However, they have a shorter battery life and do not support wireless charging. Both models are sweatproof and have similar build quality and comfort levels. 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 Pro 2
- Very good for exercise
- Very good for air travel
Advantages of the Sony Linkbuds
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
5.9
6.6
The Sony Linkbuds is only fair for music, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Phone Calls
5.2
6.8
The Sony Linkbuds is only fair for phone calls, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.8
7.8
The Sony Linkbuds is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Noise Reduction
9.1
2.5
The JBL Live Pro 2 is excellent for noise reduction, while the Sony Linkbuds is poor.
Battery
8.3 Hours
5.5 Hours
The JBL Live Pro 2 has 8.3 hours of battery life. The Sony Linkbuds has 5.5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$90
$178
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
The JBL Live Pro 2 has a price of $90 and the Sony Linkbuds costs $178.
Build Quality
7.0
9.3
The Sony Linkbuds has excellent build quality, while the JBL Live Pro 2 has good build quality.
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Key similarities
Gaming
5.3
5.5
The Sony Linkbuds and JBL Live Pro 2 are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
5.5
5.4
The JBL Live Pro 2 and Sony Linkbuds are both poor for TV and video.
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How the JBL Live Pro 2 and the Sony Linkbuds compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| JBL Live Pro 2 | Sony Linkbuds |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$90 | $178 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | JBL | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | February 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.9/10 | 6.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.2/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.4/10 | 5.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.6/10 | 5.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 8.3 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 0.8 Hours | 1.5 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.2 | 5.2 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 24 | 17.5 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 9.1/10 | 2.5/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 7/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Small | Small | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 4.8 Grams | 4.5 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Shopping
JBL Live Pro 2
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Dig into reviews and images
What HiFi?
What HiFi? | February 2023
"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."
Sony Linkbuds
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Sam Moore | February 2022
"The Sony LinkBuds is definitely the most unique audio product to release so far in 2022, and it largely executes well on it's unoccluded design. However, it's hamstrung by all the same things as other unsealed earbuds."
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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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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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Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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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.
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