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Updated April 11, 2024·
If portability and wireless convenience are top priorities, along with sweatproof features for exercise, the JBL Live Pro 2 would suit you better, especially with their active noise cancelling for travel and excellent noise isolation. However, if cost is a major concern and you're fine with wired headphones that are less portable but still provide good sound for music, the Sony MDR-ZX110 would be a practical choice, though they lack the features and sound quality for more diverse uses like calls and active environments. The JBL has an edge with custom app controls and is optimized for both Android and Apple devices, whereas the Sony, being older and wired, has none of these modern enhancements. 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 MDR-ZX110
Good for music
Key differences
Music
5.9/10
7.6/10
The Sony MDR-ZX110 is good for music, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Gaming
5.3/10
5.9/10
The Sony MDR-ZX110 and JBL Live Pro 2 are both poor for gaming, though the Sony MDR-ZX110 is somewhat better.
Phone Calls
5.2/10
3.0/10
The JBL Live Pro 2 and Sony MDR-ZX110 are both poor for phone calls, though the JBL Live Pro 2 is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.8/10
4.3/10
The JBL Live Pro 2 and Sony MDR-ZX110 are both poor for podcasts and audiobooks, though the JBL Live Pro 2 is somewhat better.
TV and Video
5.5/10
6.9/10
The Sony MDR-ZX110 is only fair for TV and video, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Noise Reduction
9.1/10
5.3/10
The JBL Live Pro 2 is excellent for noise reduction, while the Sony MDR-ZX110 is poor.
Battery
8.3 Hours
N/A
The JBL Live Pro 2 has 8.3 hours of battery life. The Sony MDR-ZX110 does not have a battery.
Cost
$90
$10
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The JBL Live Pro 2 has a price of $90 and the Sony MDR-ZX110 costs $10.
Build Quality
7.0/10
6.0/10
The JBL Live Pro 2 has good build quality, while the Sony MDR-ZX110 has only fair build quality.
"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."
"My opinion about Sony MDR ZX110 is they are the best budget headphones of Sony with top-class sound. Clear vocals, great bass, and balanced sound with low sound distortion. The treble could be sharper, but it's ok. 30 mm neodymium dynamic drivers give clear and precise audio, and an inline remote with a mic give decent call quality. Closed-Back Design also helps to improve sound performance."
Get a great deal on the JBL Live Pro 2 or the Sony MDR-ZX110
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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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.
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