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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
For superior call quality and a wireless experience with active noise cancelling, choose the JBL Live Pro 2; these are especially good for air travel and exercise due to their portability and sweatproof feature. If gaming and mic clarity are your priorities, and you don't mind a wired connection, the SteelSeries TUSQ with its boom mic would serve you better. Keep in mind that the JBL earbuds are more costly, so if budget is a concern and you're willing to forgo wireless convenience and noise cancellation, the SteelSeries might be the more economical choice. 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 Steelseries TUSQ
- Good for music
- Very good for gaming
- Good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
5.9
7.6
The Steelseries TUSQ is good for music, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Gaming
5.3
8.5
The Steelseries TUSQ is very good for gaming, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.8
4.7
The JBL Live Pro 2 and Steelseries TUSQ are both poor for podcasts and audiobooks, though the JBL Live Pro 2 is somewhat better.
TV and Video
5.5
7.3
The Steelseries TUSQ is good for TV and video, while the JBL Live Pro 2 is poor.
Noise Reduction
9.1
6.0
The JBL Live Pro 2 is excellent for noise reduction, while the Steelseries TUSQ is only fair.
Battery
8.3 Hours
N/A
The JBL Live Pro 2 has 8.3 hours of battery life. The Steelseries TUSQ does not have a battery.
Cost
$90
$40
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The JBL Live Pro 2 has a price of $90 and the Steelseries TUSQ costs $40.
Build Quality
7.0
8.0
The Steelseries TUSQ has very good build quality, while the JBL Live Pro 2 has good build quality.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
5.2
5.2
The Steelseries TUSQ and JBL Live Pro 2 are both poor for phone calls.
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How the JBL Live Pro 2 and the Steelseries TUSQ compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| JBL Live Pro 2 | Steelseries TUSQ |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$90 | $40 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | JBL | Steelseries | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | August 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 5.9/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.2/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.4/10 | 8.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.6/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8/10 | 4.2/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 8.3 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 0.8 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.2 | N/A | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 24 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 9.1/10 | 6/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | N/A | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Small | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 4.8 Grams | 11 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Boom | |
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."
Steelseries TUSQ
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Dig into reviews and images
Can Buy or Not
Aloysius Low | March 2021
"The SteelSeries Arctis Tusq is a great headset for those on a more modest budget. You can use it for gaming or music, and I daresay it's also great for Zoom meetings when you don't want to be wearing on-ear or over-ear headphones."
Get a great deal on the JBL Live Pro 2 or the Steelseries TUSQ
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 Steelseries
Steelseries is a Danish gaming products manufacturer founded in 2001 and owned by GN Store Nord. Beside a large variety of gaming peripherals like mice, keyboards, and mousemats, Steelseries markets the Arctis line of gaming headsets which feature integrated boom microphones and RGB lighting. Steelseries has partnered with several game publishers and studios for limited editions of their products like a line of Cyberpunk 2077 themed headsets in 2020.
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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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