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Updated April 11, 2024·
Choosing between the JBL Tune 660NC and the Sony WH-1000XM5 depends on your priorities. If you are on a budget and need something for air travel or want a pair with a detachable cable, the JBL Tune 660NC is a solid choice, despite being less comfortable and having fair sound quality. However, if you are willing to invest more for superior noise isolation, sound quality, comfort, build, and a longer-lasting battery, the Sony WH-1000XM5 would be better, especially if you also value an equalizer app and virtual surround sound for a more immersive audio experience. Additionally, Sony's model supports a lossless codec, which is beneficial if high-fidelity audio is important to you, but it’s not ideal for gaming or TV due to latency. 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 Tune 660NC
The JBL Tune 660NC has no clear advantages over the Sony WH-1000XM5.
Advantages of the Sony WH-1000XM5
Very good for music
Very good for air travel
Key differences
Music
6.1/10
8.2/10
The Sony WH-1000XM5 is very good for music, while the JBL Tune 660NC is only fair.
Noise Reduction
6.0/10
9.1/10
The Sony WH-1000XM5 is excellent for noise reduction, while the JBL Tune 660NC is only fair.
Cost
$50
$398
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The JBL Tune 660NC has a price of $50 and the Sony WH-1000XM5 costs $398.
Build Quality
8.0/10
8.8/10
The Sony WH-1000XM5 and JBL Tune 660NC both have very good build quality, though the Sony WH-1000XM5 has somewhat better build quality.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 and JBL Tune 660NC are both poor for gaming.
Phone Calls
5.1/10
5.5/10
The Sony WH-1000XM5 and JBL Tune 660NC are both poor for phone calls.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.7/10
6.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony WH-1000XM5 to be only fair for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Tune 660NC is poor.
TV and Video
5.6/10
5.8/10
The Sony WH-1000XM5 and JBL Tune 660NC are both poor for TV and video.
Battery
42.0 Hours
40.3 Hours
The JBL Tune 660NC has 42 hours of battery life. The Sony WH-1000XM5 has 40.3 hours of battery life.
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How the JBL Tune 660NC and the Sony WH-1000XM5 compare to other earbuds and headphones
"The JBL Tune 660NC is the best value you can get from a set of on-ear headphones. There's no companion app so you don't get many additional features, but everything the JBL Tune 660NC sets out to do, it does well. At this price, the JBL Tune 660NC is an easy recommendation for on-ear headphone lovers"
"The Sony WH-1000XM5 are the best Sony Bluetooth headphones so far and one of the most well-rounded Bluetooth headphones around. Look no further if you need class-leading ANC with a mostly inoffensive sound signature. Just be ready to pony up the price premium."
Get a great deal on the JBL Tune 660NC or the Sony WH-1000XM5
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
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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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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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