The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If you prioritize a lower price and exercising with your earbuds, the JBL Tune Buds offer good value, being somewhat less expensive, sweatproof, and dustproof, with good overall sound quality. They also have a long battery life. However, for better call quality, gaming use, and if you want a light product with a unique design, the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick could be worth the extra cost. They have a low latency mode and are optimized for both Android and Apple devices, with an integrated mic offering better mic quality. Neither are suitable for use in a noisy environment due to their inadequate noise isolation. 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 Buds
Good for exercise
Very good for air travel
Advantages of the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick
Very good for phone calls
Very good for gaming
Good for TV and video
Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Gaming
5.4/10
8.1/10
The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is very good for gaming, while the JBL Tune Buds is poor.
Phone Calls
4.9/10
8.6/10
The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is very good for phone calls, while the JBL Tune Buds is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.8/10
8.4/10
The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Tune Buds is poor.
TV and Video
6.1/10
7.5/10
The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is good for TV and video, while the JBL Tune Buds is only fair.
Noise Reduction
6.7/10
2.5/10
The JBL Tune Buds is only fair for noise reduction, while the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is poor.
Battery
10.4 Hours
5.0 Hours
The JBL Tune Buds has 10.4 hours of battery life. The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick has 5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$50
$65
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The JBL Tune Buds has a price of $50 and the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick costs $65.
Build Quality
8.5/10
9.0/10
The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick has excellent build quality, while the JBL Tune Buds has very good build quality.
"JBL’s Tune Buds stick with the company’s signature bass-heavy sound by default, but a quality in-app EQ lets you sculpt the audio to taste. These noise-cancelling true wireless earphones also mitigate environmental distractions fairly well for the price and offer good battery life. If you're specifically seeking bold, bass-tuned audio out of the box, the Tune Buds are worth a listen."
"If the Ear (stick) fits your ears, its light weight means you can easily wear it until the unimpressive battery life totally drains. The IP54 rating of the buds lends some confidence that it’ll survive some light abuse too. Finally, for the person who only wears earbuds at their desk, the Nothing Ear (stick) with its decent microphone could offer a reasonable Zoom meeting solution."
Get a great deal on the JBL Tune Buds or the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick
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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Earbuds or Headphones guides you might be interested in
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.
By the numbers
108
Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
15
Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
91,100
Recommendations made
13,665
Consumer hours saved
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
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.