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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
If wireless convenience and longer battery life are priorities, and you're willing to pay a bit more, the JBL Tune Buds could fit your needs; they are suitable for exercise with sweatproof certification and offer active noise cancelling for better sound isolation. However, if gaming or clear voice communication on calls is essential, and budget is a concern, the Steelseries TUSQ would be preferable given their very good mic quality and lower price, although they lack wireless capabilities and active noise cancelling. Keep in mind the JBLs have app support for customization, while the Steelseries do not offer these features. 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 Steelseries TUSQ
- Good for music
- Very good for gaming
- Good for TV and video
Key differences
Music
6.2
7.6
The Steelseries TUSQ is good for music, while the JBL Tune Buds is only fair.
Gaming
5.4
8.5
The Steelseries TUSQ is very good for gaming, while the JBL Tune Buds is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.8
4.7
The JBL Tune Buds and Steelseries TUSQ are both poor for podcasts and audiobooks, though the JBL Tune Buds is somewhat better.
TV and Video
6.1
7.3
The Steelseries TUSQ is good for TV and video, while the JBL Tune Buds is only fair.
Noise Reduction
6.7
6.0
The JBL Tune Buds and Steelseries TUSQ are both only fair for noise reduction, though the JBL Tune Buds is somewhat better.
Battery
10.4 Hours
N/A
The JBL Tune Buds has 10.4 hours of battery life. The Steelseries TUSQ does not have a battery.
Cost
$50
$40
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The JBL Tune Buds has a price of $50 and the Steelseries TUSQ costs $40.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
4.9
5.2
The Steelseries TUSQ and JBL Tune Buds are both poor for phone calls.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The JBL Tune Buds and Steelseries TUSQ both have very good build quality.
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How the JBL Tune Buds and the Steelseries TUSQ compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| JBL Tune Buds | Steelseries TUSQ |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$50 | $40 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | JBL | Steelseries | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | August 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.3/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 4.9/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.5/10 | 8.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 6.1/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 7.6/10 | 4.2/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 10.4 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.3 | N/A | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 30 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 6.8/10 | 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 | 6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Large | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 10.8 Grams | 11 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Boom | |
Shopping
JBL Tune Buds
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Dig into reviews and images
PC Mag
Tim Gideon | September 2023
"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."
Steelseries TUSQ
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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."
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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 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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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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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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