Home Wireless Earbuds Jbl Live 300 Vs. Jbl Live Free 2

A Review By Comparison of the Jbl Live 300 Vs. Jbl Live Free 2

Last updated on Mar 14, 2023   7 minute read
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JBL LIVE 300

JBL LIVE 300

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Reasons why you might like the JBL LIVE 300

Overall Score 6 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IPX5
  • Battery Life of 6 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 2 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode
VS
JBL Live Free 2

JBL Live Free 2

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Reasons why you might like the JBL Live Free 2

Overall Score 5.5 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IPX5
  • Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)
  • Battery Life of 7 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 6 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode

A summary of the review by feature comparison

Category Features JBL LIVE 300 JBL Live Free 2
DESIGN ingress protection (ip) rating ipX5 ipX5
weight 65.7g 9.8g
has no wires or cables
sweat resistance
has an earbud foam
has stereo speakers
SOUND QUALITY has active noise cancellation (noise control)
has passive noise reduction
driver unit size 5.8mm 11mm
lowest frequency 20hz 20hz
highest frequency 20,000hz 20,000hz
sound pressure level 95db/mw 102db/mw
POWER battery life 6hours 7hours
battery life of charging case 14hours 28hours
charge time 2hours
battery power 60mah
has a battery level indicator
CONNECTIVITY has usb type-c
bluetooth version v5 v5.2
maximum bluetooth range 10meters 10meters
has aac
MICROPHONE number of microphones 2only 6only
has a noise-canceling microphone
EXTRAS has ambient sound mode
has in/on-ear detection
supports fast charging
multipoint count 2only
has a mute function
control panel placed on a device
has voice prompts
travel bag is included
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A breakdown of the review per specifications

Design

Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating

JBL LIVE 300 ipX5
JBL Live Free 2 ipX5

Ingress protection ratings refer to the rating of protection given by a casing, against dust and water. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value refers to protection against solids say dust, while the second refers to resistance against liquids (sweat).

Having a value of IPX5, the JBL LIVE 300's rating is read as, the first number of X denotes that no data available to specify a protection rating, and of liquids that they can withstand medium pressure jet that's 6.3mm diameter, similar to garden hose from any angle for 3 minutes at a distance of 2.5 to 3 metres.

In comparison to the JBL LIVE 300, JBL Live Free 2 have a rating of IPX5 meaning that we are not yet certain of their rating with solids (dust) and that of liquids is that, they both have the same rating against liquids

Weight

JBL LIVE 300 65.7g
JBL Live Free 2 9.8g

The JBL LIVE 300 have a weight of 65.7g . We take in account a lower weight better for the reason that lighter devices are easier to move with.

JBL Live Free 2, at 9.8g are lighter than the JBL LIVE 300 by -55.9g

Has No Wires Or Cables

JBL LIVE 300
JBL Live Free 2

For a device to be true wireless it should have no wires linking any part of the device together, JBL LIVE 300 are true wireless for this matter since they don't have wires. This is a major difference since wireless earbuds have wires linking the two earbuds .

JBL Live Free 2 also is true wireless since it has no cables linking the pair of earbuds .

Sweat Resistance

JBL LIVE 300
JBL Live Free 2

JBL LIVE 300 have sweat resistance

JBL Live Free 2's resistance to sweat makes both devices fit for use while doing sports such as long-distance running, marathons, training in workout bodysuits, etc

Has An Earbud Foam

JBL LIVE 300
JBL Live Free 2

The earbud foam is made to be ultracompact and lightweight, with almost no interference with earrings, spectacles, hats, or hairstyles. The JBL LIVE 300 have an earbud foam for some people it is more comfortable than the in-ear foam.

Has Stereo Speakers

JBL LIVE 300
JBL Live Free 2

JBL LIVE 300 have stereo speakers, what this means is that JBL LIVE 300's speakers deliver sound from independent channels on both left and right sides, this creates a richer sound and a better listening experience.

The JBL Live Free 2 also have stereo speakers

JBL LIVE 300
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Sound Quality

Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)

JBL LIVE 300
JBL Live Free 2

Active noise cancellation utilises advanced technology to actively cancel noise. How it works, it studies the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and after generates a mirror signal to cancel it out. Simply put, it's like having +1 (sound from your surrounding) and adding -1 (counter sound by the device) to make 0 hence "diluting" the noise.

The JBL Live Free 2 have Active Noise Cancellation enabling you to listen at lower levels of volume, causing less ear fatigue as you don't have to crank up the device volume to overcome background sounds.

Has Passive Noise Reduction

JBL LIVE 300
JBL Live Free 2

JBL LIVE 300 stay tightly in place, creating an acoustic seal that tones down your environment sounds and also prevents the earbuds voice audio from leaking out .

Both JBL Live Free 2, and JBL LIVE 300 have passive noise reduction this means that they limit ambient noise instead of actively using ANC to cancel it out.

Driver Unit Size

JBL LIVE 300 5.8mm
JBL Live Free 2 11mm

JBL LIVE 300 have a unit size of 5.8mm in diameter, the bigger the unit the more powerful, and can produce better bass. A driver unit is basically a mini speaker that makes sound in the device, its size corellates with the loudness of the device.

JBL Live Free 2 driver unit is 11mm in diameter, making them have a larger driver unit than that of JBL LIVE 300 by 5.2mm , many people have a misconception that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.

However, large drivers find it difficult to produce high frequencies so it's true that, larger drivers are capable of generating louder sound, but this does not mean that they produce better quality sound.

Lowest Frequency

JBL LIVE 300 20hz
JBL Live Free 2 20hz

JBL LIVE 300's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well a particular audio device produces low audible frequencies and if it alters the signal on its way through.

JBL Live Free 2's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this implies that both devices can produce equal bass

Highest Frequency

JBL LIVE 300 20,000hz
JBL Live Free 2 20,000hz

The JBL LIVE 300's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response indicates how well an audio device generates high audible frequencies and if it makes any adjustments to the signal while at it.

JBL Live Free 2's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, this means that both devices can generate equal treble

Sound Pressure Level

JBL LIVE 300 95db/mw
JBL Live Free 2 102db/mw

SPL, is the level of pressure of sound, measured in decibels, dB, JBL LIVE 300's measurement is 95dB/mW. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source.

JBL Live Free 2's sound pressure level measurement is 102dB/mW. How loud a device is can be taken differently by separate people, so we need to have the means to get an objective measurement of sound level expressed in numerical terms.

Power

Battery Life

JBL LIVE 300 6hours
JBL Live Free 2 7hours

The JBL LIVE 300's battery life is 6 hours, these last longer than 5 hours of listening which is considered average before recharge. A device's battery life is given by the manufacturer, and with more battery hours, you get to use it for longer and have to charge the device less often.

JBL Live Free 2's battery life is more than that of JBL LIVE 300 by 1 hours . Each time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less listening time. The effect is not noticeable at first, but over time, your wireless earbuds will no longer play for long like they used to.

Battery Life Of Charging Case

JBL LIVE 300 14hours
JBL Live Free 2 28hours

This is given by the manufacturer, and the JBL LIVE 300's case is said to have a full charge of 14 hours. A charging case with more battery hours enables you to recharge your earbuds on the go multiple times before having to recharge the case itself.

JBL Live Free 2's charging case has a battery life of 28 hours, more than that of JBL LIVE 300 by 14 hours

Charge Time

JBL LIVE 300 2hours
JBL Live Free 2

It requires 2 hours to fully charge the JBL LIVE 300's battery. It is recommended to fully charge the battery before using the earbuds for the first time.

Battery Power

JBL LIVE 300 60mah
JBL Live Free 2

JBL LIVE 300's battery capacity is 60mAh, battery capacity, represents the amount of electrical energy that a battery can keep.

Has A Battery Level Indicator

JBL LIVE 300
JBL Live Free 2

JBL LIVE 300 have a battery level indicator, an indicator shows you when the earbuds has a low battery. The battery indicator lights display the charging state of your earbuds and case.

JBL Live Free 2 too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators enable you determine the charging state of your earbuds, whether fully charged, or the battery is running low.

JBL LIVE 300
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Connectivity

Has Usb Type-C

JBL LIVE 300
JBL Live Free 2

JBL LIVE 300 support USB TYPE-C, a standard connector for transmitting both data and power in a single cable.

JBL Live Free 2 too support USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug is part and parcel of most current laptops, phones, and tablets.

Bluetooth Version

JBL LIVE 300 v5
JBL Live Free 2 v5.2

JBL LIVE 300 have Bluetooth version of 5, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that enables data movement between devices placed in range, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.

JBL Live Free 2 has a Bluetooth version of 5.2, newer than that of JBL LIVE 300 . Newer versions provide faster data transfers.

Maximum Bluetooth Range

JBL LIVE 300 10meters
JBL Live Free 2 10meters

JBL LIVE 300 have a 10meters distance to connect via Bluetooth.

JBL Live Free 2 have a maximum range of 10meters, equal to that of the JBL LIVE 300

Has Aac

JBL LIVE 300
JBL Live Free 2

JBL LIVE 300 support AAC, a codec that is used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Because it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it can provide better results than other codecs at a similar bit rate.

Since its the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the JBL LIVE 300 will work fine with your iPad. If you are planning on using these with Android you need to pay even closer attention to codec support for if they only have AAC they won't provide the best audio quality possible, ensure that they also support aptX HD, LDAC, or LHDC as well.

Microphone

Number Of Microphones

JBL LIVE 300 2only
JBL Live Free 2 6only

JBL LIVE 300 have 2 microphones.

JBL Live Free 2 microphones are 6, more than that of JBL LIVE 300 by 4 . More microphones record better sound quality and help the device to filter out background sounds.

Has A Noise-Canceling Microphone

JBL LIVE 300
JBL Live Free 2

The JBL Live Free 2 have a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are intended to filter out background sounds from the earbuds' sound.

JBL LIVE 300
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Extras

Has Ambient Sound Mode

JBL LIVE 300
JBL Live Free 2

The JBL LIVE 300 support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient noises so that they can still be heard even while wearing them

The JBL Live Free 2 support ambient sound mode as well, helpful when you want to listen to music but also be aware of your surrounding, say you’re having a run but would still want to hear traffic.

Has In/On-Ear Detection

JBL LIVE 300
JBL Live Free 2

The JBL LIVE 300 have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the earbuds can detect when removed from your ears .

Supports Fast Charging

JBL LIVE 300
JBL Live Free 2

JBL LIVE 300 support fast charging. Most often, technologies like MediaTek’s Pump Express, are used to lower the amount of time it takes to charge a device.

JBL Live Free 2 too support fast charging. It's very similar to regular charging, just that the battery fills up much faster. Say, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery is charged to 50% in thirty minutes.

Multipoint Count

JBL LIVE 300
JBL Live Free 2 2only

JBL Live Free 2 have a multipoint of 2 connections, this feature allows you to link to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. For example, you can easily switch calls from one device to another without having to manually disconnect and reconnect.

Has A Mute Function

JBL LIVE 300
JBL Live Free 2

JBL LIVE 300 have a mute function, they support the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device.

The JBL Live Free 2 too support this function. It means that you are in position turn off the earbuds' microphone, but you can still hear the other party talk.

Control Panel Placed On A Device

JBL LIVE 300
JBL Live Free 2

The JBL LIVE 300, so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever functions are supported on the earbuds.

JBL Live Free 2 also have a control panel on them.

Has Voice Prompts

JBL LIVE 300
JBL Live Free 2

The JBL LIVE 300 have voice prompts. With voice prompts, you receive information via audio messages, like if there is a problem with the connection.

The JBL Live Free 2 also have voice prompts meaning the device will notify you when the battery is low, and it's time to recharge the device.

Travel Bag Is Included

JBL LIVE 300
JBL Live Free 2

JBL LIVE 300 come with a special pouch. Carrying earphones openly, or placing them inside your bag without a cover can easily damage them.

JBL Live Free 2 too have a case included, which is useful for safe transportation.

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