Home Wireless Earbuds Jbl Tour Pro 2 Vs. Sony Linkbuds S

A Review By Comparison of the Jbl Tour Pro 2 Vs. Sony Linkbuds S

Last updated on Mar 14, 2023   7 min read
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Sony LinkBuds S

Sony LinkBuds S

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Reasons why you might like the Sony LinkBuds S

Overall Score 6.2 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IPX4
  • Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)
  • Battery Life of 6 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 6 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode
VS
JBL Tour Pro 2

JBL Tour Pro 2

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Reasons why you might like the JBL Tour Pro 2

Overall Score 5.1 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)
  • Battery Life of 10 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 Sony LinkBuds S JBL Tour Pro 2
DESIGN ingress protection (ip) rating IPX4
weight 9.6g
has no wires or cables
sweat resistance
has stereo speakers
SOUND QUALITY has active noise cancellation (noise control)
has passive noise reduction
driver unit size 5mm 10mm
lowest frequency 20Hz 20Hz
highest frequency 40000Hz 20000Hz
has a neodymium magnet
POWER battery life 6hours 10hours
battery life of charging case 14hours 30hours
charge time 2hours
has a battery level indicator
CONNECTIVITY has usb type-c
bluetooth version v5.2 v5.3
maximum bluetooth range 10meters 10meters
has aac
has ldac
MICROPHONE number of microphones 6only 6only
has a noise-canceling microphone
EXTRAS has ambient sound mode
has in/on-ear detection
has find earbuds feature
supports fast charging
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

Sony LinkBuds S IPX4
JBL Tour Pro 2

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

Scoring IPX4, the Sony LinkBuds S's rating for solids indicates that no data available to specify a protection rating, and the second number of 4 means that they can withstand low pressure spray similar to that of a shower head when tilted at 180° for 10 minutes.

Weight

Sony LinkBuds S 9.6g
JBL Tour Pro 2

The Sony LinkBuds S have a weight of 9.6g . We consider a lower weight better because lighter devices are more comfortable to carry.

Has No Wires Or Cables

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

True wireless devices have no wires linking any part of the device together, JBL Tour Pro 2 are true wireless for this case since they have no cables. This is a key difference as some wireless earbuds have wires connecting the pair of earbuds together.

Sony LinkBuds S also is true wireless since it has no wires connecting the 2 earbuds .

Sweat Resistance

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

JBL Tour Pro 2 have sweat resistance

Sony LinkBuds S's resistance to sweat makes both devices fit for use during long-distance running, marathons, training in workout bodysuits, etc

Has Stereo Speakers

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

JBL Tour Pro 2 have stereo speakers, devices with stereo speakers deliver sound from independent channels on both left and right sides, creating a richer sound and a better listening experience.

Both Sony LinkBuds S and JBL Tour Pro 2 have stereo speakers

Sony LinkBuds S
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Sound Quality

Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

ANC makes use of advanced kind of tech to reduce unwanted ambient sounds. ANC works when, 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 taking +1 (noise) then producing -1 (counter sound by the device) to make 0 resulting in a reduced level of noise.

JBL Tour Pro 2 have ANC allowing you to listen at lower volume levels, good for your ears since you don't need to crank up the earbuds volume to overcome background sounds.

The Sony LinkBuds S too have Active Noise Cancellation which makes either of the earbuds ideal for flights and morning travels. The JBL Tour Pro 2 and Sony LinkBuds S operate with different noise cancellation modes, pick the noise cancellation type that suits your commute or that suites your relaxation time.

Has Passive Noise Reduction

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

The JBL Tour Pro 2 stay well in place, this creates a sound seal that tones down background noise well as preventing the device voice audio from leaking out .

Both of these devices have passive noise reduction which means that both limit ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out.

Driver Unit Size

Sony LinkBuds S 5mm
JBL Tour Pro 2 10mm

The JBL Tour Pro 2 have a unit size of 10mm in diameter, the bigger the unit the more powerful, therefor producing better bass. A driver unit is the component that produces sound in the earbuds, its size corellates with the sound made by the device.

Sony LinkBuds S driver unit is 5mm in diameter, which implies that they have a smaller driver unit than that of JBL Tour Pro 2 by 5mm , 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 imply that they produce better quality sound.

Lowest Frequency

Sony LinkBuds S 20Hz
JBL Tour Pro 2 20Hz

The JBL Tour Pro 2's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response measures if and how well a particular audio device produces low recognizable frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it.

Sony LinkBuds S's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this means that both devices produce equal bass

Highest Frequency

Sony LinkBuds S 40000Hz
JBL Tour Pro 2 20000Hz

JBL Tour Pro 2's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, high-frequency response tells how well a particular audio component produces high audible frequencies and if it changes to the signal while at it.

Sony LinkBuds S's highest frequency is at 40000Hz, this means that Sony LinkBuds S can produce a clearer and crispier treble than the JBL Tour Pro 2

Has A Neodymium Magnet

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

Sony LinkBuds S have neodymium magnets, if used in audio devices produce a higher sensitivity and substantial sound output while using less power. They can help produce music at quite a high SPL, with the use of high magnetic flux.

Power

Battery Life

Sony LinkBuds S 6hours
JBL Tour Pro 2 10hours

JBL Tour Pro 2's battery life is 10 hours, these last longer than 5 hours of listening which is considered average for a single charge. A device's battery life is usually given by the manufacturer, and with longer battery life, you get to use it for longer and requires fewer chargings.

Sony LinkBuds S's battery life is less than that of JBL Tour Pro 2 by 4 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 have shorter listening time.

Battery Life Of Charging Case

Sony LinkBuds S 14hours
JBL Tour Pro 2 30hours

This is given by the manufacturer, and JBL Tour Pro 2's case is said to have a charge of 30 hours. A charging case with more battery hours enables you to recharge your earbuds on the go multiple times before recharging the case itself.

Sony LinkBuds S's charging case has a battery life of 14 hours, less than that of JBL Tour Pro 2 by 16 hours

Charge Time

Sony LinkBuds S 2hours
JBL Tour Pro 2

It requires 2 hours to fully charge the Sony LinkBuds S's battery. It is highly adivsable to charge fully the battery before using the earbuds for the first time.

Has A Battery Level Indicator

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

JBL Tour Pro 2 have a battery level indicator, an indicator shows you when the device has a low battery. Its lights indicate the charging status of your earbuds and charging case.

Sony LinkBuds S too have a battery level indicator, these allow you to tell the charging state of your earbuds, whether fully charged, or having a low battery.

Sony LinkBuds S
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Connectivity

Has Usb Type-C

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

JBL Tour Pro 2 support USB TYPE-C, an industry-standard connector for transmitting both data and power through a single cable.

Sony LinkBuds S too have USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug comes along with most current laptops, phones, and tablets.

Bluetooth Version

Sony LinkBuds S v5.2
JBL Tour Pro 2 v5.3

JBL Tour Pro 2 have Bluetooth version of 5.3, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that allows data transfers between devices placed in close proximity, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.

Sony LinkBuds S has a Bluetooth version of 5.2, older than that of JBL Tour Pro 2 . Newer versions provide faster data transfers.

Maximum Bluetooth Range

Sony LinkBuds S 10meters
JBL Tour Pro 2 10meters

The JBL Tour Pro 2 have a 10meters distance connecting via Bluetooth.

Sony LinkBuds S have a maximum range of 10meters, equal to that of the JBL Tour Pro 2

Has Aac

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

JBL Tour Pro 2 support AAC, a codec used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Because it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it provides 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 Tour Pro 2 will work fine with your iPhone. 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.

The Sony LinkBuds S support AAC as well. Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves higher sound quality than MP3 encoders at the same bit rate.

Has Ldac

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

The Sony LinkBuds S support LDAC, a codec developed by Sony which allows streaming high-resolution audio over Bluetooth connections at up to 990 kbps at 32 bit/96 kHz. It can reach a high bitrate of 990kbps, providing high-resolution audio.

Microphone

Number Of Microphones

Sony LinkBuds S 6only
JBL Tour Pro 2 6only

The JBL Tour Pro 2 have 6 microphones.

The Sony LinkBuds S microphones are 6, equal to that of the JBL Tour Pro 2 . More microphones record better sound quality and help the device to filter out background sounds.

Has A Noise-Canceling Microphone

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

JBL Tour Pro 2 use a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are designed to filter out background sounds from the desired sound.

Sony LinkBuds S
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Extras

Has Ambient Sound Mode

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

JBL Tour Pro 2 support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to channel ambient noises so that they can still be heard even while wearing the earbuds

The Sony LinkBuds S support ambient sound mode as well, helpful when you want to listen to music while being aware of what’s happening around you, for example when you’re having a run but still want to hear traffic.

Has In/On-Ear Detection

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

Sony LinkBuds S have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the device can detect when removed from your ears .

Has Find Earbuds Feature

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

If lost in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, JBL Tour Pro 2 support the find earbuds feature.

The Sony LinkBuds S too have the find earbuds feature. Use the earbuds app on your smartphone to play a sound from your device to locate them.

Supports Fast Charging

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

JBL Tour Pro 2 support fast charging. Usually, technologies like MediaTek’s Pump Express, are used to reduce the amount of time it takes to charge a device.

The Sony LinkBuds S support fast charging. It's very similar to regular charging, only that the battery fills up much faster. For example, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery can be charged to 50% in just thirty minutes.

Has A Mute Function

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

The JBL Tour Pro 2 have a mute function, they support the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the earbuds.

The Sony LinkBuds S also have this function. The mute function means that you unilaterally turn off the earbuds' microphone, but you can still hear the other party's voice.

Control Panel Placed On A Device

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

With the JBL Tour Pro 2, so you can access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the earbuds.

Sony LinkBuds S too have a control panel on them.

Has Voice Prompts

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

The JBL Tour Pro 2 support voice prompts. Automatically receive information through audio messages, say if there is a problem with the connection.

Sony LinkBuds S also support voice prompts .i.e the earbuds notifies you if the battery is running low, and it's time to recharge them.

Travel Bag Is Included

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Tour Pro 2

JBL Tour Pro 2 come with a special case. Carrying earbuds without a case, or putting them in your pockets without a casing may easily damage them.

Sony LinkBuds S also have a travel bag included, which is useful for safe transportation.

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