Overall Score 6.2 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Overall Score 5.1 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
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 | ✓ | ✓ | |
See price on Amazon | See price on Amazon |
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.
The Sony LinkBuds S have a weight of 9.6g . We consider a lower weight better because lighter devices are more comfortable to carry.
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 .
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
JBL Tour Pro 2 use a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are designed to filter out background sounds from the desired sound.
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.
Sony LinkBuds S have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the device can detect when removed from your ears .
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.