JBL Wave Buds
See price on AmazonOverall Score 8 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
See price on AmazonOverall Score 7.3 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Category | Features | JBL Wave Buds | Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) |
---|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ingress protection (ip) rating | IP54 | IPX4 |
weight | 9g | 10.6g | |
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 | 8mm | 11mm | |
lowest frequency | 20Hz | 20Hz | |
highest frequency | 20,000Hz | 20,000Hz | |
sound pressure level | 100dB/mW | ✗ | |
POWER | battery life | 8hours | 6hours |
battery life of charging case | 24hours | 24hours | |
charge time | 2hours | 1hours | |
has wireless charging | ✗ | ✓ | |
has a battery level indicator | ✓ | ✓ | |
CONNECTIVITY | has usb type-c | ✓ | ✗ |
bluetooth version | v5.2 | v5.3 | |
maximum bluetooth range | 10meters | 10meters | |
has aac | ✓ | ✓ | |
has aptx adaptive | ✓ | ✗ | |
MICROPHONE | number of microphones | 2only | 6only |
has a noise-canceling microphone | ✓ | ✓ | |
mic sensitivity | -38dBV/Pa | ✗ | |
EXTRAS | has ambient sound mode | ✓ | ✓ |
has in/on-ear detection | ✓ | ✓ | |
has find earbuds feature | ✓ | ✓ | |
supports fast charging | ✓ | ✓ | |
multipoint count | 2only | 2only | |
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 level of protection offered by a casing, against dust and water. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value of the IP rating means protection against solids such as dust, followed by the one that refers to protection against liquids (sweat).
Having a value of IP54, the JBL Wave Buds's rating is read as, the first number of 5 denotes that ingress of dust is not totally prevented but dust does not enter in harmful quantities to interfere with the correct operation or impair safety, 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.
In comparison to the JBL Wave Buds, Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a rating of IPX4 meaning that
no data available to specify a protection rating
and that of liquids is that,
they both have the same rating against liquids
The JBL Wave Buds have a weight of 9g . We consider a lower weight better because lighter devices are easier to move with.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), at 10.6g
are heavier than the JBL Wave Buds with a difference of 1.6g
For a device to be true wireless it should have no wires linking any part of the device together, JBL Wave Buds are true wireless for this matter since they don't have wires. This is an important distinction since wireless earbuds have wires connecting the 2 earbuds together.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) also is true wireless because it doesn't have cables connecting the pair of earbuds .
JBL Wave Buds are resistant to sweat
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s resistance to sweat makes both devices good for use during long-distance running, marathons, cardio sweat workouts , etc
JBL Wave Buds have stereo speakers, what this means is that JBL Wave Buds's speakers deliver sound from independent channels on both left and right sides, creating a richer sound and a better listening experience.
Both Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) and JBL Wave Buds have stereo speakers
Active noise cancellation makes use of advanced technology to actively cancel noise. ANC works when, it listens to the sound pattern of incoming noise and then inverts the soundwaves to counter it. In simple terms, it's like having +1 (noise) and producing -1 (inverted noise) to make 0 resulting in a reduced level of noise.
The JBL Wave Buds have ANC allowing you to listen at lower volume levels, good for your ears as you don't need to crank up the earbuds volume to outcompete background noise.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) too have Active Noise Cancellation making both devices ideal for flights and morning commutes. Each operate with different noise cancellation types, pick the mode that suits your commute or that enhances your chill time.
JBL Wave Buds sit tightly in place, this creates an acoustic seal that reduces your environment noise well as preventing the earbuds voice audio from leaking out at the same.
Both of these devices have passive noise reduction which means that they tone down ambient noise without using ANC to cancel it out.
JBL Wave Buds driver unit is 8mm in diameter, the bigger the unit the more powerful, and can produce better bass.
A driver unit is basically a mini speaker that produces sound in the earbuds, the unit size corellates with the loudness of the device.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) driver unit is 11mm in diameter,
making them have a larger driver unit than that of JBL Wave Buds by 3mm
, 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 yes, larger drivers can generate louder sound, but this does not imply that they produce better quality sound.
The JBL Wave Buds's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response measures if and how well a particular audio component produces low frequencies that can be heard, and if it makes any changes to the signal on its way through.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this means that
both devices can produce equal bass
JBL Wave Buds's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response indicates how well an audio component makes high recognizable frequencies and if it makes any adjustments to the signal while at it.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, this implies that
both devices generate equal treble
The sound pressure level, is the level of pressure of sound, measured in decibels, dB, JBL Wave Buds's measurement is 100dB/mW. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source.
JBL Wave Buds's battery life is 8 hours, these last longer than 5 hours of listening which is considered average for a single charge. A device's battery life is commonly given by the manufacturer, and with more battery hours, you get to use it for longer and requires fewer chargings.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s battery life is
less than that of JBL Wave Buds by 2 hours
. Each time you recharge your device, they get a little less listening time. The effect is barely noticeable at first, but over a few years, your wireless earbuds will have shorter listening time.
This is given by the manufacturer, and the JBL Wave Buds's case has a charge of 24 hours. A charging case with more battery hours allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go several times before having to recharge the case itself.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s charging case has a battery life of 24 hours,
equal to that of the JBL Wave Buds
It requires 2 hours to fully charge the JBL Wave Buds's battery. It is highly adivsable to fully charge the battery before using the earbuds when they have been in storage for long periods.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) takes 1 hours to fully charge the battery,
less than that of JBL Wave Buds by 1 hours
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), the device supports wireless charging. To charge the device, you simply put down on a compatible charging pad.
JBL Wave Buds have a battery level indicator, an indicator shows you when the earbuds has a low battery. The battery indicator lights indicate the charging state of your device and case.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators enable you tell the charging state of your device, if charged fully, or the battery is running low.
JBL Wave Buds use USB TYPE-C, an industry-standard connector for transmitting both data and power in a single cable.
JBL Wave Buds have Bluetooth version of 5.2, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that enables data movement between devices placed in range, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) has a Bluetooth version of 5.3,
newer than that of JBL Wave Buds
. Newer versions provide faster data transfers.
JBL Wave Buds have a 10meters distance to connect via Bluetooth.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a maximum range of 10meters,
equal to that of the JBL Wave Buds
JBL Wave Buds 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 the same bit rate.
Being the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the JBL Wave Buds will work fine with your MacBook. If you intend on using these with Android , ensure that they also support aptX HD, LDAC, or LHDC as well.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 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 JBL Wave Buds support APTX Adaptive, an audio codec for Bluetooth devices that are developed by Qualcomm. It has a variable bit rate (between 279kbps and 420kbps).
JBL Wave Buds have 2 microphones.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) microphones are 6,
more than that of JBL Wave Buds by 4
. More microphones result in better sound quality and enable the device to filter out noise.
The JBL Wave Buds use a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are intended to filter out background sounds from the earbuds' sound.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) too have a noise-canceling microphone. Especially useful in noisy environments.
JBL Wave Buds microphone sensitivity is measured at -38dBV/Pa. The magnitude of the analog or digital output signal from the microphone with its input stimulus is a calculation of its sensitivity. It's the 'loudness' of the sound that the microphone can pick up.
The JBL Wave Buds support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient noises so that they can still be heard even while wearing the earbuds
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support ambient sound mode as well, it’s useful 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.
The JBL Wave Buds have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the earbuds can detect when they are removed from your ears .
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) too support in/on-ear detection, automatically pauses your music, or audiobook when you remove earbuds from your ears saving battery life.
When lost in a room, or can't be found in your bag, the JBL Wave Buds have a find earbuds feature.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) too have the find earbuds feature. Use the earbuds app on your smartphone to play a sound from your device to help you find them.
The JBL Wave Buds support fast charging. Commonly, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to reduce the amount of time it takes to charge a device.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 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 can be charged to 50% in 30 minutes.
JBL Wave Buds support multipoint of 2 connections, this feature allows you to link to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. For example, you can switch calls from one device to another without having to manually disconnect and reconnect.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a multipoint count of 2,
equal to that of the JBL Wave Buds
. Bluetooth multipoint comes in handy when you can be on one call without missing notifications coming from another connected device.
The JBL Wave Buds have a mute function, they have the feature to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the earbuds.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) too have the mute function. It means that you unilaterally turn off the earbuds' microphone, but still hear the other party's voice.
With the JBL Wave Buds, so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the earbuds.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) also have a control panel on them.
The JBL Wave Buds have voice prompts. With voice prompts, you receive information via audio messages, like if there is a problem with the connection.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) also support voice prompts meaning the earbuds notifies you when the battery is running low, and it's time to recharge them.
The JBL Wave Buds come with a special pouch. Carrying earbuds openly, or placing them inside your pockets without a casing may easily put them at risk of getting damaged.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) also have a travel bag included, which offers safe transportation.