Home Wireless Earbuds Jbl Wave Buds Vs. Apple Airpods Pro (2Nd Gen)

Jbl Wave Buds Vs. Apple Airpods Pro (2Nd Gen) Review

Last updated on Aug 18, 2024   16 minute read
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JBL Wave Buds

JBL Wave Buds

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Reasons why you might like the JBL Wave Buds

Overall Score 8 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IP54
  • Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)
  • Battery Life of 8 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 2 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode
VS
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

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Reasons why you might like the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

Overall Score 7.3 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IPX4
  • Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)
  • Battery Life of 6 hours
  • Number Of Microphones of 6 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode

Jbl Wave Buds Vs. Apple Airpods Pro (2Nd Gen) Review In Summary

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
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IP ratings is the level of protection offered 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 (water).

Having a value of IP54, the JBL Wave Buds's rating is read as, the first value 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. Compared 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 take in account a lower weight best because lighter devices are easier to move with.

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 cables linking any part of the device together, JBL Wave Buds are true wireless for this matter since they don't have cables. This is a major distinction as some wireless earbuds have wires linking the 2 earbuds together. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) also is true wireless since it has no cables linking the pair of earbuds together.

JBL Wave Buds have sweat resistance Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s resistance to sweat makes both devices ideal for use while doing sports such as long-distance running, marathons, training in workout bodysuits, 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, this creates a richer sound and a better listening experience. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) also have stereo speakers ANC uses advanced kind of tech to reduce unwanted ambient sounds. How it works, it listens to the sound pattern of incoming noise and generates a mirror signal to counter it.

In simple terms, it's like having +1 (noise) then adding -1 (inverted noise) giving zero resulting in a reduced level of noise.

The JBL Wave Buds have ANC allowing you to listen at lower levels of volume, causing less ear fatigue since you don't need to crank up the earbuds volume to outcompete background noise. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) too have Active Noise Cancellation which makes either of the earbuds ideal for flights and rush hour travels.

Each work with different noise cancellation settings, pick the setting that suits your commute or that suites your chill time. JBL Wave Buds stay well in place, creating a sound seal that tones down your environment sounds and also prevents the earbuds voice audio from leaking out at the same. Both Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), and JBL Wave Buds have passive noise reduction which means that they reduce ambient noise without using technology to cancel it out.

The JBL Wave Buds have a unit size of 8mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, therefor producing better bass. A driver unit is the component that produces sound in the earbuds, the unit size corellates with the loudness of the earbuds. 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 usually have difficulty producing high frequencies so it's true that, larger drivers can generate louder sound, but this does not indicate that they produce better quality sound. The JBL Wave Buds's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well a particular audio component generates low recognizable frequencies and if it alters the signal on its way through. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this means that both devices produce equal bass The JBL Wave Buds's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response tells how well an audio component produces high audible frequencies and if it changes to the signal on its way through.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, this implies that both devices can generate equal treble SPL, is the pressure level of sound, 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 given by the manufacturer, and with more battery hours, you get to use it for longer and have to charge the device less often. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s battery life is less than that of JBL Wave Buds by 2 hours . Every time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less listening time. The effect is not noticeable at first, but over a few years, your wireless earbuds will no longer play for long like they used to.

The battery life of the charging case is given by the manufacturer, and the JBL Wave Buds's case is said to have a charge of 24 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. 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 charge fully the battery before using the earbuds for the first time. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) takes 1 hours to fully charge the battery, less than that of JBL Wave Buds by 1 hours JBL Wave Buds have a battery level indicator, an indicator alerts you when the earbuds has a low battery. The battery indicator lights show the charging state of your earbuds and case.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) too have a battery level indicator, these enable you tell the charging state of your earbuds, if charged fully, or having a low battery. JBL Wave Buds have USB TYPE-C, an industry-standard connector for transmitting both data and power through 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. The 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 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 Wave Buds will work well 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.

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. While the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) microphones are 6, more than that of JBL Wave Buds by 4 . More microphones record better sound quality and enable the device to filter out background sounds.

JBL Wave Buds have a noise-canceling type of microphone, these microphones are designed to filter out noise from the desired sound. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) too have a noise-canceling microphone. This is useful in noisy environments.

The JBL Wave Buds microphone sensitivity is measured at -38dBV/Pa. The amount of the analog or digital output signal from the microphone with its input stimulus is a measure of its sensitivity. It's the 'loudness' of the sound that the earbud microphone can recognize.

The JBL Wave Buds support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to channel ambient sound to still be heard even when 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, say you’re having a jog but would still want to be able to hear traffic. JBL Wave Buds have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the earbuds can detect when they are removed from your ears . Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) too support in/on-ear detection, automatically pauses your music, or audiobook when you remove earbuds from your ears improving your listening experience. If lost in a room, or can't be found in your bag, JBL Wave Buds support the find earbuds feature.

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) also have the find earbuds feature. Simply use the earbuds app on your smartphone to play an alarm from your device to help you locate them. The JBL Wave Buds support fast charging.

Most often, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to lower the amount of time it takes to fully charge the earbuds. Also the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) too support fast charging. It's very similar to regular charging, just that the battery fills up much faster.

For example, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery is charged to 50% in 30 minutes. The JBL Wave Buds support multipoint of 2 connections, the multipoint 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 manually disconnect and reconnect.

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support multipoint count of 2, equal to that of the JBL Wave Buds . Bluetooth multipoint is useful because you can be on one call and not miss notifications from another device. JBL Wave Buds have a mute function, they support the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the earbuds. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) also have this function.

It means that you are in position turn off the device's microphone, but you can still hear the other party's voice. The JBL Wave Buds, so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the device. 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 an issue with the connection. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) also have voice prompts meaning the device will notify you when the battery is running low, and it's time to recharge them.

The JBL Wave Buds come with a special case. Carrying earphones without a case, or placing them inside your bag without a casing may easily put them at risk of getting damaged. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) also have a case included, which offers safe transportation.

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