Home Wireless Earbuds Jbl Wave Buds Vs. Sony Linkbuds S

A Review By Comparison of the Jbl Wave Buds 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 Wave Buds

JBL Wave Buds

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Reasons why you might like the JBL Wave Buds

Overall Score 6 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IP54
  • Battery Life of 8 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 2 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode

A summary of the review by comparison

Category Features JBL Wave Buds Sony LinkBuds S
DESIGN ingress protection (ip) rating IP54 IPX4
weight 9g 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 8mm 5mm
lowest frequency 20Hz 20Hz
highest frequency 20000Hz 40000Hz
sound pressure level 100dB/mW
has a neodymium magnet
POWER battery life 8hours 6hours
battery life of charging case 24hours 14hours
charge time 2hours 2hours
battery power 47mAh
has a battery level indicator
CONNECTIVITY has usb type-c
bluetooth version v5.2 v5.2
maximum bluetooth range 10meters 10meters
has aac
has ldac
MICROPHONE number of microphones 2only 6only
mic sensitivity -38dBV/Pa
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 Wave Buds IP54

Ingress protection ratings refer to the rank of protection given by an enclosure, against dust and liquids. In the format of IPXX, 'X' represents a number The first value refers to protection against solids such as dust, followed by the one that refers to protection against liquids (water).

Scoring 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 value 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, Sony LinkBuds S 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

Weight

Sony LinkBuds S 9.6g
JBL Wave Buds 9g

JBL Wave Buds have a weight of 9g . We consider a lower weight best because lighter devices are more comfortable to carry.

Sony LinkBuds S, at 9.6g are heavier than the JBL Wave Buds with a difference of 0.6g

Has No Wires Or Cables

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds

True wireless devices have no wires linking any part of the device together, JBL Wave Buds are true wireless for this matter since they have no wires. This is a key difference since wireless earbuds have cables connecting the 2 earbuds .

Sony LinkBuds S also is true wireless since it has no cables linking the pair of earbuds .

Sweat Resistance

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds

JBL Wave Buds are resistant to sweat

Sony LinkBuds S's resistance to sweat makes both devices fit for use during long-distance running, marathons, cardio sweat workouts , etc

Has Stereo Speakers

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds

JBL Wave Buds have stereo speakers, devices with stereo speakers deliver sound from separate channels on both left and right sides, creating a richer sound and a better listening experience.

The Sony LinkBuds S also have stereo speakers

Sony LinkBuds S
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Sound Quality

Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds

Active noise cancellation uses more advanced technology to actively cancel noise. ANC works when, it listens to the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and generates a mirror signal to counter it. In simple terms, it's like taking +1 (noise) then adding -1 (inverted noise) to make 0 therefore "diluting" the noise.

The Sony LinkBuds S have ANC enabling you to listen at lower levels of volume, causing less ear fatigue as you don't need to crank up the earbuds volume to overcome background sounds.

Has Passive Noise Reduction

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds

The JBL Wave Buds sit well in place, creating a sound covering that reduces your environment sounds well as preventing the device music from leaking out .

Both Sony LinkBuds S, and JBL Wave Buds have passive noise reduction which implies that both tone down ambient noise without using ANC to cancel it out.

Driver Unit Size

Sony LinkBuds S 5mm
JBL Wave Buds 8mm

The JBL Wave Buds driver unit is 8mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, therefor producing better bass. The driver unit is basically a mini speaker that produces sound in the device, its size dictates the loudness of the device.

Sony LinkBuds S driver unit is 5mm in diameter, which implies that they have a smaller 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 yes, larger drivers are capable of generating louder sound, but this does not mean that they produce better quality sound.

Lowest Frequency

Sony LinkBuds S 20Hz
JBL Wave Buds 20Hz

JBL Wave Buds's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response measures if and how well an audio device generates low recognizable frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal on its way through.

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

Highest Frequency

Sony LinkBuds S 40000Hz
JBL Wave Buds 20000Hz

JBL Wave Buds's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, high-frequency response indicates how well a particular audio device produces high human frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it.

Sony LinkBuds S's highest frequency is at 40000Hz, this means that Sony LinkBuds S can generate a clearer and crispier treble than the JBL Wave Buds

Sound Pressure Level

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds 100dB/mW

The sound pressure level, is the level of pressure 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.

Has A Neodymium Magnet

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds

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

Power

Battery Life

Sony LinkBuds S 6hours
JBL Wave Buds 8hours

JBL Wave Buds's battery life is 8 hours, a device's battery life is given by the manufacturer, and with more battery hours, you get to use it for longer and requires fewer chanrgings.

Sony LinkBuds S'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 barely noticeable at first, but over time, your wireless earbuds will have shorter listening time.

Battery Life Of Charging Case

Sony LinkBuds S 14hours
JBL Wave Buds 24hours

The battery life of the charging case is given by the vendor, and JBL Wave Buds's case is said to have a full charge of 24 hours. A charging case with more battery hours enables you to recharge your earbuds on the go many times before recharging the case itself.

Sony LinkBuds S's charging case has a battery life of 14 hours, less than that of JBL Wave Buds by 10 hours

Charge Time

Sony LinkBuds S 2hours
JBL Wave Buds 2hours

It takes 2 hours to fully charge the JBL Wave Buds's battery. It is recommended to fully charge the battery before using the earbuds when they have been unused for long periods.

Sony LinkBuds S takes 2 hours to fully charge the battery, equal to that of the JBL Wave Buds

Battery Power

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds 47mAh

JBL Wave Buds's battery capacity is 47mAh, battery capacity, represents the amount of electrical energy that a battery can store.

Has A Battery Level Indicator

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds

JBL Wave Buds have a battery level indicator, an indicator notifies you when the earbuds has a low battery. Its lights show the charging status of your device and charging case.

Sony LinkBuds S too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators 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 Wave Buds

The JBL Wave Buds have USB TYPE-C, a standard connector for transmitting both data and power in 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 Wave Buds v5.2

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.

Sony LinkBuds S has a Bluetooth version of 5.2, equal to that of the JBL Wave Buds . Newer versions provide faster data transfers.

Maximum Bluetooth Range

Sony LinkBuds S 10meters
JBL Wave Buds 10meters

The JBL Wave Buds have a 10meters distance to connect via Bluetooth.

Sony LinkBuds S have a maximum range of 10meters, equal to that of the JBL Wave Buds

Has Aac

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds

JBL Wave Buds support AAC, a codec used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Since 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 well with your iPhone. If you are planning on using these with Android , 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 Wave Buds

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 is capable of a very high bitrate of 990kbps, providing high-resolution audio.

Microphone

Number Of Microphones

Sony LinkBuds S 6only
JBL Wave Buds 2only

The JBL Wave Buds have 2 microphones.

Sony LinkBuds S microphones are 6, more than that of JBL Wave Buds by 4 . More microphones result in better sound quality and help the device to filter out background sounds.

Mic Sensitivity

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds -38dBV/Pa

JBL Wave Buds microphone sensitivity is measured at -38dBV/Pa. The vastness 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 earbud microphone can pick up.

Sony LinkBuds S
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Extras

Has Ambient Sound Mode

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds

The JBL Wave Buds support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient sound to still be heard even when wearing them

The Sony LinkBuds S support ambient sound mode as well, it’s useful when you want to listen to music but also be aware of your surrounding, say you’re having a run but still want to hear traffic.

Has In/On-Ear Detection

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds

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

Has Find Earbuds Feature

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds

When misplaced in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, the JBL Wave Buds support the find earbuds feature.

Sony LinkBuds S too have the find earbuds feature. Use the device app on your phone to play an alarm from your earbuds to help you locate them.

Supports Fast Charging

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds

JBL Wave Buds support fast charging. Usually, technologies like MediaTek’s Pump Express, are used to lower the time it takes to charge the earbuds.

Sony LinkBuds S too support fast charging. It's very similar to regular charging, only that the battery is filling up much faster. Say, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery is charged to 50% in just thirty minutes.

Has A Mute Function

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds

JBL Wave Buds 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 can turn off the device's microphone, but you can still hear the other party talk.

Control Panel Placed On A Device

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds

The JBL Wave Buds, so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the device.

Sony LinkBuds S too have a control panel on them.

Has Voice Prompts

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds

JBL Wave Buds have voice prompts. With voice prompts, you receive information via audio messages, say if there is a problem with the connection.

Sony LinkBuds S also have voice prompts meaning the device will notify you when the battery is running low, and it's time to recharge the device.

Travel Bag Is Included

Sony LinkBuds S
JBL Wave Buds

JBL Wave Buds come with a special pouch. Carrying earphones without a case, or placing them inside your pockets without a cover can easily put them at risk of getting damaged.

Sony LinkBuds S too have a case included, which is useful for safe transportation.

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