Home Wireless Earbuds Jbl Wave Buds Vs. Sony Wf 1000Xm4

A Review By Comparison of the Jbl Wave Buds Vs. Sony Wf 1000Xm4

Last updated on Mar 14, 2023   8 min read
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Sony WF 1000XM4

Sony WF 1000XM4

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Reasons why you might like the Sony WF 1000XM4

Overall Score 6.6 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IPX4
  • Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)
  • Battery Life of 8 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 4 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 WF 1000XM4
DESIGN ingress protection (ip) rating IP54 IPX4
weight 9g 41g
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 6mm
lowest frequency 20Hz 20Hz
highest frequency 20000Hz 40000Hz
sound pressure level 100dB/mW
has a neodymium magnet
POWER battery life 8hours 8hours
battery life of charging case 24hours 16hours
charge time 2hours 1.5hours
battery power 47mAh
has wireless charging
has a battery level indicator
CONNECTIVITY has usb type-c
bluetooth version v5.2 v5.2
maximum bluetooth range 10meters
has aac
has ldac
MICROPHONE number of microphones 2only 4only
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 1only
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 WF 1000XM4 IPX4
JBL Wave Buds IP54

IP ratings refer to the rank 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, while the second refers to protection against liquids (water).

Scoring IP54, the JBL Wave Buds's rating for solids indicates 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 of liquids 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, Sony WF 1000XM4 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 WF 1000XM4 41g
JBL Wave Buds 9g

The JBL Wave Buds have a weight of 9g . We prefer a lower weight best for the reason that lighter devices are more comfortable to carry.

The Sony WF 1000XM4, at 41g are heavier than the JBL Wave Buds by of 32g

Has No Wires Or Cables

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

For a device to be true wireless it must have no cables linking any part of the device together, JBL Wave Buds are true wireless for this matter since they have no cables. This is a major difference as some wireless earbuds have wires connecting the 2 earbuds .

Sony WF 1000XM4 also is true wireless because it has no wires connecting the two earbuds .

Sweat Resistance

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

JBL Wave Buds have sweat resistance

Sony WF 1000XM4's resistance to sweat makes both devices ideal for use while doing sports such as long-distance running, marathons, cardio sweat workouts , etc

Has Stereo Speakers

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

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

Both Sony WF 1000XM4 and JBL Wave Buds have stereo speakers

Sony WF 1000XM4
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Sound Quality

Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

Active noise cancellation uses advanced kind of tech to actively cancel noise. ANC works when, it listens to the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and after generates a mirror signal to cancel it out. In simple terms, it's like taking +1 (sound from your surrounding) then producing -1 (inverted noise) giving zero thus "diluting" the noise.

Sony WF 1000XM4 have Active Noise Cancellation enabling you to listen at lower volume levels, good for your ears as you don't have to crank up the device volume to outcompete background sounds.

Has Passive Noise Reduction

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

JBL Wave Buds sit tightly in place, creating a sound covering that reduces your environment sounds and also prevents the device music from leaking out at the same.

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

Driver Unit Size

Sony WF 1000XM4 6mm
JBL Wave Buds 8mm

The JBL Wave Buds driver unit is 8mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, and can produce better bass. The driver unit is the component that produces sound in the earbuds, its size corellates with the sound produced by the earbuds.

Sony WF 1000XM4 driver unit is 6mm in diameter, which means that they have a smaller driver unit than that of JBL Wave Buds by 2mm , a common assumption that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.

However, large drivers usually have difficulty producing high frequencies so yeah, larger drivers are capable of generating louder sound, but this does not indicate that they deliver better quality sound.

Lowest Frequency

Sony WF 1000XM4 20Hz
JBL Wave Buds 20Hz

The JBL Wave Buds's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well a particular audio component generates low frequencies that can be heard, and if it makes any changes to the signal on its way through.

Sony WF 1000XM4's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this implies that both devices make sound with equal bass

Highest Frequency

Sony WF 1000XM4 40000Hz
JBL Wave Buds 20000Hz

The JBL Wave Buds's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, high-frequency response measures if and how well a particular audio component generates high human frequencies and if it makes any adjustments to the signal on its way through.

Sony WF 1000XM4's highest frequency is at 40000Hz, this implies that Sony WF 1000XM4 produce a clearer and crispier treble than the JBL Wave Buds

Sound Pressure Level

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds 100dB/mW

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.

Has A Neodymium Magnet

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

The Sony WF 1000XM4 have neodymium magnets, when used in earbuds produce a higher sensitivity and substantial sound output while using less power. They can help produce music at quite a high SPL, using high magnetic flux.

Power

Battery Life

Sony WF 1000XM4 8hours
JBL Wave Buds 8hours

JBL Wave Buds's battery life is 8 hours, a device's battery life is commonly given by the manufacturer, and with more battery hours, you get to use it for longer and have to charge the device less often.

Sony WF 1000XM4's battery life is equal to that of the JBL Wave Buds . Every time you recharge your device, 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 WF 1000XM4 16hours
JBL Wave Buds 24hours

This is given by the manufacturer, and JBL Wave Buds's case has a charge of 24 hours. A charging case with a longer battery life enables you to recharge your earbuds on the go several times before having to recharge the case itself.

Sony WF 1000XM4's charging case has a battery life of 16 hours, less than that of JBL Wave Buds by 8 hours

Charge Time

Sony WF 1000XM4 1.5hours
JBL Wave Buds 2hours

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.

Sony WF 1000XM4 takes 1.5 hours to fully charge the battery, less than that of JBL Wave Buds by 0.5 hours

Battery Power

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds 47mAh

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

Has Wireless Charging

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

The Sony WF 1000XM4, the device supports wireless charging. To charge the earbuds, you simply put down on a supported charging pad.

Has A Battery Level Indicator

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

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

Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators enable you to determine the charging state of your device, whether fully charged, or the battery is running low.

Sony WF 1000XM4
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Connectivity

Has Usb Type-C

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

JBL Wave Buds have USB TYPE-C, an industry-standard connector for transmitting both data and power in a single cable.

Sony WF 1000XM4 too support USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug is part and parcel of most current electronics.

Bluetooth Version

Sony WF 1000XM4 v5.2
JBL Wave Buds v5.2

JBL Wave Buds have Bluetooth version of 5.2, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that allows data movement between devices placed in range, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.

Sony WF 1000XM4 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 WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds 10meters

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

Has Aac

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

JBL Wave Buds support AAC, a codec that is used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Since it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it provides better results than other codecs at a similar bit rate.

Being the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the JBL Wave Buds will work well with your iPad. If you intend on using these with Android , ensure that they also support aptX HD, LDAC, or LHDC as well.

The Sony WF 1000XM4 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 WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

The Sony WF 1000XM4 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 WF 1000XM4 4only
JBL Wave Buds 2only

The JBL Wave Buds have 2 microphones.

Sony WF 1000XM4 microphones are 4, more than that of JBL Wave Buds by 2 . More microphones record better sound quality and help the device to filter out noise.

Has A Noise-Canceling Microphone

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

The Sony WF 1000XM4 use a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are made to filter out noise from the earbuds' sound.

Mic Sensitivity

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds -38dBV/Pa

The 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 measure of its sensitivity. It's the 'loudness' of the voice that the earbud microphone can pick up.

Sony WF 1000XM4
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Extras

Has Ambient Sound Mode

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

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

The Sony WF 1000XM4 support ambient sound mode as well, helpful when you want to listen to music while being aware of your surrounding, say you’re having a jog but still want to hear traffic.

Has In/On-Ear Detection

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

Sony WF 1000XM4 support in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the device can detect when they are removed from your ears .

Has Find Earbuds Feature

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

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

The Sony WF 1000XM4 also have the find earbuds feature. Use the device app on your smartphone to play an alarm from your device to locate them.

Supports Fast Charging

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

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

Sony WF 1000XM4 too 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 is charged to 50% in just 30 minutes.

Multipoint Count

Sony WF 1000XM4 1only
JBL Wave Buds

Sony WF 1000XM4 have a multipoint of 1 connections, this feature allows you to link to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. Say, you can easily switch calls from one device to another without manually disconnect and reconnect.

Has A Mute Function

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

JBL Wave Buds have a mute function, they have the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the earbuds.

The Sony WF 1000XM4 too support 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 WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

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

Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a control panel on them.

Has Voice Prompts

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

The JBL Wave Buds support voice prompts. Automatically receive information via audio messages, like if there is an issue with the connection.

The Sony WF 1000XM4 also have voice prompts .i.e the earbuds notifies you when the battery is running low, and it's time to recharge the earbuds.

Travel Bag Is Included

Sony WF 1000XM4
JBL Wave Buds

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

Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a case included, which is useful for safe transportation.

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