Home Wireless Earbuds Jlab Go Air Pop Vs. Jbl Live Free 2

A Review By Comparison of the Jlab Go Air Pop Vs. Jbl Live Free 2

Last updated on Apr 7, 2023   7 minute read
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JLab Go Air Pop

JLab Go Air Pop

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Reasons why you might like the JLab Go Air Pop

Overall Score 6 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IPX4
  • Battery Life of 8 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 2 only
VS
JBL Live Free 2

JBL Live Free 2

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Reasons why you might like the JBL Live Free 2

Overall Score 5.5 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IPX5
  • Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)
  • Battery Life of 7 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 6 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode

A summary of the review by feature comparison

Category Features JLab Go Air Pop JBL Live Free 2
DESIGN ingress protection (ip) rating ipX4 ipX5
weight 7.4g 9.8g
has no wires or cables
sweat resistance
has an earbud foam
has stereo speakers
SOUND QUALITY has active noise cancellation (noise control)
has passive noise reduction
driver unit size 6mm 11mm
lowest frequency 20hz 20hz
highest frequency 20,000hz 20,000hz
sound pressure level 103db/mw 102db/mw
POWER battery life 8hours 7hours
battery life of charging case 24hours 28hours
charge time 2.2hours
battery power 43mah
has a battery level indicator
CONNECTIVITY has usb type-c
bluetooth version v5.1 v5.2
maximum bluetooth range 10meters 10meters
has aac
MICROPHONE number of microphones 2only 6only
has a noise-canceling microphone
mic sensitivity -42dbv/pa
EXTRAS has ambient sound mode
supports fast charging
multipoint count 2only
has a mute function
control panel placed on a device
warranty period 2years
has voice prompts
travel bag is included
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A breakdown of the review per specifications

Design

Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating

JLab Go Air Pop ipX4
JBL Live Free 2 ipX5

Ingress protection ratings is the rating of protection given by an enclosure, against solids and liquids. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value of the IP rating refers to protection against solids say dust, while the second refers to resistance against liquids (water).

Scoring IPX4, the JLab Go Air Pop'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.

In comparison to the JLab Go Air Pop, JBL Live Free 2 have a rating of IPX5 meaning that we are not yet certain of their rating with solids (dust) and that of liquids is that, JLab Go Air Pop has a lower liquid rating than JBL Live Free 2

Weight

JLab Go Air Pop 7.4g
JBL Live Free 2 9.8g

JLab Go Air Pop have a weight of 7.4g . We take in account a lower weight better because lighter devices are more comfortable to transport.

The JBL Live Free 2, at 9.8g weigh more than the JLab Go Air Pop by of 2.4g

Has No Wires Or Cables

JLab Go Air Pop
JBL Live Free 2

For a device to be true wireless it must have no cables connecting any part of the device together, JLab Go Air Pop are true wireless for this case since they have no cables. This is a major distinction since wireless earbuds have cables linking the two earbuds .

JBL Live Free 2 also is true wireless because it doesn't have wires linking the pair of earbuds together.

Sweat Resistance

JLab Go Air Pop
JBL Live Free 2

JLab Go Air Pop have sweat resistance

JBL Live Free 2's resistance to sweat makes both devices good for use during long-distance running, marathons, training in workout bodysuits, etc

Has An Earbud Foam

JLab Go Air Pop
JBL Live Free 2

An earbud foam is made to be ultracompact and lightweight, with almost no interference with earrings, spectacles, hats, or hairstyles. The JLab Go Air Pop have an earbud foam to some it is more comfortable than the in-ear foam.

Has Stereo Speakers

JLab Go Air Pop
JBL Live Free 2

JLab Go Air Pop have stereo speakers, what this means is that JLab Go Air Pop's speakers deliver sound from separate channels on both left and right sides, this creates a richer sound and a better listening experience.

The JBL Live Free 2 also have stereo speakers

JLab Go Air Pop
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Sound Quality

Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)

JLab Go Air Pop
JBL Live Free 2

Active noise cancellation uses advanced technology to reduce unwanted ambient sounds. How it works, it detects and analyzes the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and then generates a mirror signal to cancel it out. In simple terms, it's like taking +1 (noise) and adding -1 (counter sound by the device) giving zero therefore "diluting" the noise.

JBL Live Free 2 have Active Noise Cancellation allowing you to listen at lower volume levels, good for your ears as you don't need to crank up the device volume to outcompete background sounds.

Has Passive Noise Reduction

JLab Go Air Pop
JBL Live Free 2

JLab Go Air Pop sit tightly in place, this creates a sound seal that reduces your environment noise and also prevents the earbuds voice audio from leaking out at the same.

Both of these devices have passive noise reduction which means that they limit ambient noise instead of actively using ANC to cancel it out.

Driver Unit Size

JLab Go Air Pop 6mm
JBL Live Free 2 11mm

The JLab Go Air Pop driver unit is 6mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, and can produce better bass. The driver unit is basically a mini speaker that makes sound in the earbuds, the unit size determines the loudness of the device.

JBL Live Free 2 driver unit is 11mm in diameter, making them have a larger driver unit than that of JLab Go Air Pop by 5mm , 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 imply that they produce better quality sound.

Lowest Frequency

JLab Go Air Pop 20hz
JBL Live Free 2 20hz

The JLab Go Air Pop's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well an audio component produces low frequencies that can be heard, and if it alters the signal while at it.

JBL Live Free 2's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this means that both devices can produce equal bass

Highest Frequency

JLab Go Air Pop 20,000hz
JBL Live Free 2 20,000hz

The JLab Go Air Pop's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response shows how well an audio component produces high human frequencies and if it changes to the signal while at it.

JBL Live Free 2's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, this implies that both devices can produce equal treble

Sound Pressure Level

JLab Go Air Pop 103db/mw
JBL Live Free 2 102db/mw

The sound pressure level, is the level of pressure of sound, measured in decibels, dB, JLab Go Air Pop's measurement is 103dB/mW. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source.

JBL Live Free 2's sound pressure level measurement is 102dB/mW. How loud something is can be considered differently by separate people, so we need to have the means to get an objective measurement of sound level expressed in numerical terms.

Power

Battery Life

JLab Go Air Pop 8hours
JBL Live Free 2 7hours

The JLab Go Air Pop's battery life is 8 hours, these last longer than 5 hours of listening which is considered average before recharge. 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.

JBL Live Free 2's battery life is less than that of JLab Go Air Pop by 1 hours . Every time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less playing 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.

Battery Life Of Charging Case

JLab Go Air Pop 24hours
JBL Live Free 2 28hours

This is given by the manufacturer, and JLab Go Air Pop's case is said to have a full charge of 24 hours. A charging case with a longer battery life enables you to recharge your earbuds on the go several times before recharging the case itself.

JBL Live Free 2's charging case has a battery life of 28 hours, more than that of JLab Go Air Pop by 4 hours

Charge Time

JLab Go Air Pop 2.2hours
JBL Live Free 2

It takes 2.2 hours to fully charge the JLab Go Air Pop's battery. It is highly adivsable to fully charge the battery before using the earbuds when they have been unused for extended periods.

Battery Power

JLab Go Air Pop 43mah
JBL Live Free 2

JLab Go Air Pop's battery power is 43mAh, battery capacity, represents the amount of electrical energy that a battery can store.

Has A Battery Level Indicator

JLab Go Air Pop
JBL Live Free 2

JLab Go Air Pop have a battery level indicator, an indicator notifies you when the device has a low battery. Its lights display the charging state of your earbuds and charging case.

JBL Live Free 2 too have a battery level indicator, these allow you to tell the charging state of your device, whether fully charged, or the battery is running low.

JLab Go Air Pop
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Connectivity

Has Usb Type-C

JLab Go Air Pop
JBL Live Free 2

JLab Go Air Pop support USB TYPE-C, a standard connector for transmitting both data and power in a single cable.

JBL Live Free 2 too support USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug comes along with most current electronics.

Bluetooth Version

JLab Go Air Pop v5.1
JBL Live Free 2 v5.2

The JLab Go Air Pop have Bluetooth version of 5.1, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that enables data transfers between devices placed in range, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.

JBL Live Free 2 has a Bluetooth version of 5.2, newer than that of JLab Go Air Pop . Newer versions provide faster data transfers.

Maximum Bluetooth Range

JLab Go Air Pop 10meters
JBL Live Free 2 10meters

JLab Go Air Pop have a 10meters distance connecting via Bluetooth.

JBL Live Free 2 have a maximum range of 10meters, equal to that of the JLab Go Air Pop

Has Aac

JLab Go Air Pop
JBL Live Free 2

JLab Go Air Pop 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 a similar bit rate.

Being the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the JLab Go Air Pop 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.

Microphone

Number Of Microphones

JLab Go Air Pop 2only
JBL Live Free 2 6only

JLab Go Air Pop have 2 microphones.

JBL Live Free 2 microphones are 6, more than that of JLab Go Air Pop by 4 . More microphones result in better sound quality and help the earbuds to filter out background sounds.

Has A Noise-Canceling Microphone

JLab Go Air Pop
JBL Live Free 2

The JBL Live Free 2 use a noise-canceling type of microphone, these microphones are made to filter out noise from the earbuds' sound.

Mic Sensitivity

JLab Go Air Pop -42dbv/pa
JBL Live Free 2

The JLab Go Air Pop microphone sensitivity is measured at -42dBV/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 voice that the microphone can recognize.

JLab Go Air Pop
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Extras

Has Ambient Sound Mode

JLab Go Air Pop
JBL Live Free 2

The JBL Live Free 2 support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient sound so that they can still be heard even while wearing them

Supports Fast Charging

JLab Go Air Pop
JBL Live Free 2

JLab Go Air Pop support fast charging. Usually, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to lower the amount of time it takes to fully charge a device.

JBL Live Free 2 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.

Multipoint Count

JLab Go Air Pop
JBL Live Free 2 2only

JBL Live Free 2 have a 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 having to manually disconnect and reconnect.

Has A Mute Function

JLab Go Air Pop
JBL Live Free 2

The JLab Go Air Pop have a mute function, they support the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device.

The JBL Live Free 2 too support the mute function. The mute function means that you are in position turn off the device's microphone, but still hear the other party's voice.

Control Panel Placed On A Device

JLab Go Air Pop
JBL Live Free 2

The JLab Go Air Pop, so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the device.

JBL Live Free 2 also have a control panel on them.

Warranty Period

JLab Go Air Pop 2years
JBL Live Free 2

JLab Go Air Pop have a warranty period of 2 Years, the period of time that warrant free repair and adjustment services in case of a malfunction occurring under normal use that has followed instruction manuals.

Has Voice Prompts

JLab Go Air Pop
JBL Live Free 2

JLab Go Air Pop have voice prompts. Automatically receive information via audio messages, say if there is an issue with the connection.

JBL Live Free 2 also support voice prompts meaning the earbuds notifies you if the battery is low, and you need to recharge them.

Travel Bag Is Included

JLab Go Air Pop
JBL Live Free 2

JLab Go Air Pop come with a special pouch. Carrying earphones openly, or placing them inside your bag without a cover can easily damage them.

JBL Live Free 2 also have a case included, which offers safe transportation.

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