Home Wireless Earbuds Skullcandy Indy Fuel Vs. Jbl Live Free 2

A Review By Comparison of the Skullcandy Indy Fuel Vs. Jbl Live Free 2

Last updated on Mar 14, 2023   6 min read
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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
VS
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

Skullcandy Indy Fuel

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Reasons why you might like the Skullcandy Indy Fuel

Overall Score 4.9 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IP55
  • Battery Life of 3 hours

A summary of the review by comparison

Category Features Skullcandy Indy Fuel JBL Live Free 2
DESIGN ingress protection (ip) rating IP55 IPX5
weight 57g 9.8g
has no wires or cables
wingtips included
sweat resistance
is dust proof and water-resistant
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 20000Hz 20000Hz
sound pressure level 105dB/mW 102dB/mW
POWER battery life 3hours 7hours
battery life of charging case 27hours 28hours
charge time 0.3hours
has wireless charging
has a battery level indicator
CONNECTIVITY has usb type-c
bluetooth version v5 v5.2
maximum bluetooth range 10meters
MICROPHONE number of microphones 6only
has a noise-canceling microphone
EXTRAS has ambient sound mode
supports fast charging
multipoint count 2only
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

JBL Live Free 2 IPX5
Skullcandy Indy Fuel IP55

Ingress protection ratings refer to the level of protection given by a casing, against dust and liquids. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value of the IP rating represents protection against solids say dust, while the second refers to protection against liquids (water).

Having a value of IP55, the Skullcandy Indy Fuel'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 of liquids that they can withstand medium pressure jet that's 6.3mm diameter, similar to garden hose from any angle for 3 minutes at a distance of 2.5 to 3 metres.

Compared to the Skullcandy Indy Fuel, JBL Live Free 2 have a rating of IPX5 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

JBL Live Free 2 9.8g
Skullcandy Indy Fuel 57g

The Skullcandy Indy Fuel have a weight of 57g . We take in account a lower weight better because lighter devices are easier to move with.

The JBL Live Free 2, at 9.8g weigh less than the Skullcandy Indy Fuel by -47.2g

Has No Wires Or Cables

JBL Live Free 2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

For a device to be true wireless it must have no wires connecting any part of the device together, Skullcandy Indy Fuel are true wireless for this matter since they have no cables. This is an important difference since wireless earbuds have wires linking the 2 earbuds together.

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

Wingtips Included

JBL Live Free 2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

The Skullcandy Indy Fuel come with wingtips, these are reserved for earbuds for workouts and come as an optional add-on to each silicone ear tip for a more secure fit.

Sweat Resistance

JBL Live Free 2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

Skullcandy Indy Fuel have sweat resistance

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

Is Dust Proof And Water-Resistant

JBL Live Free 2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

Skullcandy Indy Fuel are both dustproof and water-resistant.

Has Stereo Speakers

JBL Live Free 2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

Skullcandy Indy Fuel have stereo speakers, what this means is that Skullcandy Indy Fuel's speakers deliver sound from separate channels on both left and right sides, creating a richer sound and a better listening experience.

The JBL Live Free 2 also have stereo speakers

JBL Live Free 2
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Sound Quality

Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)

JBL Live Free 2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

ANC uses advanced technology to reduce unwanted ambient sounds. ANC works when, it listens to the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and inverts the soundwaves to cancel it out. In simple terms, it's like taking +1 (noise) then producing -1 (inverted noise) giving zero which results in a reduced level of noise.

JBL Live Free 2 have Active Noise Cancellation allowing you to listen at lower volume levels, causing less ear fatigue as you don't need to crank up the earbuds volume to overcome background noise.

Has Passive Noise Reduction

JBL Live Free 2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

Skullcandy Indy Fuel stay well in place, this creates an acoustic seal that reduces background sounds while preventing the earbuds voice audio from leaking out at the same.

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

Driver Unit Size

JBL Live Free 2 11mm
Skullcandy Indy Fuel 6mm

The Skullcandy Indy Fuel driver unit is 6mm 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, the unit size corellates with the sound produced by the device.

JBL Live Free 2 driver unit is 11mm in diameter, making them have a larger driver unit than that of Skullcandy Indy Fuel 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 yeah, larger drivers can generate louder sound, but this does not indicate that they produce better quality sound.

Lowest Frequency

JBL Live Free 2 20Hz
Skullcandy Indy Fuel 20Hz

The Skullcandy Indy Fuel's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well an audio device generates low audible frequencies and if it alters the signal while at it.

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

Highest Frequency

JBL Live Free 2 20000Hz
Skullcandy Indy Fuel 20000Hz

Skullcandy Indy Fuel's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, high-frequency response measures if and how well an audio device makes high audible frequencies and if it makes any adjustments to the signal on its way through.

JBL Live Free 2's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, this implies that both devices can produce equal treble

Sound Pressure Level

JBL Live Free 2 102dB/mW
Skullcandy Indy Fuel 105dB/mW

SPL, is the pressure level of sound, in decibels, dB, Skullcandy Indy Fuel's measurement is 105dB/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. The sound pressure level, a device is can be taken differently by different people, so we need to have the means to get an objective measurement of sound level expressed in numerical terms.

Power

Battery Life

JBL Live Free 2 7hours
Skullcandy Indy Fuel 3hours

Skullcandy Indy Fuel's battery life is 3 hours, 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.

JBL Live Free 2's battery life is more than that of Skullcandy Indy Fuel by 4 hours . Every time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less playing time. The effect is not noticeable at first, but over time, your wireless earbuds will no longer play for long like they used to.

Battery Life Of Charging Case

JBL Live Free 2 28hours
Skullcandy Indy Fuel 27hours

This is given by the vendor, and Skullcandy Indy Fuel's case is said to have a charge of 27 hours. A charging case with more battery hours allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go many times before having to recharge the case itself.

JBL Live Free 2's charging case has a battery life of 28 hours, more than that of Skullcandy Indy Fuel by 1 hours

Charge Time

JBL Live Free 2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel 0.3hours

It requires 0.3 hours to fully charge the Skullcandy Indy Fuel's battery. It is highly adivsable to charge fully the battery before using the earbuds for the first time.

Has Wireless Charging

JBL Live Free 2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

The Skullcandy Indy Fuel, the device supports wireless charging. To charge the device, you simply place down on a compatible charging pad.

Has A Battery Level Indicator

JBL Live Free 2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

Skullcandy Indy Fuel have a battery level indicator, an indicator alerts you when the device has a low battery. Its lights display the charging state of your earbuds and case.

JBL Live Free 2 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 Live Free 2
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Connectivity

Has Usb Type-C

JBL Live Free 2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

The JBL Live Free 2 support USB TYPE-C, a standard connector for transmitting both data and power through a single cable.

Bluetooth Version

JBL Live Free 2 v5.2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel v5

The Skullcandy Indy Fuel have Bluetooth version of 5, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that enables data movement between devices placed in close proximity, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.

JBL Live Free 2 has a Bluetooth version of 5.2, newer than that of Skullcandy Indy Fuel . Newer versions provide faster data transfers.

Maximum Bluetooth Range

JBL Live Free 2 10meters
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

JBL Live Free 2 have a 10meters distance connecting via Bluetooth.

Microphone

Number Of Microphones

JBL Live Free 2 6only
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

The JBL Live Free 2 have 6 microphones.

Has A Noise-Canceling Microphone

JBL Live Free 2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

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

JBL Live Free 2
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Extras

Has Ambient Sound Mode

JBL Live Free 2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

The JBL Live Free 2 support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient sound to still be heard even when wearing them

Supports Fast Charging

JBL Live Free 2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

Skullcandy Indy Fuel support fast charging. Commonly, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to lower the amount of time it takes to fully charge a device.

The JBL Live Free 2 too support fast charging. It's very similar to regular charging, just that the battery is filling up much faster. Say, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery is charged to 50% in just thirty minutes.

Multipoint Count

JBL Live Free 2 2only
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

JBL Live Free 2 support multipoint of 2 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

JBL Live Free 2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

The Skullcandy Indy Fuel have a mute function, they have the feature to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the earbuds.

The JBL Live Free 2 also 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 talk.

Control Panel Placed On A Device

JBL Live Free 2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

The Skullcandy Indy Fuel, so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the earbuds.

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

Has Voice Prompts

JBL Live Free 2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

The Skullcandy Indy Fuel have voice prompts. Automatically receive information via audio messages, like if there is an issue with the connection.

JBL Live Free 2 also support voice prompts .i.e the earbuds will notify you if the battery is running low, and it's time to recharge them.

Travel Bag Is Included

JBL Live Free 2
Skullcandy Indy Fuel

The Skullcandy Indy Fuel come with a special case. Carrying earphones without a case, or placing them in your pockets without a casing may easily put them at risk of getting damaged.

JBL Live Free 2 too have a case included, which is useful for safe transportation.

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