Test and comparison: Which $120 wireless earbuds are better?
While Scarbir.com mainly reviews wireless earbuds under $100, these two bestsellers just above that price point can't be ignored. How good are the Sony Linkbuds S and JBL Live Pro 2, now priced under or around $150 in 2023?
Sony Linkbuds S review in 2023: An unbeatable performer at a friendly price
$130 — 6 hours playtime (ANC on) — AAC + LDAC Codec — IPX4
The Sony Linkbuds S was considered too expensive when it was originally released in 2021. Now that the price has dropped heavily in 2023, it's hard to get better wireless earbuds for the money.
One of the most praised aspects of the Sony Linkbuds S (also called the WF-LS900N) is its form factor. The case is small enough to easily carry it in any pocket, while the earbuds barely stick out of your ears. However, the S is not always comfortable - the round shape of the inner earpiece can be felt much more clearly than the more diagonal earpieces many competitors have. When the fit works for you, the IPX4 waterproof rating protects earbuds against light rain and sweat, and you can wear them for at least 6 hours on a single charge. That's with Active Noise Cancelling on - and turning the music off or played at very low volume, the Linkbuds S is powerful and comfortable enough for an entire night of side-sleeping. Wonderful.
Sony is not messing about with the features on the now friendly-priced Linkbuds S. The only real thing that's missing is wireless charging of the case.
Apart from that, it supports multipoint connectivity, meaning you can connect the earbuds to two phones or a laptop and a phone at the same time. It switches as soon as you pause on one device, and push play on the other - or automatically when there's an incoming call. Stable and usable. The microphones are also outstanding. Your voice sounds clear and full, and easily outweighs sounds around you in phone and video calls. When you're not talking, sounds around you are gone completely, and even wind doesn't kill your voice.
Next to great call quality, the Active Noise Cancelling works like a charm. It heavily reducing sounds in all frequencies. In contrast to many competitors, especially brighter tones are cut off well here, meaning chatter and laughter around you are moved to the background. When you want to eavesdrop on a conversation nearby, just hold the left earbud and it will pause the music and push voices forward. There's also a regular Transparency mode that passes through brighter sounds without holding the button down, continuing the music playback.
On top of that, Sony went completely over the top with the free Sony Headphones app for iPhone and Android. It lets you change the desired noise cancelling setting for activities and locations, has a setting that automatically silences music when you talk, settings for automatic shutdown, automatic pausing when taking an earbud out, and even quick buttons for Spotify and 360 Audio for other (relatively unknown) services.
More bizarrely, Sony gamified these earbuds - tracking how long and loud you listen, and rewarding you with badges for it. It's all fun and games, but the app forgets two essentials: you can't alter the controls so you have both ANC and volume controls on the earbuds, and there's no Game Mode, meaning there's a slight delay in sound effects when you're gaming. Lastly, the app equalizers are near worthless. They trash the balance in the sound, and the 'Clear Bass' setting does nothing but make the bass bloat.
That's not to much of a problem though, because the Sony Linkbuds S sound fantastic. It finds a near-perfect balance between clarity and detail on one hand, and a soothing warm undertone on the other. It's center-mid tones where the Sony stands above its competition. Instruments like guitars, piano play, and trumpets enjoy strong presence, sound natural, and detailed. Female and male vocals profit as well: they're pushed forward and are displayed with fullness and naturality, reaching the lower tones as easy as the higher ones. Treble is cut off before it becomes harsh or sharp, but it's never so rolled-off that you feel like you're missing out.
Especially when you turn the volume up a little, the Sony treats you to good left-right separation and some space around vocals, although the soundstage is intimate. Wonderful - just like the bass, which comes in the form of a medium-strong striking and well-paced mid-bass, and a sub-bass that rumbles both deep and tight.
With its perfect mix of a warm and detailed sound, and a terrific execution of Active Noise Cancelling, multipoint connectivity and call quality, you can't get better a better price-to-performance ratio in wireless earbuds than the Sony Linkbuds S.
Design and comfort: 4.5/5 - Distinct and sleep-proof, case color easy indicates remaining battery
Controls and connectivity: 4/5 - No ANC and volume controls at the same time; convenient talk mode
Playback: 3.5/5 - Just a bit too much delay in gaming sunds
Call quality: 4/5 - Even doable in crowded and windy areas
ANC: 4/5 - Reduces sounds well, convenient features
Transparency mode: 4/5 - Transparency mode for traffic, hold to follow conversations: usable
App support: 4.5/5 - An overflow of features
Sound quality: 5/5 - Warm and detailed, an extremely pleasant mix
VERDICT: FIVE STARS (Excellent)
$120 - $180
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JBL Live Pro 2 review in 2023: Great full-featured earbuds for bass lovers
$150 — 10 hours playtime (ANC on) — AAC + LDAC Codec — IPX5
The JBL Live Pro 2 is one of the latest releases in the insanely extensive line-up of the brands wireless earbuds. Costing as much as the Sony Linkbuds S in 2023, the Live Pro 2 mainly separates itself on one single aspect.
It's the bass. Not out of the box though. Standard, the JBL Live Pro 2 has a sound that moves away from bass a bit. It's based on the scientific Harman-signature aiming to please as most listeners as possible, just like the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2. Its execution is a bit different, though. The JBL has lots of focus on treble. It doesn't become too sharp because of hugely emphasized highs, but it's definitely a hot area. Female and higher-pitched male singers take an extremely forward position in the music, and come with a bright sound, not quite touching the lower tones they reach on the Sony or the Samsung.
Meanwhile, lower-mid tones that normally color the music warm, appear brighter than average, while original center-mids like guitar play are a bit recessed. As the mid-bass provides 'only' decent thumps, and the sub-bass doesn't dive very deep in its rumbling, most of the energy on the Live Pro 2 comes from the treble.
Not something you'd expect from the popular Bluetooth speaker brand perhaps, but wait - the free JBL app for Android and iPhone does let you JBL-up the bass. STRONGLY. The standard Bass equalizer makes the mid-bass pulsate and thump fiercely, and gives depth to now much stronger sub-bass rumbles. Music gets some warmth, too, while not sacrificing the highs too much - making the JBL vibrant in both bass and treble. Want to reduce the bass a bit? Makes sense. You can do it by manually adjusting the equalizer a bit - the JBL will automatically create your Bass 2 equalizer. Now that's convenient.
Surprise: when it comes to features, the JBL Live Pro 2 is a solid competitor for the Sony Linkbuds S - there's a reason why the two are compared here. It does some things better too. The JBL earbuds reach up to 10 hours (!) of playtime on a single charge, the case can be charged wirelessly, and it should be more rain-resistant thanks to the IPX5 waterproof rating. Furthermore, these earbuds have the same great multipoint connection. Connect two devices to the earbuds, and simply switch between the devices by pausing playback on one, and starting it on the other.
The Active Noise Cancelling comes close to the Sony. It silences your surroundings quite a bit, but as its doesn't rule out higher sounds as well, annoying sharper sounds from music and chatter are still audible. On the plus side, there's a terrific Ambient Aware mode that lets you hear traffic clearly, and a specific Talkthrough mode that handily moves music to the background and emphasizes voices around you. Once again, you can't have these controls on the earbuds while also having volume controls - the JBL app also doesn't let you do it.
Sadly, it scores less than the Sony for phone and video calls. While your voice sounds wonderfully natural in quiet areas, a mixture of surrounding noises and wind can completely drown it. It does actively let you hear your surroundings while talking, preventing you from shouting too much. The gaming performance is worse as well, with a massive delay between action on your screens and the sounds you hear.
Overall though, the JBL Live Pro 2 is a capable, versatile pair of wireless earbuds that combines usable ANC and a vivid sound. If you love a strong bass, it's an alternative worth considering.
Design and comfort: 4.5/5 - Great battery life and wireless charging; stems don't fall flat against your ears
Controls and connectivity: 4/5 - No ANC and volume controls at the same time, responds well
Playback: 3/5 - Heavy delay in gaming sounds, even in video mode
Call quality: 3/5 - Natural voice reproduction that fails in challenging circumstances
ANC: 3.5/5 - Reduces sounds well, except higher notes
Transparency mode: 5/5 - Great settings for traffic and talking
App support: 4/5 - Doesn't always start in multipoint connection, easy to use, great EQ options
Sound quality: 4.5/5 - Great for lovers of an energetic, bassy sound
VERDICT: 4.5 STARS (Very good)
$120 - $150
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Cheaper alternatives to Sony Linkbuds S and JBL Live Pro 2
Soundcore Space A40
As the Sony Linkbuds S is the better overall performer of the two, let's compare that one to its biggest rivals. The $80 Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 is its biggest contender in sound quality. The Buds 2 has more separation between the different frequencies, giving the bass and lower-mids more space. It has a more neutral tonality, opposed to Sony's warmer signature. The Linkbuds S outclasses the Buds 2 with much clearer calls and much stronger ANC, not to mention the multipoint connectivity.
The Soundcore Space A40 also has worse call quality than the Linkbuds S, and slightly less effective ANC - but it does come with multipoint connectivity, sleep-proof earbud comfort, and an outstanding balanced sound at around $20 to $40 less. The Soundcore has more emphasis on lower-mids and sounds fuller and even warmer than the Sony, which puts out center-mids and treble a tad better. Lastly, the 1more ComfoBuds Pro also has good ANC and call quality at around $80, but its sound is less refined than the Sony - the 1more's bass is looser, and treble feels more artificial.
The Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro is a great alternative to the JBL Live Pro 2, with multipoint, better outdoor call quality, and an also very bass-and-treble centric energetic sound. The bass on the L3P is more textured and a bit quicker - stabbier, in a good way - while the JBL controls its treble better. It can get a little metallic on the Soundcore.
Also read: These are the best sounding wireless earbuds
Disclaimer: I bought these TWS true wireless earbuds myself or I received these products from the manufacturer or a distributor. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
Consider buying this earphone? I'd really appreciate it if you use the links in this article. It won't cost you extra, yet it will financially support me a bit in my ongoing quest for great affordable audio. <3
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