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- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Sound
- Isolation
- Microphone
- Active Features
- Connectivity
- Comments
Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless vs JBL Free Truly Wireless 2018
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
Apple AirPods (1st generation)
JBL Free Truly Wireless 2018
Tested using Methodology v1.3.1
Updated Jan 15, 2024 03:46 PM
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Amazon.comTested using Methodology v1.4
Updated Jan 15, 2024 02:42 PM
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Amazon.com
TypeEarbuds
EnclosureOpen-Back
Noise CancellingNo
WirelessTruly Wireless
TransducerDynamic
MicYes
TypeIn-ear
EnclosureClosed-Back
Noise CancellingNo
WirelessTruly Wireless
TransducerDynamic
MicYes
Variants
- AirPods (1st generation) (White)
- Free (Black)
- Free (White)
Our Verdict
Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless
JBL Free Truly Wireless 2018
The JBL Free Truly Wireless 2018 are slightly better truly wireless headphones than the Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless when they have a stable connection. The JBL have a more isolating in-ear fit that will be better for noisy environments and are a bit more stable for running and working out. The JBL also leak a little less than the Apple and have a better sound quality, thanks to their stronger bass range that caters to more tracks. On the other hand, the Apple have a more stable wireless connection, better range, a longer battery life, and lower latency, especially on iOS devices.
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White
AirPods (1st generation)
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Amazon.comWhite
Free
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Amazon.comWhite
AirPods (1st generation)
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Walmart.comBlack
Free
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Amazon.comWhite
AirPods (1st generation)
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B&HWhite
AirPods (1st generation)
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BestBuy.comNotice: Two or more of the products selected have been tested with different test methodologies, so some of the results below aren't directly comparable. Learn how our test benches and scoring system work, and read more about the latest changes to our headphones test methodology.
Main Differences for
Threshold
Mixed Usage
6.4
7.2
Noise Isolation
1.3
7.9
Battery
7.1
5.9
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Design Picture 2
Type
Earbuds
In-ear
Enclosure
Open-Back
Closed-Back
Wireless
Truly Wireless
Truly Wireless
Transducer
Dynamic
Dynamic
Comfort
8.0
7.5
Comfort Picture
Weight
0.02 lbs
0.04 lbs
Clamping Force
0 lbs
0 lbs
Controls
4.7
5.5
Controls Picture
OS Compatibility
N/A
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use
Subpar
Great
Feedback
Subpar
Good
Call/Music Control
Yes
Yes
Volume Control
No
No
Microphone Control
No
No
Channel Mixing
N/A
No
Noise Cancelling Control
N/A
No
Talk-Through
N/A
No
Additional Controls
Voice enabled controls
Voice Assistant
Breathability
9.6
9.0
Breathability After Picture
Avg.Temp.Difference
0.4 °C
1 °C
Portability
9.6
9.6
Portability Picture
L
1.72"
1.1"
W
1"
1.2"
H
0.6"
0.7"
Volume
1.03 in³
0.9 in³
Transmitter Required
N/A
No
Case
8.5
7.5
Case Picture
Type
Hard case
Hard case
L
2.06"
2.7"
W
1.69"
2.7"
H
0.74"
1.1"
Volume
2.58 in³
8 in³
Build Quality
8.0
7.5
Build Quality Picture
Stability
6.5
7.5
Stability Picture
Headshots 1
Angled Picture
Side Picture
Headshots 2
Front Picture
Rear Picture
Top
Top Picture
In The Box
In The Box Picture
Sound
Sound Profile
Frequency Response
Frequency Response
Bass Amount
-7.73 dB
2.46 dB
Treble Amount
0.61 dB
-1.75 dB
Frequency Response Consistency
6.4
9.1
Consistency L
Consistency R
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.8 dB
0.18 dB
Raw Frequency Response
Raw FR L
Raw FR L
Raw FR R
Raw FR R
Bass Accuracy
6.0
8.0
Std. Err.
5.27 dB
2.86 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
64.42 Hz
10 Hz
Low-Bass
-10.94 dB
2.79 dB
Mid-Bass
-0.79 dB
3.66 dB
High-Bass
1.62 dB
2.88 dB
Mid Accuracy
7.9
9.0
Std. Err.
2.78 dB
1.34 dB
Low-Mid
1.7 dB
1.46 dB
Mid-Mid
0.55 dB
-1.13 dB
High-Mid
3.62 dB
-0.1 dB
Treble Accuracy
7.2
7.5
Treble
Treble
Std. Err.
4.18 dB
3.29 dB
Low-Treble
4.46 dB
-1.81 dB
Mid-Treble
4.26 dB
-2.15 dB
High-Treble
0.57 dB
-1.81 dB
Peaks/Dips
7.3
8.6
Peaks/Dips Graph
Peaks/Dips Graph
Peaks
1.83 dB
0.81 dB
Dips
1.13 dB
1.2 dB
Imaging
8.4
8.7
Phase Response
Weighted Group Delay
0.31
0.14
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
1.04
1.4
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.5
1.15
Weighted Phase Mismatch
5.76
2.22
Passive Soundstage
2.6
0.7
PRTF
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
N/A
N/A
PRTF Size (Avg.)
N/A
N/A
PRTF Distance
N/A
N/A
Openness
9.7
2.1
Acoustic Space Excitation
3.4
0.9
Virtual Soundstage
0.0
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
No
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
No App
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
7.9
7.6
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.177
0.253
WHD @ 100
0.128
0.165
Test Settings
Firmware
Unknown
Power
On
Connection
Unknown
Codec
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
EQ
No EQ
ANC
No ANC
Tip/Pad
Silicone (small)
Microphone
Integrated
Isolation
Noise Isolation
1.3
7.9
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-2.64 dB
-24.17 dB
Noise Cancelling
No
No
Bass
-0.01 dB
-9.73 dB
Mid
1.1 dB
-20.78 dB
Treble
-8.72 dB
-42.93 dB
Leakage
7.3
9.2
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
37.73 dB
25.65 dB
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
Yes
In-Line
No
No
Boom
No
No
Detachable Boom
N/A
No
Mic
Yes
Yes
Recording Quality
6.2
6.5
Microphone Frequency Response
Recorded Speech
LFE
354.04 Hz
257.68 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
2.83 dB
3.72 dB
HFE
3,368.2 Hz
3,417.19 Hz
Weighted THD
31.268
3.731
Gain
28.6 dB
37.96 dB
Noise Handling
6.2
6.0
Speech + Pink Noise
Speech + Subway Noise
SpNR
14.85 dB
12.06 dB
Active Features
Battery
7.1
5.9
Battery Type
Rechargable
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
4.8 hrs
3.1 hrs
Additional Charges
5
5.0
Total Battery Life
27 hrs
18.6 hrs
Charge Time
0.5 hrs
1.4 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
Yes
Auto-Off Timer
Audio While Charging
Yes
No
Passive Playback
No
No
Charging Port
Lightning
micro-USB
App Support
5.5
0.0
App Picture
App Name
N/A
No App
iOS
Yes
No
Android
No
No
macOS
N/A
No
Windows
N/A
No
Equalizer
No
No
ANC Control
No
No
Mic Control
N/A
No
Room Effects
No
No
Playback Control
No
No
Button Mapping
Yes
No
Surround Sound
N/A
Surround Support
No
Connectivity
Bluetooth
6.9
6.3
Bluetooth Version
4.2 + W1 chip
4.2
Multi-Device Pairing
No
No
NFC Pairing
No
No
Line Of Sight Range
91 ft
74 ft
PC Latency (SBC)
168 ms
375 ms
PC Latency (aptX)
N/A
N/A
PC Latency (aptX HD)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
N/A
N/A
iOS Latency
409 ms
Android Latency
102 ms
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
0.0
0.0
Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
N/A
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
N/A
Wired
0.0
0.0
Cable Picture
Analog Audio
N/A
No
USB Audio
N/A
No
Detachable
N/A
No
Length
N/A
N/A
Connection
N/A
No Wired Option
Wired Latency
N/A
Analog/USB Audio Latency
N/A
PC / PS4 Compatibility
PC/PS4 Analog
No
No
PC/PS4 Wired USB
No
No
PC/PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
No
Xbox One Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
No
No
Xbox One Wired USB
No
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
No
Base/Dock
2.2
2.2
Type
Charging Case
Charging Case
USB Input
No
No
Line In
No
No
Line Out
No
No
Optical Input
No
No
RCA Input
No
No
Dock Charging
Yes
Yes
Power Supply
Lightning
USB
Check Price
White
AirPods (1st generation)
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Amazon.comWhite
Free
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Amazon.comWhite
AirPods (1st generation)
SEE PRICE
Walmart.comBlack
Free
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comWhite
AirPods (1st generation)
SEARCH
B&HWhite
AirPods (1st generation)
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BestBuy.com
Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless
JBL Free Truly Wireless 2018
Comments
Apple AirPods (1st generation) vs JBL Free Truly Wireless 2018: Main Discussion
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