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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Comfort
    3. Controls
    4. Breathability
    5. Portability
    6. Case
    7. Build Quality
    8. Stability
    9. Headshots 1
    10. Headshots 2
    11. Top
    12. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Sound Profile
    2. Frequency Response Consistency
    3. Raw Frequency Response
    4. Bass Accuracy
    5. Mid Accuracy
    6. Treble Accuracy
    7. Peaks/Dips
    8. Imaging
    9. Passive Soundstage
    10. Virtual Soundstage
    11. Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    12. Test Settings
  6. Isolation
    1. Noise Isolation
    2. Leakage
  7. Microphone
    1. Microphone Style
    2. Recording Quality
    3. Noise Handling
  8. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. App Support
  9. Connectivity
    1. Bluetooth
    2. Non-Bluetooth Wireless
    3. Wired
    4. PC Compatibility
    5. PC / PS4 Compatibility
    6. PlayStation Compatibility
    7. Xbox Compatibility
    8. Base/Dock
  10. Comments

JBL E55BT Wireless vs JBL Live 500BT Wireless

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

JBL E55BT Wireless
JBL Live 500BT Wireless

Tested using Methodology v1.4

Updated Jan 11, 2024 08:38 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.5

Updated Apr 26, 2022 09:05 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
JBL E55BT Wireless Picture
JBL Live 500BT Wireless Picture

Variants

  • E55BT (Black)
  • E55BT (Blue)
  • E55BT (Green)
  • E55BT (Red)
  • E55BT (White)
  • JBL Live 500BT (Black)
  • JBL Live 500BT (Blue)
  • JBL Live 500BT (Green)
  • JBL Live 500BT (Red)
  • JBL Live 500BT (White)

Our Verdict

JBL E55BT Wireless

JBL Live 500BT Wireless

The JBL Live 500BT are sort of a newer version of the JBL E55BT Wireless and perform better. They feel better built, and the folding joints are now metal, which don't feel like they might break. They also have noticeably better battery life, with about twice the life of the E55BT. They are also compatible with the JBL Headphones app, which gives you access to a great parametric EQ, while the E55BT don’t have any customization options. The wireless range also improved on the Live 500BT.

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Notice: 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 

0.10

Mixed Usage 

6.5
No major differences between these headphones for mixed usage. See full list of tests below.

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

JBL E55BT Wireless Design Picture 2
JBL Live 500BT Wireless Design Picture 2

Type  

Over-ear
Over-ear

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Closed-Back

Wireless  

Yes
Yes

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic

Show text

Comfort 
 

7.0
7.0

Comfort Picture  

JBL E55BT Wireless Comfort Picture
JBL Live 500BT Wireless Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.5 lbs
0.54 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

0.9 lbs
1.4 lbs

Show text

Controls 
 

6.3
7.0

Controls Picture  

JBL E55BT Wireless Controls Picture
JBL Live 500BT Wireless Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

Not OS specific
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

Okay
Decent

Feedback  

Okay
Decent

Call/Music Control  

Yes
Yes

Volume Control  

Yes
Yes

Microphone Control  

No
No

Channel Mixing 
 

No
No

Noise Cancelling Control  

No
No

Talk-Through 
 

No
Adjustable

Additional Controls  

Bluetooth Sync
Voice Assistant

Show text

Breathability 
 

6.4
6.5

Breathability After Picture  

JBL E55BT Wireless Breathability After Picture
JBL Live 500BT Wireless Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference  

5.9 °C
5.8 °C

Show text

Portability 
 

6.3
5.8

Portability Picture  

JBL E55BT Wireless Portability Picture
JBL Live 500BT Wireless Portability Picture

 

5.2"
6.8" (17.3 cm)

 

5"
6.1" (15.5 cm)

 

2.8"
3.1" (7.9 cm)

Volume  

73 in³
129.00 in³ (2,113.92 cm³)

Transmitter Required  

No
No

Show text

Case 
 

0.0
0.0

Case Picture  

JBL E55BT Wireless Case Picture
JBL Live 500BT Wireless Case Picture

Type  

No case
No case

 

N/A
N/A

 

N/A
N/A

 

N/A
N/A

Volume  

N/A
N/A

Show text

Build Quality 
 

7.0
7.5

Build Quality Picture  

JBL E55BT Wireless Build Quality Picture
JBL Live 500BT Wireless Build Quality Picture

Show text

Stability 
 

7.5
7.5

Stability Picture  

JBL E55BT Wireless Stability Picture
JBL Live 500BT Wireless Stability Picture

Show text

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

JBL E55BT Wireless Angled Picture
JBL Live 500BT Wireless Angled Picture

Side Picture  

JBL E55BT Wireless Side Picture
JBL Live 500BT Wireless Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

JBL E55BT Wireless Front Picture
JBL Live 500BT Wireless Front Picture

Rear Picture  

JBL E55BT Wireless Rear Picture
JBL Live 500BT Wireless Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

JBL E55BT Wireless Top Picture
JBL Live 500BT Wireless Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

JBL E55BT Wireless In The Box Picture
JBL Live 500BT Wireless In The Box Picture

Show text

Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Amount 
 

2.32 dB
2.01 dB

Treble Amount 
 

-1.74 dB
-1.18 dB

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

5.8
6.9

Consistency L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Consistency R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

1.03 dB
0.65 dB

Show text

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Accuracy 
 

8.5
8.1

Bass  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

2.1 dB
2.7 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

10 Hz
10 Hz

Low-Bass 
 

0.86 dB
3.03 dB

Mid-Bass 
 

2.16 dB
3.4 dB

High-Bass 
 

1.94 dB
-0.7 dB

Show text

Mid Accuracy 
 

7.2
8.9

Mid  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

3.68 dB
1.41 dB

Low-Mid 
 

-5.68 dB
-1.16 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

-0.92 dB
0.01 dB

High-Mid 
 

-1.47 dB
-0.62 dB

Show text

Treble Accuracy 
 

6.7
7.6

Treble  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

4.42 dB
3.59 dB

Low-Treble 
 

-2.89 dB
2.14 dB

Mid-Treble 
 

-2.8 dB
-0.52 dB

High-Treble 
 

-10.07 dB
-10.53 dB

Show text

Peaks/Dips 
 

6.9
7.2

Peaks/Dips Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Peaks 
 

2 dB
1.89 dB

Dips 
 

1.85 dB
1.26 dB

Imaging 
 

8.5
8.3

Group Delay  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Phase Response  

See details on graph tool

Phase Response Mismatch  

See details on graph tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.23
0.46

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

4.52
4.82

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

0.78
0.53

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

2.09
2.33

Show text

Passive Soundstage 
 

4.6
4.3

PRTF  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

2.48 dB
2.14 dB

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

2.47 dB
1.85 dB

PRTF Distance 
 

3.41 dB
6.21 dB

Openness 
 

5.4
4.4

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

4.1
2.8

Show text

Virtual Soundstage 
 

0.0
0.0

Virtual Soundstage  

JBL E55BT Wireless Virtual Soundstage
JBL Live 500BT Wireless Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No
No

Speaker Modeling 
 

No
No

Room Ambience 
 

No
No

Head Tracking 
 

No
No

Virtual Surround 
 

No App
No

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

7.3
7.2

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.324
0.287

WHD @ 100 
 

0.220
0.362

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

Unknown
Unknown

Power 
 

On
On

Connection 
 

Unknown
Bluetooth 4.0

Codec 
 

SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz

EQ 
 

No EQ
Off

ANC 
 

No ANC
No ANC

Tip/Pad 
 

Default
Default

Microphone 
 

Integrated
Integrated
Isolation

Noise Isolation 
 

4.5
4.9

Noise Isolation  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Isolation Audio 
 

Overall Attenuation 
 

-11.34 dB
-14 dB

Noise Cancelling  

No
No

Bass 
 

0.86 dB
-0.35 dB

Mid 
 

-6.92 dB
-11.63 dB

Treble 
 

-28.5 dB
-31 dB

Show text

Leakage 
 

6.4
7.5

Leakage  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

42.91 dB
36.54 dB

Show text

Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

Yes
Yes

In-Line 
 

Yes
Yes

Boom 
 

No
No

Detachable Boom 
 

No
No

Mic  

Yes
Yes

Recording Quality 
 

6.3
6.0

Microphone Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

281 Hz
486.43 Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

4.63 dB
2.42 dB

HFE 
 

3,517.32 Hz
3,417.19 Hz

Weighted THD 
 

4.426
6.242

Gain 
 

36.74 dB
39.81 dB

Show text

Noise Handling 
 

6.0
6.7

SpNR  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SpNR 
 

11.35 dB
11.67 dB

Noise Gate 
 

No

Speech + Pink Noise Handling 
 

6.5

Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample  

Speech + Subway Noise Handling 
 

7.0

Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample  

Show text

Active Features

Battery 
 

7.4
8.8

Battery Type 
 

Rechargable
Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life 
 

18.5 hrs
36.9 hrs

Additional Charges 
 

0.0
0.0

Total Battery Life 
 

18.5 hrs
36.9 hrs

Charge Time 
 

1.9 hrs
1.8 hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

No
Auto-Off Timer

Audio While Charging 
 

No
No

Passive Playback 
 

Yes
Yes

Charging Port  

micro-USB
micro-USB

Show text

App Support 
 

0.0
7.5

App Picture  

JBL E55BT Wireless App Picture
JBL Live 500BT Wireless App Picture

App Name  

No App
JBL Headphones

iOS  

No
Yes

Android  

No
Yes

macOS  

No
No

Windows  

No
No

Equalizer 
 

No
Parametric + Presets

ANC Control 
 

No
No

Mic Control  

No
No

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

No
No

Button Mapping  

No
No

Surround Support 
 

No
No

Show text

Connectivity

Bluetooth 
 

8.0
8.3

Bluetooth Version 
 

4.1
4.2

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

2 Devices
2 Devices

NFC Pairing 
 

No
No

Line Of Sight Range 
 

119 ft
302.00 ft (92.05 m)

PC Latency (SBC) 
 

185 ms
220 ms

PC Latency (aptX) 
 

N/A
N/A

PC Latency (aptX HD) 
 

N/A
N/A

PC Latency (aptX-LL) 
 

N/A
N/A

iOS Latency 
 

150 ms
155 ms

Android Latency 
 

110 ms
285 ms

Show text

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 
 

9.5
9.5

Cable Picture  

JBL E55BT Wireless Cable Picture
JBL Live 500BT Wireless Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

Yes
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable  

Yes
Yes

Length  

4.3 ft
4.10 ft (1.25 m)

Connection 
 

1/8" TRRS
1/8" TRRS

Analog/USB Audio Latency 
 

0 ms
0 ms

Show text

PC Compatibility 
 

Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone

Wired USB 
 

No

Non-BT Wireless 
 

No

PC / PS4 Compatibility 
 

PC/PS4 Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone

PC/PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PC/PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

PlayStation Compatibility 
 

PS4 Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone

PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

PS5 Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone

PS5 Wired USB 
 

No

PS5 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No

Xbox Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone

Xbox Series X|S Wired USB 
 

No

Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless 
 

No

Base/Dock 
 

0.0
0.0

Type 
 

No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock

USB Input 
 

No
No

Line In 
 

No
No

Line Out 
 

No
No

Optical Input 
 

No
No

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

No
No

Power Supply 
 

No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock

Show text

JBL E55BT Wireless

JBL Live 500BT Wireless

Comments

  1. Comparison

JBL E55BT Wireless vs JBL Live 500BT Wireless: Main Discussion

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