JBL TUNE 510BT vs. Sony WH-CH520 vs. Anker Soundcore Life Q20i – What’s the difference?

We dare to say that, at some point in your life, you have seen that the most expensive does not always have to be the best. Or, at least, that there are some things that, although very cheap, really surprise when you use them. Today we want to focus our comparison on three cheap wireless headphones but with greater than expected effectiveness and performance. We are talking about the JBL TUNE 510BT, the Sony WH-CH520 and the Anker Soundcore Life Q20i.

In this case, the sales price is not going to be a criterion with great weight in the decision, because the three headphones are from a very economical segment. However, there are some issues where it is worth stopping to decide which is better. For example, only the Anker Soundcore Life Q20i have noise cancellation and ambient mode, so they are the only ones where you can adjust the amount of outside volume you want to hear or the total isolation.

As far as autonomy is concerned, it is quite similar in all three cases, although here Sony gains a certain advantage. On the other hand, Sony is also the only brand whose wireless headphones have spatial audio. In fact, the main difference between those from Sony and those from Anker is noise cancellation. On the other hand, the JBL lags further behind in other issues, such as the lack of synchronization with an app, which also makes it impossible to adjust the equalization.

To check which of the three wireless headphones interests you the most, read on!

JBL TUNE 510BT vs Sony WH-CH520 vs Anker Soundcore Life Q20i – Comparison Table

If you are hesitating and don’t know which of these cheap wireless headphones is worth the most, we advise you to take a look at the following table. In it you can see what the main differences are:

(Swipe the table to see all the content)

What aesthetic differences are there?

At first glance, we see that we are looking at two different types of headphones, despite the fact that there are three models. JBL and Sony’s headphones are supra-aural, while Anker’s are circumaural. What does this mean? That supraurals do not cover the ears completely, unlike circumaurals.

In fact, the former are also known as “on-ear” headphones compared to “over-ear”, circumaural ones. If you notice, the pads on the Anker Soundcore Life Q20i are larger than those on the other two headphones, and that’s where we see it. Apart from that, none of them have a cover in their standard equipment, and the headband is similar in all three cases.

Noise cancellation and ambient mode, only on Anker

One of the most important differences between the JBL and Sony compared to the Anker has to do, precisely, with that difference in typology. Only the Anker Soundcore have noise cancellation and ambient mode, something that JBL and Sony headphones lack. Therefore, they are the only ones that allow total isolation from outside noise, although we must say that the Sony WH-CH520 achieve a very interesting noise reduction as well. The JBLs, for their part, are left behind in this regard.

Regarding spatial audio, we must say that only the Sony WH-CH520 include this functionality, with which they achieve a more immersive and three-dimensional sensation. Perhaps, for this reason, and despite the fact that they do not have noise cancellation, we place them more on par with the Anker. In fact, these two models allow you to adjust the equalization, something that is not possible in the JBL Tune 510BT because they cannot be synchronized with the JBL mobile app.

More microphones in the circumaurals

If we look at the microphones that each headset has, we see that the JBL and Sony have 1 microphone for each headset, compared to the 2 that the Anker have. That is, we find a total of 2 microphones in the first two, and 4 microphones in the Anker Soundcore Life Q20i. This, added to the noise cancellation, makes the call quality better in these headphones, since the dual microphone captures both outside noise more clearly, to isolate it, and our voice.

Autonomy is similar

We are now talking about maximum battery life, one of the most important aspects in the decision to purchase wireless headphones. And, in this sense, the three are quite equal, although it must be taken into account that the Anker have a different autonomy depending on whether you keep noise cancellation active or not.

If you decided to buy the Anker, it would probably be precisely for that functionality, so we believe that you should take more into account the autonomy with ANC, which is around 40 hours. The JBL Tune 510BT has the same maximum autonomy, while the Sony increases it to about 50 hours. You already know that this depends on how you optimize the battery, but it is true that Sony has done a good job in that regard. On the other hand, all three have fast charging, and take between 1.5 and 3 hours to fully recharge.

Multipoint connection and voice assistant on all three headphones

One of the similarities that we find between the three wireless headphones is that they all have a multipoint connection and integrate a voice assistant. That is, they recognize spoken commands and, if you want to alternate with another device as the main sound source, you can do so. Imagine that you have wireless headphones connected to your computer and they call you on the phone. As long as you have Bluetooth activated on both devices, you could press a button and you would automatically switch to listening to the phone instead of the computer.

On the other hand, as we have previously mentioned, JBL headphones are not compatible with the JBL Headphones app, so it is not possible to configure them through the smartphone. Both the Sony WH-CH520 and the Anker Soundcore Life Q20i can be connected with the apps of their respective brands.

Which cheap wireless headphones to choose?

Having compared the differences and similarities between the three budget wireless headphones from JBL, Sony and Anker, we have a decision to make. Being completely honest, our main doubt is between the Sony WH-CH520 and the Anker Soundcore Life Q20i. The JBL ones are very cheap, but they lack some functionalities that we do find in their two rivals for a similar price.

And, between those from Sony and those from Anker, you have to analyze the pros and cons of each one. On the one hand, the Sony WH-CH520 have spatial audio, and Sony’s technical quality is unquestionable. Furthermore, its autonomy is really high, but its price is also somewhat higher (remember that, even so, it is below 70 euros). For its part, the Anker Soundcore Life Q20i have active noise cancellation and ambient mode, this being the main factor that distinguishes them from the Sony.

In short, think about what the most important priorities are for you and what your needs are. If one of the features you need is noise cancellation, then you should choose Anker. On the other hand, if this is not so important to you, perhaps you could consider the Sony. Only you have the last word.