If you want wireless over-ear headphones for exercise and everyday listening, choose JBL TUNE 770NC; if you need headphones for swimming, choose MARLALL Swimming Headphones-Bone Conduction. The deciding difference is straightforward: JBL offers adaptive noise cancelling and a long stated battery life, while MARLALL is built for water use and plays music underwater from its internal MP3 storage.
• JBL TUNE 770NC: Adaptive noise cancelling, ambient listening modes, app-based EQ and up to 70 hours of battery life. Its over-ear design is not the pick for swimming.
• MARLALL Swimming Headphones-Bone Conduction: IP68 water protection and 32 GB of built-in MP3 storage for swimming. Bluetooth cannot transmit underwater, so pool listening requires MP3 mode.
• Choose JBL if you want noise control, customizable sound and wireless listening for workouts and daily use.
• Choose MARLALL if swimming is central to your routine and you want an open-ear design with stored music.
• Neither is a universal exercise headphone: the better fit depends on whether your workouts call for noise cancelling or water-ready playback.
The JBL TUNE 770NC is an over-ear wireless headphone for someone who wants one listening setup for commuting, desk time and exercise outside the pool. Adaptive noise cancelling is its standout feature. When you would rather remain aware of your surroundings, Ambient Aware and TalkThru offer ways to hear more of what is around you. That flexibility is useful when a workout moves between a focused indoor session and a walk where hearing nearby activity matters.
The headphones connect over Bluetooth 5.3 and have a stated battery life of up to 70 hours. They also fold, and their listed weight is 232 g. Those details point to a design intended to be carried and worn for extended stretches, though the over-ear format is still a different proposition from a small in-ear option. The JBL Headphones app lets you select preset EQ modes or adjust the EQ curve. Audio and Video modes also let you choose between sound quality and keeping movie or game audio aligned with visuals.
For exercise, I would consider the JBL when the session is on dry ground and noise control or longer listening time matters more than an open fit. The built-in ear-cup controls and VoiceAware support hands-free calls, while the 40 mm dynamic drivers and JBL Pure Bass sound profile make it a clear choice for listeners who want a bass-forward presentation. It may suit someone searching for the best lightweight over-ear headphones for exercise, but “lightweight” is relative: the listed weight is 232 g, and it still covers the ears.
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-18 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
Who should skip it: Skip the JBL if you need headphones for swimming or want a design that leaves your ears uncovered.
MARLALL takes a very different approach. Its bone-conduction, open-ear design does not cover the ears tightly, and the product is described as suitable for swimming and other outdoor activities. The key practical detail is the IP68 waterproof rating, paired with a clear limitation: Bluetooth mode is not supported underwater. For a swim, you need to switch to MP3 mode and play audio stored on the headphones.
The built-in storage is 32 GB, so a swimmer can bring a playlist without depending on a phone connection in the pool. On land, Bluetooth 5.4 and a stated 10-meter range support wireless playback and hands-free calling. That makes the MARLALL more versatile than a pool-only player if you also want it for activities such as running, cycling or hiking. After swimming, the microphone should be dried to help prevent call problems.
The design is aimed at people who do not want conventional headphones covering or sealing their ears. The listing describes a lightweight silicone construction and says the headphones are designed to stay in place during swimming and workouts. For someone searching for the best in-ear earbuds for exercise, this is worth distinguishing from a standard in-ear pair: MARLALL uses bone conduction and an open-ear design rather than putting an earbud inside the ear. That can appeal to a swimmer or an outdoor exerciser who prefers this style, but it does not provide noise control, and the underwater Bluetooth restriction means playlists need preparation.
Who should skip it: Skip MARLALL if you want Bluetooth streaming while swimming or noise cancelling for a noisy gym.
• Best for swimming → MARLALL. Its IP68 water protection and MP3 mode are the relevant features for pool use. Bluetooth does not work underwater, so load or update stored music before getting in.
• Best for long stretches between charges → JBL. Its stated battery life is up to 70 hours. MARLALL instead emphasizes built-in music storage and magnetic charging; its battery life is not specified here.
• Best for adaptive noise cancelling → JBL. It includes adaptive noise cancelling plus Ambient Aware and TalkThru for situations when hearing more of your surroundings is useful.
• Best for an open-ear fit → MARLALL. Its bone-conduction design leaves the ears uncovered, unlike JBL’s over-ear cups.
• Best for app-based sound adjustment → JBL. The JBL Headphones app offers preset EQ modes and a customizable EQ curve.
• Best for Bluetooth use on dry land → Either, for different reasons. JBL has Bluetooth 5.3 and MARLALL has Bluetooth 5.4, both with a stated 10-meter range. MARLALL’s Bluetooth connection is for use out of the water.
• Best for calls during everyday use → JBL for voice controls; MARLALL for a water-ready routine. JBL includes ear-cup controls and VoiceAware. MARLALL supports hands-free calls over Bluetooth, with the reminder to dry its microphone after swimming.
• Best fit for workouts where you want to hear ambient sound → MARLALL. Its open-ear design does not cover the ears. JBL offers ambient listening modes, but remains an over-ear headphone.
For people comparing wireless on-ear headphones for exercise, there is an important fit distinction: JBL is over-ear, not on-ear, while MARLALL is open-ear bone conduction. Neither product should be treated as a direct match for every style of workout. Think about where you exercise, whether water is involved and whether you want sound isolation or more awareness of your surroundings.
Buying Considerations
Fit and awareness matter, too. JBL’s over-ear cups are for listeners who prefer headphones around the ears and value the option to reduce distractions. Its ambient modes provide another listening choice, but they do not change the basic over-ear design. MARLALL leaves the ears uncovered, which some people may prefer during outdoor activity. It has no listed noise control, so it is not the choice for blocking gym noise.
Consider how you manage audio. JBL is designed around Bluetooth listening, app adjustments and calls from the headphones. MARLALL supports Bluetooth on land, but swimming requires music stored on its 32 GB memory. Its magnetic charging cable also provides computer access to the storage for playlist updates. If you want the simplest routine for pool workouts, that storage can be useful; if you rely on streaming services while exercising, remember that a phone’s Bluetooth signal will not reach the headphones underwater.
Finally, don’t assume that a feature useful in one workout automatically makes a headphone suitable for every workout. JBL’s up-to-70-hour battery claim does not make it a swimming headphone. MARLALL’s water protection does not give it active noise cancelling or underwater Bluetooth. Pick the trade-off you are more willing to live with, and check the current price on Amazon before deciding.
For exercise across ordinary dry-land workouts and daily listening, I would choose the JBL TUNE 770NC. I value its adaptive noise cancelling, listening modes, app-based EQ and stated battery life of up to 70 hours. If swimming is part of the routine, I would choose MARLALL instead: its water protection and built-in MP3 storage address the pool use case directly. My overall pick for exercise is JBL, unless water is the deciding factor.
The product information describes the JBL as an over-ear Bluetooth headphone and does not list water protection. I would choose the MARLALL for swimming, where its IP68 rating and MP3 mode are specifically relevant.
No. Bluetooth mode is not supported underwater. For swimming, switch to MP3 mode and use audio stored on the headphones’ 32 GB internal memory.
The JBL is the more suitable choice if noise control is your priority because it has adaptive noise cancelling. MARLALL has no listed noise control and uses an open-ear design.
MARLALL’s open-ear bone-conduction design does not cover the ears. JBL also has Ambient Aware and TalkThru modes, but its over-ear form remains a different fit.
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