We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-26 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a pocketable wired-grade DAC/amp that turns almost any phone or laptop into a serious listening rig, choose Khadas Tea Pro Magnetic; if you need open-ear headphones for running with full situational awareness and long wireless battery life, choose JBL Sense Pro Open.
• Khadas Tea Pro Magnetic — biggest strength: A true portable DAC/amp with ES9039Q2M, 3.5mm and 4.4mm outputs, PCM 768kHz/32bit and DSD512 — wired desktop-grade decoding in a 96 g, 7.85 mm body that snaps onto MagSafe iPhones.
• Khadas Tea Pro Magnetic — biggest trade-off: It's a wired-first device with no built-in speakers or open-ear design, so it assumes you already own good headphones or IEMs and want to upgrade what feeds them.
• JBL Sense Pro Open — biggest strength: Open-ear earhook design with JBL OpenSound air-conduction, LDAC Hi-Res wireless, spatial audio, 4-mic call clarity and up to 38 hours of playtime in a fully wireless package.
• JBL Sense Pro Open — biggest trade-off: Because it rests on your ear rather than sealing it, it can't match the isolation or raw wired fidelity a dedicated DAC/amp plus sealed headphones can deliver.
• Who each pick is for: Khadas for the listener chasing the best possible sound from wired gear; JBL for the runner, commuter or athlete who wants to hear traffic and their music at the same time.
The Khadas Tea Pro Magnetic is a portable DAC and headphone amplifier first and foremost. Its job is to take the digital audio coming out of your phone, tablet or laptop and convert and amplify it properly. The ES9039Q2M chip, PCM 768kHz/32bit support and DSD512 handling put it in serious territory for a device this size. You also get both a 3.5mm and a 4.4mm output, which matters if you own balanced cables or harder-to-drive headphones that benefit from a balanced connection.
Physically, this thing is tiny. At 96 g and just 7.85 mm thin, it's roughly credit-card sized, and the 0.95-inch AMOLED screen shows your playback info so you don't have to dig into your phone. The MagSafe-compatible magnets hold it securely to iPhone 12–17 models, and the leather back resists scratches and stains while avoiding the scrape you'd get from bare metal against metal. Connectivity covers Bluetooth 5.4 and USB, and there's a 2100mAh battery inside, so it works untethered or plugged in.
JBL Sense Pro Open: Who It's For
The JBL Sense Pro Open is built around a completely different idea: open-ear listening. Instead of sealing into your ear canal, these rest on your ear with an adjustable earhook, using JBL OpenSound air conduction to direct sound toward you while leaving your ears open to the world. That's the whole point — you hear traffic, voices and surroundings while your music plays. Spatial audio adds a sense of width to the soundstage on top of that.
The audio spec sheet is genuinely wireless-focused. LDAC support delivers 24-bit audio with roughly three times more data than standard Bluetooth, which is exactly the kind of thing LDAC headphones are bought for. Adaptive bass boost adjusts low-end output depending on your listening volume, so bass stays precise instead of distorting when you push it. A 16.2mm dynamic driver covers a 20Hz–40,000Hz range, and there's active noise cancellation plus touch controls with Google Assistant and Siri support.
Battery life is a headline feature: up to 38 hours, with a 10-minute charge time for quick top-ups and a wireless charging case. Call quality gets real attention too, with two beamforming mics per ear, an AI-trained noise-reduction algorithm and a Voice Pickup Sensor that reads bone vibration to keep your voice clear in wind. The adjustable earhook uses ultra-soft liquid silicone and a titanium alloy memory wire for a secure, personalized fit. Pair it with up to two Bluetooth devices and switch between them.
This is for runners, cyclists, gym-goers and anyone who needs to stay aware of their environment while listening. Skip it if your priority is maximum isolation or wired reference-grade fidelity — that's not what an open-ear design is for.
• Best for pure sound quality potential → Khadas Tea Pro Magnetic. ES9039Q2M, PCM 768kHz/32bit and DSD512 are aimed at listeners who want wired decoding done right.
• Best for running and outdoor awareness → JBL Sense Pro Open. The open-ear earhook design and OpenSound air conduction keep you connected to your surroundings.
• Best for battery life → JBL Sense Pro Open. Up to 38 hours of playtime plus a wireless charging case is a wireless-first design.
• Best for balanced wired headphones → Khadas Tea Pro Magnetic. The 4.4mm output is the deciding spec if you own balanced cables.
• Best for hands-free calls on the move → JBL Sense Pro Open. Two beamforming mics per ear plus a Voice Pickup Sensor and AI noise reduction target exactly this use case.
• Best for iPhone owners wanting a compact upgrade → Khadas Tea Pro Magnetic. MagSafe-compatible magnets and a credit-card footprint make it a natural travel companion.
• Best for wireless Hi-Res streaming → JBL Sense Pro Open. LDAC support here is a real advantage over standard Bluetooth headphones.
• Best for a device that plays music by itself → JBL Sense Pro Open. The Khadas has no speakers; it amplifies headphones you already own.
In my opinion, these two aren't really competing — they solve different problems, so I'd pick based on how you listen. If you want the best possible sound from wired headphones and a compact DAC/amp to unlock it, I'd buy the Khadas Tea Pro Magnetic. If you want open-ear headphones for running and everyday wireless listening with awareness, LDAC and long battery life, I'd buy the JBL Sense Pro Open. For most people who just want one device to grab and go, the JBL covers more ground. For the dedicated listener, the Khadas is the more rewarding upgrade.
what is ldac headphones
LDAC is a Bluetooth audio codec that lets wireless headphones carry far more data than standard Bluetooth. On headphones that support it — like the JBL Sense Pro Open — it enables 24-bit audio transmission, which is why LDAC headphones are associated with higher-resolution wireless listening.
what is ldac support in headphones
LDAC support means the headphones can receive that higher-data-rate codec from a compatible source device. The JBL Sense Pro Open lists LDAC as a feature, delivering roughly three times more data than standard Bluetooth audio, but both your headphones and your phone or player need to support it for it to actually engage.
what is ldac codec in headphones
The LDAC codec is the compression method itself — it's what allows more audio information to travel over Bluetooth than older codecs permit. In practice, a headphone with the LDAC codec can reproduce finer detail from a compatible source than one limited to standard Bluetooth streaming.
what is ldac sony headphones
LDAC was developed by Sony and is most commonly associated with Sony wireless headphones, though other brands license it too. The JBL Sense Pro Open uses LDAC as well, so you don't need a Sony product to get LDAC-capable wireless listening — just a source device that can transmit it.
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