We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-24 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a featherweight pair of in-ear buds you can keep in a pocket and plug into a standard 3.5 mm jack, choose Sony MDREX155AP; if you need an on-ear pair with USB-C, Hi-Res audio support and EQ presets for a phone, tablet or laptop, choose JBL Tune 520C. These two are both wired, both have a mic, and that is roughly where the similarity ends. One is an old-school analog earbud with a tiny driver; the other is a digital headset built around a USB-C port. The right answer depends almost entirely on which socket is on the device you listen from most.
• Sony MDREX155AP — biggest strength: a genuinely pocket-sized, 3.13 g in-ear design with a 5 Hz–24 kHz frequency range, 9 mm neodymium dynamic drivers, an inline mic and three sizes of silicone tip in the box.
• Sony MDREX155AP — biggest trade-off: it is a 3.5 mm analog bud with no noise control, no EQ presets and no digital processing, so on newer phones with no headphone jack you will need an adapter.
• JBL Tune 520C — biggest strength: USB-C connectivity with a DSP chipset supporting Hi-Res 96 kHz/24-bit audio, 32 mm dynamic drivers, three EQ presets and a flat, reinforced cable.
• JBL Tune 520C — biggest trade-off: it is an on-ear headphone at 0.15 kg that only works through USB-C, so anything with a 3.5 mm jack — including most budget players and older consoles — is off the table.
• Who each is for: the Sony is for minimalists who want a nearly weightless bud for calls and casual listening on a 3.5 mm device. The JBL is for anyone whose phone, tablet, PC or handheld gaming device has a USB-C port and who wants more headroom and tuning options.
The MDREX155AP is the definition of a simple tool. It is an in-ear bud with a rounded silicone tip, a 9 mm dynamic driver and a quoted frequency range of 5 Hz to 24,000 Hz at 16 ohm impedance. That impedance figure matters: 16 ohm is easy to drive, so basically any phone, laptop, or cheap MP3 player can push it to a decent volume without a separate amp. The 12 dB sensitivity figure tells the same story — it does not need much power to get loud.
What it does best is disappear. At 3.13 g it weighs less than most keys, the cord is a flexible 3.94 ft Y-shape, and it ships with a cord adjuster plus small, medium and large ear tips so you can chase a proper seal. That seal is the whole ballgame with a bud like this — Sony's own product notes point out that if the tip does not match your ear canal you will not get the sound quality or call performance the driver is capable of, which is why swapping tips is the first thing to try if it sounds thin.
Who should buy it: someone who takes a lot of calls and wants the mic and playback controls right on the cord, someone who wants a spare pair to live in a bag or jacket pocket, and anyone still using a device with a 3.5 mm jack — a laptop, a handheld, an older phone, an e-reader with audio. The touch-style volume control on the cord is a nice touch for quick adjustments.
JBL Tune 520C: Who It's For
The Tune 520C is a different animal entirely. This is a foldable on-ear headphone with padded earcups, a 32 mm dynamic driver per side, 32 ohm impedance and a quoted range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The headline spec is the DSP chipset supporting digital Hi-Res audio at 96 kHz/24-bit — that only works because the signal arrives digitally over USB-C, which is the whole point of this model. There is no analog stage to degrade the signal on the way in.
It also gives you control the Sony simply does not have. The three-button remote handles volume, playback and calls, and it cycles EQ presets: a default balanced preset out of the box, a Bass preset that pushes the low end, and a Vocal preset that lifts the midrange for clearer voices. JBL calls its house tuning Pure Bass Sound, and with 32 mm drivers there is far more physical surface area to produce low frequencies than a 9 mm bud can offer.
The practical wins are the ones you feel daily. The flat USB-C cable is reinforced at the connection point and resists tangling in a bag — a real annoyance with round cords. The fold-flat design means it stores in a laptop sleeve without bulging. And USB-C is now the default port on phones, tablets, laptops, gaming handhelds and PCs, so one cable covers most of your gear — though JBL's own guidance is to confirm USB-C compatibility with your specific device, and note that some phones and consoles expect audio over USB-C only in certain modes.
Who should buy it: commuters and desk workers who want an on-ear fit they can wear for hours, students plugging into a laptop, and anyone who wants to switch tonal character depending on whether they are listening to hip-hop, a podcast, or a vocal-heavy track.
Who should skip it: anyone with a 3.5 mm-only device, anyone who wants the smallest possible carry (0.15 kg and a headband is not a pocket item), and anyone who needs active noise cancelling, because this model has none.
• Best for a 3.5 mm jack → Sony MDREX155AP. It is the only one of the two that plugs into a standard headphone socket.
• Best for USB-C devices → JBL Tune 520C. Phones, tablets, laptops, PCs and gaming handhelds with USB-C are its native habitat.
• Best for all-day comfort on a headband → JBL Tune 520C. Padded on-ear cups and a foldable frame suit long sessions; the Sony is an in-ear you reset more often.
• Best for true pocketability → Sony MDREX155AP. At 3.13 g with a 3.94 ft cord and a cord adjuster, it vanishes into a pocket.
• Best for bass weight → JBL Tune 520C. 32 mm drivers plus a dedicated Bass EQ preset beat a 9 mm bud for low-end output.
• Best for tuning flexibility → JBL Tune 520C. Default, Bass and Vocal presets let you reshape the sound; the Sony offers no EQ at all.
• Best for easy-to-drive, no-fuss listening → Sony MDREX155AP. 16 ohm impedance and 12 dB sensitivity mean almost anything can power it.
• Best for tangle resistance and cable durability → JBL Tune 520C. The reinforced flat cable is built for bag life; the Sony's is a conventional round Y-cord.
• Best for calls on either → a tie. Both have an inline mic and remote, so pick based on your port, not the mic.
If I had to pick one, I would buy the JBL Tune 520C for myself — my daily devices are USB-C, and in my opinion the combination of 32 mm drivers, the Hi-Res-capable DSP path and the three EQ presets gives me more to work with across music, calls and video. I would recommend the Sony MDREX155AP to anyone who lives on a 3.5 mm jack, wants the lightest possible thing in their pocket, or needs a cheap-to-drive bud that any old device can handle. Neither has noise cancelling, and neither is a compromise on being wired — they are just wired for different sockets. Before you commit, check the current price on Amazon and confirm the port on the device you actually use most.
how to wired headphones work
A wired headphone turns an electrical audio signal into sound through a driver — a 9 mm dynamic driver in the Sony MDREX155AP, a 32 mm dynamic driver in the JBL Tune 520C. With the Sony, an analog signal travels down the 3.5 mm cord; with the JBL, a digital signal arrives over USB-C and is converted by its DSP chipset. Both then use an inline mic and remote for calls and playback.
how to use wired headphones with iphone
It depends on the port. The JBL Tune 520C uses USB-C, which suits USB-C iPhones directly. The Sony MDREX155AP uses a 3.5 mm jack, so on an iPhone without a headphone socket you would need a 3.5 mm adapter. Confirm your iPhone's connector before choosing.
how to fix wired headphones no sound
Start with the connection: reseat the plug, and if you are on the Sony, try the other device or an adapter. Check that the inline remote is not paused and that volume is up on both the remote and the device. On the JBL, confirm your device actually supports audio over USB-C, since that is a known compatibility caveat. Finally, swap ear tips on the Sony — a bad seal makes it sound dead even when it is working.
are wired headphones better than wireless
That is not what this comparison is about, but both of these are wired, and wired means no charging, no pairing and no battery to run down. The trade-off is the cord itself, plus the port requirement: 3.5 mm for the Sony, USB-C for the JBL. If you want zero charging hassle, either works.
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