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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a punchier, bass-forward on-ear pair that folds up small and charges in a hurry, choose JBL Tune 510BT; if you need maximum battery life, app-based sound tuning and a swivel design that slips on and off easily, choose Sony WH-CH520. Both are lightweight Bluetooth on-ear headphones with a built-in mic, multipoint pairing and a Type-C charge port — the real split comes down to battery, sound control and how they fold.
• JBL Tune 510BT — biggest strength: JBL Pure Bass tuning with a 32 mm dynamic driver and a 5-minute speed charge that buys you 2 extra hours of playback.
• JBL Tune 510BT — biggest trade-off: No app, no EQ customization and no noise control, so you get the sound JBL decided on and nothing more.
• Sony WH-CH520 — biggest strength: Up to 50 hours of battery, DSEE upscaling for compressed files and EQ Custom in the Sony | Headphones Connect app.
• Sony WH-CH520 — biggest trade-off: No headphone jack and a 200 ms audio latency figure, so wired listening and latency-sensitive gaming aren't the point here.
• Buy the JBL Tune 510BT if you want strong bass, a folding frame and fast top-ups between uses.
• Buy the Sony WH-CH520 if you want the longest battery, tone control and a swivel design that packs flat.
The Tune 510BT is built around one idea: JBL Pure Bass. That's a 32 mm dynamic driver with a 20 Hz–20 kHz frequency range, 32 ohm impedance and 96 dB sensitivity — the kind of tuning that leans into low-end weight rather than a flat, neutral presentation. If your listening skews toward hip-hop, EDM, pop and podcasts where a bit of thump keeps things lively, that tuning is the whole reason to pick this pair.
Battery is a genuine strong point. JBL rates it at up to 40 hours per charge, with a full refill in about 2 hours over Type-C. The detail I like most is the speed charge: five minutes on the cable returns roughly 2 extra hours. That's the difference between a dead pair on the way out the door and music for the commute. The foldable design and 160 g weight also make it easy to toss in a bag, and the adjustable headband is meant to fit a wide range of head sizes.
Multipoint pairing is on board too, so you can hop from a video on a tablet to a call on your phone without repairing. Calls run through the mic on the ear cup, and the multi-function button pulls up Siri or Hey Google. Controls are physical buttons, which some people genuinely prefer over touch.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants to shape the sound. There's no companion app and no EQ, and noise control is listed as none. It's also an on-ear design with a plastic-and-foam build, so if you want a more premium-feeling or customizable experience, this isn't that. And if you listen for eight-hour stretches, the Sony's battery advantage will matter more.
The WH-CH520's headline number is battery: up to 50 hours, with quick charging that gives roughly 90 minutes of playback from a 3-minute top-up. Sony states the charge time as 50 hours in the spec sheet, which reads as the same figure as the rated playtime rather than a true charge duration — either way, the intent is clear: this is a pair that goes days between charges. For long trips, back-to-back workdays or a festival weekend, that headroom is the reason to buy.
Sound is where Sony gives you more control. There's a 30 mm dynamic driver, 32 ohm impedance and 102 dB sensitivity, plus EQ Custom in the Sony | Headphones Connect app so you can pick presets by genre or build and save your own. DSEE is the other piece: it's designed to restore detail in compressed files, so lower-bitrate streams don't sound as flat. If you like tinkering with how your music sounds, this is the more flexible pair.
Comfort and portability get real attention. It's a lightweight build with soft ear pads, an added head cushion and swivel earcups that slip on and off easily and pack down flatter than a fixed frame. Multipoint lets you jump between two devices, the built-in mic handles hands-free calls, and voice assistants work with "OK Google" or "Hey Siri." Sony also notes Find My Device support for locating a misplaced pair, and it comes in six colors.
Trade-offs worth naming: there's no headphone jack, and the sheet lists 200 ms of audio latency, so anything where lip-sync or reaction time matters — competitive gaming, some video editing — is a weak fit. Noise control is listed as none. And the controls are push buttons, not touch.
• Best for battery life → Sony WH-CH520. Up to 50 hours versus the JBL's 40, with a 3-minute charge giving about 90 minutes of playback.
• Best for bass-forward tuning out of the box → JBL Tune 510BT. JBL Pure Bass with a 32 mm driver is the more low-end-leaning listen without any setup.
• Best for sound customization → Sony WH-CH520. EQ Custom presets plus DSEE give you options the JBL simply doesn't offer.
• Best for fast emergency top-ups → JBL Tune 510BT. Five minutes for 2 hours of music is the more aggressive short-charge promise.
• Best for packing flat → Sony WH-CH520. Swivel earcups fold down more compactly than a standard fold.
• Best for a folding, throw-in-a-bag frame → JBL Tune 510BT. The foldable design and 160 g weight keep it travel-friendly.
• Best for wired listening → neither, strictly speaking. The JBL lists USB connectivity, not a 3.5 mm jack, and the Sony explicitly has no jack. Both are wireless-first.
• Best for color choice → Sony WH-CH520. Six colors versus the JBL's single white option.
• Best for low-latency use → JBL Tune 510BT. The Sony sheet lists 200 ms latency, which is a real consideration for gaming and synced video.
I'd buy the Sony WH-CH520. In my opinion, the combination of up to 50 hours of battery, EQ Custom in the app, DSEE for compressed audio and swivel earcups that pack flat makes it the more versatile everyday pair for most people — especially commuters, students and travelers who don't want to think about charging. I'd only switch to the JBL Tune 510BT if bass-first tuning and a five-minute speed charge matter more to you than customization and battery headroom. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding — the value call swings on whatever each is going for when you buy.
FAQ
The Sony WH-CH520 is rated up to 50 hours; the JBL Tune 510BT is rated up to 40. Sony also claims about 90 minutes of playback from a 3-minute charge, while JBL claims 2 hours from a 5-minute charge.
No. Both list noise control as none, so neither actively cancels ambient sound. The on-ear fit provides some passive isolation, but that's it.
The JBL lists USB connectivity rather than a 3.5 mm jack, and the Sony WH-CH520 has no headphone jack at all. Treat both as wireless Bluetooth headphones and keep the Type-C cable for charging.
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