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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want punchier bass, longer battery life and a lighter on-ear fit for all-day casual listening, choose JBL Tune 510BT; if you need a smaller driver tuned for detail, a flat-swiveling travel design and voice-assistant control in a sleeker black shell, choose SONY Headphones WH-CH510.
• JBL Tune 510BT biggest strength: Up to 40 hours of playback with a 5-minute speed charge that adds 2 hours, plus JBL Pure Bass tuning from 32mm dynamic drivers.
• JBL Tune 510BT biggest trade-off: On-ear foam cushions and no noise cancellation, so outside sound comes straight through.
• SONY Headphones WH-CH510 biggest strength: A compact 30mm driver, swivel-flat earcups and Bluetooth 5 with SBC/AAC support for cleaner wireless streaming.
• SONY Headphones WH-CH510 biggest trade-off: Around 35 hours per charge but a much slower 4.5-hour recharge, and no headphone jack for wired listening.
• Who each pick is for: JBL Tune 510BT suits commuters and gym-goers who want big low-end and marathon battery; SONY Headphones WH-CH510 suits travelers who value portability and vocal clarity.
The JBL Tune 510BT leans hard into one idea: keep the music going and make it thump. The 32mm dynamic drivers are tuned for JBL Pure Bass, the low-frequency emphasis the brand has built its reputation on. If your playlist is hip-hop, EDM, pop or anything that lives below 100Hz, that tuning gives you a fuller, more physical low end on an on-ear design. The frequency range runs 20Hz to 20kHz with 96dB sensitivity and 32-ohm impedance, which is typical for a Bluetooth-only on-ear headphone — nothing exotic, just a familiar, easy-to-drive profile.
Battery is where this model separates itself. JBL rates it at up to 40 hours of playback and a full recharge in about 2 hours over USB-C. More useful for real life: a 5-minute speed charge buys you roughly 2 additional hours. That matters on a rushed morning when you realize you forgot to plug in. You also get Bluetooth 5 with a 10-meter range and multipoint switching between two devices, so you can jump from a video on a tablet to a phone call without re-pairing. The microphone sits on the ear cup with physical buttons for calls and volume, and a multi-function button triggers Siri or Google Assistant.
At 160g with a padded, adjustable headband and soft ear cushions, it's built for long sessions and folds up for a bag. Two caveats. There's no noise cancellation here — the specs list noise control as "None" — so on a loud train you'll hear the world. And the ear pads are foam on plastic, which is comfortable but not plush. Buy it if you want bass-forward sound, huge battery headroom and physical call controls. Skip it if you need isolation or a wired fallback.
The SONY WH-CH510 takes the opposite approach: lighter, tighter, more travel-minded. Sony fits a 30mm dome driver here — smaller than the JBL's 32mm — with a 20Hz to 20kHz range and 42-ohm impedance. A smaller diaphragm typically moves faster and can render midrange and vocals with more precision, so if your listening leans acoustic, podcasts, jazz or vocal-heavy tracks, this is the more detail-oriented option in my opinion.
The physical design tells the same story. The earcups swivel flat, which makes the headphone genuinely easy to slide into a laptop bag or a suitcase pocket. It's a black plastic on-ear build with a circle earpiece shape, and it charges over USB-C. Sony's spec sheet also lists smart noise cancellation in the feature set, though the controls are voice-driven rather than a dedicated ANC toggle — worth knowing before you assume it behaves like a flagship noise-cancelling model.
Battery is up to 35 hours, which is still excellent. The trade-off is charging speed: a full top-up takes about 4.5 hours, and there's no quick-charge claim like JBL's. Two more things to weigh. The sheet says there's no headphone jack at all, so this is Bluetooth-only — no wired backup when the battery dies or on a flight with an old seat-back screen. And the listed weight is 11.2 ounces, noticeably heavier on paper than the JBL's 160g, which is worth noting if you wear headphones for hours. Buy it if portability, vocal clarity and AAC support matter most. Skip it if you want wired listening or rapid recharging.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for battery life → JBL Tune 510BT (up to 40 hours vs up to 35 hours).
• Best for fast top-ups → JBL Tune 510BT (roughly 2-hour charge plus 5-minute/2-hour speed charge vs about 4.5 hours).
• Best for vocal and acoustic detail → SONY Headphones WH-CH510 (30mm dome drivers, tighter imaging).
• Best for travel and packing → SONY Headphones WH-CH510 (earcups swivel flat).
• Best for lighter wear → JBL Tune 510BT (160g listed vs 11.2 ounces).
• Best for wired backup → neither, strictly speaking — but JBL charges over USB-C while the SONY lists no headphone jack at all, so the JBL is the more forgiving of the two if you're juggling cables.
• Best for device switching → JBL Tune 510BT (multipoint between two devices).
• Best for iPhone-friendly codecs → SONY Headphones WH-CH510 (SBC and AAC support).
In my opinion, the JBL Tune 510BT is the smarter buy for most people. It gives you more battery, dramatically faster charging, lighter weight, multipoint switching and the bass-forward sound that matches how most of us actually listen on the move. The SONY Headphones WH-CH510 is the better pick only if you specifically want flatter earcups for travel and a more vocal-forward tuning — and you can live with slower charging and no wired option. If bass, endurance and comfort top your list, go JBL. If portability and clarity top your list, go Sony. Either way, check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since pricing shifts constantly.
JBL Tune 510BT wins on paper with up to 40 hours versus up to 35 hours for the SONY WH-CH510. The JBL also recharges far faster, about 2 hours plus a 5-minute speed charge that adds roughly 2 hours of playback.
According to the specs, no — the WH-CH510 is Bluetooth-only with no headphone jack. The JBL Tune 510BT also streams wirelessly, but it charges over USB-C, so it's the more flexible of the two if you switch between cables and chargers.
It comes down to taste. JBL's 32mm drivers are tuned for Pure Bass, so low end hits harder. Sony's 30mm dome drivers are smaller and typically favor midrange and vocal detail. Pick JBL for thump, Sony for clarity.
The JBL Tune 510BT lists 160g with a padded adjustable headband and soft ear cushions, while the SONY WH-CH510 is listed at 11.2 ounces. On paper the JBL is the lighter, more forgiving wear for hours at a stretch.
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