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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want the lighter, more customizable daily driver with the longer battery, choose JBL Tune 510BT; if you need better sound tuning, app-based EQ and a slightly newer Bluetooth version, choose Sony WH-CH520. Wait — that's backwards. Let me correct myself, because the specs actually point the other way on battery: the Sony WH-CH520 is the one rated for up to 50 hours, and it's the one with an EQ app. The JBL Tune 510BT is the simpler, bass-forward on-ear with a foldable frame and a fast-charge trick. So: if you want punchy bass and a foldable design you can stuff in a bag, choose JBL Tune 510BT; if you need maximum battery life and sound you can tune to your taste, choose Sony WH-CH520.
• JBL Tune 510BT — biggest strength: Signature Pure Bass tuning with a genuinely useful speed-charge (5 minutes for 2 extra hours) and a foldable frame that travels well.
• JBL Tune 510BT — biggest trade-off: No app, no EQ, no noise cancellation, older Bluetooth 5, and shorter rated battery life (up to 40 hours).
• Sony WH-CH520 — biggest strength: Up to 50 hours of playback, Bluetooth 5.2, multipoint pairing, and EQ Custom in the Sony Headphones Connect app plus DSEE upscaling.
• Sony WH-CH520 — biggest trade-off: No 3.5 mm jack, a longer 3-hour full charge, and a swivel-only design rather than a true fold.
• Buy the JBL Tune 510BT if you want bold bass out of the box, a cheap-feeling-but-light on-ear you can fold into a backpack, and you don't care about apps.
• Buy the Sony WH-CH520 if you want the longest battery, app-level control, and a broader color choice for all-day, multi-device listening.
The Tune 510BT is the classic "grab it and go" on-ear. JBL builds it around Pure Bass, the low-end tuning the brand uses across its line, and that's the whole personality here: a warm, bass-forward sound that suits hip-hop, EDM, pop and podcasts where you want a bit of thump without fiddling with settings. There's no companion app and no EQ, so what you hear on day one is what you hear forever. For a lot of buyers that's a feature, not a bug — nothing to install, nothing to configure.
The practical stuff is where it earns its keep. JBL rates it at up to 40 hours per charge, refills in about 2 hours over USB-C, and — the genuinely clever part — a 5-minute top-up gets you roughly 2 more hours. That's the spec I'd lean on for commuters and gym-goers who forget to charge. It pairs over Bluetooth 5 with two devices at once, so you can jump from a tablet video to a phone call, and there's a mic on the ear cup plus a multi-function button for Siri or Google Assistant. At 160 g with a padded headband and soft cushions, and an adjustable headband that JBL says fits nearly any head size, it's built for long-ish sessions.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants to shape their sound, anyone who needs noise cancellation (there is none here), and anyone who wants the newest Bluetooth. If you live in an EQ app or you want the longest possible battery, keep reading.
The WH-CH520 is Sony's take on the same idea — a lightweight on-ear — but it leans into control and endurance. The headline number is up to 50 hours of playback, which is the kind of figure that turns a daily commuter into a once-a-week charger. Quick charging is on board too: Sony rates it at up to 90 minutes of playback from a 3-minute charge. Full recharge takes about 3 hours over USB-C.
Sound is where it separates from the JBL. Instead of fixed tuning, the WH-CH520 hands you EQ Custom in the Sony Headphones Connect app, so you can pick presets by genre or build and save your own curve. Sony also includes DSEE, which upscales compressed files — useful if you stream mostly from standard-quality sources. Out of the box it's rated at 100 dB sensitivity and 24 ohm impedance with a 20 Hz–20 kHz range, so it's easy to drive from a phone.
Comfort and convenience are well covered: soft earpads, an added head cushion, silent joints and a swivel design that makes it easy to lay flat for carrying. Bluetooth 5.2 handles multipoint, so two devices stay connected and you can hop from a laptop video to a phone call. There's a built-in mic for hands-free calls, voice-assistant support, and a neat extra — you can find misplaced headphones by sound or check their last known location through Google's Find My Device. It comes in six colors, including the Cappuccino finish.
The trade-offs are real, though. There's no 3.5 mm jack, so wired listening isn't an option. The "Active Noise Cancellation" line in the control specs is worth reading carefully — this is an on-ear with a passive fit, not a flagship noise-canceller, so don't expect to silence a plane cabin. And the swivel isn't a true fold, so it packs a little bulkier than the JBL.
• Longest battery life → Sony WH-CH520. Up to 50 hours versus up to 40 on the JBL.
• Fastest top-up → JBL Tune 510BT. A 5-minute charge gives about 2 hours; Sony's 3-minute charge gives about 90 minutes, but JBL's full charge is quicker at ~2 hours vs ~3.
• Best sound customization → Sony WH-CH520. EQ Custom plus DSEE; the JBL has no app at all.
• Bass-forward sound out of the box → JBL Tune 510BT. Pure Bass tuning needs no setup.
• Best for travel and packing → JBL Tune 510BT. The foldable design beats Sony's swivel-only frame for tight bags.
• Best for multiple devices → Sony WH-CH520. Bluetooth 5.2 multipoint is the newer, smoother implementation.
• Best color choice → Sony WH-CH520. Six finishes versus JBL's single white option in this listing.
• Wired fallback → Neither. Both are wireless-only; the Sony has no jack, and the JBL's connectivity is USB charging, not audio.
In my opinion, the Sony WH-CH520 is the better buy for most people. The extra 10 hours of rated battery, the EQ app, Bluetooth 5.2 multipoint, six color options and the Find My Device trick add up to a more flexible everyday headphone — and you can tune it to your taste instead of accepting one fixed sound. I'd only pick the JBL Tune 510BT if bass-forward tuning out of the box and a true foldable frame matter more to you than app control and battery headroom. Check the current price on Amazon for both before you commit, since that's the one spec that can flip this call.
On paper, yes for most buyers: longer battery (up to 50 vs 40 hours), an EQ app, DSEE, Bluetooth 5.2 and multipoint. The JBL wins on out-of-the-box bass and a foldable, more packable frame.
JBL tunes the Tune 510BT around Pure Bass, so it's the more bass-forward option with no setup. The Sony WH-CH520 is more neutral by default but lets you boost low end through EQ Custom in the app.
No true active noise cancellation worth relying on. The JBL lists noise control as none, and the Sony's on-ear fit is passive — fine for offices and trains, not for silencing a flight.
Both are wireless-only with no 3.5 mm jack, so no wired listening. Both have a built-in mic for hands-free calls, and both support voice assistants like Siri and Google.
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