Updated October 1, 2026 · GizmoCue Editorial Team
Audio-Technica vs JBL
Audio-Technica vs JBL: the differences
| Compare |  Audio-Technica |  JBL |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €89 | $24.95 |
| Battery life | 75 hoursHigher | 50 hours |
| Warranty | 2 yearsHigher | 1 year |
| Multi-room | No | YesHas it |
| Markets | AT, BE, BG, HR, CY, CZ, DK, EE, FI, FR, DE, GR, HU, IE, IT, LV, LT, LU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SI, ES, SE | AR, AU, AT, BE, BR, CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, DE, DK, EC, ES, FI, FR, GB, GT, ID, IN, JP, KH, KR, MM, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PR, PY, SE, SG, TH, TW, UY, US, VN |
| IP rating | Not confirmed | IP68 |
Same on both: Noise cancelling (Yes).
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Key differences
- JBL scores higher overall: 9.5 vs 9.1.
- Battery life is higher at Audio-Technica: 75 hours vs 50 hours.
- Warranty is higher at Audio-Technica: 2 years vs 1 year.
- Multi-room: only JBL.
- Support channels: only Audio-Technica offers Community.
- Support channels: only JBL offers Chat.
- Products: only JBL offers Earbuds, Speakers, Portable speakers.
- Bluetooth codecs: only Audio-Technica offers Aac, Ldac.
- Bluetooth codecs: only JBL offers Lc3.
- Markets: only Audio-Technica offers BG, HR, CY.
Our verdict on each
Audio-Technica
Audio-Technica suits listeners who want one maker for headphones and turntables, long battery life and a warranty that outlasts most rivals, rather than shoppers chasing speakers or soundbars in the same basket. Entry pricing of €89 and a 2 year warranty make it a steady choice for everyday listening.
JBL
JBL suits shoppers who want headphones, earbuds and speakers from the same maker, with noise cancelling, multiroom and battery life of 50 hours across the range. The catch is cover: warranty runs 1 year, so this suits feature buyers rather than long protection seekers.
Score breakdown
| Area | Audio-Technica | JBL |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.7Entry price of €89 sits above the category median, with the brand at 48 of 64 on price. | 9.8HigherEntry price of $24.95, delivery free at a £0 threshold and returns of 30 days. |
| Offer | 9.3HigherA 2 year warranty, noise cancelling as standard and 75 battery hours make the package strong. | 9.2Warranty of 1 year, support on email, chat and phone and a audio, gaming and refurbished store range. |
| Trust | 9.5Cover of 2 years ranks 4 of 56, backed by a company founded in 1962. | Not confirmed |
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | Audio-Technica | JBL |
|---|---|---|
| Headphones and earbuds | 85 of 119 | 70 of 119 |
| Hi-fi and turntables | 27 of 40 | 24 of 40 |
Which one suits you
Pick Audio-Technica if battery life and warranty matter most.
Pick JBL if multi-room matter most.
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Audio-Technica | JBL |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Headphones, Turntables | Headphones, Earbuds, Speakers, Portable speakers, Soundbars, Hi fi, TurntablesCovers more |
| Bluetooth codecs | Aac, Ldac | Lc3 |
| Legal entity | Audio-Technica Ltd | Harman International Industries, Incorporated |
| Headquarters | Japan | United States |
| Founded | 1962 | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Help centre, Phone, Email, Community | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centre |
Electronics stores
| Fact | Audio-Technica | JBL |
|---|---|---|
| Departments | Not confirmed | Audio, Gaming, Refurbished |
| Free delivery threshold | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Return window | Not confirmed | 30 days |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Audio-Technica | JBL | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 75 hourshighest quarter | 50 hoursabove the median | 45.5 hours |
| Warranty | 2 yearsat the median | 1 yearbelow the median | 2 years |
Median across 66 listed brands.
Pros and cons
Audio-Technica
Pros
- The headphones and turntables range puts headphones and turntables under the same roof, so a wireless buyer and a vinyl buyer can stay with the same maker.
- Noise cancelling is a yes and the codecs listed are aac and ldac, so the same hardware handles calls and hi-fi sources.
- Battery life of 75 hours on the noise cancelling models, well above the 48.5 median for the category.
Cons
- Multiroom is a no, so the range is personal listening gear rather than a whole-home playback system.
- Earbuds are missing from headphones and turntables, where HyperX lists headphones and earbuds.
- Entry price of €89 ranks 48 of 64, so it is not the low-cost way into the category.
JBL
Pros
- Range breadth: headphones, earbuds and speakers means the same maker covers the whole audio stack, where CORSAIR lists headphones and HyperX lists headphones and earbuds.
- Battery life of 50 hours sits above the site median of 40 hours, so a charge covers a working week of commuting.
- Noise cancelling is offered, the same feature carried by 70.1% of the brands listed here, so it reads as standard rather than a premium extra.
Cons
- Warranty cover of 1 year places JBL at 29 of 56 on the site's warranty ranking.
- The listed codec is lc3 alone, so the range offers a single listed standard rather than a spread of hi-fi pairings.
- Cover of 1 year is shorter than the 2 year median in the site's hi-fi and turntables ranking, which matters for the turntables in headphones, earbuds and speakers.
Who each suits
Audio-Technica
Who it suits
- Commuters and long listening days, since 75 hours keeps charging infrequent.
- European buyers who want delivery across AT, BE and BG and cover of 2 years.
- Vinyl buyers building a system, because headphones and turntables puts turntables alongside the headphones.
Who should look elsewhere
- JBL, for anyone who wants speakers, soundbars and hi-fi in the same basket, since headphones, earbuds and speakers stretches well past headphones and turntables.
- HyperX, for earbuds, because headphones and earbuds includes earbuds alongside headphones.
- CORSAIR, when shopping is limited to gaming headsets, since its range is headphones.
JBL
Who it suits
- Households building a whole home audio setup who want every room covered, with headphones, earbuds and speakers from the same maker.
- Commuters and travellers who want noise cancelling and 50 hours of battery in the same pair.
- Shoppers who prefer buying from the brand's own store, where returns run 30 days and delivery is free at a £0 threshold.
Who should look elsewhere
- Gaming headset buyers after a focused catalogue: CORSAIR lists headphones and HyperX lists headphones and earbuds, with no soundbars or turntables in the way.
- Buyers wanting long cover on hi-fi gear: JBL runs 1 year against a 2 year median in the hi-fi and turntables ranking.
- Shoppers who want a small headphone range: OneOdio lists headphones, which is easier to browse than headphones, earbuds and speakers.
Country by country
| Country | Audio-Technica | JBL |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | Yes | No |
| Belgium | Yes | No |
| Bulgaria | Yes | No |
| Croatia | Yes | No |
| Cyprus | Yes | No |
| Czechia | Yes | No |
| Denmark | Yes | No |
| Estonia | Yes | No |
8 of 27 countries where either is available.
Questions about each
Audio-Technica
How much does an Audio-Technica product cost at entry?+
The range opens at €89, covering either headphones or a turntable, with no subscription or bundle to add. That figure sits above the €60.68 median for this category, so the brand is not the cheapest way in, though it stays under the €103.88 upper mark.
What do the cheapest and priciest brands here cost?+
Across the brands listed, the lowest entry price is €5.25 and the highest is €8,768.75. The Audio-Technica figure of €89 sits well below the top of that spread, which is a reasonable place for a maker with a 2 year warranty behind the product.
JBL
How much does JBL gear cost, and is there a renewal charge?+
JBL sells hardware, not plans. Prices start at $24.95 and climb per model, with no membership or renewal fee attached to a purchase. On GizmoCue that entry price places the brand 12 of 64, so the low end is competitive without being the cheapest here. The figure shown is the figure paid for the product.
Does JBL offer free delivery and how long do returns last?+
On the UK store, delivery is free with a £0 spend threshold, so nothing needs buying to reach it. Returns run 30 days from the UK support centre. Both terms come from the brand's own store rather than a third party marketplace, so they apply to what is bought from JBL directly.