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See Top Ranked Closed-Back HeadphonesSony WH-1000XM3 (2018) vs JBL E65
Sony WH-1000XM3 (2018)
Excellent
Reddit: Loved
See our analysis
Analysis:
The Sony WH-1000XM3 (2018) is an exemplary product and sets the bar for all other Closed-Back Headphones at the $220 budget.
The JBL E65BTNC, however, is merely passable for its price. We suggest taking a look at some better options if you're considering buying a Closed-Back Headphone in the $120 range.
The Sony WH-1000XM3 (2018) has done great in a couple of roundups conducted by highly trusted sources that perform objective in-depth testing, like Tom's Guide, CNET, Laptop Mag, and SoundGuys - it earned the "Best Sony headphones overall" title from Tom's Guide, "Best of previous generation" from CNET, and "Excellent sound paired with great noise cancelling" from Laptop Mag. Any product that's held in high regard by such reliable sources should be considered by anyone that's looking for a Closed-Back Headphone at this price point.
As for the JBL E65BTNC, it wasn't able to earn a top spot in any roundups from trusted sources that conduct their own hands-on testing. Nevertheless, it managed to impress reviewers at TechSpot, Headphone Review, Rtings, and PCmag enough to make it onto their respective shortlists.
When we thoroughly analyzed their review scores, we learned that all of the sources that tested both Closed-Back Headphones, including TechSpot, PCmag, Headphone Review, and Rtings, preferred the Sony WH-1000XM3 (2018) over the JBL E65BTNC.
We also took a look at which sources they managed to impress the most. The Sony WH-1000XM3 (2018) was liked best by Tech Advisor, which gave it a score of 10, while the JBL E65BTNC got its highest, 8.3, score from TechSpot.
Lastly, we averaged out all of the reviews scores that we could find on these two products and compared them to other Closed-Back Headphones on the market. We learned that both of them performed far better than most of their competitors - the overall review average earned by Closed-Back Headphones being 7.4 out of 10, whereas the Sony WH-1000XM3 (2018) and JBL E65BTNC managed averages of 9.0 and 7.6 points, respectively.
Due to the difference in their prices, however, it's important to keep in mind that a direct Sony WH-1000XM3 (2018) vs. JBL E65BTNC comparison might not be entirely fair - some sources don't take value for money into account when assigning their scores and therefore have a tendency to rate more premium products better.
Tech. Specs Comparison
Sony WH-1000XM3 (2018)
$229
JBL E65BTNC
$129
Noise-cancelling
Yes
Yes
Wireless
Yes
Yes
Reddit Threads (14)
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in "What kind of wireless earphones should I buy?"
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in "What is the best brand for wireless headphones, whether it be buds, or overheads and why?"
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Sentiment analysis from Youtube reviewers
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Sentiment analysis from Youtube reviewers
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No Data
Significantly higher than average expert review score
7.5
Overall Avg. for Closed-Back Headphones
9.0
Avg. Review Score
Score
Has average expert review score
7.5
Overall Avg. for Closed-Back Headphones
7.6
Avg. Review Score
Score
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