Audio-Technica ATH-M20x vs JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless

Which Headphones Are Better?

Products

Audio-Technica ATH-M20x
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless

Tested using Methodology v1.5

Updated Jul 17, 2025 05:54 PM

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Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.5

Updated Jan 26, 2024 08:31 PM

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Our Verdict

Audio-Technica ATH-M20x

JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless

The Audio-Technica ATH-M20x are designed for neutral sound, while the JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless are better suited for casual use. The Audio-Technica are wired over-ear headphones with a more neutral bass and mid-ranges, which some users may prefer. They also have a wider and more spacious soundstage. However, the JBL are more comfortable, better built, and stable. They have a companion app that allows you to tweak their sound and an ANC feature to help block out ambient noise around you.

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Variants

  • ATH-M20x (Black)
  • Live Pro+ TWS (Beige)
  • Live Pro+ TWS (Black)

Check Price

Black
ATH-M20x
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
Live Pro+ TWS
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
ATH-M20x
SEE PRICE
B&H
Beige
Live Pro+ TWS
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
ATH-M20x
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Pink
Live Pro+ TWS
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
ATH-M20x
BestBuy.com
White
Live Pro+ TWS
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
ATH-M20x
Audio-Technica
 

Main Differences for
Neutral Sound

Threshold 

0.10

Neutral Sound 
 

7.5
7.0

Passive Soundstage 
 

5.3
0.9

Treble Accuracy 
 

5.6
8.5

Mid Accuracy 
 

9.1
8.2

Bass Accuracy 
 

8.1
7.3

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2 
 

Compare High-Res
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Design Picture 2
Compare High-Res
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Design Picture 2

Type  

Over-ear
In-ear

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Closed-Back

Wireless  

No
Truly Wireless

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic
Show Text 

Comfort 
 

7.0
7.5

Comfort Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Comfort Picture
Compare High-Res
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.46 lbs
0.02 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

0.99 lbs
0 lbs
Show Text 

Controls 
 

0.0
8.0

Controls Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Controls Picture
Compare High-Res
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

No Controls
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

No Controls
Good

Feedback  

No Controls
Decent

Call/Music Control  

No
Yes

Volume Control  

No
Yes

Microphone Control  

No
Mute/Unmute

Channel Mixing 
 

No
No

Noise Cancelling Control  

No
On/Off

Talk-Through 
 

No
On/Off

Additional Controls  

No
Voice Assistant
Show Text 

Breathability 
 

6.3
9.2

Breathability After Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Breathability After Picture
Compare High-Res
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference  

6.3 °C
0.8 °C
Show Text 

Portability 
 

5.5
9.6

Portability Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Portability Picture
Compare High-Res
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Portability Picture

 

7.9" (20.0 cm)
1.4" (3.6 cm)

 

6.5" (16.5 cm)
0.8" (2.0 cm)

 

3.3" (8.5 cm)
0.8" (2.0 cm)

Volume  

171.12 in³ (2,804.14 cm³)
0.90 in³ (14.75 cm³)

Transmitter Required  

No
No
Show Text 

Case 
 

0.0
7.5

Case Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Case Picture
Compare High-Res
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Case Picture

Type  

No case
Hard case

 

N/A
2.2" (5.6 cm)

 

N/A
1.9" (4.8 cm)

 

N/A
1.2" (3.0 cm)

Volume  

N/A
5.00 in³ (81.93 cm³)
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

6.5
7.5

Build Quality Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Build Quality Picture
Compare High-Res
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Build Quality Picture
Show Text 

Stability 
 

6.0
7.5

Stability Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Stability Picture
Compare High-Res
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Stability Picture
Show Text 

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Angled Picture
Compare High-Res
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Angled Picture

Side Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Side Picture
Compare High-Res
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Front Picture
Compare High-Res
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Front Picture

Rear Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Rear Picture
Compare High-Res
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Top Picture
Compare High-Res
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x In The Box Picture
Compare High-Res
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless In The Box Picture
Show Text 
Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Frequency Response  

 Preview Graph
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Frequency Response
 Preview Graph
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Frequency Response

Bass Amount 
 

-2.02 dB
3.15 dB

Treble Amount 
 

-2.57 dB
-1.11 dB
Show Text 

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

7.7
8.7

Consistency L  

 Preview Graph
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Consistency L
 Preview Graph
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Consistency L

Consistency R  

 Preview Graph
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Consistency R
 Preview Graph
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Consistency R

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

0.45 dB
0.26 dB
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

 Preview Graph
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Raw FR L
 Preview Graph
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Raw FR L

Raw FR R  

 Preview Graph
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Raw FR R
 Preview Graph
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Raw FR R

Bass Accuracy 
 

8.1
7.3

Bass  

 Preview Graph
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Bass
 Preview Graph
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Bass

Std. Err. 
 

2.53 dB
4.05 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

38.86 Hz
10 Hz

Low-Bass 
 

-4.14 dB
4.76 dB

Mid-Bass 
 

1.51 dB
4.39 dB

High-Bass 
 

0.05 dB
4.53 dB
Show Text 

Mid Accuracy 
 

9.1
8.2

Mid  

 Preview Graph
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Mid
 Preview Graph
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Mid

Std. Err. 
 

1.17 dB
2.35 dB

Low-Mid 
 

-0.96 dB
3.36 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

0.17 dB
-1.44 dB

High-Mid 
 

1.16 dB
-0.04 dB
Show Text 

Treble Accuracy 
 

5.6
8.5

Treble  

 Preview Graph
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Treble
 Preview Graph
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Treble

Std. Err. 
 

6.31 dB
2.35 dB

Low-Treble 
 

-2.17 dB
1.78 dB

Mid-Treble 
 

-4.28 dB
-0.28 dB

High-Treble 
 

-8.17 dB
-1.74 dB
Show Text 

Peaks/Dips 
 

6.6
8.3

Peaks/Dips Graph  

 Preview Graph
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Peaks/Dips Graph
 Preview Graph
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Peaks/Dips Graph

Peaks 
 

2.16 dB
0.97 dB

Dips 
 

2.25 dB
1.35 dB
Show Text 

Imaging 
 

8.7
9.2

Group Delay  

 Preview Graph
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Group Delay
 Preview Graph
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Group Delay

Phase Response Mismatch  

 Preview Graph
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Phase Response Mismatch
 Preview Graph
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Phase Response Mismatch

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.34
0.14

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

2.29
1.54

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

0.65
0.53

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

1.63
0.99
Show Text 

Passive Soundstage 
 

5.3
0.9

PRTF  

 Preview Graph
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x PRTF
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless PRTF

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

2.19 dB
N/A

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

2.98 dB
N/A

PRTF Distance 
 

9.53 dB
N/A

Openness 
 

5.0
2.0

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

3.7
1.6
Show Text 

Virtual Soundstage 
 

0.0
0.0

Virtual Soundstage 
 

Compare High-Res
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Virtual Soundstage
Compare High-Res
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No
No

Speaker Modeling 
 

No
No

Room Ambience 
 

No
No

Head Tracking 
 

No
No

Virtual Surround 
 

No App
No

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

7.6
7.8

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

 Preview Graph
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Weighted Harmonic Distortion
 Preview Graph
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Weighted Harmonic Distortion

WHD @ 90 
 

0.176
0.241

WHD @ 100 
 

0.185
0.122
Show Text 

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

No Firmware
v3.9.0

Power 
 

Passive
On

Connection 
 

Wired
Bluetooth 5.0

Codec 
 

PCM, 24-bit, 48kHz
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz

EQ 
 

No EQ
Off

ANC 
 

No ANC
Everyday Mode

Tip/Pad 
 

Default
Silicone (small)

Microphone 
 

No Microphone
Integrated
Show Text 
Isolation

Noise Isolation 
 

4.5
8.0

Noise Isolation  

 Preview Graph
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Noise Isolation
 Preview Graph
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Noise Isolation

Isolation Audio 
 

Overall Attenuation 
 

-11.74 dB
-20.13 dB

Noise Cancelling  

No
Yes

Bass 
 

0.74 dB
-19.37 dB

Mid 
 

-9.9 dB
-16.35 dB

Treble 
 

-27.03 dB
-24.2 dB
Show Text 

Leakage 
 

6.8
8.6

Leakage  

 Preview Graph
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Leakage
 Preview Graph
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Leakage

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

40.96 dB
29.49 dB
Show Text 
Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

No
Yes

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

No
No

Detachable Boom 
 

No
No

Mic  

No
Yes

Recording Quality 
 

0.0
6.3

Microphone Frequency Response  

Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Microphone Frequency Response
 Preview Graph
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Microphone Frequency Response

Recorded Speech 
 

N/A

LFE 
 

N/A
132.62 Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

N/A
3.36 dB

HFE 
 

N/A
3,179.16 Hz

Weighted THD 
 

N/A
5.499

Gain 
 

N/A
-10.67 dB
Show Text 

Noise Handling 
 

0.0
5.8

SpNR  

Audio-Technica ATH-M20x SpNR
 Preview Graph
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless SpNR

SpNR 
 

N/A
7.76 dB

Noise Gate 
 

No
No

Speech + Pink Noise Handling 
 

N/A
5.0

Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample  

N/A

Speech + Subway Noise Handling 
 

N/A
7.0

Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample  

N/A
Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

0.0
7.3

Battery Type 
 

No Battery
Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life 
 

N/A
6.8 hrs

Additional Charges 
 

N/A
3.0

Total Battery Life 
 

N/A
27.2 hrs

Charge Time 
 

N/A
1.6 hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

No
Auto-Off Timer

Audio While Charging 
 

No
Yes

Passive Playback 
 

Passive Headphone
No

Charging Port  

None
USB-C
Show Text 

App Support 
 

0.0
8.0

App Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x App Picture
Compare High-Res
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless App Picture

App Name  

No App
JBL Headphones

iOS  

No
Yes

Android  

No
Yes

macOS  

No
No

Windows  

No
No

Equalizer 
 

No
Parametric + Presets

ANC Control 
 

No
On/Off

Mic Control  

No
No

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

No
No

Button Mapping  

No
Yes

Surround Support 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Bluetooth 
 

0.0
6.9

Bluetooth Version 
 

No Bluetooth
5.0

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

No
No

NFC Pairing 
 

No
No

Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
263.00 ft (80.16 m)

PC Latency (SBC) 
 

N/A
267 ms

PC Latency (aptX) 
 

N/A
N/A

PC Latency (aptX HD) 
 

N/A
N/A

PC Latency (aptX-LL) 
 

N/A
N/A

iOS Latency 
 

N/A
230 ms

Android Latency 
 

N/A
244 ms
Show Text 

Non-Bluetooth Wireless 
 

0.0
0.0

Non-BT Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Non-BT Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

Wired 
 

9.0
0.0

Cable Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Cable Picture
Compare High-Res
JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

Yes
No

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable  

No
No

Length  

10.00 ft (3.05 m)
N/A

Connection 
 

1/8" TRS
No Wired Option

Analog/USB Audio Latency 
 

0 ms
N/A
Show Text 

PC Compatibility 
 

Analog 
 

Audio Only
No

Wired USB 
 

No
No

Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

PlayStation Compatibility 
 

PS4 Analog 
 

Audio Only
No

PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

PS5 Analog 
 

Audio Only
No

PS5 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS5 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Xbox Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

Audio Only
No

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Analog 
 

Audio Only
No

Xbox Series X|S Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Base/Dock 
 

0.0
2.2

Type 
 

No Base/Dock
Charging Case

USB Input 
 

No
No

Line In 
 

No
No

Line Out 
 

No
No

Optical Input 
 

No
No

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

No
Yes

Power Supply 
 

No Base/Dock
USB-C
Show Text 

Check Price

Black
ATH-M20x
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
Live Pro+ TWS
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
ATH-M20x
SEE PRICE
B&H
Beige
Live Pro+ TWS
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
ATH-M20x
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Pink
Live Pro+ TWS
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
ATH-M20x
BestBuy.com
White
Live Pro+ TWS
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
ATH-M20x
Audio-Technica
 

Audio-Technica ATH-M20x

JBL Live Pro+ TWS True Wireless

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