I had a chance to compare the JBL's with the Sony's. They're tonally different but both sound similarly good.
The JBL goes deeper and doesn't require bass equalization. The Sony has better noise cancellation. The JBL's earbuds and carrying case are half the size and weight for roughly the same initial battery life; they're also more comfortable and less likely to fall out. I didn't download the app, so I can't comment on its functionality. Long term durability is a question mark, I don't expect the JBL's to last past 2027.
My general remarks:
1) rtings "neutral sound" headphone rankings have merit as a consumer shopping tool, as long as you aim for green rather than yellow or red.
2) Perusing the rankings, you can't trust newer models to sound better; you can't even trust headphones from the same brand to cluster together in sound quality.
3) the Harman target curve will probably satisfy most consumers. EQ to taste if you wish.
4) $55 US or $70 Cdn is a reasonable price floor for good sound in a Bluetooth in-ear monitor with active noise cancellation and water resistance. You could spend more, but you don't have to.
