Fairbuds vs JBL Premium Audio
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Fairbuds
Customize your audio experience with advanced equalizer settings and ensure your device is always up-to-date. Tailor bass, vocals, and more to your preferences for music and podcasts.
- Customizable equalizer presets
- Multi-band EQ for granular control
- Firmware update notifications
- Sound profile creation
- Adjust bass and vocals
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Unlock the full potential of your Fairbuds or Fairbuds XL with the newly revamped Fairbuds app. Take full control of your sound, and tailor it exactly to your liking. Choose from an array of new presets to adjust the equalizer. Go heavy on the bass when listening to electronic music, or switch to clearer vocals for your favorite podcasts. You can go even more granular with the custom EQ feature and tweak the sound from scratch. Use the Fairbuds apps to play around with a multi-band equalizer, and create the perfect sound profile for yourself. You can also use the Fairbuds app to make sure your device's firmware is always up-to-date. Get notifications when a new update is available, and make sure your Fairphone audio product is always performing at its peak.
JBL Premium Audio
Easily set up your JBL audio devices on Wi-Fi for seamless music playback. Stream podcasts, internet radio, and music from USB drives. Enjoy integrated access to popular services like Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, and Airplay.
- Quick Wi-Fi product setup
- Music playback from UPnP & USB
- Access to podcasts and internet radio
- Add favorite stations
- Spotify Connect integration
- Tidal Connect integration
- Airplay and Chromecast support
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The JBL Premium Audio App enables quick product setup on your Wi-Fi network and fast access to music playback. Once connected, you can access a world of music including: • A large catalog of podcasts and internet radio stations. Add Favorites for quick and convenient playback • Music playback from UPnP & USB drives • Once set up, your device provides access to Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Airplay, Chromecast and Roon Ready Note: For the best experience, please check your JBL device is running the latest firmware.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Fairbuds at 2.8 against JBL Premium Audio's 1.5. Fairbuds also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months) and review sentiment (13% vs 4%). JBL Premium Audio's advantage is ratings volume (46 vs 5) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Fairbuds holds the better App Store score, 2.8 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: JBL Premium Audio has 46 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of Fairbuds's written reviews are positive against 4% of JBL Premium Audio's.
Fairbuds ships an update every 2 months, JBL Premium Audio every 8 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Fairbuds | JBL Premium Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.8 (5 ratings) — better | 1.5 (46 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 13.3% of reviews — better | 4.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5 | 46 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 8 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 | 14.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 93 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Fairphone B.V. | HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED |
Customer experience
Fairbuds
JBL Premium Audio
In-app purchases
Fairbuds
No in-app purchases
JBL Premium Audio
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Fairbuds free?
Is JBL Premium Audio free?
Which has better reviews, Fairbuds or JBL Premium Audio?
Do Fairbuds or JBL Premium Audio have ads?
Which is updated more often, Fairbuds or JBL Premium Audio?
Other comparisons
