JBL is a brand that gains a lot of attention for its portable speakers and reliable sound. They are also known for catering to those who want quality on a budget. Building from their ever popular Buds and Beam models, JBL has released a new model with some enhanced features. The JBL Live Buds 3 and Live Beam 3 come with a smart charging case to make your earbuds the one-stop shop for all your music customization, eliminating the need for an app download. Today, we take a look at the two and see what these new releases have to offer.

What Comes In The Box

Aesthetics and Functionality

I really like the look of these earbuds. JBL takes the classic black color of most of their other earbuds and spruces them up with metallic detailing. The charging cases are identical, save for the inside lining to charge the different styles of earbuds. The Live Buds are small and lightweight, feeling nearly invisible in your ear and allowing your music to sound natural. The Live Beams hold a very similar shape to an airpod, and they feel almost like one as well. It’s lighter than an airpod which makes them a step above the competition. 

The functionality on the Live Buds 3 vs. the Live Beam 3 is essentially the same. Opening the charging case immediately puts them into pairing mode, with the LED indicator lights flashing blue. The touch controls are a bit easier to use on the Live Buds 3 than the Live Beam 3, since the Live Beam 3’s stem design makes it a bit difficult to find where the touch sensor is. I could still navigate the controls fairly well, and neither was difficult to use. Pairing was quick and easy and my listening was interrupted with no dropouts throughout testing. 

The charging case is an interesting addition to these earbuds. We’ve seen the smart charging case in the Tour series from JBL, and this one has many of the same features. While JBL does have an app you can download for easy customization, the smart case eliminates the need for that additional download. You can adjust the volume, EQ, noise cancelation, and more all from the earbud’s charging spot. You can use this instead of your phone to play or skip tracks, so it becomes a hub for everything you might need for music control. 

Tech Specs

In the technical specifications, you’ll see why we’re looking at them side-by-side. There isn’t much difference between the Live Beam 3 and the Live Buds 3, aside from shape and weight in the earbuds themselves a few other points. The Live Buds 3 are a little more sensitive than the Live Beam 3, and the maximum SPL is 1 dB apart from each other. You get a little more battery life from the Live Beam 3, almost a whole day's worth of listening. Looking at all the technical points, the quality coming from each is about the same and choosing one will ultimately be a choice between different styles. 

Listening Review

Soundstage & ANC

Onto the listening portion of this review. The Live Beam 3 and the Live Buds 3 both have nearly identical sound profiles. There isn’t much difference between the two when listening to both back to back, so you’re sure to get decent sound from whichever style you choose. The soundstage is more narrow than most, but it delivers some very accurate imaging and a dynamic signature. The frequencies are clear and vibrant, which is right on par with JBL sound. The sound is cleaner and crisper than previous models, making this a clear step up from other earbuds JBL has produced. 

The active noise canceling is also very good on these earbuds. They block out a lot of ambient sound, allowing you to be fully immersed in your listening. You do get a little bit of ambient bleed, but there is a lot of power coming from these earbuds that you can easily raise the volume to a decent level and get good isolation. The pass-through mode is also quite effective, allowing you to be more aware of your surroundings at the touch of a button. 

Low Frequencies

The low end is powerful and driving, giving a good base to the frequency response. It doesn’t get too muddled in with the layers that exist in this range. Kick drums are still punchy and the bass guitar gets a great twang that makes rock, indie, and pop genres great to listen to. You get a decent amount of clarity and a lot of color that makes any track that passes through it more than enjoyable. The driving body of the low end is enticing to the athlete in me, where I know these would be great pairs of earbuds for people looking for music during their workouts. 

Mid-Range Frequencies

The mid-range has a lot of texture and depth that makes tracks really enjoyable. Vocals are excellently reproduced to sound natural in the field, and they get a front and center spot in any track. I really liked the way large instrumental ensembles sounded, since each different instrument and layer got a lot of attention. There’s equal power given to all the layers, making harmonies in songs stand out and elevate the tracks. As someone who loves to hear all the vocal layers in a track, this was my favorite part about the Live Buds 3 and Live Beam 3. 

High Frequencies

The frequency response has a wonderful balance, and that's all thanks to the high end. With the bass being as driving as it is, you definitely need some clarity and brightness to come in and lighten everything up. The signature gets a wonderful dynamic sound with the color coming from the treble, most notable in acoustic guitars and brass instruments. The frequency response reaches a high of 40kHz, making the high reach a decent height before rolling off. You can hear this in the different spaces for certain ensembles, and how the reverberations cut off at a certain point. 

Summary

JBL has been known to produce some quality earbuds, and these two from the Live 3 series are no exception. The Live Buds 3 and the Live Beam 3 are two excellent earbuds with a colorful signature and long-lasting battery life to give any listener plenty of playtime with great sound. For people looking for a quality earbud with a lot of features at their fingertips, the Live Buds 3 or the Live Beam 3 are great choices. Both are comfortable, easy to use, and will last you a long time. For $199.95, they are certainly worth the purchase.

The JBL Live Buds 3 and the JBL Live Beam 3 are both available at Audio46.