JBL Live Buds 3 Review

There are a few new true wireless products from JBL. The Live Buds 3 continues the new trend of touchscreen charging cases but for a lower price than the others. It’s a promising venture, but does that translate to a good pair of wireless earbuds?

What You Get

• 1 x JBL Live Buds 3 earbuds
• 1 x 4 sizes of ear tips
• 1 x Type-C USB charging cable
• 1 x Charging case
• 1 x Warranty / Warning (W / !)
• 1 x product QSG/ Safety Sheet (S / i)

Look & Feel

The appearance of the Live Buds 3 was a bit different than how they looked on the box. I initially thought they were going to be bigger, but out of the box, the earbuds were smaller and more bean-shaped. This works much better for ergonomics, as the Live Buds 3 sit better in my ear than most other true wireless earbuds. They feel comfortable and secure like I can wear them for hours without fatigue. Then there’s the charging case, which is the main draw of the Live Buds 3. It’s smaller than the Tour Pro 3, but it’s nice to just be included for the price and gives you another form of interaction with your earbuds.

Design & Functionality

Inside the Live Buds 3 is a 10mm dynamic driver with 6 beamforming mics for making calls and ANC. The noise-canceling is as strong as other models from JBL but that’s as far as it goes. It’s strong for the price and works best for eliminating low-frequency obstruction. All of these modes can be operated by the app, charging case, or by the responsive touch sensors. These are also some of the most inexpensive earbuds to feature Personi-Fi and spatial audio.

Bluetooth

You can always rely on JBL for stable Bluetooth quality. The Live Buds 3 supports Bluetooth 5.3 LDAC if you have an Android phone. They pair quickly and maintain good streaming quality throughout many hours of listening.

Battery Life

The Live Buds 3 have a good battery life for the price, coming in at 40 hours of playtime before needing to charge the case. Only 10 minutes of charging the earbuds should result in 4 hours of playtime.

Soundstage

Certain aspects of the soundstage on the Live Buds 3 took me by surprise. It’s a wider sound field than you might think JBL is capable of. The left and right channels have a lot of separation for a pair of true wireless earbuds, helping instruments stay out of the middle and show some individuality. While the imaging is quite linear, JBL has its own spatial sound feature that tries to add dimension to it. However, I have problems with the fidelity of the sound taken in this mode, which I mentioned in my review of Tour Pro 3. I was happy with how the soundstage performed without it anyway, so nothing is lost here.

Low End

You know what you’re getting with JBL’s bass response, but the Buds 3 is a bit more reserved than other models I’ve heard recently. That’s not to say the bass is lacking drive because the Buds 3 has plenty. It’s a similar type of flavor that JBL is known for, with its rich thickness and present bloom. The Buds 3 feels more spaced out and subdued than other JBL earbuds whose bass dominated the sound signature. Here, the bass is more evened out, allowing other elements to breathe.

Mids

I had no problem with the midrange here. For a pair of budget true wireless earphones, it offers more clarity than it has any right to. It carries a solid weight, allowing the mids to take on a clear shape in the mix. Nothing ever feels foggy or confused, as the mids are stacked and organized well, even if the detail isn’t the most pristine. There’s presence and vocal clarity, and you can EQ it for even more boosted sound elements.

Highs

For a pair of inexpensive true wireless earbuds, the highs have a lot of character. they have a lot of bite to them without having any piercing quality. They offer good height for true wireless and help bring a greater presence to instruments and vocals. You get a touch of sparkle that makes a significant impression on the sound signature’s overall detail and flexibility with certain genres. I would even make the claim that the highs have more detail and clarity than a lot of popular true wireless models that are priced much higher than the Buds 3.

Summary

The JBL Live Buds 3 stands as a solid contender in the budget true wireless earbud market. With their comfortable fit, reliable Bluetooth connectivity, and impressive sound quality across lows, mids, and highs, these earbuds are an excellent choice for music enthusiasts on a budget. The inclusion of advanced features like active noise cancellation and customizable sound profiles only sweetens the deal. If you’re in the market for an affordable yet capable pair of earbuds, the JBL Live Buds 3 should be in consideration.

The JBL Live Buds 3 are available at Audio46.