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Updated April 10, 2024·
premium earbuds, but the Beam 3 has active noise cancelling (ANC) which blocks out more background noise, making them better for air travel or in noisy environments. The Flex 3, however, have an open enclosure allowing for better awareness of your surroundings, possibly a better choice if you use them while exercising outdoors. If you prioritize sound quality for music, the Beam 3 and Flex 3 are both very good, but for calls or watching TV, they're not ideal. Both have a decent battery life, but the Flex 3 has slightly more case battery life. Choose Beam 3 for quieter listening experiences with ANC, or Flex 3 for outdoor activities where situational awareness is key. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the JBL Live Beam 3
Very good for air travel
Advantages of the JBL Live Flex 3
Very good for music
Key differences
Battery
12.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The JBL Live Beam 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The JBL Live Flex 3 has 10 hours of battery life.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers JBL Live Flex 3 to be very good for music, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is good.
Gaming
5.4/10
5.5/10
The JBL Live Flex 3 and JBL Live Beam 3 are both poor for gaming.
Phone Calls
5.2/10
5.2/10
The JBL Live Beam 3 and JBL Live Flex 3 are both poor for phone calls.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.9/10
5.9/10
The JBL Live Beam 3 and JBL Live Flex 3 are both poor for podcasts and audiobooks.
TV and Video
5.6/10
5.7/10
The JBL Live Flex 3 and JBL Live Beam 3 are both poor for TV and video.
Noise Reduction
8.3/10
8.3/10
The JBL Live Beam 3 and JBL Live Flex 3 are both very good for noise reduction.
Cost
$216
$216
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
The JBL Live Beam 3 has a price of $216 and the JBL Live Flex 3 costs $216.
Build Quality
8.5/10
8.5/10
The JBL Live Beam 3 and JBL Live Flex 3 both have very good build quality.
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How the JBL Live Beam 3 and the JBL Live Flex 3 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
JBL Live Beam 3
JBL Live Flex 3
GENERAL
Price
Price
$216
$216
Brand
Brand
JBL
JBL
Release Date
Release Date
June 1, 2024
June 1, 2024
Form Factor
Form Factor
Earbuds
Earbuds
Connectivity
Connectivity
Wireless
Wireless
SOUND
Music Score
Music Score
7.9/10
8.1/10
Phone Calls Score
Phone Calls Score
5.3/10
5.3/10
Gaming Score
Gaming Score
5.4/10
5.5/10
TV and Video Score
TV and Video Score
5.7/10
5.8/10
Exercise Score
Exercise Score
8.4/10
8.4/10
Air Travel Score
Air Travel Score
8.5/10
6.7/10
Podcasts and Audiobooks Score
Podcasts and Audiobooks Score
5.9/10
5.9/10
Sound Profile
Sound Profile
Bass, Treble
Bass, Treble
PERFORMANCE
Battery life
Battery life
12 Hours
10 Hours
Wireless charging
Wireless charging
Yes
Yes
Charging time
Charging time
2 Hours
2 Hours
Bluetooth version
Bluetooth version
5.3
5.3
Case Battery Life
Case Battery Life
36
40
FEATURES
Active Noise Cancelling
Active Noise Cancelling
Yes
Yes
Noise Reduction Score
Noise Reduction Score
8.4/10
8.4/10
Virtual Surround
Virtual Surround
Yes
Yes
Android App
Android App
Yes
Yes
iOS App
iOS App
Yes
Yes
Mic Quality
Mic Quality
7/10
7/10
BUILD AND DESIGN
Build Quality
Build Quality
8.5/10
8.5/10
Comfort score
Comfort score
7/10
7/10
Size
Size
Large
Large
Weight (headset or single earbud)
Weight (headset or single earbud)
8.8 Grams
8.8 Grams
Microphone style
Microphone style
Integrated
Integrated
Waterproof Rating
Waterproof Rating
5
5
Dustproof Rating
Dustproof Rating
5
5
Eartip sizes included
Eartip sizes included
XS, S, M, L
XS, S, M, L
Color variations
Color variations
Black
Black
Low Latency
Low Latency
No
No
Lossless Codec
Lossless Codec
LDAC
LDAC
Get a great deal on the JBL Live Beam 3 or the JBL Live Flex 3
About JBL
JBL is an American audio equipment manufacturer. Owned by Harman International which is, itself, owned by Samsung Electronics. JBL markets a wide array of monitoring speakers, professional headphones and consumer market headphones and earbuds. It was founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing (whose initials give the company its name) and has become one of the most prolific audio companies ever. Their products were responsible for audio during the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Luis Torres
Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.