Tom's Guide Verdict
The JBL Live Beam 4 are excellent earbuds that give Bose a run for its money. They’re supremely comfortable for all-day wear, and they look lovely. They’re accompanied by a useful case with a touchscreen that enables you to change settings on the go. Sound quality is punchy and dynamic, and the Live Beam 4 boast class-leading battery life. Though the ANC isn’t better than rivals, and call quality is merely okay, the Live Beam 4 still make their mark as some of the best earbuds of 2026.
Pros
- +
Supremely comfortable for all-day wear
- +
Punchy, dynamic sound quality
- +
Extremely user-friendly app
- +
Charging case doubles as a controller
- +
Class-leading 48-hour battery life
Cons
- -
Call quality is hit-or-miss
- -
Decent ANC but not better than rivals
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It didn’t take long for the JBL Live Beam 4 to become my go-to wireless earbuds. As soon as I put them in and started playing music, I was impressed with the punchy sound and comfortable fit. They sport a lovely design and come with a smart charging case that lets you adjust the earbuds’ settings — including customizing the EQ — on the fly.
The Live Beam 4 boast class-leading battery life, too, and the ANC is highly effective (indoors, at least). I also love the user-friendly companion app that gives you extensive control over the earbuds’ features. Though call quality isn’t the best, it’s a minor flaw that’s overshadowed by everything else on offer.
To find out if these are the best wireless earbuds for you, read my full JBL Live Beam 4 review.
Editor’s note: All three JBL Live 4 series earbuds — Beam, Flex and Buds — share the same internal hardware and driver setup, and there’s no difference in sound quality, so this review will cover all three pairs. I’ll point out the key differences along the way.
JBL Live Beam 4 review: Specs
Price |
|
Drivers |
10mm dynamic |
Frequency response |
20Hz-40KHz |
Durability |
IP55 (Beam and Buds) / IP54 (Flex) |
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 6.0 with AAC, SBC, LDAC and LC3 |
Multipoint connectivity |
Yes |
ANC |
Yes |
Wear detection |
Yes |
Battery life (ANC off) |
12 hours (buds); 48 hours (case) |
Weight |
0.34 ounces (buds); 2.57 ounces (case) |
Colors |
Black, Purple, Orange, Sand, Green, Silver, Blue |
JBL Live Beam 4 review: Price & availability
Launched in May 2026, the JBL Live Beam 4 are part of the brand’s Live lineup, alongside the JBL Live Flex 4 and the JBL Live Buds 4. All three pairs share internal hardware and acoustics, so there’s no difference in sound quality — only design, battery life, and waterproofing.
The Live Beam 4 succeed the Live Beam 3 and have a retail price of £149 at Amazon. The Live 4 Flex are cheaper at £135, and the Live 4 Buds are the cheapest of the lot at £113. At the time of writing, none are available in the U.S., but I will update this review as and when that changes.
The Live Beam 4 compete with the likes of the Nothing Ear (3) ($179), the Bose QuietComfort ($179), and the AirPods 5 ($149). They’re also much cheaper than the Sony WF-1000XM6 ($329). As you can see, there’s no shortage of competition in the Live Beam 4’s price range — but these earbuds make a compelling case with their punchy sound, smart charging case with a touchscreen, long battery life, and lovely design.
JBL Live Beam 4 review: Design
Similar to the Nothing Ear (3) and the AirPods 5, the JBL Live Beam 4 feature a drop-stem design, and I think they look fantastic. Available in a range of colors, including but not limited to Blue, Orange and Green, they’re eye-catching and so fun to look at. I tested the Green model and it looks gorgeous. They feel premium and durable, too.
The key difference between the Beam, Flex and Buds lies in the design. The Flex feature a drop-stem design without eartips, similar to the AirPods 5. I’m personally not a fan of this design as I don’t think it fits snugly enough in my ears. I’ve tested the Flex and they tend to slip out of my ears, too. The Buds, on the other hand, feature a more-rounded design, like the Bose QuietComfort, which sits directly and securely inside the ear canal, making them the better choice for workouts.
Making a return from the third-gen is the Live Beam 4’s charging case with a touchscreen (which the Flex and Buds come in, too). Now, some people might think it’s gimmicky, but the case is actually useful, and I’ll discuss so below. It features custom backgrounds, too, and this is done via the app (more on that shortly). You can display your own photos, add or remove the clock, battery status and other widgets, to make the earbuds truly your own. Though the case is made of plastic, it doesn’t feel cheap and weighs 2.57oz — just a touch heavier than the Nothing Ear (3)’s 2.51oz case.
Weatherproofing
The Live Beam 4 and the Live Buds 4 are IP55-rated (and it’s what I’d expect in this price range), which means they’re highly dust resistant and waterproof, so they can withstand rain and are good for wearing to the gym, too. In comparison, the Bose QuietComfort are only IPX4-rated, which means they aren’t dustproof, while the Nothing Ear (3) and the AirPods 5 are IP54- and IP57-rated respectively. The Live Flex 4 are also IP54-rated.
Comfort
I’ve tested my fair share of earbuds, and the Live Beam 4 are some of the comfiest buds around. Each earbud weighs just 0.17oz so it’s very light, and you don’t really feel weighed down by them. Even after a full day of wearing the Live Beam 4, my ears didn’t feel uncomfortable, hot or itchy. I stuck with the default eartip size they came with, and you’ll find a few additional sizes in the box.
Controls
There are two ways of using or controlling the Live Beam 4: using either the charging case or the touch gestures on the earbuds themselves. I found the touch sensors on the earbuds responsive in my testing, and they let you play/pause music, skip tracks, change the ANC mode, and toggle the voice assistant on your phone (Gemini on Google phones, for example).
The touchscreen on the case is just as responsive if not more. You can do all the functions you can as on the earbuds, and in addition to those, you can initiate Bluetooth pairing, swap between EQs or customize your own, and even trigger the buds’ ‘Find’ feature. It essentially lets you control playback and settings without pulling out your phone or using the app.
But unlike the Groov-e Neo Buds (£39), you can’t play a knock-off version of Flappy Bird on the Live Beam 4’s screen. *shakes fist* We were so close to perfection!
Connectivity
The Live Beam 4 utilize Bluetooth 6.0 with support for SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3 codecs. LDAC is an advanced codec for streaming high-resolution audio at higher sampling rates over Bluetooth, and its inclusion gives the Live Beam 4 a leg-up over the Bose QuietComfort which support only AAC and SBC. You also get multipoint connectivity for connecting to two devices simultaneously.
Similar to other earbuds in its weight class — barring the AirPods 5 which are designed for Apple devices — the Live Beam 4 feature Google Fast Pair. As soon as I took them out of their case and I heard the pairing audio cue, they popped up on my Google Pixel 10 Pro XL. They were instantly added to my Google Find Hub, too, and I could see where they were on the map.
Finally, the Live Beam 4 feature wear detection so playback is automatically paused when you remove an earbud, and it resumes when you put it back into your ear. You’re probably thinking, “This is common, does it really warrant a mention?” And yes it does, because I recently tested the pricier Noble Audio Osprey ($199) which don’t feature wear detection.
JBL Live Beam 4 review: Sound quality
The JBL Live Beam 4 are fitted with 10mm dynamic drivers which, according to JBL, are powered by “JBL Signature Sound to deliver crisp detail, deep bass, and natural balance.” That’s exactly what the Live Beam 4 do. Straight out of the box, they boast a wide soundstage, and sound incredible. To test them, I listened to my favorite testing songs on Qobuz, the best music streaming service for audiophiles, with LDAC and the default EQ enabled.
‘Gold Guns Girls’ by Metric highlighted the earbuds’ confident, energetic presentation. The soundstage felt reasonably wide for a closed in-ear design, as the vocals remained firmly centered and forward while the guitars extended towards the edges. The bass sat solidly underneath the mix and sounded punchy. It didn’t crowd the mid-range either, while the drums and percussion gave the track some lateral movement and air. The Live Beam 4 kept up with the energetic and lively rhythm, resulting in an immersive listening experience.
I then listened to ‘Parachute’ by Hayley Williams, and the intimate, emotional vocals came through with plenty of clarity and texture. Sibilance sounded controlled and Hayley’s words didn’t bleed into one another. Stronger vocal peaks, like in the second verse, remained engaging without sounding harsh. I also love how the treble sounded lively rather than subdued as the earbuds added a sparkle to the cymbals and guitar riffs.
‘Nova’ by Burial and Four Tet proved that the Live Beam 4 are more than capable of handling dense electronic productions. From deep bass pulses and textured percussion, to the atmospheric effects and rapidly shifting rhythmic details, the earbuds kept all elements separated, even when the arrangement became busy. The buds’ bass response gave the song a solid foundation while the treble added definition to the smaller clicks, hi-hats and digital details. Even at nearly full volume, the track remained distortion-free and didn’t lose composure.
Regardless of the song or genre I listened to through the Live Beam 4, I couldn’t help but bob my head along. Podcasts and audiobooks sounded detailed, too, and I felt fully immersed. There’s also a Spatial Sound mode which works well to create a three-dimensional sound, but vocals sound a little thin. Despite that, the Live Beam 4 are seriously impressive earbuds.
Listen along to my review with the JBL Live Beam 4 testing playlist:
JBL Live Beam 4 review: App
Having tested and used many of JBL’s speakers and earbuds, I’ve never been disappointed by their companion apps — and the same is true in the case of the JBL Live Beam 4. These earbuds are accompanied by the JBL Headphones app, available on iOS and Android, and it’s a wonderful piece of software.
The JBL Headphones app sports a clean layout and gives you extensive control over the Live Beam 4’s settings. When you launch the app for the first time, you’ll be asked to do a seal check, and I recommend doing so as it ensures that you’re getting the best-possible listening experience. Once that’s done, you can customize the 10-band EQ, personalize the sound according to your ear shape with Personi-Fi 3.0, adjust the ANC level, and customize the touch controls, among other things.
All of this is extremely easy to do, and there’s plenty of signposting to make you understand what each function does.
JBL Live Beam 4 review: ANC
The JBL Live Beam 4 feature adaptive active noise cancelation, or True Adaptive Noise Cancelling 2.0 with Real Time Calibration, as JBL calls it. At the highest level, the ANC works really well — indoors, at least. The earbuds blocked out the song of my mechanical keyboard as well as office chatter. My colleagues had to wave to grab my attention because I just couldn’t hear them.
I found the ANC a little lacking outdoors. I was still able to hear the loud rattling of the bus, and the sounds of traffic still made it through. This is a similar level of ANC to the Nothing Ear (3), and if you want better, the Bose QuietComfort are arguably the best ANC earbuds in this price range.
JBL Live Beam 4 review: Call quality
On paper, the JBL Live Beam 4 sound like they’re excellent for phone calls. They’re fitted with six beam-forming mics, and utilize what JBL calls Perfect Calls 2.0, which harnesses AI-trained algorithms to cut out background chatter and make you sound clear. Call quality, when there are no external disturbances, is good. My partner said that my voice sounded loud and clear, and that it had a warm tone to it. On a team call, my colleagues noted I sound good but one of them mentioned some clipping, but that could also be because of Wi-Fi stability.
When something’s playing in the background, like a TV show, or you’re in a crowded store, chatter makes its way through. My partner said that she could hear announcements on the PA system at a grocery store, and that my voice sounded like it was pushed into the background.
So, for team calls in a meeting room or your home office? Good! For calling your partner to ask whether you should pick up apples or oranges or both while in a busy supermarket? Not the best. I’d recommend the Bose QuietComfort there.
JBL Live Beam 4 review: Battery life
Another compelling reason to buy the JBL Live Beam 4 is their class-leading battery life. With ANC disabled, the earbuds are rated for 12 hours of playtime, or 10 hours with ANC on, and you get a total of 48 hours from the charging case. I used the earbuds for seven hours with ANC and LDAC enabled, at varying volume levels, and the case indicated I had 15% battery left. LDAC uses more power than, say, AAC and SBC, so your mileage will depend on your settings.
The Live Beam 4 are either on par with their competition or they upstage them. With ANC disabled, the Bose QuietComfort are rated for 12 hours (31.5 hours from case), and the Nothing Ear (3) can last up to 10 hours (38 hours from case). The AirPods 5 perform the worst here, as they last just six hours without ANC (20 hours from case). The Live Beam 4 perform just as well as the pricier Sony WF-1000XM6, too, which are rated for 12 hours (24 hours from case).
Are there any differences between the Beam’s, Flex’s and Buds’ battery lives? Just a smidge. The Flex 4 can last up to 10 hours with ANC disabled (50 hours from case), while the Buds 4 are rated for 10 hours with ANC off (40 hours from case).
JBL Live Beam 4 review: Verdict
So, should you buy the JBL Live Beam 4, the Live Flex 4 or the Live Buds 4? Depends entirely on your budget and style choice! I’d go with the Live Beam 4, personally. JBL has knocked it out of the park with them. Ridiculously comfortable and sporting a colorful design, these earbuds are aesthetically pleasing and practical. Their ANC is effective, though not the best compared to the Bose QuietComfort, but their prowess lies in the wide soundstage and punchy bass.
The Live Beam 4 don’t give you much to complain about in the audio department. They also come with a handy charging case with a touchscreen, too, and it enables you to control the earbuds’ settings and toggle certain features on or off. If you want even more customization, the JBL Headphones companion app is extremely user-friendly. Battery life is also class-leading, making the Live Beam 4 some of the best wireless earbuds you can buy today. They’ve replaced my Nothing Ear (3) as my go-to earbuds.
