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Earbud comparison

JBL Live Beam 3 vs Beats Studio Buds

Compare sound, battery life, fit, controls and connections.

Compared products
01Selected
JBL Live Beam 3

JBL Live Beam 3

  • In-ear design uses sealing ear tips.
  • 5 g per earbud.
  • Charging case uses USB-C.
  • Can stay connected to two devices.
  • Noise cancellation for listening.
KSh 18,800Out of Stock
02
Beats Studio Buds

Beats Studio Buds

  • In-ear design uses sealing ear tips.
  • Charging case uses USB-C.
  • Noise cancellation for listening.
  • Bluetooth wireless.
  • IPX4 water and dust resistance.
KSh 18,800In Stock

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2 of 4 products

Our quick verdict

The JBL Live Beam 3 is the better buy: it has better water and dust protection (IP55) and lasts longer between charges (up to 12 hours).

Battery life

JBL Live Beam 3
Up to 48 hours with the case
Beats Studio Buds
Up to 8 hours ANC off

Controls

JBL Live Beam 3
Earbud touch controls and case touchscreen
Beats Studio Buds
Multifunction button on each earbud

Water resistance

JBL Live Beam 3
IP55 water and dust resistance
Beats Studio Buds
IPX4 water and dust resistance

Charging

JBL Live Beam 3
10 minutes for 4 hours
Beats Studio Buds
5 minutes for up to 1 hour playback

Software

JBL Live Beam 3
JBL Headphones
Beats Studio Buds
Works with the Beats app

Key differences

The main differences to help you choose.

JBL Live Beam 3

  • IP55 water and dust resistance (vs IPX4).
  • Longer rated battery life: up to 12 hours (vs 8 hours).
  • Newer model: released in 2024 (vs 2021).
  • Hi-Res Audio certified.

Beats Studio Buds

  • Up to 8 hours ANC off.
  • 5 minutes for up to 1 hour playback.
  • IPX4 water and dust resistance.
  • Works with the Beats app.

What matters most to you?

Choose any priorities

How each product answers the questions buyers ask most. Tick a topic to add it, untick one to hide it.

More topicsFewer topics
6 priorities selected.
How each product answers the selected priorities
PriorityJBL Live Beam 3Beats Studio Buds
Battery lifeUp to 48 hours with the caseUp to 8 hours ANC off
ControlsEarbud touch controls and case touchscreenMultifunction button on each earbud
ConnectionsBluetooth wirelessBluetooth wireless
Water resistanceIP55 water and dust resistanceIPX4 water and dust resistance
Charging10 minutes for 4 hours5 minutes for up to 1 hour playback
SoftwareJBL HeadphonesWorks with the Beats app

Detailed comparison

Explore the full specifications, section by section.

General

General specifications comparison
SpecificationJBL Live Beam 3Beats Studio Buds
BrandJBLBeats
ModelLive Beam 3Studio Buds (original)
AnnouncedJanuary 20242021
TypeTrue Wireless In-Ear EarbudsTrue Wireless In-Ear Earbuds

Design

Design specifications comparison
SpecificationJBL Live Beam 3Beats Studio Buds
Weight5 g per earbud—
Dimensions22.51 x 31.04 x 23.74 mm per earbud—

Battery & Charging

Battery & Charging specifications comparison
SpecificationJBL Live Beam 3Beats Studio Buds
Battery LifeUp to 12 hours ANC off; 10 hours ANC on; 9 hours adaptive ANCUp to 8 hours ANC off; up to 5 hours ANC on
Charging Time2 hours—
Fast Charging10 minutes for 4 hours5 minutes for up to 1 hour playback
Charging PortUSB-C on caseUSB-C on case
Wireless ChargingWireless case charging—

Connectivity

Connectivity specifications comparison
SpecificationJBL Live Beam 3Beats Studio Buds
ConnectionBluetooth wirelessBluetooth wireless
BluetoothEarbuds 5.3; case 5.1—
Multipoint ConnectionYes—
App SupportJBL HeadphonesBeats app for Android

Features

Features specifications comparison
SpecificationJBL Live Beam 3Beats Studio Buds
Voice AssistantVoice assistant configured through JBL Headphones app—
Special Features—Either earbud usable independently; Apple Find My and Android device finding

Audio

Audio specifications comparison
SpecificationJBL Live Beam 3Beats Studio Buds
Drivers10 mm dynamic—
Frequency Response20 Hz–40 kHz—
Impedance16 ohms—
Active Noise CancellationTrue Adaptive ANCActive noise cancellation
Transparency / Ambient ModeSmart Ambient and TalkThruTransparency Mode
Spatial AudioJBL Spatial SoundCompatible with supported spatial-audio content
MicrophonesSix microphonesTwo ANC microphones and one voice microphone per earbud
Audio FeaturesHi-Res Audio Wireless—

Charging Case

Charging Case specifications comparison
SpecificationJBL Live Beam 3Beats Studio Buds
Case TypeSmart Charging Case with 1.45-inch touchscreenCharging case
Case Battery Life36 additional hours ANC off; 48 hours totalUp to 24 hours combined ANC off; up to 15 hours ANC on
Case ChargingUSB-C and wirelessUSB-C wired charging
Case Charging PortUSB-CUSB-C
Case Wireless ChargingYes—
Case Dimensions61 x 51 x 30.25 mm—
Case Weight72 g—
Case FeaturesTouchscreen music, volume, calls and EQ controls; lanyard loop—

Design & Controls

Design & Controls specifications comparison
SpecificationJBL Live Beam 3Beats Studio Buds
ControlsEarbud touch controls and case touchscreenMultifunction button on each earbud
Water & Dust ResistanceIP55 earbudsIPX4 earbuds; case is not sweat/water resistant
Ear Tips / Ear CushionsThree silicone ear-tip sizesThree silicone ear-tip sizes

What's in the Box

What's in the Box specifications comparison
SpecificationJBL Live Beam 3Beats Studio Buds
Headphones / EarbudsJBL Live Beam 3 earbudsBeats Studio Buds
Charging CaseSmart Charging CaseCharging case
Charging CableUSB-C cableUSB-C cable
Audio CableTrue wireless design—
Ear Tips / AccessoriesThree ear-tip sizesThree ear-tip sizes
DocumentationQuick-start guide, safety sheet and warranty/warning—

Similarities

  • Both have active noise cancellation.
  • Both have an ambient mode to hear your surroundings.
  • Both charge over USB-C.
  • Both have built-in microphones for calls.
  • Both connect over Bluetooth.
  • Same connection: Bluetooth wireless.

In summary

The JBL Live Beam 3 is the better buy for almost everyone, with better water and dust protection and longer battery life.

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