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JBL Live Beam 4 review
JBL is back with its new generation of touchscreen-equipped earbuds, and the JBL Live Beam 4 may just be my favorite of the bunch.
These in-ear wireless earbuds come with a number of improvements over their predecessors, including enhanced active noise cancelling capabilities, new “fidelity drivers” for more advanced audio, and better call quality to boot. That’s not to mention an updated UI for the smart charging case, which is packed with more features than ever before.
But are these changes good enough to cement the JBL Live Beam 4 as some of the best wireless earbuds that money can buy? Here’s what I think after weeks of testing.
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Let’s start by talking about the smart charging case, which is the Live series’ unique selling point. Although it certainly borders on gimmicky, the revamped UI is actually pretty responsive, and is packed with plenty of functionality. You can adjust the ANC mode, equalizer, spatial sound settings, and playback settings, for instance, and ‘favorite’ certain settings for speedier access.
But that’s not all. You can also access tools such as a timer, flashlight, and a Find My Buds application, and also set a background — including a custom photo, which I loved doing. Gaining access to these instruments without needing to remove your phone (or other source device) may be handy in certain situations — like when your device is in a bag or on charge.
As chic as the touchscreen case is, though, I still found myself gravitating towards the JBL Headphones app on my phone — the ease of a larger screen, and the full control available in the companion software made it a more natural choice for me.
The feature-set available is pretty comprehensive just on the case though, and marks a vast improvement on the suite of features to be found in JBL’s past screen-toting buds. On top of what I’ve already mentioned, you can activate a smart talk option — similar to Sony’s speak-to-chat feature. You can also customize touch controls, and alter how your voice — and the person on the other side — sounds on phone calls (there’s a natural, powerful, or bright version).
Given that JBL has also included ‘Perfect Calls 2.0’ tech, which harnesses an AI-trained algorithm, you may expect primo call quality here, but unfortunately, I found it to be a touch underwhelming. It was by no means bad, but during a call, my colleague noted how my voice lacked the clarity and definition they’d expected. When making a voice recording I found this to be accurate — my speech was clear enough, but there was a fair bit of sibilance, and background noises were pretty prominent too.
But let’s talk about arguably the most important feature of all — active noise cancellation. You can choose to have this on, off, or use a transparency mode, all of which are easy to cycle through in-app or on the smart charging case.
But just how good is the ANC on these earbuds? Well… it’s decent. We weren’t blown away by noise the cancelling on the JBL Live Beam 3, and despite some improvement, I still found them a little prone to letting external noise creep in. Whether it was passing by traffic, typing in my office, or chatter on buses, I could still hear a fair bit, even when listening at around 70% volume. The Beam 4 still dulled sounds effectively, and kept me focused on my tunes, but if you’re expecting the silence-inducing ANC of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2, for instance, then you may be disappointed.
Anyway, I think it’s about time I started giving the JBL Beam 4 their flowers, because they impressed me in almost every other area — including what is arguably the most crucial of all: sound quality. These are a fantastic-sounding pair of wireless buds, especially with LDAC activated for higher-resolution Bluetooth streaming.
Right out of the box, the Live Beam 4 offer exciting, impactful, yet detailed audio. As is usually the case with JBL audio gear, the bass is fairly forward, but not to the point that it’s distasteful or ‘boomy’.
For instance, tuning into Soul Mass Transit System’s Feel Da Vibe, I was struck by the deep, hypnotic bassline, which rippled throughout the track effortlessly, never sounding lethargic or unrefined. In addition, synths in the mid-range and drums up high never sounded drowned out or obscured by the hard-hitting bass.
More stripped-back, acoustic tracks sound great on the Live Beam 4 too. For example, in 78 Rotações by Jards Macalé, fingerpicked guitars sounded expressive and vibrant, and the natural tonality of the raw playing was replicated with finesse. Sure, vocals could have been separated in the mix a bit more effectively, but I still really enjoyed the listening experience overall — subtle percussive elements and guitar licks sounded were positioned brilliantly, and the buds’ broad soundstage made for a surprisingly immersive presentation.
All in all, I’d argue that these are some of the best-sounding earbuds in their price range. Treble is controlled yet vivid enough to capture the excitement of more energetic tracks, mids are detailed and clean-sounding, and bass is impactful yet disciplined. One thing, though: keep Spatial Sound off. This setting only made my music sound compressed, and vocals sound artificial and shrill. You also have to turn LDAC off to use it, so I’d steer clear, personally.
Something else I really liked about the Live Beam 4 is their design. Their stems make them easy to remove from your ears, and the glossy finish on the exterior is pretty enticing. The case itself is pretty neat-looking too and is built to a very high standard. The display itself is fairly bright, and although the case is on the bulky side overall, it’s still small enough to slot into just about any pocket.
In the ear, the buds also feel phenomenally comfortable and secure. I never felt the need to take them out, even when listening to music for hours on end — something I honestly can’t say about a lot of competitors. They’re also IP55 dust and waterproof-rated, meaning I was able to use the Beam 4 even if it was pouring with rain outside.
So are the JBL Live Beam 4 worth their £179.99 / AU$269.95 (about $240) asking price? For me, it’s a resounding yes. They offer genuinely sophisticated sound, a really comfortable in-ear fit, and plenty of features to play around with. The smart case — though admittedly a bit of a gimmick — is responsive and a fun inclusion, and I enjoyed setting a custom background, using the built-in applications, and having swift access to EQ settings, for example.
The battery life — although unchanged from the previous gen — is still plentiful too, 12 hours for the buds, and up to 48 hours with the charging case is better than you’re getting from Apple and Bose’s flagship earbuds.
So, even if the ANC and call quality could be better on the JBL Live Beam 4, they still earn my hearty recommendation, and if you want wireless earbuds that come with a unique twist, they’re well worth checking out.
JBL Live Beam 4 review: price & release date
- List price of £179.99 / AU$269.95 (about $240)
- Revealed in May 2026
The JBL Live Beam 4 were revealed in May 2026, about two years after their predecessor, the JBL Live Beam 3. They come in at £179.99 / AU$269.95 (about $240), meaning they cost the same as the previous gen model did at launch (in the UK). We’re yet to receive any information about pricing or a launch in the US, but we’ll update this review if and when we hear more.
They’re priced competitively, coming in at a lower cost than top-tier rivals like the AirPods Pro 3 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2.
JBL Live Beam 4 review: specs
|
Drivers |
10mm dynamic |
|
Active noise cancellation |
Yes |
|
Battery life |
12 hours (buds), 48 hours (with charging case) |
|
Weight |
4.9g (per bud) |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 6.0 |
|
Frequency range |
20Hz-40kHz |
|
Waterproofing |
IP55 |
Should I buy the JBL Live Beam 4?
|
Attribute |
Notes |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Features |
Broad feature-set within the charging case and app, but ANC and call quality could be better. |
4/5 |
|
Sound quality |
Impactful bass, rich mids, and vibrant treble and broad soundstage make for excellent audio. |
4.5/5 |
|
Design |
Ultra-comfortable in-ear fit, IP55-rated, and case is well-built, albeit bulky. |
4.5/5 |
|
Value |
A good price for earbuds that are this feature-rich and sound this good. |
4.5/5 |
Buy them if…
Don’t buy them if…
JBL Live Beam 4 review: also consider
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
JBL Live Beam 4 |
Apple AirPods Pro 3 |
Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 |
|
Price |
£179.99 / AU$269.95 (about $240) |
$249 / £219 / AU$429 |
$149 / £119 / AU$199 |
|
Drivers |
10mm dynamic |
Custom high-excursion |
10mm dynamic |
|
Active noise cancellation |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Battery life |
12 hours (buds), 48 hours (with charging case) |
8 hours (buds), 24 hours (with charging case) |
11 hours (buds), 39 hours (with charging case) |
|
Weight |
4.9g (per bud) |
5.6g (per bud) |
4.7g (per bud) |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 6.0 |
Bluetooth 5.3 |
Bluetooth 5.4 |
|
Frequency range |
20Hz-40kHz |
20Hz-20kHz |
20Hz-20kHz |
|
Waterproofing |
IP55 |
IP57 |
IPX5 |
How I tested the JBL Live Beam 4
- I tested over the course of multiple weeks
- Mainly used Tidal when assessing audio quality
- Took with me on walks, public transport, and to the office
I spent multiple weeks testing the JBL Live Beam 4, and took them with me just about everywhere I went. This meant that I was able to test the buds’ noise cancelling in a wide variety of environments, including buses, the office, and while on walks in my city.
When assessing audio quality, I mainly used the music streaming app, Tidal, which supports higher-resolution streaming. I did also dip into Spotify from time to time, however. During my time with the Beam 4, I made sure to cycle through the TechRadar testing playlist, which features tracks from a wide variety of genres, but I also bumped a ton of tunes from my personal library as well.
More generally, I’ve spent years testing audio gear here at TechRadar, and have reviewed everything from hulking party speakers to audiophile-friendly wired and wireless headphones. I’ve also tested several pairs of wireless earbuds from the likes of LG and Sony, so I know exactly what it takes for a product to stand out in this competitive segment of the market.
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