JBL Live Buds 3

I have other JBL products and I never got disappointed by their performances. This one is a mix of good and bad after having them for 6 months. Lets start with the good point, because the are some. The noise cancelling is good, really good, it is active and works like a charm in public transport, and that the reason I still like them. if you do other sports, like cycling, there is a way to use ambiance aware so you have a muted version of the noise around you, good with traffic or in a work setting. The sound is great and it can connect to 2 phones at the same time. You won't have the 2 playing at the same time but if you listen to music with one, you can receive a phone call on the other and it switches automatically. The app is easy to use and I like the fact that I don't have to use it at all. I can do everything on the case. The idea that I don't have to get my phone out to do an action is fantastic. that's where it start to go downhill from here...

Onto the bad points.

The battery life is killing me, the buds have a descent autonomy, but the case is what kills everything. If I only use it for my commute to work, it's 2h30 for a day, the battery from the case will need to be recharged by Thursday. So if you are using them for an extended amount of time each day, like I do sometimes, lets just say a 6-8h over the course of a busy day, you have to charge them every night. My old cheaper one lasted the week, and that's not the only issue I have with the JBL. That's where I am really disappointed, if you read their claim the buds have 10h battery life and there is another 30 on the case. But it's with everything turned off, meaning the actual available time is way less than you think because I don't know anyone that will turn off one of the biggest selling point of these earbuds, the noise cancellation!!! Calls... That's the other sticky point, how do I put it, it sucks, because the noise cancelling stops working, so now you have the actual outside noise bothering you, you can't hear properly the conversation, and the other person can hear your surroundings. Best example is getting a phone call at the train station, I can't hear properly the conversation neither my counterpart. so I have to call back later in a less busy spot, and the wind noise reduction... nope! Now to the case, this is where the biggest disappointment is, I was trying to get away from getting a second smart watch because of the 2 phones I have, so thinking I would get notifications and other perks with the screen box was a great idea. Spoiler alert, I bought a second watch... The only notification you will receive is a call, no text or anything else. There is a massive missed opportunity here to get a great product but they have decided not to use it. The screen is useful don't get me wrong, I use it when I put my buds on, start my playlist and adjust the volume without reaching for my phone. But I would have liked a clock rather than a background pic. the screen is so sensitive that I had to stop the auto wakeup function, side note that's how I have extended the battery life, everything is off on the case and I have to press the power button to access it.

So my final thoughts, If you are only after a good sound, JBL offers fantastic other options for a cheaper price. If you are after a long battery life look elsewhere. If you want clear phone calls, their are better options. The case is still I believe a great idea, and most issues I have with it could be very simply solved with a simple software update. JBL if you are reading this, put a clock as a background. I like the fact that I don't have to fiddle with the buds to control things, yes you can do a lot with the buds touch sequences but I can't be bothered being precise when I touch them, one tap to stop and start, and answer a phone call that is the extent I am willing to go because if you don't touch the right area, it doesn't work then I get frustrated. So they are kind of working for me, probably not the best option but I am stuck with them until they die, which to be fair they probably won't given how my other product are still in use and have no sign of going to die soon. But if you are about to buy them, get them on sale, don't pay the full price.