JBL's wireless earbuds might not hold the same kind of sway as Sony or Bose's, but they usually perform well – our JBL Live Pro 2 review was five stars, and three years after launching, they still feature on our list of best wireless earbuds. So a new pair is big news.
The JBL Live 4 series promise improvements all round – a better case giving you more options, new drivers for better sound quality, and improved noise cancellation. You also get more colours to choose from. All of which sounds good to us.
The JBL Live 4 comes in three wearing styles: Buds, Beam and Flex. Buds are a standard wireless earbud design; Beam is a stem design with ear tips; and Flex is a stem design that sits in the outer ear for a more relaxed fit.
The new drivers promise clearer sound and deeper bass, while "new, enhanced algorithms" should enhance the active noise cancellation, though there's no word on by how much.
The Smart Charging Case from the JBL Live Beam 3 returns, and it has some improvements. The screen is bigger, with a new user interface, and it lets you swipe to check notifications, skip songs and change the equaliser (EQ) settings. You can also add your most used features to the home screen for easy access. And you can personalise it with background themes or a picture.
Calls should be clear thanks to the new AI-trained algorithm that should cancel out more background noise to prioritise voices.
Of course, it'll all hinge on how these earbuds sound, and here JBL has a strong track record.
All JBL Live 4 models are available now for £180 (around $245 / AU$340). The JBL Live Beam 4 and Live Flex 4 come in Black, Blue, Green, Silver, Orange, Purple and Sand finishes, while the JBL Live Buds 4 come in Black, Blue, Silver and Sand.
The JBL Live 780NC and Live 680NC that we covered previously are also out today, costing £180 (around $240 / AU$340) and £130 (around $175 / AU$240) respectively.
MORE:
JBL’s smart case for wireless earbuds is fun – but I don't think Apple's AirPods need one
Here are 8 mistakes to avoid with your wireless earbuds
Read our JBL Live Pro 2 TWS review
