The JBL Live Buds 3 are an interesting attempt to stand out in a crowded true wireless market, mainly thanks to their feature-heavy design and distinctive charging case. After spending time with them, they come across as a product with some clear strengths, but also a few decisions that get in the way of day-to-day usability.

Sound quality is a quite good once you spend a bit of time with the EQ. Across a mix of rock, pop, ‘80s rap, and even musicals, they deliver a solid, engaging sound with enough clarity and energy to suit a wide range of listening. They are not pushing into audiophile territory, but for general use they sound good and are easy to listen to for extended sessions.

Fit and comfort are generally good, though not perfect. The earbuds are fairly small and avoid putting pressure on the lower concha, which makes them more comfortable than some larger true wireless designs. However, the nozzle is a bit short and seems designed to sit more in the outer ear rather than deeper in the canal. I found myself pushing them in to get a better seal, which sometimes caused them to work loose slightly. They never fell out, but they are not the most secure fit and do need occasional adjustment.

Noise cancellation is adequate but unremarkable. It reduces a reasonable amount of background noise, but it is clearly a step behind top-tier true wireless earbuds. Wind handling is slightly below average, with both the wearer and person on the other end of the call hearing more wind noise than I would have expected.

Controls and connectivity are where more frustrations appear. The touch controls are quite sensitive but offer limited customisation. The three-second hold to mute or unmute is too slow to be practical for calls. I also experienced occasional issues where my phone would connect to the earbuds even when they were in their closed case in another room, which is not something you expect from a modern pair of earbuds.

The charging case is the most distinctive feature, with its built-in screen, but in practice it feels more like a gimmick than a benefit. The case is quite large, battery life is not particularly strong, and the screen can be triggered accidentally in a pocket, sometimes causing unintended actions like ending calls. A smaller, simpler case would have been preferable.

I purchased the JBL Live Buds 3 intending to keep them, but ultimately returned them. While the sound quality and comfort are good, the limited control customisation and below-average microphone noise cancellation made them unsuitable for my main use case, which is Microsoft Teams calls.