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K361
Company ProductName Specs




Live Beam 3
Company ProductName Specs




What we think

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The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·

If price is a major concern and you don't need wireless capabilities, AKG K361 headphones offer a lower midrange price with very good sound quality, comfort, and build. They are ideal for music and TV thanks to their good soundstage, but not suited for exercise due to being wired and not sweatproof. Conversely, JBL Live Beam 3 earbuds are a premium wireless option that excel in portability, exercise use, and feature a smart charging case with touch controls, active noise cancelling, and optimized interaction with both Android and Apple devices. However, they may not be as suitable for long music sessions or watching TV due to the absence of low latency features. Give Feedback

this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the AKG K361
  • Good for TV and video
Advantages of the JBL Live Beam 3
  • Very good for exercise
  • Very good for air travel

Key differences

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Gaming

6.3
K361
Live Beam 3
5.4
The AKG K361 is only fair for gaming, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is poor.

Phone Calls

3.2
K361
Live Beam 3
5.2
The JBL Live Beam 3 and AKG K361 are both poor for phone calls, though the JBL Live Beam 3 is somewhat better.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

5.0
K361
Live Beam 3
5.9
The JBL Live Beam 3 and AKG K361 are both poor for podcasts and audiobooks, though the JBL Live Beam 3 is somewhat better.

TV and Video

7.8
K361
Live Beam 3
5.6
The AKG K361 is good for TV and video, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is poor.

Noise Reduction

6.0
K361
Live Beam 3
8.3
The JBL Live Beam 3 is very good for noise reduction, while the AKG K361 is only fair.

Battery

N/A
K361
Live Beam 3
12.0 Hours
The AKG K361 does not have a battery. The JBL Live Beam 3 has 12 hours of battery life.

Cost

$99
K361
Live Beam 3
$216
Product image
Product image

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

The AKG K361 has a price of $99 and the JBL Live Beam 3 costs $216.
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Key similarities

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Music

7.5
K361
Live Beam 3
7.8
The JBL Live Beam 3 and AKG K361 are both good for music.

Build Quality

8.5
K361
Live Beam 3
8.5
The AKG K361 and JBL Live Beam 3 both have very good build quality.

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We’re constantly working to improve.

How the AKG K361 and the JBL Live Beam 3 compare to other earbuds and headphones

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Spec Comparison

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AKG K361JBL Live Beam 3
AKG K361JBL Live Beam 3

GENERAL

Price
$99
$216
Brand
AKGJBL
Release Date
July 1, 2018June 1, 2024
Form Factor
HeadphonesEarbuds
Connectivity
WiredWireless

SOUND

Music Score
7.5/107.9/10
Phone Calls Score
3.3/105.3/10
Gaming Score
6.4/105.4/10
TV and Video Score
7.9/105.7/10
Exercise Score
4.3/108.4/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
N/A12 Hours
Wireless charging
N/AYes
Charging time
N/A2 Hours
Bluetooth version
N/A5.3
Case Battery Life
N/A36

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
NoYes
Noise Reduction Score
6/108.4/10
Virtual Surround
NoYes
Android App
N/AYes
iOS App
N/AYes
Mic Quality
N/A7/10

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
8.5/108.5/10
Comfort score
7.6/107/10
Size
N/ALarge
Weight (headset or single earbud)
219 Grams8.8 Grams
Microphone style
N/AIntegrated

Shopping

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AKG K361

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Dig into reviews and images

Medium

Alex Rowe | November 2019
"The K361 retains much of what makes the K371 such a winner, though it has a leaner sound, and the build changes made to trim the price down are immediately apparent. Still, it’s another excellent offering from AKG, and other companies in this fight should either be very worried or quickly designing updates to their old models."

Get a great deal on the AKG K361 or the JBL Live Beam 3

About JBL

JBL is an American audio equipment manufacturer. Owned by Harman International which is, itself, owned by Samsung Electronics. JBL markets a wide array of monitoring speakers, professional headphones and consumer market headphones and earbuds. It was founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing (whose initials give the company its name) and has become one of the most prolific audio companies ever. Their products were responsible for audio during the 1969 Woodstock Festival.

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Why trust us

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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.

By the numbers

108
Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
15
Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
122,600
Recommendations made
18,390
Consumer hours saved

About the Earbuds or Headphones team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Luis Torres

Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.

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