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Updated April 10, 2024·
, offering very good overall sound quality and noise isolation. The Bose earbuds provide excellent noise cancellation, which is ideal for air travel and environments with lots of background noise. However, they are not as comfortable for exercise due to their larger size and poorer secure fit. The JBL earbuds offer a better experience for exercise with a very good secure fit and are sweatproof. The JBL earbuds also have a longer battery life and support wireless charging, while the Bose do not. The Bose boast a better soundstage, which might enhance music listening, but their microphone quality is poor, making them less suitable for calls. If active noise cancelling and sound quality are your priorities, go for the Bose; if you value features like wireless charging, longer battery life, and fitness suitability, consider the JBL earbuds. 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 Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds
Best in class for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the JBL Live Beam 3
Very good for exercise
Key differences
Music
7.1/10
7.8/10
The JBL Live Beam 3 and Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds are both good for music, though the JBL Live Beam 3 is somewhat better.
Phone Calls
6.6/10
5.2/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds is only fair for phone calls, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.5/10
5.9/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds is best in class for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
9.1/10
8.3/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds is excellent for noise reduction, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is very good.
Battery
7.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds has 7 hours of battery life. The JBL Live Beam 3 has 12 hours of battery life.
Cost
$199
$216
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds has a price of $199 and the JBL Live Beam 3 costs $216.
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds and JBL Live Beam 3 are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
6.0/10
5.6/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds to be only fair for TV and video, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is poor.
Build Quality
8.9/10
8.5/10
The Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds and JBL Live Beam 3 both have very good build quality.
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How the Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds and the JBL Live Beam 3 compare to other earbuds and headphones
"The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds is a great do-it-all option for anyone, so long as you can afford it. This is a great alternative to the Apple AirPods Pro and Sony WF-1000XM4. You can choose the degree of noise canceling, and enjoy premium features like automatic ear-detection. These earbuds merit an IPX4 rating, making them a fine workout companion."
Get a great deal on the Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds or the JBL Live Beam 3
About Bose
Bose is an American audio equipment manufacturer based out of Framingham, Massachusetts. Founded in 1964 by Amar Bose with the goal of creating a speaker system that could accurately recreate the sound of a concert hall, Bose has become one of the most prominent players in the modern consumer audio market due to the premium feel of their products and their wide brand recognition.
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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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.
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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.