A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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Live Beam 3
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Nekocake
Company ProductName Specs




What we think

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

If you prioritize sound quality and use your earbuds primarily for music or during exercise, and don't mind paying a premium price, the JBL Live Beam 3 would be a better choice with its very good overall sound quality and additional features like active noise canceling, longer battery life, and sweatproof certification. The Smart Charging Case with an LED touch display also adds convenience. However, if you are on a budget and need a pair for casual listening, like books or podcasts, and short calls, the Moondrop Nekocake, being much less expensive, offers good sound quality and very good noise isolation without the extra 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 JBL Live Beam 3
  • Good for music
  • Very good for exercise
Advantages of the Moondrop Nekocake
  • Good for podcasts and audiobooks

Key differences

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Music

7.8
Live Beam 3
Nekocake
5.7
The JBL Live Beam 3 is good for music, while the Moondrop Nekocake is poor.

Gaming

5.4
Live Beam 3
Nekocake
4.6
The JBL Live Beam 3 and Moondrop Nekocake are both poor for gaming, though the JBL Live Beam 3 is somewhat better.

Phone Calls

5.2
Live Beam 3
Nekocake
6.1
The Moondrop Nekocake is only fair for phone calls, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is poor.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

5.9
Live Beam 3
Nekocake
7.7
The Moondrop Nekocake is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is poor.

TV and Video

5.6
Live Beam 3
Nekocake
5.0
The JBL Live Beam 3 and Moondrop Nekocake are both poor for TV and video, though the JBL Live Beam 3 is somewhat better.

Noise Reduction

8.3
Live Beam 3
Nekocake
7.0
The JBL Live Beam 3 is very good for noise reduction, while the Moondrop Nekocake is good.

Battery

12.0 Hours
Live Beam 3
Nekocake
3.0 Hours
The JBL Live Beam 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The Moondrop Nekocake has 3 hours of battery life.

Cost

$216
Live Beam 3
Nekocake
$39
Product image
Product image

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The JBL Live Beam 3 has a price of $216 and the Moondrop Nekocake costs $39.
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Key similarities

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Build Quality

8.5
Live Beam 3
Nekocake
8.5
The JBL Live Beam 3 and Moondrop Nekocake both have very good build quality.

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How the JBL Live Beam 3 and the Moondrop Nekocake compare to other earbuds and headphones

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Spec Comparison

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JBL Live Beam 3Moondrop Nekocake
JBL Live Beam 3Moondrop Nekocake

GENERAL

Price
$216
$39
Brand
JBLMoondrop
Release Date
June 1, 2024October 1, 2021
Form Factor
EarbudsEarbuds
Connectivity
WirelessWireless

SOUND

Music Score
7.9/105.7/10
Phone Calls Score
5.3/106.2/10
Gaming Score
5.4/104.7/10
TV and Video Score
5.7/105/10
Exercise Score
8.4/105.6/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
12 Hours3 Hours
Wireless charging
YesNo
Charging time
2 Hours1 Hours
Bluetooth version
5.35
Case Battery Life
3612

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
YesYes
Noise Reduction Score
8.4/107/10
Virtual Surround
YesNo
Android App
YesYes
iOS App
YesYes
Mic Quality
7/105.4/10

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
8.5/108.5/10
Comfort score
7/107.6/10
Size
LargeMedium
Weight (headset or single earbud)
8.8 Grams5.4 Grams
Microphone style
IntegratedIntegrated

Shopping

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Moondrop Nekocake

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Dig into reviews and images

Headphonics

Jarvin | January 2022
"What sets the Nekocake apart from its competition at this price point is the Moondrop Link app that allows the user to change the tonal balance of the Nekocake. This makes sure that it’s versatile enough to suit different sonic preferences while allowing some customization of controls."

Get a great deal on the JBL Live Beam 3 or the Moondrop Nekocake

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.

About Moondrop

Moondrop is a Chinese brand of smart audio equipment, portable audio players, earbuds and headphones started in 2015. During the last few years they have become one of the major players in what is lovingly referred to as the Chi-fi market, the bulk of Chinese companies that have managed to actually compete with the western manufacturers in both prices and superior quality. Products such as the Blessing II, Chu and Kato are among the most popular offerings of the brand, more popular among those users that wish for good quality audio that won't break the bank. Besides audio, the brand also works in what they call the ACGN field (Animation, Comics, Games and Short Novels).

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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
123,500
Recommendations made
18,525
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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