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Live Beam 3
Company ProductName Specs




Ear Stick
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 over price and often use earbuds for exercise or air travel, the JBL Live Beam 3 with superior noise isolation and sweatproof features would serve you well. They also have a unique Smart Charging Case with a display for control convenience. However, if you're looking for something more affordable, adequate for calls, meetings, and gaming due to the low latency mode, and with very good mic quality, then the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is a compelling option. Keep in mind that the "Nothing" Ear Stick has open enclosures, which means they won't isolate noise as effectively as the JBLs. 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
  • Very good for air travel
Advantages of the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick
  • Very good for phone calls
  • Very good for gaming
  • Good for TV and video
  • Very good for podcasts and audiobooks

Key differences

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Music

7.8
Live Beam 3
Ear Stick
6.1
The JBL Live Beam 3 is good for music, while the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is only fair.

Gaming

5.4
Live Beam 3
Ear Stick
8.1
The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is very good for gaming, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is poor.

Phone Calls

5.2
Live Beam 3
Ear Stick
8.6
The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is very good for phone calls, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is poor.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

5.9
Live Beam 3
Ear Stick
8.4
The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is poor.

TV and Video

5.6
Live Beam 3
Ear Stick
7.5
The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is good for TV and video, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is poor.

Noise Reduction

8.3
Live Beam 3
Ear Stick
2.5
The JBL Live Beam 3 is very good for noise reduction, while the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is poor.

Battery

12.0 Hours
Live Beam 3
Ear Stick
5.0 Hours
The JBL Live Beam 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick has 5 hours of battery life.

Cost

$216
Live Beam 3
Ear Stick
$99
Product image
Product image

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

The JBL Live Beam 3 has a price of $216 and the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick costs $99.

Build Quality

8.5
Live Beam 3
Ear Stick
9.0
The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick has excellent build quality, while the JBL Live Beam 3 has very good build quality.
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How the JBL Live Beam 3 and the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick compare to other earbuds and headphones

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Spec Comparison

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JBL Live Beam 3"Nothing" Brand Ear Stick
JBL Live Beam 3"Nothing" Brand Ear Stick

GENERAL

Price
$216
$99
Brand
JBL"Nothing" Brand
Release Date
June 1, 2024November 1, 2022
Form Factor
EarbudsEarbuds
Connectivity
WirelessWireless

SOUND

Music Score
7.9/106.2/10
Phone Calls Score
5.3/108.7/10
Gaming Score
5.4/108.2/10
TV and Video Score
5.7/107.6/10
Exercise Score
8.4/107/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
12 Hours5 Hours
Wireless charging
YesNo
Charging time
2 Hours1.2 Hours
Bluetooth version
5.35.2
Case Battery Life
3622

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
YesNo
Noise Reduction Score
8.4/102.5/10
Virtual Surround
YesNo
Android App
YesYes
iOS App
YesYes
Mic Quality
7/108.5/10

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
8.5/109/10
Comfort score
7/107/10
Size
LargeSmall
Weight (headset or single earbud)
8.8 Grams4.4 Grams
Microphone style
IntegratedIntegrated

Shopping

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"Nothing" Brand Ear Stick

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Dig into reviews and images

Sound Guys

Jasper Lastoria | December 2022
"If the Ear (stick) fits your ears, its light weight means you can easily wear it until the unimpressive battery life totally drains. The IP54 rating of the buds lends some confidence that it’ll survive some light abuse too. Finally, for the person who only wears earbuds at their desk, the Nothing Ear (stick) with its decent microphone could offer a reasonable Zoom meeting solution."

Get a great deal on the JBL Live Beam 3 or the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick

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
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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