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




HD800S
Company ProductName Specs




What we think

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The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·

If you're looking for portability and wireless convenience for activities such as exercise or commuting, the JBL Live Beam 3 earbuds with active noise cancelling and a smart charging case are suitable. These are sweatproof, offer good noise isolation, and very good for use during exercise. However, they have poor performance for calls, meetings, gaming, and TV. In contrast, the Sennheiser HD800S headphones provide exceptional sound quality and an immersive experience for music and TV with their open-back design. However, they lack wireless capability, have poor microphone quality, are not suitable for exercise, require an amplifier for optimal performance, and are more expensive. Consider what you prioritize: portability and active features or superior sound quality and comfort for stationary, indoor use. 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
  • Very good for exercise
  • Very good for air travel
Advantages of the Sennheiser HD800S
  • Best in class for music
  • Good for gaming
  • Best in class for TV and video
  • Very good for podcasts and audiobooks

Key differences

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Music

7.8
Live Beam 3
HD800S
9.9
The Sennheiser HD800S is best in class for music, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is good.

Gaming

5.4
Live Beam 3
HD800S
7.5
The Sennheiser HD800S is good for gaming, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is poor.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

5.9
Live Beam 3
HD800S
8.1
The Sennheiser HD800S is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is poor.

TV and Video

5.6
Live Beam 3
HD800S
9.7
The Sennheiser HD800S is best in class for TV and video, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is poor.

Noise Reduction

8.3
Live Beam 3
HD800S
2.5
The JBL Live Beam 3 is very good for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD800S is poor.

Battery

12.0 Hours
Live Beam 3
HD800S
N/A
The JBL Live Beam 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser HD800S does not have a battery.

Cost

$216
Live Beam 3
HD800S
$1,390
Product image
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The JBL Live Beam 3 has a price of $216 and the Sennheiser HD800S costs $1,390.

Build Quality

8.5
Live Beam 3
HD800S
9.0
The Sennheiser HD800S has excellent build quality, while the JBL Live Beam 3 has very good build quality.
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Key similarities

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Phone Calls

5.2
Live Beam 3
HD800S
5.0
The JBL Live Beam 3 and Sennheiser HD800S are both poor for phone calls.

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How the JBL Live Beam 3 and the Sennheiser HD800S compare to other earbuds and headphones

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Spec Comparison

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JBL Live Beam 3Sennheiser HD800S
JBL Live Beam 3Sennheiser HD800S

GENERAL

Price
$216
$1,390
Brand
JBLSennheiser
Release Date
June 1, 2024December 1, 2015
Form Factor
EarbudsHeadphones
Connectivity
WirelessWired

SOUND

Music Score
7.9/1010/10
Phone Calls Score
5.3/105/10
Gaming Score
5.4/107.6/10
TV and Video Score
5.7/109.7/10
Exercise Score
8.4/104.5/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
12 HoursN/A
Wireless charging
YesN/A
Charging time
2 HoursN/A
Bluetooth version
5.3N/A
Case Battery Life
36N/A

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
YesNo
Noise Reduction Score
8.4/102.5/10
Virtual Surround
YesN/A
Android App
YesN/A
iOS App
YesN/A
Mic Quality
7/10N/A

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
8.5/109/10
Comfort score
7/1010/10
Size
LargeN/A
Weight (headset or single earbud)
8.8 Grams371.9 Grams
Microphone style
IntegratedN/A

Shopping

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Sennheiser HD800S

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Dig into reviews and images

Sound Guys

Christian Thomas | March 2023
"The cans offer stellar sound quality, comfort, and good maintenance options—so they're an easy recommendation if you have the cash and the need for the last headphones you'll buy for years."

Get a great deal on the JBL Live Beam 3 or the Sennheiser HD800S

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 Sennheiser

A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.

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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

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11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
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Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
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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.

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