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Updated April 11, 2024·
If you prioritize portability, wireless convenience with sweat and dust resistance, and use during exercise, the JBL Live Beam 3 earbuds might suit you, including features like active noise cancelling and a smart charging case with a display for controls. However, if cost is a concern and you require excellent mic quality for calls or gaming, and plan mostly indoor use, the Turtle Beach Recon 70 headphones offer great value and features like a boom mic, but without wireless capabilities or resistance to sweat and dust. The JBLs have LDAC for higher quality audio over Bluetooth and are optimized for both Android and Apple devices, whereas the Turtle Beach is wired and lacks those optimizations. 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 Turtle Beach Recon 70
Best in class for phone calls
Very good for gaming
Good for TV and video
Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
7.8/10
7.1/10
The JBL Live Beam 3 and Turtle Beach Recon 70 are both good for music, though the JBL Live Beam 3 is somewhat better.
Gaming
5.4/10
8.4/10
The Turtle Beach Recon 70 is very good for gaming, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is poor.
Phone Calls
5.2/10
9.6/10
The Turtle Beach Recon 70 is best in class for phone calls, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.9/10
7.6/10
The Turtle Beach Recon 70 is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is poor.
TV and Video
5.6/10
7.5/10
The Turtle Beach Recon 70 is good for TV and video, while the JBL Live Beam 3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.3/10
5.6/10
The JBL Live Beam 3 is very good for noise reduction, while the Turtle Beach Recon 70 is poor.
Battery
12.0 Hours
N/A
The JBL Live Beam 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The Turtle Beach Recon 70 does not have a battery.
Cost
$216
$40
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
The JBL Live Beam 3 has a price of $216 and the Turtle Beach Recon 70 costs $40.
"There aren’t many considerations to make here. The Turtle Beach Recon 70 sounds decent, offers solid chat audio, feels good to wear over long periods, and it works everywhere. If you’re in the market for a simple plug-and-play option, you could do a whole lot worse (and spend a whole lot more money). Regardless, if getting something cheap that works well is the only thing you care about, this is a great option."
Get a great deal on the JBL Live Beam 3 or the Turtle Beach Recon 70
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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