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Live Buds 3
Company ProductName Specs




Quantum 100
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What we think

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

The JBL Live Buds 3 are a premium choice with very good overall sound quality, active noise cancelling, and are optimized for use during exercise and air travel thanks to their sweatproof, dustproof design, and long battery life. They are also suited for those who prefer wireless convenience and modern features like touch controls on the smart charging case, wireless charging, and app customization. On the other hand, the JBL Quantum 100 headphones are much less expensive and offer a "best in class" microphone, making them ideal for gaming and calls. However, they lack wireless capabilities, active noise cancelling, and have lower durability. If budget is a constraint, or if you prioritize gaming with a high-quality mic and don't need wireless features, the JBL Quantum 100 could be the better option. 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 Buds 3
  • Very good for exercise
  • Very good for air travel
Advantages of the JBL Quantum 100
  • Very good for gaming
  • Good for TV and video

Key differences

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Music

7.8
Live Buds 3
Quantum 100
7.0
The JBL Live Buds 3 and JBL Quantum 100 are both good for music, though the JBL Live Buds 3 is somewhat better.

Gaming

5.4
Live Buds 3
Quantum 100
8.5
The JBL Quantum 100 is very good for gaming, while the JBL Live Buds 3 is poor.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

5.9
Live Buds 3
Quantum 100
4.5
The JBL Live Buds 3 and JBL Quantum 100 are both poor for podcasts and audiobooks, though the JBL Live Buds 3 is somewhat better.

TV and Video

5.6
Live Buds 3
Quantum 100
7.1
The JBL Quantum 100 is good for TV and video, while the JBL Live Buds 3 is poor.

Noise Reduction

8.3
Live Buds 3
Quantum 100
5.3
The JBL Live Buds 3 is very good for noise reduction, while the JBL Quantum 100 is poor.

Battery

10.0 Hours
Live Buds 3
Quantum 100
N/A
The JBL Live Buds 3 has 10 hours of battery life. The JBL Quantum 100 does not have a battery.

Cost

$216
Live Buds 3
Quantum 100
$20
Product image
Product image

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

The JBL Live Buds 3 has a price of $216 and the JBL Quantum 100 costs $20.

Build Quality

8.5
Live Buds 3
Quantum 100
6.5
The JBL Live Buds 3 has very good build quality, while the JBL Quantum 100 has only fair build quality.
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Key similarities

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Phone Calls

5.2
Live Buds 3
Quantum 100
5.5
The JBL Quantum 100 and JBL Live Buds 3 are both poor for phone calls.

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How the JBL Live Buds 3 and the JBL Quantum 100 compare to other earbuds and headphones

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Spec Comparison

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JBL Live Buds 3JBL Quantum 100
JBL Live Buds 3JBL Quantum 100

GENERAL

Price
$216
$20
Brand
JBLJBL
Release Date
June 1, 2024May 1, 2020
Form Factor
EarbudsHeadphones
Connectivity
WirelessWired

SOUND

Music Score
7.9/107/10
Phone Calls Score
5.3/105.5/10
Gaming Score
5.4/108.6/10
TV and Video Score
5.7/107.2/10
Exercise Score
8.4/104/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
10 HoursN/A
Wireless charging
YesN/A
Charging time
2 HoursN/A
Bluetooth version
5.3N/A
Case Battery Life
30N/A

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
YesNo
Noise Reduction Score
8.4/105.3/10
Virtual Surround
YesNo
Android App
YesN/A
iOS App
YesN/A
Mic Quality
7/1010/10

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
8.5/106.5/10
Comfort score
7/106/10
Size
LargeN/A
Weight (headset or single earbud)
8.8 Grams220 Grams
Microphone style
IntegratedBoom

Shopping

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JBL Quantum 100

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Dig into reviews and images

CNN Underscored

Wes Davis | July 2023
"I appreciate a functional piece of tech as much as I do gear on the bleeding edge, and the JBL Quantum 100 certainly falls in the former category. The sound is reasonably good, the built-in microphone is surprisingly reliable and it has a thoughtful design for the price. It lacks the convenience of Bluetooth, sure, but sometimes it’s nice not to have to worry about the finicky nature of wireless communication and go with good old hard-wired tech."

Get a great deal on the JBL Live Buds 3 or the JBL Quantum 100

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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