The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 10, 2024·
If you prioritize portability, sweat resistance, and want to use your earbuds during exercise, the JBL Live Buds 3 might suit you better; they're sweatproof, offer very good noise isolation for travel, and have a secure fit. However, they don't perform as well for activities like gaming or watching TV. On the other hand, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones could be the better option if you're looking for a more immersive experience during gaming and TV watching due to their excellent gaming and TV scores. The Momentum 4 also have longer battery life, which is beneficial for extended use, and offer active noise cancelling, superior to JBL's, for better isolation. Both options support LDAC and AAC codecs for high-quality audio via Bluetooth, but the Sennheiser has the edge in sound quality due to their aptX Adaptive codec support. If call quality is crucial, the Momentum 4 comes out ahead with a higher mic quality score. Thus, for more stationary use with a focus on sound quality and better call functionality, the Sennheiser would be more suitable, while for an active lifestyle, the JBL would align well with your needs. 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
Advantages of the Sennheiser Momentum 4
Excellent for gaming
Very good for TV and video
Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Gaming
5.4/10
9.0/10
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 is excellent for gaming, while the JBL Live Buds 3 is poor.
Phone Calls
5.2/10
6.8/10
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 is only fair for phone calls, while the JBL Live Buds 3 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.9/10
8.2/10
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live Buds 3 is poor.
TV and Video
5.6/10
8.9/10
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 is very good for TV and video, while the JBL Live Buds 3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.3/10
9.1/10
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 is excellent for noise reduction, while the JBL Live Buds 3 is very good.
Battery
10.0 Hours
59.0 Hours
The JBL Live Buds 3 has 10 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 has 59 hours of battery life.
Cost
$216
$250
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
The JBL Live Buds 3 has a price of $216 and the Sennheiser Momentum 4 costs $250.
Build Quality
8.5/10
9.0/10
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 has excellent build quality, while the JBL Live Buds 3 has very good build quality.
"If you're looking for a slightly more affordable set of ANC headphones in comparison to the Bose or Sony offerings: the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless is not a bad way to go. While its ANC is technically behind the other top-tier headphones, its sound quality is ahead of the pack—as is its battery life. Not bad for $350 USD."
Get a great deal on the JBL Live Buds 3 or the Sennheiser Momentum 4
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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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.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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