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What we think
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Updated April 11, 2024·
If affordability is a priority and you need earbuds for exercise with wireless convenience, good noise isolation, and a smart charging case, the JBL Live Flex 3 would be a suitable choice. However, for the absolute best sound quality, especially for music and TV, and if comfort for long sessions is essential, albeit with the need for an amplifier and a wired connection, the Sennheiser HD800S is the superior option, though it falls short for calls, exercise, and portability. The Sennheiser's open design doesn't isolate noise well, so it's not ideal for noisy environments or air travel. 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 Flex 3
- Very good for exercise
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
Music
8.0
9.9
The Sennheiser HD800S is best in class for music, while the JBL Live Flex 3 is very good.
Gaming
5.5
7.5
The Sennheiser HD800S is good for gaming, while the JBL Live Flex 3 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.9
8.1
The Sennheiser HD800S is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Live Flex 3 is poor.
TV and Video
5.7
9.7
The Sennheiser HD800S is best in class for TV and video, while the JBL Live Flex 3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
8.3
2.5
The JBL Live Flex 3 is very good for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD800S is poor.
Battery
10.0 Hours
N/A
The JBL Live Flex 3 has 10 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser HD800S does not have a battery.
Cost
$216
$1,400
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The JBL Live Flex 3 has a price of $216 and the Sennheiser HD800S costs $1,400.
Build Quality
8.5
9.0
The Sennheiser HD800S has excellent build quality, while the JBL Live Flex 3 has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
5.2
5.0
The JBL Live Flex 3 and Sennheiser HD800S are both poor for phone calls.
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How the JBL Live Flex 3 and the Sennheiser HD800S compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| JBL Live Flex 3 | Sennheiser HD800S |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$216 | $1,400 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | JBL | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2024 | December 1, 2015 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.1/10 | 10/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.3/10 | 5/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.5/10 | 7.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.8/10 | 9.7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 8.4/10 | 4.5/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 10 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | Yes | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.3 | N/A | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 40 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 8.4/10 | 2.5/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | N/A | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | N/A | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 10/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Large | N/A | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 8.8 Grams | 371.9 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | N/A | |
Shopping
Sennheiser HD800S
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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 Flex 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
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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