JBL Live Beam 4 Blue

The JBL Live Beam 4 are handy earbuds that deliver clear sound. With the small screen on the charging case, I control my music without the distraction of my phone. I would prefer the noise cancelling to be stronger, so that I hear sudden sounds less clearly.

Handy charging case I find the screen on the charging case a nice and handy addition. I control everything with the charging case, meaning I don't need my phone. For example, I turn on noise cancelling, turn up the volume, skip to the next track, and select an equalizer mode. This is useful when I work in the office, because then I don't get distracted by text messages. Additionally, I set a timer with the case, turn on a flashlight, and play a sound on the earbuds if I lose them.

Clear sound with good noise cancelling The earbuds deliver clear sound. I am used to JBL sound being inherently bass-rich, but I hear that less with these earbuds. The sound actually sounds balanced, but also a bit flatter than I am used to from JBL. Via the equalizer, I still opt for stronger bass tones with the Bass or Extreme Bass setting. I find that the sound with the Bass setting sounds just a bit fuller than with the Studio setting. Fortunately, the sound remains balanced, so I can still hear the vocals and instruments clearly and distinctly. With noise cancelling, I hear nothing of what is being said around me at the office. I also hear nothing on public transport, for example, of conversations around me. However, I do hear sudden sounds, such as a strong jet of water when I am washing dishes or if something falls.

Extensive app I configure many different things in the JBL Headphones app. For example, I set the lock screen background to my liking with various colors or a personal photo. Additionally, I choose which shortcuts I want to see on the case's screen. For instance, you can choose the volume, the equalizer, or the flashlight. I also play a sound on the case if I lose it. Furthermore, I see various sound settings in the app, such as the equalizer, spatial sound, a volume limiter, and voice aware. Finally, I use Relaxation Mode to play various nature sounds with a timer to help me unwind.

Good fit The earbuds fit well in my ears. JBL includes 3 other sizes of ear tips so I can choose the best size for my ears. This ensures they stay securely in place and do not feel constricting in my ear. I can easily control the music with the stem. For instance, I pause the music with a single tap on the right earbud.

Nice earbuds in a nice and handy case. The earbuds don't stay in place well for me. The material is too slippery. I find the noise cancellation disappointing. The sound is good, though, partly thanks to the equalizer in the app.

Very nice earbuds with beautiful sound. The case with the LCD screen looks nice, feels premium, and is not too heavy.

One downside is that the earbuds occasionally go out of sync between left and right, both on a Samsung smartphone and via Bluetooth on a Windows laptop. This causes the sound to be briefly interrupted while the earbuds resynchronize. Unfortunately, re-pairing has not yet resolved this issue.

Fortunately, there is a corresponding app that allows the firmware to be updated. I therefore hope that a future firmware update will fix this problem. Despite this point, I am generally very satisfied with the sound quality and ease of use.