JBL has launched its new Live 4 range of earphones with three new pairs available from 12 May 2026.
The new models include: JBL Live Buds 4, which are a set of compact in-ears; JBL Live Beam 4, a pair of stemmed in-ears; and the JBL Live Flex 4, which are half-open earbuds with a stem. Each of these have arrived about two years after their predecessors from the Live 3 series.
JBL’s Live earphones are known for one thing above all else – their touchscreen-equipped charging cases. On previous models, this has allowed users to quickly adjust ANC, EQ, volume and more. And JBL has revamped its Smart Charging Case software, packing the Live 4 models with more features, controls and customization options than ever before.
But will this be enough to help JBL compete with some of the best earphones from heavy-hitters like Apple and Sony? Well, I’ve seen the new Live 4 series myself and I could see some of the additions being a big hit – here’s what you can expect from JBL’s new buds.
Building on success
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When we tested the JBL Live Beam 3 back in 2024, they left a big impression on us. Thanks to their impressive sound quality, ample battery life, and fun feature-packed case, we awarded this model a high 4.5-star rating.
And it really looks like their successor, the Live Beam 4 – along with the new Buds and Flex versions – will build on many of the things we already loved.
First of all, let’s go back to the touch screen. Although I have yet to test the Live 4 series in depth, I was happy to see that the Smart Charging Case comes with a completely new user interface (UI) along with a larger display on JBL’s latest earphones.
Sure, some will argue that the screen is a little gimmicky, but it gives instant access to customization tools, whereas normally you’d have to pull out your phone and fumble around for the JBL headphone app. As someone with way too many audio apps on my phone, I can definitely see the appeal.
JBL has also updated the sound of its Live series, with the new earbuds equipped with “new fidelity drivers”, which the audio specialist claims are “carefully tuned for deeper bass and clearer sound”. Although JBL has employed new drivers, they are still 10mm dynamic on the Buds and Beam and 12mm dynamic on the Flex.
Another area that has improved is call quality. The Live 4 series models use six microphones with new “Perfect Call 2.0” technology that combines a windproof design with an AI algorithm for clear quality. Some of the microphones are also used for noise cancellation, which has also been improved according to JBL.
Something that has largely remained the same, however, is battery life. With the charging case, JBL claims the Buds 4 will provide up to 32 hours with ANC on and 40 hours with it off; that Beam 4 can handle 40 hours with active noise reduction and 48 hours without; and that Flex 4 will deliver 35 hours with ANC on and 50 hours without. It’s similar to what we saw on the previous generation, but remains impressive across the board, especially when you consider that rivals like Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 only deliver 24 hours with the charging case.
The Live 4 series is available in a range of colors including black, blue, silver, champagne, green, purple and orange. They are priced at £179.99 / €199 (approx $245 / AU$340). I’ll be reviewing each of the new models in the coming weeks to see if they’re really worth the money, so stay tuned for my thoughts.
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