Between the AirPods 4 with ANC and Live Beam 3, the AirPods 4 with ANC comes out ahead in weight per bud, while the Live Beam 3 wins on battery — buds and battery — with case. Overall, the AirPods 4 with ANC scores 58.3 and the Live Beam 3 scores 76.1 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Live Beam 3 is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 17.8 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the AirPods 4 with ANC if you care most about weight per bud. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight per bud.
Pick the Live Beam 3 if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are battery — buds, battery — with case, multipoint, among others.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, driver size, spatial audio, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Live Beam 3 is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC wins
- ▲Weight per bud — 1.10 g less. 4.3 vs 5.4.
Why JBL - Live Beam 3 wins
- ▲Battery — buds — 140.00% more. 12 h vs 5 h.
- ▲Battery — with case — 140.00% more. 48 h vs 20 h.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
- ▲Water resistance: IP55 (vs IP54).
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | JBL - Live Beam 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | open | stemlead |
| Weight per bud | 4.3 glead | 5.4 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP54 | IP55lead |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | JBL - Live Beam 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 10 mm | 10 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | JBL - Live Beam 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 5 h | 12 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 20 h | 48 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | JBL - Live Beam 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Codecs | AAC,SBC | LE Audio,LC3,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, AirPods 4 with ANC or Live Beam 3?+
Live Beam 3 lasts 12h per charge vs 5h.
Do AirPods 4 with ANC or Live Beam 3 support multipoint?+
Live Beam 3 supports multipoint; AirPods 4 with ANC does not.
Which has ANC, AirPods 4 with ANC or Live Beam 3?+
Both have active noise cancellation.
Spec-level deep dives
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