Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | JBL - Live Beam 3 | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 12 h | 10 h |
| Battery — with case | 48 h | 42 h |
| Driver size | 10 mm | 11 mm |
| Spatial audio | true | false |
| Weight per bud | 5.4 g | 4.8 g |
| Water resistance | IP55 | IP54 |
Between the Live Beam 3 and Ear (a) 2, the Live Beam 3 comes out ahead in battery — buds / battery — with case, while the Ear (a) 2 wins on driver size / weight per bud. Overall, the Live Beam 3 scores 85.2 and the Ear (a) 2 scores 82.8 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (85.2 vs 82.8). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
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. The biggest gaps in its favor are battery — buds, battery — with case, spatial audio, among others. The single most decisive one: Battery — buds — 20.00% more. 12 h vs 10 h.
Pick the Ear (a) 2 if you care most about driver size / weight per bud. Its strongest claims are driver size, weight per bud. The single most decisive one: Driver size — 10.00% more. 11 mm vs 10 mm.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, multipoint, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: JBL - Live Beam 3 or Nothing - Ear (a) 2?
JBL - Live Beam 3 leads the current Mars Score by 2.4 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare driver size, battery — buds, weight per bud against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose JBL - Live Beam 3 if…
JBL - Live Beam 3 has the measurable edge on battery life buds h, battery life case h, has spatial audio.
Choose Nothing - Ear (a) 2 if…
Nothing - Ear (a) 2 has the measurable edge on driver size mm, weight per bud g.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why JBL - Live Beam 3 wins
- ▲Battery — buds — 20.00% more. 12 h vs 10 h.
- ▲Battery — with case — 14.29% more. 48 h vs 42 h.
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
- ▲Water resistance: IP55 (vs IP54).
Why Nothing - Ear (a) 2 wins
- ▲Driver size — 10.00% more. 11 mm vs 10 mm.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.60 g less. 4.8 vs 5.4.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | JBL - Live Beam 3 | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | stemlead | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 5.4 g | 4.8 glead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP55lead | IP54 |
Audio
| Spec | JBL - Live Beam 3 | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 10 mm | 11 mmlead |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | truelead | false |
Battery
| Spec | JBL - Live Beam 3 | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 12 hlead | 10 h |
| Battery — with case | 48 hlead | 42 h |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | truelead | false |
Connectivity
| Spec | JBL - Live Beam 3 | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Codecsⓘ | LE Audio,LC3,AAC,SBC | LDAC,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, Live Beam 3 or Ear (a) 2?+
Live Beam 3 lasts 12h per charge vs 10h.
Do Live Beam 3 or Ear (a) 2 support multipoint?+
Both support multipoint pairing.
Which has ANC, Live Beam 3 or Ear (a) 2?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.