Gone are the flashy cases and teal colours previously seen from JBL – these come in black, white and navy, and its is an altogether more functional and durable aesthetic from JBL. The biggest addition is that both Alexa and Google Assistant are now built-in, and the US brand has also priced the true wireless headphones at a competitive $150 (1490 SEK).

So far so good, but are they worth it?

Comfort
These wireless buds are equipped with ergonomically shaped wing attachments, which are supplied in four sizes and can be freely combined with three ear tip configurations, thus ensuring a high degree of individual adaptability. Although these in-ears, which fit in the ear with a twisting motion, require a little attention at first, their fit is very comfortable and extremely stable, so that even during sports there is a firm hold. Myself I managed to find a perfect seal with the pre-fitted set.

Sound quality
The Live 300TWS headphones sound energetic, have a substantial output and score points with a strong bass response. Although there is no low bass, which would make for increased listening pleasure in bass-heavy productions. Vocals are pleasingly lively and clear, with the mids appearing a little more reserved overall. The fact that the support of high-quality audio codecs such as aptX or AAC has been omitted can be seen as worthy of criticism.

Overall build
The battery life is slightly underwhelming, at a claimed six hours from the buds plus 14 hours for the case. You get a maximum 20 hours in total before needing a power source, but thanks to the USB-C charger, when you do juice up you can get a one-hour boost in just 10 minutes.

The buds have support for Siri, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa (Alexa have no official support in Sweden yet). You will need to use the free JBL Headphones app, which is well designed. As well as helping with Alexa/Google Assistant access, the app also offers customisable EQ profiles and the option of deciding what swiping forwards and back from each bud’s centre actually does.

The JBL Live 300TWS is not pitched as a sports in-ear, but it’s still a little disappointing to see an IPX5 rather than IPX7 rating. You’re unlikely to be submerging these headphones in water for 30 minutes, but the previous model carried the fully-waterproof certification rather than a sweat/splash-proof rating, meaning you needn’t worry about accidentally dropping them in a puddle while on a run.

Verdict
With fancy design, good material selection, warm / playful sound, good app, perfect ergonomics and okay battery life, it’s hard not to recommend these. For $ 150 you’ll find it hard to find a better overall package. I can recommend these buds.

PROS

  • Great voice assistant access
  • Practical build
  • Looks good

CONS

  • Bright and aggressive treble
  • Lack bass definition