In an ever-crowded market, there’s only so much you can do to make a pair of true wireless earbuds stand out. Better sound, improved noise cancellation and longer battery life are all well and good, but JBL has gone further, with smarts packed into the charging case itself. The Live Beam 4 arrives with a touchscreen-equipped case that promises to take some of the everyday controls off your smartphone, a neat idea that turns out to be rather more useful than you might initially expect.
In a nutshell, the touchscreen lets you control music playback, volume, ANC modes, equaliser settings and spatial audio, while also displaying battery levels and notifications. There's even a flashlight, timer and even a Find My Buds function thrown in - it's a little like having a tiny smartwatch attached to your earbuds, although you'll probably find yourself using some features more than others. The interface is responsive, but it does come with some added bulk and weight over most other TWS rivals. The earbuds themselves are lightweight, stem-style affairs, with an IP55 rating for dust and water resistance. Comfort is generally good, with the right ear-tip size…and the fun colour options on the buds/case mean there’s certainly one that you’ll like.
Sound is where the Live Beam 4 makes a convincing ‘case’ for itself. The 10mm dynamic drivers deliver JBL's familiar bass-forward signature, with plenty of punch without completely drowning out vocals, guitars or finer details. Whether it's electronic music, hip-hop or a more stripped-back acoustic track, there's an enjoyable richness to the sound. LDAC support is welcome for higher-resolution streaming, while the 10-band equaliser and Personi-Fi 3.0 hearing test offer plenty of scope to tailor the experience. Spatial Sound, though, does little to improve the presentation.
ANC is competent rather than exceptional. It takes the edge off office hum and everyday background noise, but traffic and louder conversations still creep through. Call quality is similarly adequate. Battery life is a strong point, with up to 48 hours of combined playback claimed with the case, with wireless charging a welcome inclusion.
At its price, the Live Beam 4s are a feature-packed, great-sounding earbuds, with a case that might make you reach out for your phone a wee bit less.
Rating: 8/10
Price: ₹17,999
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