JBL Live Buds 4 - Like Coming Home

Lately I've been seriously reconsidering what I want from a set of earbuds.

For a long time I wanted them to be small, inconspicuous and snug fitting, with a case I can plonk down on any old wireless charger when I'm not using them.

But it turns out the world of wireless earbuds doesn't stand still and new designs and features just keep coming thick and fast.

I'm not ashamed to admit I've had my head (and my ears) turned a few times recently by buds that don't necessarily fit my usual template - and because of some of the other, newer features they bring to the table, I've been willing to forego features that used to be hard red-lines for me. Like wireless charging. And Active Noise Cancelling.

But then I was reminded of exactly what I'd given up...

JBL makes a lot of different earbuds. Stems. No stems. Over-ear hooks. Open fit. Tight seal. Pretty much any shape, size and even colour you could wish for.

So there's really no need to compromise. Even when it comes to price, there's probably a JBL to fit your budget.

So if I go back to basics and ask myself, "What do I really want in a pair of buds?" there are three things I keep coming back to. 

1) A snug fit that's comfortable but will stay in, no matter what. 

2) Wireless charging. I know I seem weirdly obsessed about this but if any device was ever ideally suited to the convenience of wireless charging, it's that little earbuds case in your pocket.

And 3) Sound quality. Admittedly, you'd assume this is a priority for everyone, but for a long time I kind of forgot that because I was so entranced with other addon features.

The JBL Live Buds 4 brought everything back into perspective for me.

Let's tick off those three non-negotiables first, before we get into some other bonus stuff - of which the Live Buds 4 offer plenty of.

Starting with the fit.

The Live Buds 4 are exactly my kind of form-factor; small, yet stylish. No stems, sealed fit. There are four different sizes of ear tips to choose from and these have been manufactured in a way that is a great balance between gripping in place securely, while not causing any undue pressure or discomfort.

While they may not be the most stay-inny example of this kind of bud I've tried, I haven't actually had one fall out - not when running, jumping or doing even more strenuous activity. Like mowing the lawns.

As you'd expect, the Live Buds 4 carry the IP55 rating for water and dust-resistance, so durability certainly shouldn't be an issue.

Like many of JBL's earbuds these days, the charging case is now also just as clever as the buds themselves, with a bright, full-colour touch display on the lid. This hands-on control panel now functions more like a sort of mini-smartphone than ever - albeit a phone with only one app. You can access and adjust the vast majority of the Live Buds 4 features right from the case, meaning you can leave your actual phone in your pocket. But even more importantly - at least as far as I'm concerned - the case can be charged wirelessly. I've made my strong preference for wireless charging pretty clear over the years, so that gets a big tick from me.

Ironically, one of the best features on the Live Buds 4 is also one of its worst. The capacitive touch controls are highly customisable via the JBL Headphones app. Not only can you set them to play/pause, alter the volume and toggle ANC, Ambient Sound and Talk-Thru, you can also summon more bespoke functions like your native voice assistant or even switching spatial audio on or off.

Unfortunately, I'm not actually convinced this kind of control is the best option for this form-factor of earbuds - for two reasons. Firstly, because the Live Buds 4 are so small, it's physically very difficult to put them in or take them out without accidentally tapping the control area - which seems to be pretty much the entire outer surface of each bud.

Secondly, when I walked the dog in the rain this morning, I had the hood on my raincoat over my head. Every time I moved my head in one direction or another, the hood came into contact with one of the buds and either turned ANC on or off or paused the podcast I was listening to. It was infuriating. Admittedly, I could just assign those functions to double or triple taps and leave the single tap empty, but if the control was a physical button, I wouldn't have to.

Let's not worry too much about all that though, because surely the main thing is how these buds sound. I've been consistently impressed with how much sheer oomph JBL seems to be able to squeeze out of earbuds as small as these over the years, and this example definitely continues that trend.

I don't know if it's just because I've been listening to a lot of open-fit earbuds lately, but the first thing that struck me with the Live Buds 4 was how big the bass punch is - not overbearing, just warm and rich and full. I love it.

1973's "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" is not only one of Paul Simon's greatest albums, in terms of production, it was ahead of its time. Even on a relatively simple track like "St. Judy's Comet" the way the guitars are mixed to one side or another and how clean and steady the bass is once it comes in - it's all just a perfect demonstration of a place for everything and everything in its place. The Live Buds 4 place every one of those things in their places perfectly. 

"How You Run" by Amos Lee starts so quietly but quickly crescendos to an almost frenetic climax featuring multiple drum sounds coming at you from multiple directions. Then Lee pulls the rug out just as suddenly and finishes the track as softly as he started. This brief, but intense sonic journey is so well executed by the Live Buds 4 - I don't know where all the space comes from, but it comes.

I've found the True Adaptive Noise Cancelling 2.0 to be mostly effective, although for some reason, the sound of passing cars and trucks still seems to get through when I'm out and about. Could this be a deliberate attempt on JBL's part to try and prevent me being run over? If so, I think I'd rather take the risk and block out the traffic.

Battery life is excellent - up to 10 hours from the fully charged buds with another 30 in the case. Bluetooth 6.0 means outstanding range and stability, while access to Hi-Res audio should really be a given by now, as it is here.

The 6-mic array does a notably good job of keeping your voice clear and natural, as you'll hear in the video below. Apparently an "AI-trained algorithm" suppresses any distracting background noise - I wonder if that includes trucks and cars?

All in all, the Live Buds 4 do their job very well. They're small and subtle, they stay in, they're comfortable and they sound wonderful. The smart charging case takes things to a whole new level with its extended range of controls and customisations and both it and the buds have a nice long battery life. Ultimately, going back to a sealed fit like this, even after being impressed by a series of well-executed open-fit examples lately, has reminded me you simply won't get booming JBL bass like this in any other kind of bud.

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL Live Buds 4.