Apple Airpods WILL copy this! ( JBL Live 3 earbuds )

Рет қаралды 14,341

Күн бұрын

The new JBL Live 3 earbuds make a good case for being the most innovative and trend-setting earbuds out there mid 2024. If you've been searching for new earbuds or the best alternative to Apple AirPods Pro, JBL's new LiVE 3 lineup offers many options. And a lot of options that you won't get anywhere else at the time of this video. It has a couple of huge advantages over a lot of popular earbuds and even over the AirPods Pro 2 that you should consider if you're planning to make a sound investment.
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00:00 - JBL Live 3 series review intro
00:55 - Versions, Colours and Price
02:01 - Power & charging
02:33 - Design
04:00 - is hi-res audio worth it
05:55 - Sound quality and App options
07:50 - JBL touch screen earbuds case advantages
09:55 - ANC quality
10:11 - Mic test
10:56 - Final thoughts
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Пікірлер: 43

@WhatGear Ай бұрын

What do you think of JBL's case screen concept?...do reckon Apple will copy this?

@charlescdt6509 Ай бұрын

Yep Apple loves copying Samsung and KZbinrs love acting like Apple came up with it. Good stuff.

@somniavitasunt 13 күн бұрын

A no nonsense review, throurough and easy to follow; sub'ed. NB: The expanded hertz range for more precise audio explanation with the "unfolding paper accordion" was on point, great stuff.

@SibTiger33 5 күн бұрын

So I managed to pick these up early.. And wow.. Very very impressive. I'm surprised you didn't mention all the extensive transparency and speak to chat options on these buds

@SibTiger33 21 күн бұрын

When are these released in the uk ?

@SibTiger33 21 күн бұрын

Is the transparency mode better than the live pro 2?

@donnagathers6979 Ай бұрын

Great Video,

@ankurpaul7271 4 күн бұрын

Will it be a worthy upgrade to my oppo enco x2? I still love my oppo's NGL 😅

@NutSac78 Күн бұрын

I have 230nc and they are really good for the price.

@bigbuckoramma 19 күн бұрын

Given that Samsung own Harmon/JBL/AKG now, the fact that they are not incorporating Galaxy Buds features in to these to bridge the gap, and place these as a Premium alternative to thr Buds Pro, is kind of mind boggling to me. A little of thr Samsung integration in these wouls go ablong way to making them more appealing.

@Jopoilija 20 күн бұрын

I waiting for live buds 3🎉 I had live pro2 😢

@RJ_Uploads Ай бұрын

How is the transparency mode on these earbuds compared to the airpod pros?

@WhatGear Ай бұрын

Honestly I think Airpods may still hold the throne in terms of transparency, however with these you can adjust the exact level that feels natural for you.

@RJ_Uploads Ай бұрын

@WhatGear thanks a ton for that, now I have to test the waters!

@SibTiger33 5 күн бұрын

Double tap gives you natural hearthrough

@leomillard7637 Ай бұрын

is it worth the upgrade from the tour pro 2?

@WhatGear Ай бұрын

If the size of the case doesn’t bother you I’d stick with the tour pro 2… tour pros are still considered the flagship

@BlaQ_OwL 7 күн бұрын

Are these available in USA?

@WhatGear 6 күн бұрын

Soon

@karengill8234 3 күн бұрын

A grateret

@rolins3279 16 күн бұрын

Bluetooth 5.4 (even if 5.3 is already better than nothing), LC3, Auracast, the swipe gesture on the earbuds to adjust the volume, and above all integration into the Samsung ecosystem like Apple does with its Beats, without that, why pay almost $200 for these earbuds, when OnePlus Buds 3, Realme Buds Air 5 Pro and especially Huawei Freebuds Pro 3 exist and cost between $80-$150 for the same thing if not better 🤷🏽‍♂️

@Triple-6 15 күн бұрын

I think this criticism is a little bit harsh. Bluetooth 5.4 vs. 5.3 would be very minor. But their website says these will support LE audio with a future update. I would imagine this could mean LC3 support. Yea, it would’ve been pretty nice to have swipe gesture to control volume. I’m not sure exactly how Galaxy Buds integrate with their phones but these new JBL earbuds finally support a high enough quality codec with LDAC. That was one noticeable drawback for their previous earbuds. Only having basic SBC and AAC really made them best for iPhones. Now with a high enough bandwidth codec and their top tier app, features and amount of control - I’m not sure what Samsung integration could offer that’s so much better or different. Those other earbuds you mentioned are great. I’m heavy into analyzing objective data like frequency response graphs while minding basic concepts of psychoacoustics. And there’s no denying that those other earbuds are well tuned in that they’re relatively balanced with varying degrees of controlled, extra bass, as many people like. But I don’t know that the OnePlus Buds 3 and Realme Air 5 Pro will compete as a total package considering the extremely balanced and smooth tuning style that a Harman owned company like JBL provides with their earbuds, if the previous Live Pro 2 is anything to go by. JBL also has one of the best in-app equalizers around with an ample amount of bands that allow the user to actually adjust the frequency for each. That’s not common enough. A smooth frequency response without odd spikes or cutouts combined with that kind of EQ is a serious combo. Basic experience with parametric equalizers in a program like Pro Tools makes that clear. Huawei’s Freebuds Pro 3 are around $250 (USD) last I checked the other day. They’re also not the most accessible pair of earbuds to get. I know they’re kind of a sleeper pair. They’re very well tuned as described above and have maybe the best microphone performance for call quality around. Still, they cost more and are not gonna be as smooth to deal with returns/ exchanges/ warranty due to how inaccessible they are and not readily sold here. I remember reading about some extra work a user needed to do in order to get the app up and running since they weren’t natively available. And the EQ, of course, isn’t up to par with JBL’s. Sorry for the book, I’ve seen you around and I know you’re into this stuff more than the average user. I remember speaking with you a while ago on some random video/ community post (maybe a Mike o’Brien one for the Bose QC II?) Anyways, these new JBL earbuds should be considered by anyone looking for a quality pair imo. The combination of all metrics is approaching a perfect pair for the average person. The screen in the case may not be most useful for some but I’m sure there’s many who will be surprised how much they enjoy it. I think a $200 (USD) price is perfectly fair for these. I haven’t been excited about a pair of earbuds in a while and took a long break from any purchases after poor experiences with previous Sennheiser and Sony models. These are not yet available for purchase but I’ll be sure to first wait for the measurement data to confirm their tuning and ANC is solid.

@rolins3279 14 күн бұрын

@@Triple-6 I don't know where you looked, but the Huawei Freebuds Pro 3 are currently around $150, and even when they came out, they weren't $250. Bluetooth LE should have been integrated out of the box, not in a hypothetical update. Regarding integration with the Samsung ecosystem, firstly many people prefer earbuds with stems, which the Galaxy Buds don't offer, secondly the Galaxy Buds don't have true multipoint, it's just the Automatic swap between Samsung devices. Since Samsung likes to copy Apple in recent years, it would be good to also copy the good things by integrating JBL into the Samsung ecosystem (automatic swap), especially since there is no Galaxy headphone. Concerning the Oneplus Buds 3 and Realme Buds Air 5 Pro, they have an application as complete as that of the JBL, and from my point of view, sound as good if not better than the JBL. It's good that Samsung has its ecosystem, but before integrating specific functionalities into it, Samsung must imperatively integrate the basic functionalities of the Android/Windows world (real multipoint, Google/Microsoft Pair, and above all a universal hi-fi codec like Ldac / Aptx HD and a real equalizer like on these JBL ), contrary to what Samsung believes, this will save them a lot more of customers, and above all, a closed ecosystem like Apple, will always scare away Android/Windows consumers. 🙏🏽

@Triple-6 14 күн бұрын

@@rolins3279 I wanna preface this by saying I appreciate this convo and hope you don’t see it as an argument. I appreciate being able to discuss and debate ideas with someone like you. You’re informed and interested in these topics, I see you all over the place on videos for earbuds and things. I’d love to keep this shorter but it’s not easy when trying to flesh things out properly. I hope it’s at least smooth, easy to read and enjoyable lol. I’m in the United States and if I Google the phrase “BUY HUAWEI Freebuds Pro 3” I’m seeing many prices closer to $245, like on Amazon for example. Huawei’s official site has ‘em for 799 RM (Malaysian) which is about $170 USD at today’s exchange rate. Makes sense that it would be a bit more on top when ordering from resellers in a different country. As I was getting at, this whole thing is tricky because people in the US can be ordering from independent sellers who need a profit, charge shipping and may offer little to no return/ exchange window. And warranty is commonly non existent on products purchased from another country. The point was that the price for these is generally above the Live Beam 3 here in the US and just clearly doesn’t have the same level of accessibility. You can’t walk in a Best Buy or Target and pick up a pair, for example. And even the online US sources are somewhat scattered over a few different websites, some showing low stock, and mostly from whom I wouldn’t risk purchasing it from. I would also imagine most if not all options are not considered authorized resellers. It’s messy. Yea it’s definitely preferable to have all features out of the box, like Bluetooth LE. I just wanted to clarify that JBL acknowledged it will be coming in an update. I wouldn’t worry about this or consider it a hypothetical. It’s not unheard of for respectable companies to provide these nice quality of life improvements if they say they will. Sony, Sennheiser, Jabra, etc. did the same thing to positive reception. I agree that those other three earbuds sound similarly good or even better depending on who you ask. But one look at the frequency responses for these other three earbuds and say, JBL’s previous Live Pro 2, and it’s easy to see all four are more similar than different. Many people would be satisfied with either of these options especially with the ability to tweak to taste via EQ. But the apps are most definitely not the same. The OnePlus Buds 3, Realme Buds Air 5 Pro and Huawei Freebuds Pro 3 are going to have varying levels of customizabilty vs. JBL’s app. Depending on which one you compare to what, there may be a lack of ability to adjust ANC and ambient sound modes with the same granularity, for example. Or pick another feature or option. But forget about those other smaller details - this isn’t some big deal when one is slightly more flexible in this and another more flexible in that. What sets JBL apart from this group is the combination of their generally smooth frequency response, without many odd cutouts and spikes, paired with their EQ. This in-app EQ has more bands than many apps out there but you’re also able to adjust the frequency for each. I don’t know that you’re realizing how big of a deal that is. If you do any audio editing via software like Pro Tools, Audacity, etc. you might have a different perspective. The more bands you have and with the ability to change the center frequency for each, provides much, much more flexibility in getting the sound you want. When there are already some spikes and cutouts, even subtle, it can be trickier to shape that part of the response to what you want, especially with these relatively limited equalizers. When the response is essentially a smooth gradual slope, you can much more easily boost or cut the frequency (of your choosing, to boot) to the desired effect. I’m not doing the greatest job explaining but the concept is, you have a bit better of a canvas to work with (default tuning) and then a noticeably more precise tool to edit it (EQ). I don’t even know that those other three earbuds have the same amount of EQ bands as JBL. Pretty sure none allow adjusting the frequency for each one. That’s not common. Similarly, there’s the recently released Nothing Ear that takes it a big step forward and not only allows you to adjust the center frequency for each band but also allows you to adjust it’s Q factor! With Q factor control, you can increase or decrease the range of affected frequencies on either side of that center frequency that you chose. This allows you to make narrow, precise cuts or boosts and also more wide cuts and boosts as you please. This is simply unheard of and probably the best in-app EQ of all wireless earbuds around. I think only the Shure app offers a similar level of EQ control. And so those other earbuds’ in-app EQ is great and all, if they have enough bands. But you’re forced to use whatever frequencies they say is the right one. With an EQ like JBL’s, you say which is the right frequency you want to make louder or quieter. And with Nothing’s offering, you have what’s essentially a parametric equalizer. As you see, with sound perception being so incredibly subjective and nuanced, you want the most flexibility in tweaking that you can get. Sorry, this is already crazy long. I’m confused about your thoughts on Samsung and their ecosystem integration. It seems on one hand you’re saying you want them to bring JBL’s hardware into it by making the Live Beam 3 have automatic swap, for example. But on the other hand you want Samsung to improve their ecosystem by implementing true multipoint, universal hi-fi codec, proper EQ, etc. I understand they can do both but my point from my initial comment was that JBL is already doing all these things, offering an experience that’s better than the generally limited functionality that you get from Samsung’s attempt to copy Apple. I initially said “I’m not sure what Samsung integration could offer that’s so much better or different.” Sure, there’s some quality of life things like maybe a widget to see battery life built into the system UI, for example. Maybe a slightly faster time to connect. Some random QoL things here or there, sure. But then they do things like only give the ability to connect to multiple Samsung devices. Or no multi-band EQ at all. And if you dare use their Galaxy Buds on “incorrect hardware,” you get things taken away from you. It’s clear JBL’s latest earbuds will provide a fleshed out and inclusive experience regardless of the name brand on your phone. Or if you want to have the same general behaviors and control when connected to your computer, TV, etc. That’s monumentally more preferable than being coerced to use a certain this or that. I’m on an iPhone and I would love to get a pair of Galaxy Buds but it doesn’t make sense because of the forced limitations on non Android and Samsung devices. Similar to how it isn’t wise for many non Apple users to buy AirPods Pro because of Apple’s forced limitation bs. So I say this kind of ecosystem has to go! It would be fine to have less “game breaking” quality of life features exclusive to their ecosystem. But that’s not enough for these companies. They lock more and more basic features and behaviors to be available only when they say it should be. I’m glad JBL’s earbuds haven’t gone that route. Who would want that? On the same topic, Apple does indeed implement some ecosystem perks for their Beats brand as you mentioned for a comparison. I think this was in a comment you deleted or edited. But if you notice, they are careful not to do that “too well.” They make sure that that product line is generally using an older H1 chip if their premium AirPods is using H2, for example. That ANC is not up to par next to their AirPods line. That the tuning isn’t as balanced on most of that gear. The list goes on. They’re careful to create this ladder of tiers in their products that make sure not to step on eachother’s toes and always forces the customer to spend more if they want a certain level of performance. Finally, a very important note to consider is JBL is simply one of many, many audio related brands owned by Harman International. To help illustrate an important point, they also own AKG, Arcam, Bang & Olufsen (automotive audio), Harman Kardon (home/ car audio), Infinity, Mark Levinson Audio Systems, Revel, Roon, and Selenium among others. While Samsung Electronics did purchase Harman International around 2017, Harman is in fact an independent subsidiary. This means they have their own assets, liabilities, bank accounts and maintain their own financial records. This is a hugely respected and popular company who has been heavily involved in consumer and professional audio for nearly half a century. Imagine if you bought a car whose expensive audio system can only be EQed if you did it with a Samsung phone. Or your home audio entertainment system had basic features and behaviors locked behind some random Samsung gear. Your new AKG wireless earbuds. Etc. etc. Remember, Harman is an independent subsidiary. They have their own interests to maintain and I agree with you, forcing customers into a closed ecosystem will scare ‘em away. Samsung users can stay within their ecosystem limits but I wanna enjoy Harman’s expertise on other gear with full freedom. I imagine I’m not alone.

@Triple-6 14 күн бұрын

@@rolins3279 I wanna preface this by saying I appreciate this convo and hope you don’t see it as an argument. I appreciate being able to discuss and debate ideas with someone like you. You’re informed and interested in these topics, I see you all over the place on videos for earbuds and things. I’d love to keep this shorter but it’s not easy when trying to flesh things out properly. I hope it’s at least smooth, easy to read and enjoyable lol. I’m in the US and if I search the phrase “BUY HUAWEI Freebuds Pro 3” I’m seeing many prices closer to $245, like on the most popular online marketplace. Huawei themselves has ‘em for 799 RM (Malaysian) which is about $170 USD at today’s exchange rate. Makes sense that it would be a bit more on top when ordering from resellers in a different country. As I was getting at, this whole thing is tricky because people in the US can be ordering from independent sellers who need a profit, charge shipping and may offer little to no return/ exchange window. And warranty is commonly non existent on products purchased from another country. The point was that the price for these is generally above the Live Beam 3 here in the US and just clearly doesn’t have the same level of accessibility. You can’t walk in a Best Buy or Target and pick up a pair, for example. And even the online US sources are somewhat scattered over a few different websites, some showing low stock, and mostly from whom I wouldn’t risk purchasing it from. I would also imagine most if not all options are not considered authorized resellers. It’s messy. Yea it’s definitely preferable to have all features out of the box, like Bluetooth LE. I just wanted to clarify that JBL acknowledged it will be coming in an update. I wouldn’t worry about this or consider it a hypothetical. It’s not unheard of for respectable companies to provide new features or improvements if they say they will. Sony, Sennheiser, Jabra, etc. did the same thing to positive reception. I agree that those other three earbuds sound similarly good or even better depending on who you ask. But one look at the frequency responses for these other three earbuds and say, JBL’s previous Live Pro 2, and it’s easy to see all four are more similar than different. Many people would be satisfied with either of these options especially with the ability to tweak to taste via EQ. But the apps are most definitely not the same. The OnePlus Buds 3, Realme Buds Air 5 Pro and Huawei Freebuds Pro 3 are going to have varying levels of customizabilty vs. JBL’s app. Depending on which one you compare to what, there may be a lack of ability to adjust ANC and ambient sound modes with the same granularity, for example. Or pick another feature or option. But forget about those other smaller details - this isn’t some big deal when one is slightly more flexible in this and another more flexible in that. What sets JBL apart from this group is the combination of their generally smooth frequency response, without many odd cutouts and spikes, paired with their EQ. This in-app EQ has more bands than many apps out there but you’re also able to adjust the frequency for each. I don’t know that you’re realizing how big of a deal that is. If you do any audio editing via software like Pro Tools, Audacity, etc. you might have a different perspective. The more bands you have and with the ability to change the center frequency for each, provides much, much more flexibility in getting the sound you want. When there are already some spikes and cutouts, even subtle, it can be trickier to shape that part of the response to what you want, especially with these relatively limited equalizers. When the response is essentially a smooth gradual slope, you can much more easily boost or cut the frequency (of your choosing, to boot) to the desired effect. I’m not doing the greatest job explaining but the concept is, you have a bit better of a canvas to work with (default tuning) and then a noticeably more precise tool to edit it (EQ). I don’t even know that those other three earbuds have the same amount of EQ bands as JBL. Pretty sure none allow adjusting the frequency for each one. That’s not common. Similarly, there’s the recently released Nothing Ear that takes it a big step forward and not only allows you to adjust the center frequency for each band but also allows you to adjust it’s Q factor! With Q factor control, you can increase or decrease the range of affected frequencies on either side of that center frequency that you chose. This allows you to make narrow, precise cuts or boosts and also more wide cuts and boosts as you please. This is simply unheard of and probably the best in-app EQ of all wireless earbuds around. I think only the Shure app offers a similar level of EQ control. And so those other earbuds’ in-app EQ is great and all, if they have enough bands. But you’re forced to use whatever frequencies they say is the right one. With an EQ like JBL’s, YOU say which is the right frequencies you want to make louder or quieter. And with Nothing’s offering, you have what’s essentially a parametric equalizer. As you see, with sound perception being so incredibly subjective and nuanced, you want the most flexibility in tweaking that you can get. Sorry, this is already crazy long. I’m confused about your thoughts on Samsung and their ecosystem integration. It seems on one hand you’re saying you want them to bring JBL’s hardware into it by making the Live Beam 3 have automatic swap, for example. But on the other hand you want Samsung to improve their ecosystem by implementing true multipoint, universal hi-fi codec, proper EQ, etc. I understand they could do both but my point from my initial comment was that JBL is already doing all these things, offering an experience that’s better than the generally limited functionality that you get from Samsung’s attempt to copy Apple. I initially said “I’m not sure what Samsung integration could offer that’s so much better or different.” Sure, there’s some quality of life things like maybe a widget to see battery life built into the system UI, for example. Maybe a slightly faster time to connect. Some random QoL things here or there, sure. But then they force features (read: limitations) like only giving the ability to connect to multiple Samsung devices. Or no multi-band EQ at all. And if you dare use their Galaxy Buds on “incorrect hardware,” you get things taken away from you. It’s clear JBL’s latest earbuds will provide a fleshed out and inclusive experience regardless of the name brand on your phone. Or if you want to have the same general behaviors and control when connected to your computer, TV, etc. That’s monumentally more preferable than being coerced to use a certain this or that. I’m on an iPhone and I would love to get a pair of Galaxy Buds but it doesn’t make sense because of the forced limitations on non Android and Samsung devices. Similar to how it isn’t wise for many non Apple users to buy AirPods Pro because of Apple’s forced limitation bs. So I say this kind of ecosystem locking has to go! It would be fine to have less “game breaking” quality of life features exclusive to their ecosystem. But that’s not enough for these companies. They lock more and more basic features and behaviors to be available only when they say it should be. I’m glad JBL’s earbuds haven’t gone that route. Who would want that? On the same topic, Apple does indeed implement some ecosystem perks for their Beats brand as you mentioned for a comparison. I think this was in a comment you deleted or edited. But if you notice, they are careful not to do that “too well.” They make sure that this product line is generally using an older H1 chip if their premium AirPods are using H2, for example. That ANC is not up to par next to their AirPods counterpart. That the tuning isn’t as balanced on most of that gear. The list goes on. They’re careful to create this ladder of tiers in their products with contrived limits that make sure not to step on eachother’s toes and always forces the customer to spend more if they want a certain level of performance. Finally, a very important aspect to consider is that JBL is simply one of many, many audio related brands owned by Harman International. To help illustrate an important point, they also own AKG, Arcam, Bang & Olufsen (automotive audio), Harman Kardon (home/ car audio), Infinity, Mark Levinson Audio Systems, Revel, Roon, and Selenium among others. While Samsung Electronics did purchase Harman International around 2017, Harman is in fact an independent subsidiary. This means they have their own assets, liabilities, bank accounts and maintain their own financial records. This is a hugely respected and popular company who has been heavily involved in consumer and professional audio for nearly half a century. Imagine if you bought a car whose expensive audio system can only be EQed if you did it with a Samsung phone. Or your home audio entertainment system had basic features and functions locked behind some random Samsung gear. Your new AKG N5 Hybrid wireless earbuds. Etc. etc. Remember, Harman is an independent subsidiary. They have their own interests to maintain and I strongly agree with you, forcing customers into a closed ecosystem will scare ‘em away. Samsung users can stay within their ecosystem limits but I wanna enjoy Harman’s expertise on other gear with full freedom and capabilities. I imagine I’m not alone.

@Triple-6 14 күн бұрын

@rolins3279 I wanna preface this by saying I appreciate this convo and hope you don’t see it as an argument. I appreciate being able to discuss and debate ideas with someone like you. You’re informed and interested in these topics, I see you all over the place on videos for earbuds and things. I’d love to keep this shorter but it’s not easy when trying to flesh things out properly. I hope it’s at least smooth, easy to read and enjoyable lol. I’m in the US and if I search the phrase “BUY HUAWEI Freebuds Pro 3” I’m seeing many prices closer to $245, like on the most popular online marketplace. Huawei themselves has ‘em for 799 RM (Malaysian) which is about $170 USD at today’s exchange rate. Makes sense that it would be a bit more on top when ordering from resellers in a different country. As I was getting at, this whole thing is tricky because people in the US can be ordering from independent sellers who need a profit, charge shipping and may offer little to no return/ exchange window. And warranty is commonly non existent on products purchased from another country. The point was that the price for these is generally above the Live Beam 3 here in the US and just clearly doesn’t have the same level of accessibility. You can’t walk in a Best Buy or Target and pick up a pair, for example. And even the online US sources are somewhat scattered over a few different websites, some showing low stock, and mostly from whom I wouldn’t risk purchasing it from. I would also imagine most if not all options are not considered authorized resellers. It’s messy. Yea it’s definitely preferable to have all features out of the box, like Bluetooth LE. I just wanted to clarify that JBL acknowledged it will be coming in an update. I wouldn’t worry about this or consider it a hypothetical. It’s not unheard of for respectable companies to provide new features or improvements if they say they will. Sony, Sennheiser, Jabra, etc. did the same thing to positive reception. I agree that those other three earbuds sound similarly good or even better depending on who you ask. But one look at the frequency responses for these other three earbuds and say, JBL’s previous Live Pro 2, and it’s easy to see all four are more similar than different. Many people would be satisfied with either of these options especially with the ability to tweak to taste via EQ. But the apps are most definitely not the same. The OnePlus Buds 3, Realme Buds Air 5 Pro and Huawei Freebuds Pro 3 are going to have varying levels of customizabilty vs. JBL’s app. Depending on which one you compare to what, there may be a lack of ability to adjust ANC and ambient sound modes with the same granularity, for example. Or pick another feature or option. But forget about those other smaller details - this isn’t some big deal when one is slightly more flexible in this and another more flexible in that. What sets JBL apart from this group is the combination of their generally smooth frequency response, without many odd cutouts and spikes, paired with their EQ. This in-app EQ has more bands than many apps out there but you’re also able to adjust the frequency for each. I don’t know that you’re realizing how big of a deal that is. If you do any audio editing via software like Pro Tools, Audacity, etc. you might have a different perspective. The more bands you have and with the ability to change the center frequency for each, provides much, much more flexibility in getting the sound you want. When there are already some spikes and cutouts, even subtle, it can be trickier to shape that part of the response to what you want, especially with these relatively limited equalizers. When the response is essentially a smooth gradual slope, you can much more easily boost or cut the frequency (of your choosing, to boot) to the desired effect. I’m not doing the greatest job explaining but the concept is, you have a bit better of a canvas to work with (default tuning) and then a noticeably more precise tool to edit it (EQ). I don’t even know that those other three earbuds have the same amount of EQ bands as JBL. Pretty sure none allow adjusting the frequency for each one. That’s not common. Similarly, there’s the recently released Nothing Ear that takes it a big step forward and not only allows you to adjust the center frequency for each band but also allows you to adjust it’s Q factor! With Q factor control, you can increase or decrease the range of affected frequencies on either side of that center frequency that you chose. This allows you to make narrow, precise cuts or boosts and also more wide cuts and boosts as you please. This is simply unheard of and probably the best in-app EQ of all wireless earbuds around. I think only the Shure app offers a similar level of EQ control. And so those other earbuds’ in-app EQ is great and all, if they have enough bands. But you’re forced to use whatever frequencies they say is the right one. With an EQ like JBL’s, YOU say which is the right frequencies you want to make louder or quieter. And with Nothing’s offering, you have what’s essentially a parametric equalizer. As you see, with sound perception being so incredibly subjective and nuanced, you want the most flexibility in tweaking that you can get.