Bose QuietComfort Earbuds vs JBL Live Beam 3

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QuietComfort Earbuds compared with Live Beam 3

	BoseQuietComfort Earbuds	JBLLive Beam 3
Overview
Released
Released	September 2024	June 2024
Sound
Type
Type	In-ear	In-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	Yes	Yes
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	Yes	Yes
Driver size
Driver size	–	10 mm
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC and AAC	SBC and LDAC
Drivers
Drivers	–	10 mm dynamic drivers; 20 Hz to 40 kHz; 16 Ω; sensitivity 98 dB SPL at 1 kHz; maximum SPL 96 dB
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	Quiet mode (full noise cancelling) and Aware mode; noise cancelling adjustable or off in the Bose QCE app; six microphones in total (three per earbud) for noise cancelling and voice pickup	True Adaptive Noise Cancelling with four noise-sensing microphones that adapt in real time; auto compensation in the JBL Headphones app adjusts to fit and ear canal; Ambient Aware and TalkThru
Audio features
Audio features	Five-band adjustable EQ in the Bose QCE app; Low Latency Audio mode for games and video	Hi-Res Audio Wireless with LDAC; JBL Spatial Sound; Personi-Fi 3.0; JBL announced LE Audio as a later over-the-air update; JBL doesn't list its other codecs (A2DP 1.4 includes SBC)
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 8.5 hours	Up to 10 hours
With the case
With the case	Up to 30 hours	–
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	Yes	Yes
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Tested by Bose at 75 dB SPL in Quiet mode (full noise cancelling); the case holds 2.5 full charges, which the owner's guide gives as up to 30 hours in total (Bose UK's product page says 31.5 hours, and its footnote gives 9 hours per charge)	Up to 12 hours per charge with noise cancelling off (48 hours with the case), 10 hours with noise cancelling on, 9 hours with True Adaptive noise cancelling on; talk time up to 6 hours (5 hours with noise cancelling on); 68 mAh per earbud, 680 mAh case
Charging case
Charging case	USB-C and Qi wireless charging; earbuds charge in up to 1.5 hours, the case in up to 2 hours	Smart Charging Case with a 1.45-inch touchscreen (Bluetooth 5.1); USB-C and wireless charging; lanyard loop; full charge in 2 hours
Fast charging
Fast charging	20 minutes of charging gives up to 3 hours of playback	10 minutes of charging gives up to 4 hours of playback
Design
Weight (each earbud)
Weight (each earbud)	10.9 g	5 g (better)
Water and sweat resistance
Water and sweat resistance	IPX4	IP55
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.3	5.3
Two devices at once
Two devices at once	Yes	Yes
Controls
Controls	Touch surface on each earbud (tap to play or pause, double-tap to skip forward, triple-tap to skip back; volume and noise cancelling controls); single, double and triple taps and press-and-hold are customisable in the app; "Hey headphones" voice commands through the Bose QCE app, including answering calls and Remote Selfie; in-ear detection pauses audio when an earbud is removed and can answer calls	Earbud gestures customisable in the JBL Headphones app; Smart Charging Case touchscreen controls playback, volume, EQ, noise cancelling and calls, and shows messages
Microphones
Microphones	Three microphones per earbud; adaptive microphone system for calls with adjustable self-voice (sidetone)	Six beamforming microphones for calls, with voice EQ and voice level optimiser
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Eartips and stability bands in small, medium and large; eartips interchangeable with the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds; either earbud can be used on its own	Stick design with ear tips in several sizes (the spec sheet lists four sizes, the UK product page three)
Case weight
Case weight	0.104 lb (about 47 g) on Bose UK's spec table	72 g (spec sheet; the UK product page lists 82 g)
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	IPX4 for the earbuds; Bose says resistance might decrease with normal wear	IP55 for the earbuds
Works with
Works with	Bose QCE app for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; can connect to Bose soundbars and speakers with SimpleSync, though Bose says it isn't fully optimised; no Snapdragon Sound	JBL Headphones app; multipoint connection to two devices; Google Finder and Google Audio Switch
Colours
Colours	Black, White Smoke and Chilled Lilac at launch; Bose UK now also sells Dewdrop Mint	Blue, Purple, Silver (JBL UK); Black also sold in some regions
In the box
In the box	Earbuds, charging case, USB-C cable (USB-A to USB-C, 30 cm), Fit Kit with small, medium and large eartips and stability bands, safety sheet	Earbuds, ear tips, USB-C charging cable, charging case, warranty and safety sheets, Quick Start Guide