JBL Live Flex headphones tested: Good sound, Airpods look & questionable ANC

The JBL Live Flex line up in a category with the Apple Airpods – firm hold in the ear, without silicone plugs. There is also ANC, a configuration app, support for voice assistants and good voice quality for phone calls. Sounds like a lot of technology? It is. But not everything convinces us with these 180 euro headphones.

The JBL Live Flex have an attractive design and are available in different colors. You get them in black, blue, gray or red. The earphones are ergonomically shaped and adapt well to the ears. Even when worn for longer periods, they sit comfortably and securely. As with the Apple Airpods (test report) or the Nothing Ear Sticks (test report), they stay firmly in the ear – for example when jogging or on the bike. We personally like the wearing comfort of the Airpods (3rd generation) better. But that may be due to the individual shape of our auricle.

The charging case offers an almost square shape. It is rounded at the corners, has a charge level indicator on the front and a USB-C input on the back. The opening flap is on the top. It closes firmly, but cannot be opened with one hand.

In addition to the headphones, a USB-C cable is also included in the scope of delivery; that was it.

The JBL Live Flex impress with their precise sound quality. The bass is powerful but not overdone and the highs are crisp and clear. Even at higher volumes, the sound remains pleasant and free of distortion. Here the Live Flex are on par with the third generation Apple Airpods – very solid sound, but nothing extraordinary.

The highly touted ANC function, on the other hand, turns out to be a sham. Since the headphones don’t have silicone tips, you can’t really filter out ambient noise either. Instead, you always – really always – hear the surroundings. The ANC is simply unusable. If you press the headphones firmly to your ear, you will feel the active noise cancellation. However, this is impractical for everyday use.

To date we have not found any wireless in-ear headphones that come close to the voice quality of a classic headset (guide). As with the Live Pro 2 (test report), JBL basically does a good job. The Live Flex filter out ambient noise well, our opponent heard no wind or road traffic in the practical test. On the other hand, our voice seems muffled. You can hear us, but we seem quiet.

This is perfectly sufficient for everyday use and far surpasses the voice quality of the Apple Airpods, which is still questionable today. On the other hand, if you are looking for headphones for video calls and work, you should still use a headset.

Operating the JBL Live Flex is easy. Touch gestures can be used to control the volume, play and pause music, and the ANC function. Telephone calls can also be accepted or ended via the headphones.

About the app JBL Headphones we can adjust the sound, including equalizer. There are also different modes for ANC, but none of them really work. If you want to pair language assistants like Alexa or Siri with the headphones, you can set this up via the app. You can also set the voice output to German.

Warning: the headphones babble a lot. From info about “headphones connected” to “ANC on,” they’re happy to comment on any setting. During our practical test, we did not find a way to prevent this voice output.

According to the manufacturer, the battery life is up to 32 hours with the charging case and up to 8 hours without the charging case. In our test, we were able to achieve a runtime of almost 30 hours with the charging case and without ANC. This is quite satisfactory and should be sufficient for most users.

JBL likes to start with high RRPs at the start of sales. The Live Flex is currently around 180 euros in retail. Our experience shows: As with the JBL Live Pro 2 (test report), the manufacturer’s prices fall quickly. So if you wait a few months, you will most likely get the Flex for around 100 euros.

The JBL Live Flex are good wireless in-ear headphones. They convince with a comfortable fit, high sound quality and easy operation. The ANC function is unusable, but the voice quality is convincing compared to other wireless in-ears. If you wait a few more weeks before buying, you can expect a price of around 100 euros – we would personally strike here.