JBL Live Pro+

JBL releases headphones so often that you already start to get confused in them. Live Pro+ is another TWS model that hit the market this spring. Let's see what kind of beast and whether it is worth the money.

Appearance

It is impossible to confuse Live Pro + with headphones of another brand. They are made in a corporate style, unlike any other. Available in four colours: beige, white, pink and black. The set includes a USB-C charging cable, an ergonomic case made of matte plastic and as many as 5 pairs of ear pads so that the landing is guaranteed comfortable.

The case supports wireless charging and has a three-bar indicator light. Although at first glance it may seem that there are seven of them, but two from each edge is a props. The case of the headphones is protected according to the IPX4 standard, so you can not be afraid to get into them in a light rain.

Customization options

To access all features, it is recommended to install the My JBL Headphones app. This offer will immediately appear on the screen of your smartphone as soon as you try to establish a connection with the headphones. The connection, by the way, is very fast, Dual Connect is supported, and thanks to Google Fast Pair technology, the headphones are immediately linked to your Google account if it is configured on your smartphone.

In My JBL Headphones , you can remap control gestures, set up a very flexible graphic equalizer, select sound and active noise canceling profiles, and check whether the headphones fit correctly in your ears. The application will prompt you to rotate the earpiece in your ear until the optimal position is found. The function is really useful, as it significantly improves the comfort of fit and sound transmission.

There are three profiles for noise reduction: everyday, road and active. Paired with three microphones, it works very well, wind noise does not interfere with calls, the interlocutor hears your speech quite clearly and without interruptions. 2 modes of amplifying external sounds are also available — TalkThru and Ambient Aware. The first makes sense to use when you need to hear sounds from nearby sources, the second lets through and amplifies louder sounds, for example, car horns, train horns, etc.

Equally interesting is the "Smart audio and video" setting, which allows you to choose between playback quality and delay. That is, with a large desynchronization, it is enough to reduce the sound quality and the problem will be solved.

All this goodness can also be controlled using the Google voice assistant and Alexa. For example, enable / disable noise reduction and adjust the volume.

Sound

In terms of sound, everything is traditional for Harman products. Despite the absence of aptX (only SBC and AAC codecs are supported), JBL Live Pro + sound quite legible and without any critical frequency inflections. But there is one “but” — the nature of the sound changes with and without noise reduction turned on. Of course, this is a drawback of all ANCs, but in JBL Live Pro + this is clearly too much.

With active noise cancellation, the middle falls through, low frequencies stand out noticeably, and highs sound inexpressive. If the function is turned off, the mid and high frequencies will prevail. Of course, there is an equalizer that will help you “steer” a comfortable sound, but I wanted it to be like that already out of the box.

battery life

Headphones work up to 7 hours with ANC, and up to 6 hours with it. The battery capacity of the case is enough for three full charges. A full charge takes about 2 hours. The indicator is above average among competitors, but definitely not the TOP.

JBL Live Pro + without a doubt demonstrate a high level of user comfort. But there are questions about the sound and battery life of the model, given its cost.