JBL Live Flex 4 review: open-fit earbuds with effective ANC

TechRadar reviewer Harry Padoan found the JBL Live Flex 4 to be comfortable open-fit earbuds with spacious, balanced sound and noise cancelling that worked better than he expected for this design. He said their relaxed fit avoided the irritation that can come with a tight in-ear seal, while the open construction still lets some harsher sounds through.

The touchscreen charging case can adjust ANC, EQ and playback, as well as control call speech settings and spatial audio. Padoan also noted a timer and flashlight. The JBL Headphones app adds options including custom case wallpaper and the LDAC codec, which can improve playback quality with a compatible source. The review says most Android phones support LDAC, while iPhones do not.

Padoan found calls clear overall, though his voice was not always distinct from background noise. Battery life is rated at 7 hours with ANC on and up to 10 hours with ANC off; the case raises the maximum to 48 hours. The earbuds also support wireless charging.

For sound, the review describes a wide soundstage and impactful bass, while noting that low frequencies lack some impact compared with the JBL Live Buds 4 and JBL Live Beam 4. Padoan says a Studio EQ adjustment in the 32–250Hz range helped address the low end. He found spatial audio less clean and precise than the standard tuning and usually left it off. The review compares battery life favorably with the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging, which it says are slightly cheaper.