Great review! We need more semi-open earbuds on the market. In-ear buds work well for exercise but wearing ear plugs all day can be a little uncomfortable lol
Thank you! Good to hear that people are interested in these - the video itself hasn't performed super well so far so it's good to hear people do actually like the semi open design!
Thanks for the indepth review. The chart at the end is so helpful, epsecially after watching several videos. Hoping they continue to come out with higher quality semi-open earbuds!
Thanks very much for the video. As usual, a great in depth review and comparison. I'm really interested in these semi open earbuds as I have problems with ear wax build up and blockage when I've been using in ear buds for too long over several days. The JBL ones look like the ones I would consider although the Edifiers looked ok too.
I've been running on Airpods gen 2 for years now, my first pair lasting for 4-5 years and my second pair lasting only for a year. I'm an Android user and couldn't think about giving Apple more of my money since I'm losing out on so many of the Airpod features for not being Apple. So i decided to finally look for other similar shaped earbuds and here you are with this beautifully organized video! Thanks so much for this video!!
Buds live gang!!! Buds live the best earbuds i ever bought and i own a collection of buds. i use them all day while driving and still being able to here surroundings while maintaining great Bass. The ANC is different on these pair of buds, i found the anc is for bass and sound boost. not too much for noise cancellation which they still do a great job of blocking enough traffic while i can here my surroundings.. I say these a must buy especially for an open ear bud. BTW i own three pairs and planning on buy more just cuz..❤
Thank you for the great review! I loved my Ear Sticks. All the features, fit, sound, design were perfect for me. But then I got under some heavy rain and case strait up died (doesn't charge anymore). Now I'm in the process of finding a new pair, and stock is pretty limited now. Sadly Nothing appears to have discontinued Semi-Open earbuds moving forward. I'd love Ear Stick 2 with case water protection - that would be basically my dream earbuds. Oh well.
Semi-open earbuds are my favorites, nothing beats their feel and convenience. Currently owning AirPods 3 and Nothing Ear Stick in that category. And I cannot wait for Apple‘s next AirPods version coming this year.
Im glad you mention the issues with Bose because ive noticed those same issues back when they first came out with wireless earbuds and never went back to them. Im back in the market for aome new buds and to hear those issue are still apparent is enough to deter me from theit buds once again.
Great overview 👍 Happy to see that market isn't dead nowadays! For me, JBL's TalkThrough feature is an advantage over those which doesn't provide something similar. Though one may see it less important for semi-open buds, but with intense music track it may be easier to get immediate attention to outer world with Aware+SmartPause than ejecting a single bud (while other one delivers music still).
Amazing vid! Really enjoyed the quality of it. I've been using the buds live for almost 3 years and rn I'm looking for a replacement. The buds live are fine but tbh they get quite uncomfortable after like 20-30mins... Plus I have to keep adjusting them if I want the best sound possible. My main concern on these type of earbuds is the sound quality. I know that I won't be getting the best compared to in-ear tws, but that doesn't mean that I won't be looking for the best sounding pair... I just need them to sound a little bit better than my current Galaxy Buds Live and we're set. Looking at your list, the best pair (sound wise) would be the JBL Live Flex right?? Followed up by the Nothing. Wich one would ypu actually recommend coming form the buds live? :)
Thanks a lot! Yes, The JBL Live Flex are what i'd recommend to you. I think they would offer you the type of sound experience you're looking for coming from the Buds Live. Nothing Ear Stick would also work, but they're more treble focussed, whereas I think JBL will offer a bass increase you'll really notice 👍🏼
I looked into them when they were announced but was disappointed to see they’ve barely changed anything from the IIIs. Obviously I should get them in and find out fully for myself, but I wasn’t personally excited about them as an upgrade
Nice video mate....found this video supper helpful,i have the soundcore p3 earbuds,they have rubber tips,but my ears hurt just after 10 mins of wearing them...im thinking of getting the JBL live flex for comfortability..
Thank you for the very exhaustive list of open earbuds, I'm looking at the Nothing ear (Stick) and the LG's Tone-free earbuds, however this list gave a good set of ideas to follow
Hi, great video mate! I tried both the JBL Live Flex and Tune Flex (ghost) , IMHO the Tune Flex are better because the Live are bigger and fit worse in the ear, plus the Live have fixed eartip meanwhile in the tune flex they're changeable with the 3 sizes available. On the info sheet the Live adds nothing except for the wireless charging. If you try without knowing the price, you can think the Live are the cheaper ones. Sadly in EU the Nothing Ear Stick costs the double of that price, so I'm waiting for a reduction to try them. I compared the Tune Flex with the ( better in quality and isolation ) Samsung Buds Pro 2, and they're not losing as I was thinking before. I have to choose a semi-open because the in-ear type can't fit well in my ears, so I'm very happy with the Tune Flex for now
Yesterday i bought the JBL Live Flex till now i’m happy with them they are a huge step forward from my old Airpods 1 or 2 gen i think it was gen 2 lol 😂
Bro, why Soundcore Liberty 4 NC isn't included in this video? Wouldn't it be the top ranked earbud if featured in this video? I'm in a bit dilemma regarding which one to buy between Soundcore liberty 4 NC and Soundpeats air 4 pro. Looking forward to you reply. Thanks in advance 🙂. You're doing a great job. Keep it up 👊.
This video is for semi-open earbuds only. Liberty 4 NC are not semi-open. I have a separate, full review on the liberty 4 NC here though which I think will help your decision 👉🏼 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OiSxMhNrxGE.htmlsi=-zCwLDE3UT1kb1jM
@@insidetechltd which one would you prefer/suggest between liberty 4 NC & air 4 pro? I'm mainly looking for good sound & mic quality with decent battery.
Purchased the JBL Live Flex based on this review, very good earbuds and lot of handy features but I am a bit surprised at how quiet they are, even on full volume.
You don't have the volume limiter turned on do you? It might otherwise just be the case that they don't reach the volume levels their in-ear designs can
@@insidetechltd I did check that, I think I am just comparing them to my in ear buds, still very happy with them though. Would you say they have a similar maximum volume to the other buds you compared them to?
@brettstephens909 yes, I would actually. Some of them perhaps with an even lower max volume actually. They are (relatively) one of the louder options. You just don’t normally get the same volume levels as the in-ear models 👍🏼
I love my galaxy buds live. Sound quality is terrific at this price point and I have no problems wearing them for hours comfortably. I'm not the only one that likes them, their amazon reviews are overwhelmingly positive.
For someone who always have waxy well.. earwax my go to is open earbuds otherwise i have to do constant cleaning the earbuds and the outside of my ear everytime i am done or about to listen to em
I've had the marshall minor 3 since release, for me the fit is perfect but there are som big flaws. The background noise when in a phone call is horrible, I can't use them at all in public and barely at home when cooking or doing anything at all. Also the plastic case wears down, I've only had it in my pocket in jackets but the plastic now feels very "stiff" and is breaking down.
Thanks for this review. I went from gen 1 airpods to gen 2 (twice) to Marshall minor III. Best I could get out of Apple is one year. No joke one year. That is daily use. After a year battery life was all over the place often leading to one ear dead after a short time and constant connectivity issues. The Marshalls made it a year before they started doing this fun thing where one ear will all of a sudden not work at all, say it is at 0% and not charge. You have to hard reset and then they work again. Battery life seems ok, but after 14 months, the right ear is losing sound/ failing. I thought I was losing my hearing and confirmed I am not 😂. Now moving onto JBL tune flex and hoping for less issues. I am an audio snob a bit, and don't think the Marshalls really sound any better than Apple airpods. Maybe slightly richer mids. The Marshalls have a better look and feel, but also feel somewhat "tinny"
Another reminder that I have to get my AirPods 3 repaired. For some reason, there is now a major volume discrepancy (left is louder than right unless I adjust the balance) and the right one’s wearing detection stopped working, too.
There are 3-4 airpods 3rd gen in my friend circle, all having this issue. Mine got this uneven volume issue after 2 months, got replaced but still issue is back again
I understand why someone would want semi-open earbuds. But, if someone would be okay with the added heft, I'd recommend the fully open earbuds with bone conduction like the Shokz Openfit or the Soundcore Aerofit Pro. I've tried the semi-open ones and I quickly got tired. Most just slip and I have to keep adjusting them so as not to fall out.
Nice video as I’m currently want to buy new earbuds. I’m still debating on either nothing ear stick or jbl tune flex, which one should I get? As I will mostly be using them to listen to music, I would love the one that hold longer use time and sound quality overall balance and not too skewed to one side!
Not bad overall. Like a slightly lower spec version of the live flex. If you’re tempted by the Live Flex but can’t get them, they’re a decent alternative
Thanks! I can get the Tune Flex here at a third of the price of the Live Flex. So based on this, I'll wager that it's a really good deal.. Tune Flex is also half the price of the Edifier and 2/3rds the price of Nothing Stick. 😅
@@KevinGoehler I ended up purchasing the Tune Flex and to be honest, I’m pretty disappointed. I’ll use it until I lose them or it dies, but there’s definitely better products to be found. Good luck!
Great video! I’m searching for a new pair of earbuds that I can workout with. I have the JBL tune buds but they hurt my ears. Which JBL earbud fits like the AirPods 1 and which one would you recommend. I’m interested in the tune flex and the live flex and I don’t care about the price.
Thanks! Live flex are a bit better - there's also a new Live Flex 3 that's just come out, I tested those this week and they're excellent. They both fit like AirPods, but I can't say for sure how comfortable you'll find them because everyone's ears are different
SoundPEATS Air 4 Lite seem to have a much better mic quality (over non-Lite) + LDAC, also better battery life. In theory they would've taken a higher place here.
Not a fan of the in ear buds So was looking for a good half in ear bud. did a ton of research and this video kind of sealed the deal for the JBL live flex, got them form £120 off Amazon, and I must say they are the absolute worst sounding I've ever used at any price. It has enough Bass thats the only redeeming quality, the midrange is super un natural like when something is out of phase, the highs are very harsh, no amount of mid boosting eq fixes this noise cancelling helps a tiny amount but they sound super empty on songs I'm super familiar with. I have a £14 pair and they absolutely blow these away. I just wish they had a bit more bass. Super disappointing. how you gave these 1st place for sound is anyone's guess..
Yeah did same thing under the influence of this video. Bass is ok but rest is unacceptable. Especially these harsh trebles. Unfortunately no returns in my country as in ear headphones are considered as hygiene accessory :/
@@asahel01 That sucks you can't return them! I've heard good things about the "fill cc nano" Natural sounding and has Sub bass response, 13.1mm driver and EQ in the app. I might give them a try although bit harder to get hold of in the UK.
@@BLACKSYNTH I've ordered nothing ear stick, open box after shelf version, so a little bit cheaper and I will be able to return them. They have been measured by rtings and have frequency response graph so at least I can use autoeq with them. I'll let you know tomorrow when they arrive.
JBL Live flex semi open earbuds do not seem to be available, only pro which are in ear. Your link is to the Tune flex. What are your thoughts on those vs the Live flex?
I believe that the link will take you to a close alternative if they're not available in your region. The Tune Flex are pretty good and share a lot of similarities with the Live Flex - so you could still use this video for reference. Like a more budget-friendly version. I would recommend them to someone who wants the Live Flex but can't afford them, so I guess I also would to someone who can't find them online!
I know this goona sounds cheap but how about JBL wave flex? is it a good earbuds? I have soundpeats air 4 now currently using it. Since the battery of soundpeats is cannot last long. I'm planning to buy jbl wave flex. Hope you can answer my question 😁
I guess the 'best' is technically Nothing but only because most don't have ANC and Nothing's has a tiny impact that's better than nothing. In general there are no good semi-open earbuds for ANC
what is known about the harmful effects of buds on the brain regarding Bluetooth electronics? After measuring the frequency of Apple earbuds-see various videos on RU-vid and such-it appears that this significantly exceeds the allowed frequency (and I don t mean volume...). Anyone??
When it comes to Nothing Ear Stick's sound quality, how good is it compared to Edifier W320TN, when it comes to :- 1) Vocals and instruments' portion 2) Being able to differentiate the instruments from one another and also the vocals 3) Distortion at higher volumes I would prefer better vocal/instrumental clarity and quality, over punchy bass.
I think from what you've described, Nothing's ear stick would offer exactly what you're looking for. Vocals are more prominent, the clarity is higher and you'll therefore get better instrument separation as well. Distortion at higher volumes is similar - no obvious difference there
@@insidetechltd Thankyou so much for the response. I just have 1 more confusion. I could see that Edifier has LDAC and Hi-Res audio support but the Nothing Ear Stick has neither of it. The Edifer one has a frequency response range of 20Hz-40 KHz. Also, Edifer is bluetooth 5.3 compared to Nothing's 5.2. Don't these additional features give Edifier W320TN an upper hand over the Nothing Ear Stick?
No they don't. Those specs sound impressive, but the far more important things for the sound are the drivers, the acoustic chamber and the tuning. Those things all matter far more than the smaller differences you get from the specs you described. Bluetooth 5.3 for instance might give you the upper hand with range, stability and power efficiency, but it doesn't suddenly make Edifier's vocals and separation better for sound quality. I hope that helps!
@@insidetechltd Just 1 doubt regarding Nothing Ear Stick. On some online shopping site listings, it is mentioned that the Ear Stick has 2 mics each on each earstick. Do you know if Ear Stick had 2 mics at launch and then got updated to 3 mics or whether it has been 3 mics since the launch?
Samsung make some really great earbuds…but the Galaxy Buds Live are definitely not one of them 😂 Just my opinion of course, I wouldn’t choose to use them with my Samsung phones is all
@insidetechltd The only thing that let's them down is the ip rating. Other than that, they are feature packed, and sound surprisingly good for semi- in ear buds. I have the 2 pros, which are excellent, but I can't use them for long, due to comfort issues. I can use the lives for hours.
Is 7 not enough for you? How often do you listen for 7 hours straight? I get your point though, it's a bit strange that there aren't many good options with very long battery life
@@insidetechltd earbuds are in my ear for the whole day. And i said that because there are some earbuds with eartips that has over 10 hours battery life
I watched others and searched the cannel for JBL Reviews and could not find any. Commented on the most recent video. I was just doing what you ask in about every video and mentioned a product that may have been overlooked. Why did you not address my question?@@insidetechltd
You missed out TOTALL on the Samsung Buds Live.. arguably the best non-invasive earbuds. Most people have purchased them at least more than 2ce over.. just so you know! 😊
Hi! I've always loved the design of semi open earbuds. I have tiny ears and for the life of me I could never find any earphones with the silicone tips that wouldn't slip and fall our of my ears, so I love these types of earphones. My only issue is that I don't particularly like wireless earphones, so I'm looking for wired ones with the semi-open design. Do you know of any or have any recommendations?
This is a great question and actually I think this type of design is pretty niche now. I don't see many of the major companies making them. I honestly couldn't tell you off the top of my head, i'd have to do some research! Edit* I assume you're looking for something with a higher quality than Apple EarPods?
I've been on a dilemma trying to decide if the Nothing Ear Stick is worth my purchase or not and I'm very glad to have seen this video. Solidified my decision to purchase. Thank you for the very in-depth review!
If you had to compare the nothing ear stick with the Soundpeats air 3 or air 3 deluxe hs, would it be better? Do you have a lot of difference in sound quality?
Yes I think it is better. The Air 3 models would have featured in this video if I thought they were better. Nothing offers better clarity and balance with the sound
Should you have compared the others with jbl tune flex instead of this high end live flex? Because tune flex is more aligned with the price of the others than this live flex. Ofcourse it will win. 😅
Prices were taken from the companies' respective websites at the time of making the video. The JBL price was not available at the time, but confirmed to me by JBL directly that it would be $99.99. Prices fluctuate.
@@insidetechltd thanks for the reply, in light of the price increases, which would be your current best value purchase? Still the JBL or another model? Looking to make a purchase this week
