{"id":485054,"date":"2022-08-16T13:00:40","date_gmt":"2022-08-16T10:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/great-noise-cancelling-decent-sound\/"},"modified":"2022-08-16T13:00:40","modified_gmt":"2022-08-16T10:00:40","slug":"great-noise-cancelling-decent-sound","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/great-noise-cancelling-decent-sound\/","title":{"rendered":"#Great Noise Cancelling, Decent Sound"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2ef6bcd112c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2ef6bcd112c\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/great-noise-cancelling-decent-sound\/#%E2%80%9CGreat_Noise_Cancelling_Decent_Sound%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Great Noise Cancelling, Decent Sound&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/great-noise-cancelling-decent-sound\/#Heres_What_We_Like\" >Here&#8217;s What We Like<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/great-noise-cancelling-decent-sound\/#And_What_We_Dont\" >And What We Don&#8217;t<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/great-noise-cancelling-decent-sound\/#Design_Fit_and_Comfort\" >Design, Fit, and Comfort<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/great-noise-cancelling-decent-sound\/#Battery_Case_and_Charging\" >Battery, Case, and Charging<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/great-noise-cancelling-decent-sound\/#Features_and_the_JBL_Headphones_App\" >Features and the JBL Headphones App<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/great-noise-cancelling-decent-sound\/#Sound_Quality\" >Sound Quality<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/great-noise-cancelling-decent-sound\/#Noise_Cancellation_and_Call_Quality\" >Noise Cancellation and Call Quality<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/great-noise-cancelling-decent-sound\/#Microphone_Audio_Sample_%E2%80%93_Indoor\" >Microphone Audio Sample \u2013 Indoor<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/great-noise-cancelling-decent-sound\/#Microphone_Audio_Sample_%E2%80%93_Outdoor\" >Microphone Audio Sample \u2013 Outdoor<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/great-noise-cancelling-decent-sound\/#Should_You_Buy_the_JBL_Live_Free_2\" >Should You Buy the JBL Live Free 2?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/great-noise-cancelling-decent-sound\/#Heres_What_We_Like-2\" >Here\u2019s What We Like<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/great-noise-cancelling-decent-sound\/#And_What_We_Dont-2\" >And What We Don&#8217;t<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CGreat_Noise_Cancelling_Decent_Sound%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Great Noise Cancelling, Decent Sound&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<div class=\"single-review-card\">\n<div class=\"review-card-heading\" style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div class=\"rating\" style=\"width: 30%;\">Rating:<br \/>\n<strong>7\/10<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong class=\"more-info-hover\">?<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong class=\"rating-info\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1 &#8211; Absolute Hot Garbage<\/li>\n<li>2 &#8211; Sorta Lukewarm Garbage<\/li>\n<li>3 &#8211; Strongly Flawed Design<\/li>\n<li>4 &#8211; Some Pros, Lots Of Cons<\/li>\n<li>5 &#8211; Acceptably Imperfect<\/li>\n<li>6 &#8211; Good Enough to Buy On Sale<\/li>\n<li>7 &#8211; Great, But Not Best-In-Class<\/li>\n<li>8 &#8211; Fantastic, with Some Footnotes<\/li>\n<li>9 &#8211; Shut Up And Take My Money<\/li>\n<li>10 &#8211; Absolute Design Nirvana<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/strong>\n<\/div>\n<p>Price: <strong>$100<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage wp-image-823340 size-full\" data-pagespeed-no-defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jbl-live-free-2-inside-view.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"JBL Live Free 2 earbuds sitting in tree\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" data-credittext=\"Kris Wouk \/ How-To Geek\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\">Kris Wouk \/ How-To Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>True wireless earbuds have come a long way fairly quickly. Now, features that you\u2019d have to pay more than $250 for just a few years ago are coming to more and more affordable earbuds. The JBL Live Free 2 are a perfect example, with active noise cancellation (ANC) and an Ambient Sound mode for $150.<\/p>\n<div class=\"review-card-body-inline\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"pros\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Heres_What_We_Like\"><\/span>Here&#8217;s What We Like<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Fantastic noise cancelling<\/li>\n<li>Comfortable<\/li>\n<li>Well-implemented touch controls<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cons\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"And_What_We_Dont\"><\/span>And What We Don&#8217;t<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>No higher quality Bluetooth codecs<\/li>\n<li>EQ can have a negative affect on sound quality<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>If you\u2019re familiar with JBL, it\u2019s most likely because of its speakers, whether you\u2019re talking Bluetooth or larger, more professional speakers. That said, the company has made waves with its true wireless earbuds (TWEs) recently, and it seems to be focusing more on this product category.<\/p>\n<p>With the JBL Live Free 2, the company nails certain aspects but makes some puzzling decisions when it comes to others.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Design_Fit_and_Comfort\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_0\">Design, Fit, and Comfort<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"greybox_callout\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Dimensions<\/strong>: 310.4 x 63.5 x 40.6mm (22 x 2.5 x 1.6in)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Weight:<\/strong>\u00a04.9g (0.17 oz) per earbud,\u00a0charging case 43.7 g (2 oz)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>The look of the JBL Live Free 2 is nice. Not particularly eye-catching, but notably more premium looking than the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/122017\/jbl-live-pro-2-tws-review\/\">JBL Live Pro 2<\/a>, which debuted alongside the Live Free 2.<\/p>\n<p>The shape, somewhat similar to a bean, also makes grabbing them easy. This makes retrieving them from the case an easy task, which isn\u2019t always the case with other earbuds. It also makes placing them in your ears properly simple, which is handy, since a good fit is essential for the best sound and noise canceling.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-823341\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jbl-live-free-2-accessories.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Earths included with JBL Live Free 2\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Kris Wouk \/ How-To Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Speaking of fit, JBL includes three sets of ear tips: small, medium, and large. The small and large tips come in a small cardboard box, while the medium are already fitted on the earbuds out of the box. In my case, the medium tips were a perfect fit.<\/p>\n<p>The JBL Live Free 2 headphones are rated IPX5 waterproof. This doesn\u2019t mean you can wash them off in the sink, but it does mean they\u2019re well-equipped to deal with sweat at the gym.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Battery_Case_and_Charging\"><\/span>Battery, Case, and Charging<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"greybox_callout\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Battery capacity<\/strong>:\u00a045 mAh earbuds,\u00a0620mAh case<\/li>\n<li><strong>Playtime<\/strong>: Up to 7 hours earbuds, 35 hours with case<\/li>\n<li><strong>Charge time<\/strong>: 2 hours<\/li>\n<li><strong>Charging port<\/strong>: USB-C<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Battery life is similar to other true wireless earbuds, with JBL claiming a maximum playback time of seven hours with <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/775313\/what-is-active-noise-cancellation-anc\/\">active noise cancellation (ANC) turned off. With adaptive noise cancellation enabled, playback time drops to five hours.<\/p>\n<p>The charging case extends that capacity by 28 hours. This means that if you listen at a moderate volume without noise cancellation, you can theoretically get up to 35 hours of playback time on a single charge.<\/p>\n<p>This is especially simple since the case is equipped with a USB-C port for wired charging and features Qi wireless charging. The case is roughly similar to Apple\u2019s AirPods (not the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/27486\/airpods-pro-review-almost-perfect\/\">AirPods Pro<\/a>), which means chargers designed with AirPods in mind should work fine. A full charge takes around an hour and a half.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-823342 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jbl-live-free-2-case.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"JBL Live Free 2 charging case\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" data-credittext=\"Kris Wouk \/ How-To Geek\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Kris Wouk \/ How-To Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Monitoring battery life on the JBL Live Free 2 is easier than on some other earbuds, as it features a three-segment LED on the case that shows the case\u2019s battery life. LEDs on the earbuds indicate charging and connection status.<\/p>\n<p>The Live Free 2 earbuds have automatic ear detection, which stops playback when you remove one earbud. This should help keep battery life from draining unnecessarily.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Features_and_the_JBL_Headphones_App\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_2\">Features and the JBL Headphones App<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There\u2019s one feature the JBL Live Free 2 sport that hasn\u2019t been especially common in earbuds in this price range: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/109925\/what-is-multipoint-bluetooth-and-how-does-it-work\/\">multipoint Bluetooth<\/a>. This feature lets you connect to two devices at the same time, with the earbuds automatically switching between calls on your phone and music on your PC, for example.<\/p>\n<p>You can use the earbuds out of the box, but the JBL Headphones app (available for <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/jbl-headphones\/id1053136947?at=1010l392g&amp;ct=htg823339\">iPhone<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=jbl.stc.com\">Android<\/a>) adds additional features. One of the handier features is a fit test that lets you make sure you\u2019ve got the earbuds fitted properly for the best noise cancellation.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-823343\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jbl-live-free-2-app.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"JBL Headphones app running next to Live Free 2\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Kris Wouk \/ How-To Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The app also features an equalizer. There are a few EQ presets (more on these later), but you can also set a custom EQ curve yourself. Using the app, you can also switch between adaptive noise cancellation and what JBL calls Ambient Sound Mode, which is also known as Transparency mode.<\/p>\n<p>While you could use the app to switch between these modes, you can instead opt for the on-device controls. A single tap on the left earbud is all it takes to switch back and forth between noise canceling and Ambient Sound Mode, which is certainly convenient.<\/p>\n<p>A single tap on the right earbud pauses and resumes playback, while a double tap answers and ends calls. The other controls are equally straightforward, and you can customize some of them through the app.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sound_Quality\"><\/span>Sound Quality<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"greybox_callout\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Driver<\/strong>: 10mm dynamic driver<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bluetooth version<\/strong>: 5.2<\/li>\n<li><strong>Audio codecs<\/strong>: SBC, AAC<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>The overall sound is where the questionable choices start. For example, the only Bluetooth codecs JBL supports in the Live Free 2 are the standard SBC and AAC codecs. There is no support for higher-quality codecs like <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/746520\/what-is-ldac-and-how-does-it-affect-wireless-audio-quality\/\">LDAC or even aptX.<\/p>\n<p>AAC doesn\u2019t sound bad, and when SBC is well implemented, it doesn\u2019t sound bad either. The good news is that the Bluetooth sound quality here is fine. The downside is that without aptX, you\u2019re dealing with significant latency, which makes these less than suitable for watching videos.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-823344\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jbl-live-free-2-wearing.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Wearing the JBL Live Free 2\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Kris Wouk \/ How-To Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When I started listening to them, the first thing I noticed was that the JBL Live Free 2 are very bass-forward. I also realized I wasn\u2019t a fan of any of the EQ modes. I started trying to create a custom EQ curve, but no matter what, it seemed to emphasize unpleasant frequencies.<\/p>\n<p>The key, I found, was turning the EQ mode off entirely. Note that this isn\u2019t the same as setting it flat or using the \u201cStudio\u201d setting. There is a slider to disable it entirely, and in most cases, this sounded the best to my ears.<\/p>\n<p>Listening to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6pzzYq5XUOI\">\u201cFame\u201d by Santigold<\/a>, the frequency balance seemed good with the EQ turned off, though there were some strident-sounding high mids. The bass that drives the song was pleasant with no EQ, and surprisingly sounded pretty good using the \u201cBass\u201d EQ setting. Other EQ settings sounded harsh in the higher frequencies.<\/p>\n<p>Playing <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=h_5q0n2mDR8\">The Sheepdogs\u2019 \u201cI Don\u2019t Know,\u201d<\/a> the midrange sounded somewhat dipped, most noticeably on the vocals. This gave the already gritty sounding vocal a lo-fi quality. In a way, it worked for the song, but this isn\u2019t something I\u2019ve heard on other headphones.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rXijEFrHQkg\">\u201cAll Stars\u201d by Grafton Primary<\/a> allowed the JBL Live Free 2 to shine. The bass and layered synths worked perfectly with these earbuds, and this glossier production seemed to gel with the sound signature.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Noise_Cancellation_and_Call_Quality\"><\/span>Noise Cancellation and Call Quality<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If I had to pick an area where the Live Free 2 earbuds shine brightest, it\u2019s the noise cancellation. I\u2019m not sure how JBL did it, but the noise cancellation seems markedly better than most earbuds I\u2019ve heard in this price range.<\/p>\n<p>Walking outside on a breezy day, I noticed that even with a 10 mph wind, I wasn\u2019t hearing wind noise. This wasn\u2019t even a problem when I switched from ANC to Ambient Sound mode. I also noticed less of the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/423960\/why-do-noise-canceling-headphones-hurt-my-ears\/\">phantom ear pressure ANC can cause.<\/p>\n<p>Ambient Sound mode is well-implemented, though I still have yet to hear anything in this price range that matches the Apple AirPods\u2019 Transparency mode. One interesting feature of these earbuds is that when you pop one earbud out, the other automatically switches to this mode, letting you hear your surroundings easier.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-823346\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jbl-live-free-2-outside-case.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"JBL Live Free 2 next to case\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Kris Wouk \/ How-To Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The TalkThru mode, on the other hand, is confusing. This aims to make hearing people talking to you easier, but keeps your music going. In practice, engaging this mode lowers the volume of your music so low that it\u2019s nearly inaudible.<\/p>\n<p>You can enable TalkThru mode by double-tapping on the left earbud, which could be handy. On the other hand, a single tap on the right pauses playback, while on the left it enables Ambient Sound mode. Even taking out a single earbud is easier, which seems to render TalkThru mode useless.<\/p>\n<p>Call quality is excellent, with the mics doing a good job of blocking out background noise. It may be even better if it could use a more advanced codec, but even so, calls work well.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Microphone_Audio_Sample_%E2%80%93_Indoor\"><\/span>Microphone Audio Sample \u2013 Indoor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><!--[if lt IE 9]><![endif]--><br \/>\n<audio title=\"Embedded Audio\" class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-823339-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/JBL-Live-Free-2-Indoor-Mic-Sample.mp3?_=1\"\/><\/audio><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Microphone_Audio_Sample_%E2%80%93_Outdoor\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_6\">Microphone Audio Sample \u2013 Outdoor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><audio title=\"Embedded Audio\" class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-823339-2\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/JBL-Live-Free-2-Outdoor-Mic-Sample.mp3?_=2\"\/><\/audio><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_You_Buy_the_JBL_Live_Free_2\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_7\">Should You Buy the JBL Live Free 2?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The JBL Live Free 2 offer great noise cancellation and call quality, both of which can be important features. Listening to music is fine, but it could be better. Still, this is a quality set of earbuds for the price.<\/p>\n<p>The problem isn\u2019t that the JBL Live Free 2 aren\u2019t good, it\u2019s that there is some extremely tight competition at this price range. For example, for $170, the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/819692\/1more-evo-true-wireless-review-great-sound-for-the-money\/\">1MORE Evo offer better sound quality and Bluetooth codecs, with the caveat of noise cancellation that isn\u2019t quite as good.<\/p>\n<p>That said, if noise cancellation, call quality, and multipoint Bluetooth are critical to you, the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B09V9XNF23\/?tag=howtogeekreviews-20\">JBL Live Free 2<\/a> are a great option in this price range.<\/p>\n<div class=\"single-review-card border\">\n<div class=\"review-card-body\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"pros\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Heres_What_We_Like-2\"><\/span>Here\u2019s What We Like<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Fantastic noise cancelling<\/li>\n<li>Comfortable<\/li>\n<li>Well-implemented touch controls<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cons\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"And_What_We_Dont-2\"><\/span>And What We Don&#8217;t<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>No higher quality Bluetooth codecs<\/li>\n<li>EQ can have a negative affect on sound quality<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/823339\/jbl-live-free-2-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Great Noise Cancelling, Decent Sound&#8221; Rating: 7\/10 ? 1 &#8211; Absolute Hot Garbage 2 &#8211; Sorta Lukewarm Garbage 3 &#8211; Strongly Flawed Design 4 &#8211; Some Pros, Lots Of Cons 5 &#8211; Acceptably Imperfect 6 &#8211; Good Enough to Buy On Sale 7 &#8211; Great, But Not Best-In-Class 8 &#8211; Fantastic, with Some Footnotes 9&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":485055,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jbl-live-free-2-inside-view.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-485054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/485054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=485054"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/485054\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/485055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=485054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=485054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=485054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}