JBL Live Free 2 True Wireless Noise Cancelling Review

Great for listening, awful for talking. At a discount, the noise cancellation and sound are a steal. At full price, look elsewhere.

The JBL Live Free 2 are the earbuds you buy when you want good sound and solid noise cancellation without emptying your wallet. They punch well above their price in a couple of key areas, but they're not perfect. The one thing you need to know is this: if you're buying these for work calls, look elsewhere. The microphone performance is genuinely bad. For everything else, they're a surprisingly competent package.

The noise cancellation is the real surprise here. For earbuds that often sell for under $150, the ANC is legitimately strong, sitting well above average in our tests. It handles the low rumble of a train or plane cabin better than you'd expect. The sound quality is also solid, with that classic JBL bass-forward signature. The real letdown, as hinted, is the microphone. Despite having six mics, call quality ranks in the bottom quarter of all earbuds we've tested. People will know you're on a headset.

With prices swinging wildly from $100 to over $250, the value proposition is simple: only buy these on sale. At $100, they're a steal for the ANC and sound alone. At $250, you're getting ripped off. Shop around, because at the right price, these are a fantastic budget-friendly option for listeners, not talkers.

Stacked against the competition, the Live Free 2 carve out a niche. They offer better ANC than the Soundcore Liberty 5 at a similar price, but the Soundcore has a much better mic. If you can stretch your budget, the Sony WF-1000XM6 is better in every single category, especially comfort and call quality. Against the Apple AirPods, it's a sound profile fight: if you prefer powerful bass over a neutral, balanced tone, the JBLs win. But for ecosystem integration and call clarity, Apple is untouchable.

If you're a remote worker living on Zoom or Teams calls, these aren't it. The mic quality is a real weakness. Go get a Jabra or a Soundcore model instead. Also, if you have very small or sensitive ears, the oval tube design might be a pain.

We can recommend the JBL Live Free 2, but with a giant asterisk. If your primary use is listening to music or podcasts in noisy environments and you can find them for around $100, buy them. The ANC and sound are that good for the money. If you take a lot of calls, need all-day comfort, or see them priced near $200, you should immediately look at alternatives like the Soundcore Liberty 5 or save up for the Sonys.