Here’s the thing I miss about working in a traditional office set-up: no household noise. Save for the usual chatter and footsteps here and there, people, aware that they were in a place of work, kept the noise to a minimum.
And should the noise be a little too loud or somehow intolerable, you could either ask the source nicely to turn it down or find a quieter spot. That, unfortunately, is not the case for many who are working from home – some noise are unavoidable (e.g. sound of cars), the sources cannot be simply asked to be quiet or mindful of those working (e.g. your neighbor or neighbor’s kids or neighbor’s pets), and finding a quieter spot is limited to your living space because, hey, there’s still a pandemic and staying in is strongly advised.
When the going gets tough, the tough gets a pair of noise-cancelling headphones.
Speakers and headphones brand JBL packs a truly useful adaptive noise cancelling (ANC) feature in its Live Pro+ TWS earbuds, accessible through the JBL Headphones app and the buds once set up. Launched in April this year, JBL Live Pro+ TWS is ideal for those looking for wireless earbuds that pack the sound and the no-sound.
The pair lets wearers reduce distractions – from the noise and the heft of big noise-cancelling headphones – with the ANC turned on with or without music. Do note that the ANC slightly affects the audio playback, which, in my opinion, is a small tradeoff for holding off both low and high frequency sounds.
Turn the ANC on without audio, and you get a decent pair of noise-cancelling earplugs. The noise-cancelling feature comes in three modes: everyday, travel, and active.
It also helps that the JBL Live Pro+ TWS has five pairs of ear tips in different sizes (with shallow and deep options), allowing the users to test, using the JBL app, which pair provides the best fit.
On the other side of its audio sensory features is Smart Ambient, which, when turned on, sharpens the sound of the surroundings, letting the wearer listen to the world around without removing the earbuds.
The app also has an equalizer (EQ) with three presets (vocal, jazz, bass) and one for a customized preset. Utilizing this feature helps offset any alterations the ANC and Smart Ambient may have caused to the audio’s lows, mids, and highs.
Live Pro+ TWS also boasts a “noise and wind isolation technology and beamforming mics” that promise to convey a clear voice to the other end, “giving you the feeling of a live conversation”. I haven’t had a problem with calls, although I did experience audio drops while listening to music in the same place; no distance was added nor obstructions got in the way when they happened.
The earbuds also connect fast via Bluetooth and Google-enabled Fast Pair, the latter allows the headphones to connect to an Android device. To access commands (playback control, Ambient Sound control, volume, and voice assistant) simply set them up on the app and tap the earbuds. Call controls, meanwhile, are always accessible when receiving a call. Google Assistant and Alexa are supported. Access the Find My Buds feature on the app.
All these features are powered by a seven-hour battery life (with ANC off; six hours when it’s on). The Qi-compatible wireless charging case provides three additional charges, thus bringing the total playback hours to 28. All these features come at a reasonable P9,199.
Live Pro+ TWS is part of JBL’s latest releases it introduced in the country in June along with its newest ambassador Nadine Lustre.
“JBL has built a legacy of ensuring consumers enjoy their sound. Nadine embodies the values of JBL,” Larry Secreto, country head at Harman International, said during a virtual event.
Part of JBL’s new lineup are Reflect Mini NC TWS in-ear sport headphones, Endurance Peak II wireless headphones, UA True Wireless Streak, Live 460NC on-ear headphones, Live 660NC over-ear headphones, Tune 510BT on-ear headphones, Tune 660NC Noise Cancelling on-ear headphones, Live Free NC+ TWS in-ear headphones, Tune 225 TWS earbuds, and Tune 115 TWS in-ear headphones.