JBL Live Pro+

Cheaper, cheerful and comfortable to wear

$249, jbl.com.au PROS

Quick to connect Comfortable design

Voice assistants

CONS

Under-powered ANC App for full features Crunchy sound

JBL’S pro-level earbuds look a little like Apple Airpods … but not in a bad way. They have an extended stem like Apple’s gadgets but they’re cheaper, fit in your ear differently and come with quick access to Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. They also offer adaptive noise cancellation, though this is best controlled with an app you download after set-up that also unlocks transparency mode. They are a competent budget option.