iLive IAEBTN333B

The iLive IAEBTN333B are budget true wireless earbuds with surprisingly decent ANC for the price. But battery life is among the worst we've seen, and build quality feels cheap. You're better off with competitors like the JLab JBuds Pods ANC or Soundcore P31i at this price point.

The 13mm neodymium drivers are bigger than what you typically find at this price, and sound quality lands at the 55th percentile. That's about average, nothing offensive but nothing that'll make you rediscover your music library either. The ANC is actually the bright spot here, sitting at the 73rd percentile, which is well above average for budget buds. It won't beat a pair of Sony flagships, but it'll knock down bus noise and office chatter decently.

Battery life is where things fall apart. The 2nd percentile ranking means this is one of the worst we've seen in our database. The quick charge feature gives you 1.5 hours of playtime from a 20 minute charge, which tells you the base battery capacity is tiny. The mic quality is also rough at the 38th percentile, so don't expect much on calls. Build quality sits at 34th percentile, which is disappointing even for the price.

Stacked against the JLab JBuds Pods ANC, the iLive loses on battery life and build quality, though the ANC performance is actually comparable. The Soundcore P31i brings better overall sound and much stronger battery endurance for similar money. The Nothing Buds 2 and Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro are in a different league entirely, but they also cost significantly more, so that's not really a fair fight.

The EarFun Air Pro 4 is probably the most interesting comparison. It costs more but delivers dramatically better battery life, sound, and build quality. If you can stretch your budget by $20 or $30, that's the move. The iLive only really makes sense if ANC at the absolute lowest price is your only priority.

At $44 to $50, the iLive IAEBTN333B is competing with some serious budget contenders. The JLab JBuds Pods ANC and Soundcore P31i both live in this same price range and offer better overall packages. You're getting ANC and transparency mode, which is rare at this price, but you're sacrificing battery life and build quality to get it. If you can find these at the lower end of that $44 to $50 spread, they're a slightly easier sell, but even then, the battery situation is hard to ignore.

The iLive IAEBTN333B sits in that crowded budget true wireless earbud space, the kind of thing you grab at Best Buy when you forgot your good headphones at home. It's got ANC, a 13mm neodymium driver, Bluetooth 5.4, and touch controls, all for somewhere between $44 and $50 depending on the day. On paper, that's a lot of features for the money. In practice, well, we'll get there.

People searching for cheap ANC earbuds will find this one, and the spec sheet does look tempting. Active noise cancellation, transparency mode, sweatproof design, quick charging. It's the same checklist as earbuds costing three times as much. But our database tells a different story once you dig into how these things actually perform.

Is the iLive IAEBTN333B good for everyday listening? For casual use, maybe. For anything demanding, the numbers suggest you should keep scrolling.

Skip these if you need earbuds that last through a full workday or a long flight. The battery life will drive you nuts. Also skip if you take a lot of phone calls, since the mic quality is below average. If you care about build quality or want something that feels premium, look elsewhere. The JLab JBuds Pods ANC or Soundcore P31i are better options at similar prices, and the EarFun Air Pro 4 is worth the extra money if you can swing it.

Should you buy the iLive IAEBTN333B? Probably not, unless you find them on deep discount and only need them for short sessions. The ANC is genuinely decent for the price, and the sound is fine for podcasts and casual listening. But the battery life is a dealbreaker for most people. One of the worst in our database means you'll be reaching for the charging case constantly.

If you're looking for budget true wireless earbuds with ANC, the JLab JBuds Pods ANC or Soundcore P31i are better picks at similar prices. The iLive feels like a product that checks boxes on a spec sheet without delivering where it counts.