JBL's latest earbuds and headphones pack 'smart' noise cancelling
With over a dozen models, there's likely something for everyone.
JBL is rolling out a veritable deluge of earbuds and headphones ahead of CES — and many of them will be helpful for both tuning out the world and bringing it in. The AirPods-like Live Pro+ (pictured above), fitness-oriented Live Free NC+, sporty Reflect Mini NC TWS, over-ear Live 660NC (below) and on-ear Live 460NC all have active noise cancelling with a Smart Ambient mode that, like other transparency modes, allows you to hold conversations without removing a bud or earcup.
The Live Pro+ and Live Free NC+ true wireless buds support Qi charging and last for up to seven hours of continuous listening by themselves, in addition to a respective 21 and 14 hours when using their battery cases. The Reflect Mini NC TWS matches Live Pro+ battery life . The Live Pro+ can handle some splashes with IPX4 water resistance, but you’ll want the IPX7-rated Live Free NC+ or Reflect Mini NC TWS for particularly sweaty workouts.
The Live 660NC and 460NC unsurprisingly need wired charging, but they can last for up to 50 hours (40 on the 660NC if you use its “adaptive” noise cancelling) and can get four hours of playback with a 10-minute charge.
There are options if you don’t particularly care for Smart Ambient features. The Tune 660NC on-ear headphones deliver standard active noise cancellation and 44 hours of playback with ANC turned on, while the no-frills Tune 510BT goes without ANC while lasting 40 hours. If you prefer behind-the-neck earbuds, the Tune 215BT and Tune 125BT last for up to 16 hours — although you won’t want to use them for workouts when they aren’t IPX-rated.
A new Tour series of devices is aimed at “business professionals” who may be more concerned about video calls than getting lost in the music. The over-ear Tour One offers adaptive noise cancellation, ambient sound awareness and four microphones to help your call quality, albeit with just 25 hours of battery with ANC enabled. The Tour Pro+ true wireless buds only offer 30 hours of total playback (six in the buds themselves with noise cancelling) and three mics, but they’re also IPX4 sweat-resistant.
JBL says the Live series buds and headphones will be available on March 14th starting at $130 for the Live 460NC, $150 for the Live Free NC+, $180 for the Live Pro+ and $200 for the Live 660NC. The Tune series arrives at the same time for prices ranging from $40 for the entry 125BT through to $100 for the 660NC.
You’ll have to be patient for the rest. The Tour series appears May 30th at prices of $200 for the Tour Pro+ $300 for the Tour One, while the Reflect Mini NC TWS ships sometime in the spring for $150.
