JBL will be releasing a slew of new audio products in 2024, showcasing the latest speakers, headphones and microphones at CES 2024. Many are updates of previous models, taking things further in performance, portability and power. Not surprisingly, JBL took the opportunity at CES to unveil a mix of devices on the audio, all of which are coming within the first half of 2024.
New JBL earbuds for 2024
Starting with earbuds, JBL will offer two pairs that largely work the same, yet differ in style. The Live Buds 3 and Live Beam 3 are essentially the same earbuds, save for a key stylistic difference. The Live Buds 3 are “dot-style” buds that are the standard design without stems, whereas the Live Beam 3 are “stick-style” with the stems. There are even “open type stick” earbuds in the Live Flex 3, meaning they don’t have removable ear tips but are more AirPods-like with a one-size-fits-all design.
All of them bring back the small 1.45-inch LED screen on the case itself, where you have quick access to certain features like active noise cancellation, ambient sound, equalizer, volume and skipping/repeating tracks. It also makes it much easier to see battery life at all times.
For the most part, the three models share the exact same specs and features. They all do hi-res audio (LDAC codec) and spatial sound, have six microphones plus support multipoint Bluetooth connections. The differences between them are fairly minor, with the Live Buds having slightly lower battery life than the other two, while the Live Flex will have lower IP54 water resistance compared to IP55 on the others.
JBL says all three models will be coming out in the summer of 2024 in black and silver colour variants.
The newest JBL headphones
JBL also unveiled six new pairs of over-ear and on-ear headphones. Starting with the over-ear Live 770NC, these will be one of JBL’s top pairs for 2024, featuring adaptable active noise cancellation and Personi-Fi 2.0 technology, adding extra layers of customization in the JBL Headphones app. Improvements in sound quality also include spatial audio playback, which you can apply to anything playing in stereo through your phone, tablet, or computer. Battery life looks to be solid with up to 50 hours of playback with noise cancellation on (65 hours when off). Moreover, the on-ear Live 670NC headphones come with the same set of features as the 770NC, so the only major difference is style.
With the Tune 770NC, you can expect better battery life this time at up to 70 hours per charge (with noise cancellation off). Quick charging also speeds up with up to three hours of playback after just a five-minute charge. The company says it’s partly able to achieve these battery life figures because of Bluetooth 5.3 LE, which uses less power to effectuate the same audio performance and range. You still get multipoint connections, plus your choice between Google Assistant and Alexa for your onboard voice assistant.
Next up are the Tune 670NC—these being the on-ear pair—which also come with similar upgrades. You get the same battery life and quick charging found in the over-ear 770NC, plus all the other audio and connectivity features.
If you’re willing to give up a few features, there are newer, more affordable options to consider, like the over-ear Tune 720BT and on-ear Tune 520BT. Both pairs share the same audio quality upgrades, including improved Bluetooth connectivity and multipoint support. The Tune 720BT get up to 76 hours of battery life, while the Tune 520BTcan go for up to 57 hours per charge. Plug in for five minutes and either pair will get you three hours of battery life. The major thing you give up for the affordability, however, is active noise cancellation (ANC), which neither of these have.
JBL Soundgear Sense
For something a little different from JBL, we have the Soundgear Sense. These are open-ear headphones with JBL’s own OpenSound technology using air conduction to enable you to listen to audio. Basically, you don’t cover your ears with these at all, they just sit over your ears without constraining them. Plus, the neckband is detachable, which is a convenient perk. JBL says you’ll still hear strong bass, but we’ll have to see about that once they’re available.
The flexible ear hooks ensure a pretty comfortable fit for all ears, though speaker placement will be more critical for getting the most out of the sound. Open-ear headphones are ideal when you can’t have anything in your ears, or if you want to hear your surroundings during playback, like while out on a run. The cool thing about these is that the neckband also detaches, letting you use them without it. With up to six hours of playback per charge, you also get three extra charges from the case, so you won’t have to charge them that often.
JBL expects to release all of these headphones in spring 2024, with the Live and Tune models coming in black, blue, gold and white. The Soundgear Sense will come in black and white variants.
Smaller JBL speakers
Starting with the smaller sizes first, the JBL Go 4 will be 20% louder and last up to two hours longer (seven hours total) than the previous Go 3. While hard to truly quantify, the company also claims a 10% improvement to the bass as well. This is one of those small speakers that you can take with you to listen to tunes in smaller spaces, like on a table as background during conversation or at the beach when you want music, but not necessarily loud for others to hear. It’s got good IP67 dust and water protection, plus the ability to pair with other Go speakers via the JBL Portable app.
That also goes for the JBL Clip 5, which will be 15% louder with the same 10% bump in bass response. It also lasts three hours longer (12 hours total) and retains the same IP67 protection. The biggest change may be the carabiner, which has a wider opening this time, making it easier than ever to clip the speaker onto something.
Then there’s the JBL Xtreme 4, a portable speaker with real punch and a very unique feature point not seen in a JBL speaker before. While it’s 20% louder and has an AI Sound Boost setting to analyze audio and optimize it on the fly, the biggest change is the replaceable battery. It’s unusual for Bluetooth speakers this size, generally, but JBL says users will be able to replace the battery on the Xtreme 4 themselves. The company will offer two standardized batteries, meaning the Go 4 and Clip 5 will also have replaceable batteries, except the only difference is those smaller speakers will need servicing from JBL to fulfill the replacement.
Another general change with these new speakers is the recycled materials involved. JBL says it sourced much of the plastic and fabric from recycled materials to manufacture them, and plans to continue increasingly doing that.
JBL expects to launch all of these portable speakers in the early summer, and they’ll come in a variety of colours, as always.
Bigger speakers
JBL is no stranger to the kind of speakers designed to make a crowd move, and there are a couple of new ones. The PartyBox Club 120 is probably the most accessible, given its size and weight, which includes a built-in handle for easier transport. The lighting effects are back, as are multiple inputs for guitars and microphones, so if you’re thinking of a jam session or karaoke, this speaker has the goods. There’s even a holder on top for a phone or tablet in case you want to look at the lyrics or music app. The IPX4 protection isn’t ideal if you have the beach in mind, but a splash from the pool won’t hurt this thing if it’s sitting too close.
If you want to go even bigger, you can roll out the PartyBox Stage 320 with its wheels and luggage-style handle instead. This beast packs 240W of power, making it louder than the Club 120 by a significant margin, though it shares many of the same features, including the lighting effects and multiple inputs. It can play for up to 18 hours per charge, and in a pinch, plug it in for 10 minutes and get up to two hours of playback.
You can also pair two or more of either of these speakers. In fact, you can do it with other JBL Auracast-enabled speakers, even if they’re not the same model. Auracast is a relatively new technology that works through Bluetooth LE to make it easier to connect devices together for audio playback. Devices need to support Bluetooth 5.3 and Auracast itself, and it’s likely more devices will in 2024.
I mentioned microphones earlier, and JBL is also announcing one at the show with the PartyBox Wireless Mic. They come in a two-pack and are both wireless, so all you need to do is plug in the included dongle in a PartyBox speaker and get the party started. They’re cardioid mics and have a shock mount system to ward off unwanted noises from handling or breathing. They can last up to 20 hours per charge and have rechargeable batteries. That’s ideal if you want to use a PartyBox for both partying and as a transportable PA system.
JBL Quantum mics
There are also a few new mics in the mix. The Quantum Stream Talk is a single condenser mic that’s good for solo work on podcasts, voiceovers, livestreams and virtual meetings. It’s a simple plug-and-play mic that works on PCs, Macs and Chromebooks. It also has a pretty slim profile to make it more portable and easier to take with you whenever you need.
The Quantum Stream Studio is more varied in that it offers four voice patterns (cardioid, side-by-side, stereo, front and back). It’s also unique because of its air conduction technology, so JBL positions this as a more professional alternative. RGB lighting effects help visualize the different modes and features available, plus a mounting system that’s more adaptable to your own preferences.
For work in the field, the Quantum Stream Wireless is made up of both a wireless transmitter and receiver. Plug the transmitter into a phone or camera (via USB-C), clip on the receiver, and you have a nice setup for capturing clearer audio on location. Equally neat is the case that slots both units inside and charges them like a pair of earbuds.
All of the new microphones are slated to launch in the early spring.
More to come from JBL in 2024
JBL won’t be quiet in 2024, with other products, like sound bars, turntables, and gaming devices also set to see some new additions. You can see all of JBL’s current lineup that’s available now, and watch the blog for all of the latest tech coming out of CES 2024.
