JBL's new wireless earbuds are packed with next-generation features, including an on-body screen

JBL has announced a new range of earbuds at CES 2024, called JBL Live 3. They come in three different designs, but they all have one very big new feature in common: JBL's touchscreen Smart Charging Case, which is designed to make charging much easier and faster. access your audio playback and the various functions of your earbuds. Think of it like having a smartwatch screen right on the case.

We first saw the case in the JBL Tour Pro 2 and really liked it: In our JBL Tour Pro 2 review, we said the case was “a thing of beauty. It's delightful. It's fun.” Although the novelty wore off after a few days and we stopped using it, there was no doubt that it did exactly what it set out to do: make features easier to access. If you're the kind of listener who often adjusts settings to get the best possible sound, then this could be a game-changer.

There are three options in the JBL Live 3 range: Buds, Beam and Flex. Like their current incarnations, the Buds 3 most closely resemble standard earbuds, while the Beam 3 resembles Apple's AirPods Pro with a stick design and an in-ear fit, while the Flex 3 resembles regular AirPods with a stick design but without silicone tip. that goes straight into the ear canal. All three have JBL's True Adaptive Noise Canceling, Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio, JBL Spatial Sound and LDAC Hi-Res Audio for compatible phones, multi-point connectivity, wireless charging and six external microphones to power the noise cancellation and assist with to call to action.

However, there are some differences between them beyond design. The Buds and Beam are IP55 certified for water resistance, but the Flex are IP54; the Buds and Beam have 10mm dynamic drivers compared to 12mm for the Flex; and there are different levels of battery life: up to 40 on the Buds, 48 ​​on the Beam and 50 on the Flex (all including both earbuds and case).