JBL's new true wireless earbuds come in both bud and stick designs
There's also a new pair of fitness buds with ear hooks.
JBL announced new audio gear today at CES 2023, including several new sets of true wireless earbuds. Although the Tour series’ smart charging case with a 1.45-inch touchscreen is JBL’s headline-grabbing release, it also updated its entry-level and mid-range earbuds for different form factors.
The JBL Tune series now ships in three designs: Tune Buds (standard buds, 10mm driver), Tune Beam (stick design with close tips similar to AirPods Pro, 6mm driver) and Tune Flex (open sticks like standard AirPods, 12mm driver). All three pairs offer active noise cancellation (ANC), although it’s hard to imagine the Tune Flex’s open design cutting down much outside sound.
JBL says the Tune Buds and Tune Beam each offer 12 hours of playback, with another 36 hours available from the charging case. (That drops to 10 hours with 30 more from the case if you have ANC turned on.) Meanwhile, the Tune Flex has an advertised eight hours of playback, with an additional 24 from the case (dropping to six hours and 18 from the case with ANC on). The Tune Buds and Beam have IP54 water and dust resistance, while the Flex is limited to IPX4. The three earphones will be available in black, blue and white when they launch in June, costing $100 each.
The Vibe series is JBL’s entry-level earbuds lineup without ANC. They ship in three similar form factors: Vibe Buds (bud design, 8mm drivers), Vibe Beam (closed stick, 8mm drivers) and Vibe Flex (open stick, 12mm drivers). All three include IP54 resistance and eight hours of playback, plus 24 more from the charging case. The earphones launch in February in black and white color options. The Vibe Buds and Vibe Beam will cost $50 each, while the Vibe Flex will set you back $70.
Finally, the JBL Endurance Peak 3 is the company’s latest workout earbuds. Like many fitness earphones, they have an ear-hook design to keep them secure during exercise. They include 10mm drivers, IP68 resistance and 10 hours of battery life (plus another 40 from the case). Like the Vibe series, they also lack ANC. The Endurance Peak 3 will be available in black and white, costing $100 when they launch on February 19th.
