JBL’s latest generation of wireless earbuds, the Live 3, seem built to withstand intense running sessions outdoors, or even the wear and tear of everyday life. The three new models, Live Buds 3, Live Beam 3, and Live Flex 3, are not only dust and water resistant (IP55 for Buds and Beam, IP54 for Flex), but also come with the same touchscreen charging case. Masu. We first took a look at JBL’s Tour Pro 2.
The charging case’s 1.45-inch LED touch display allows you to take calls, view texts, manage your music, receive social media alerts, and more. Perfect when you don’t want to touch your phone with sweaty hands. It’s probably overkill if you own a smartwatch or keep your phone handy a lot, but a touchscreen smart case is a great perk for everyone else.
The three earbuds differ slightly in both style and functionality. Live Buds 3 are classic bud-shaped headphones with an ergonomic fit. With Active Noise Cancellation turned off, you get 10 hours of playtime outside the case and an additional 30 hours of charging from the case.
The Live Beam 3 are sealed stick earbuds that offer 12 hours of playback with ANC off and an additional 36 hours of charging from the case.
Meanwhile, the Live Flex 3, which are open stick headphones, offer the best overall output of 10 hours with ANC off and an additional 40 hours when charging from the case.
All three will eventually support Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio (coming later in an over-the-air update) and be compatible with high-end Android smartphones like the Google Pixel 7 or 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S23. All Live 3 earbuds are also available in black or silver.
All three models are priced at $199.95 and will be available later this summer.