JBL’s earbuds have a case with a built-in touchscreen, because why not?

The JBL Live TWS 3 Series wireless earbuds stand out from most you’re likely to come across, thanks to the 1.45in touchscreen built into their charging case. Yes, you read that correctly.

• Read more: All the best news from CES 2024

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a pair of JBL in-ears rocking this rather decadent feature. We’ve previously reviewed the JBL Tour Pro 2, which seems to have the same screen. As for why you’d need a display in the case itself? The ability to view notifications and access music controls/various settings like the EQ without needing to use your phone is the main reason we suppose, though the usefulness of this feature will vary greatly depending on your penchant for excess.

While we found the screen on the JBL Tour Pro 2’s case to have its uses, the overall package was let down somewhat by the fact that you could nab better-sounding (screenless) headphones for around the same price. Thankfully, the new JBL Live TWS 3 Series is launching at a substantially lower price than the Tour Pro 2, with an RRP of $200/£180 for all three variants (the Buds 3, Beam 3, and Flex 3). Other key specs include Bluetooth 5.3 with LE for a more solid connection, along with 40, 48, and 50 hours of battery life, for the JBL Live Buds 3, Live Beam 3, and Live Flex 3, respectively.

Other JBL announcements at CES 2024 include the JBL Xtreme 4, which is a hulking, durable speaker which features two woofers, two drivers, and dual JBL Bass Radiators along with a waterproof build for keeping the party going in extreme conditions — now enhanced with AI Sound Boost which analyses audio in real-time to optimise the acoustic output. That’s available for $380/£330, and will be available in March, alongside the much smaller and far more pocketable JBL Clip 5 and JBL Go 4 models. 

The Clip 5 ($80/£60) has a redesigned carabiner with a more accessible opening, paired with up to 12 hours of playtime, while the even smaller Go 4 ($50/£40) will land with a more durable strap and up to seven hours of playtime. And if you fancy something much bigger, there’s always the JBL PartBox Club 120 ($400/£250) and Stage 320 ($600/£550), which offer huge sound and mic/guitar inputs for live music shenanigans, releasing in April 2024, alongside an optional wireless microphone.

Speaking of microphones, there are three new releases in the form of the JBL Quantum Stream Talk ($50/£40), Stream Wireless ($100/$80), and Stream Studio ($150/£130), all of which will land in the US and UK in March. The Stream Talk is a PC mic that promises to minimise background noise while software allows users to tweak the EQ.

The Stream Wireless is a wearable mic that’s geared towards vloggers and creators, with a lightweight clip-on design and environmental noise cancelling. Lastly, the Stream Studio promises professional recording quality thanks to three condenser microphones, along with a universal mounting solution and a compressor to help prevent loud noises from being distorted in calls and recordings.

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Esat Dedezade Contributor

About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.