JBL has announced three new true wireless (TWS) earbuds at CES 2022: LIVE Pro 2, LIVE Free 2, and Reflect Aero. All three models feature active noise cancellation (ANC), long battery life, and water resistance. They also cost the same, coming in at $149.95 sometime this spring. The new JBL buds mostly differ in design and battery life. The company seemingly wants to have something in the market for every type of user. Let’s look at all of them closely.
JBL LIVE Pro 2 design & specifications
The LIVE Pro 2 sports a stemmed design made popular by Apple’s AirPods. The buds get a matte finish for a premium look. The internals suggests a premium sound quality as well. We have big, 11mm drivers that should make for a rich audio experience. As said before, the buds feature ANC to isolate you from external noise while listening. There’s also a smart ambient mode that lets you control the amount of environmental noise that can pass through. A total of six microphones ensure high-quality audio during calls, filtering wind and environmental noise.
JBL is offering touch controls on the LIVE Pro 2 for core functions. You can customize those control through the JBL Headphones app. You can also use Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant for hands-free voice control, which can be handy during workouts. The buds are IPX5 rated for water and sweat resistance, so they should easily withstand exposure to little rain.
The JBL LIVE Pro 2 boasts a strong 10 hours of battery life. The charging case can supply another 30 hours of life to the buds. And if you run out of battery juice, just 15 minutes of fast charging can deliver four hours of playtime. The buds support wireless charging.
JBL LIVE Free 2 design & specifications
The LIVE Free 2 is a pair of compact TWS earbuds with a clean and premium look. They feature slightly smaller 10mm drivers but keep most other specs of the LIVE Pro 2. We have ANC, ambient mode, IPX5 rating for water resistance, six microphones for high-quality audio, customizable onboard touch controls, and voice controls over Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
The main difference between the two models, apart from the obvious design difference, is in the battery life. The LIVE Free 2 boasts only seven hours of playtime on a single charge. You get 28 hours of additional playtime with the charging case. Unfortunately, as per the spec sheet, these buds don’t support fast charging and lack wireless charging as well.
JBL Reflect Aero design & specifications
The third pair of TWS earbuds that JBL has just announced is the sportiest of the lot. The Reflect Aero features an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, meaning you can wear them worry-free during rain or a light swimming session. The adjustable ear fin will ensure a secure fit in your ear.
The buds pack 6.8mm sound drivers each, so the audio quality may not be the best. But we do have the same set of features as the other two models. The JBL Reflect Aero comes complete with ANC, smart ambient mode, six microphones, customizable onboard touch controls, and hands-free voice controls.
These JBL TWS buds offer eight hours of battery life, which is quite impressive. But the charging case cannot supply more than two full charges to the buds, i.e. 16 hours of additional playtime. The JBL Reflect Aero is seemingly lacking fast charging and wireless charging as well.
As said before, the JBL LIVE Pro 2, JBL LIVE Free 2, and JBL Reflect Aero will all sell for $149.95 starting April this year.
2022-01-05 15:06:36