Club JBL in Amsterdam
JBL has gathered a number of different product launches during a big event in Amsterdam. Mobile was in place.
Loudspeaker and headphone manufacturer JBL, owned by Harman Kardon gathered invitees for a big launch of headphones, in-ear headphones, microphones for karaoke that automatically remove or mute the vocals in the songs when you’re about to sing. In addition, new large towable party speakers and smaller and more flexible portable speakers at its European office in Amsterdam. Here, they also took the opportunity to tell a bit of their history, as the book team turns 80 this year.
There was a wide range of products that were presented. We start with the headphones.
JBL Live 780NC and JBL Live 680NC with noise reduction
This pair of headphones is active noise canceling with two different design choices. 780 is over ear so that the whole ear is enclosed while 680 is over ear so that the cover is on the ear. With these headphones, JBL has added details in metal such as in the folding mechanism and in the mechanism to adjust the size and fit. The headphones have 40 mm speaker elements, upgraded processing power and thus also more effective noise reduction. There is also support for LDAC high-resolution audio here, which makes a clear difference if you listen from an Android mobile phone that supports it. For calls, two microphones are used which should provide clear sound while helping to minimize disturbing noise from the surroundings. It is clear that color and expression are important, because the headphones come in seven different color options. Green, orange, purple, blue, black, white or sand. Both handsets will be released in May and the price is SEK 2,000 for the 780NC and SEK 1,700 for the 680NC.
JBL Live 4 series – earplugs with different shapes and designs
With the three pairs of earphones in the JBL Live 4 series, you get JBL’s case with an integrated screen, now with an updated interface so that you can more easily make settings on the small touch screen without taking out the mobile phone. You can also customize the functions or upload your own photo to the screen. The entire series has improved noise reduction and they come in three variants. JBL Live Flex 4 sits in the outer ear and has a more open design without rubber plugs. The JBL Live Buds 4 is an in-ear model with silicone tips without a stick that sticks down, and the JBL Live Beam 4 is an in-ear with silicone tips for a tight fit and with a stick that sticks down.
JBL Live 4 is available in black, blue, silver and sand, costs SEK 2,200 and will be released in May.
The speakers JBL Xtreme 5 and JBL Go 5
Portable speakers of this type are probably what most people associate JBL with. They have been the company’s bestseller and now a new generation has come with some improvements. The small JBL Go 5, for example, has received a new design where the logo protrudes from the front so that it both gives a new look and should give the sound an extra resource, 10 percent higher volume than in the predecessor. You can also create a stereo pair of two G0 5s by simply holding them against each other.
Both speakers can withstand rain and dirt, and are protected against shocks and being dropped on the ground. You can see with LEDs when the speakers are connected, in Auracast mode or have a low battery. Extreme 5 can also display light effects adapted to the music.
Both speakers have already been in stores since earlier this spring, the Go 5 costs SEK 600 and is available in as many as ten different color options. Extreme 5 costs SEK 3,700.
From 1946 until today
In addition to this, JBL launched Easysing Mics and Easy Sing Mic Mini, where the microphones can be used for karaoke. With the help of AI, they can remove vocals from any song or mute the vocals if you want a little help on the trot when you have to sing along. It works surprisingly well. In addition, we got to see the new party speakers Partybox 330 and Partybox 130 as well as a range of older products from JBL’s history, from stereo furniture in the 50s to the first Ipad speakers and much more.