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JBL brings Dolby Atmos soundbar and ANC headphones to CES 2021

Simon Cohen
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Ahead of CES 2021, JBL has announced four additions to its audio portfolio, including a new Dolby Atmos soundbar, noise-canceling wireless headphones, and an updated Bluetooth speaker. Here’s the full lineup.

JBL Bar 5.0 Multibeam Dolby Atmos soundbar

JBL Bar 5.0 Multibeam
JBL
  • $400
  • Available spring 2021

The JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam is a compact soundbar designed to deliver multichannel 3D sound and includes support for virtualized Dolby Atmos. JBL claims that its proprietary beamforming technology — called MultiBeam — is the key to the Bar 5.0’s ability to deliver a room-filling sound that also creates a sense of 3D surround immersion.

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The Bar 5.0 uses four passive radiators to produce low-end bass, which JBL says eliminates the need for a separate subwoofer. With both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections, the Bar 5.0 supports Apple’s AirPlay 2, has Chromecast built-in, and can do multiroom audio when used with Alexa device groups.

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In addition to an optical input, the Bar 5.0 has a single HDMI input and an HDMI ARC/eARC compatible output, with support for 4K and Dolby Vision passthrough. It’s also compatible with voice control if you already own a Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa smart speaker.

JBL Tour One and Tour Pro+

  • JBL Tour One: $300
  • JBL Tour Pro+: $200
  • Available May 30, 2021

JBL’s new Tour series of noise-canceling headphones and true wireless earbuds are targeted at business professionals, according to the company, and will apparently compete with Bose and Sony’s comparable products. The Tour One is a set of active noise canceling (ANC) over-ear wireless headphones with 25 hours of ANC battery life (50 hours if you turn ANC off). A new feature called SilentNow lets you activate the ANC function without turning on Bluetooth, which will help preserve battery life for those times when you simply want a quieter environment.

They feature hands-free support for your choice of Google Assistant or Alexa.

The Tour One are rated for hi-res music playback when used with a wired connection. Sound is generated from a pair of 40mm drivers. The ANC capability is augmented with an adaptive ambient sound feature, as well as TalkThru, which automatically dips the volume of your music when you have a conversation.

The Tour Pro+ is a set of ANC true wireless earbuds with six hours of noise-canceling playback time and eight hours with ANC turned off. They’re IPX4-rated for water resistance and have the same SilentNow feature as the Tour One.  JBL says the ANC system is adaptive, which means it should be able to accommodate different ear shapes, less-than-perfect ear canal seals, and changing external sounds.

The JBL Headphones app gives you a fit test to check if you’re using the best eartip size for your ears, and it lets you customize the Tour Pro+ touch controls. The earbuds are FastPair compatible when used with select Android phones, and the charging case supports Qi wireless charging in addition to USB-C.

Like the Tour One, these earbuds also have hands-free support for your choice of Google Assistant or Alexa.

JBL Reflect Mini TWS NC

JBL Reflect Mini TWS NC
JBL
  • $150
  • Available spring 2021

Available in blue, black, or white, the Reflect Mini TWS NC are a fully waterproof (IPX7) set of ANC true wireless earbuds that get seven hours per charge, with a total of 21 hours when you include the charging case. Included earfins help produce a secure fit for those who want to do aggressive workouts or participate in sports while wearing the earbuds.

They’re equipped with FastPair for Android devices, can be used together or independently, and have wear sensors that automatically pause your music when you remove an earbud. The JBL Headphones app gives you additional customization over the controls and ANC functions.

Reflective accents on the earbuds make you more visible at night, and the SmartAmbient feature lets you stay aware of your surroundings. They work with both Google Assistant and Alexa.

JBL Charge 5

JBL Charge 5
JBL
  • $180
  • Available April 2021

An update to one of JBL’s most popular speakers, the JBL Charge 5 is a fully waterproof and dustproof (IP67) portable Bluetooth speaker with a 20-hour battery life. You can use that battery to charge up other devices thanks to its USB port. The Charge 5 gets a bolder design, with a more prominent JBL logo and new silicone numbers on either end.

It can now take advantage of JBL’s PartyBoost audio-sharing system, which lets you connect the Charge 5 to one other PartyBoost speaker for stereo sound, or up to 100 PartyBoost speakers for multiroom sound. The speaker’s Bluetooth system has been upgraded to 5.1 from the Charge 4’s Bluetooth 4.2.

JBL Live headphones for 2021

Also on tap for this year is a collection of new Live wireless headphones

JBL Live Pro+

  • $180
  • Available March 14, 2021
  • Black, white, pink, and beige
  • JBL Signature Sound
  • Adaptive Noise Cancelling with Smart Ambient
  • Wireless Charging; Qi compatible
  • Echo Cancelling Mic technology
  • Auto play/pause
  • Up to six hours of playback with ANC on (seven hours when it’s off)
  • 21 hours of battery life in the charging case
  • Customizable touch controls with My JBL Headphones app
  • IPX4
  • Fast Pair
  • Hands-free voice capability with your choice of Alexa or Google Assistant

JBL Live Free NC+

  • $150
  • Available March 14, 2021
  • Black, blue, white, and rose
  • IPX7 waterproof and sweatproof
  • JBL Signature Sound
  • Active Noise Cancelling with Smart Ambient
  • Wireless Charging; Qi compatible
  • Auto play/pause
  • Fast Pair
  • Up to seven hours of playback per charge
  • 14 hours of battery life in the charging case
  • Compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant

JBL Live 660NC

  • $200
  • Available March 14, 2021
  • Black, blue, and white
  • JBL Signature Sound
  • Auto play/pause
  • Adaptive Noise Cancelling with Smart Ambient
  • Hands-free voice capability with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
  • Bluetooth Multi-Point Connection
  • Up to 40 hours of playback with ANC (50 hours if it’s turned off)
  • Speed Charge (10-minute charge = 4 hours playtime)
  • Customizable with My JBL Headphones app
  • Hotword and Device Action support

JBL Live 460NC

  • $130
  • Available March 14, 2021
  • Black, blue, white, and rose
  • JBL Signature Sound
  • Auto play/pause
  • Adaptive Noise Cancelling with Smart Ambient
  • Hands-free voice capability with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
  • Bluetooth Multi-Point Connection
  • Up to 50 hours of playback
  • Speed Charge (10-minute charge = 4 hours playtime)
  • Hotword and Device Action support
  • Customizable with My JBL Headphones app

JBL Tune headphones for 2021

JBL has also updated its lineup of Tune wireless headphones:

JBL Tune 660NC

  • $100
  • Available March 14, 2021
  • Black, blue, and white
  • JBL Pure Bass sound
  • Active noise canceling
  • 55 hours total battery life
  • 44 hours with noise canceling
  • Bluetooth Multipoint connection
  • Voice assistants supported

JBL Tune 510BT

  • $50
  • Available March 14, 2021
  • Black, blue, and white
  • JBL Pure Bass Sound
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • 40 hours battery life
  • Bluetooth Multipoint connection
  • Voice assistants supported
  • Foldable design

JBL Tune 215BT

  • $40
  • Available March 14, 2021
  • Black and white
  • JBL Pure Bass Sound
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • 16 hours battery life
  • Bluetooth Multipoint connection
  • Comfort-fit earbuds
  • Voice assistants supported

JBL Tune 125BT

  • $40
  • Available March 14, 2021
  • Black and white
  • JBL Pure Bass Sound
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • 16 hours battery life
  • Bluetooth Multipoint connection
  • Magnetic earbuds for easy cable management
  • Voice assistants supported

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Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like spatial…
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