At SXSW 2026, the audio brand released two new stylish pairs of noise-cancelling headphones.
By
Timothy Beck Werth
Tech Editor
Timothy Beck Werth is the Tech Editor at Mashable, where he leads coverage and assignments for the Tech and Shopping verticals. Tim has over 15 years of experience as a journalist and editor, and he has particular experience covering and testing consumer technology, smart home gadgets, and men’s grooming and style products. Previously, he was the Managing Editor and then Site Director of SPY.com, a men's product review and lifestyle website. As a writer for GQ, he covered everything from bull-riding competitions to the best Legos for adults, and he’s also contributed to publications such as The Daily Beast, Gear Patrol, and The Awl.
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Sadly, these orange headphones on display at SXSW aren't available for sale yet. Credit: JBL
Bold colors. Transparent casing. A splashy event at SXSW. JBL is working hard to give stylish music lovers something to get excited about this year.
And at a music event at SXSW 2026 over the weekend, the audio brand announced two new pairs of noise-cancelling headphones: The JBL Live 780NC Over-Ear Headphones and the Live 680NC On-Ear Headphones.
The brand definitely seems to be leaning into wearing your tech as a fashion statement, and the new Live 780NC and 680NC headphones feature stylish color options.
Credit: JBL
The release follows the launch of the brand's new party speaker, the JBL PartyBox On-the-Go 2 Plus. In addition, the JBL open-ear earbuds previously announced at CES 2026 are now available for sale.
We've got all the details on the new products, plus a first look from our colleagues at CNET.
Introducing two new JBL Live headphones
The headphones made their official debut at JBL's SXSW activation, the JBL Livebrary, which featured live performances from Steve Aoki and others. Like Apple's AirPods Pro Max, the headphones feature cool color options.
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Credit: JBL
Credit: JBL
The headphones come in black, green, blue, champagne, and white, giving shoppers more color options than usual. (Unfortunately, not all colors are available at launch.)
The JBL Live 780NC over-ear headphones have premium specs, including 80 hours of battery life (50 hours without ANC). They're priced at $249.95 and are available for order at JBL's online store now.
Active noise-cancellation supported by 6 microphones
40mm dynamic driver with compound diaphragm
JBL Spatial Sound 3.0
LDAC support for high-resolution wireless audio on compatible devices
80 hours battery life (50 hours without ANC)
Quick charge provides 4 hours with 5 minutes of Speed Charge
2 beamforming mics with an enhanced AI-trained noise-cancellation algorithm for phone calls
The JBL 680NC on-ear headphones are more affordable at $159.95, but they have most of the same features and come in the same colors. Instead of the six microphones for ANC, they only feature four. In addition, they lack some premium EQ settings. Otherwise, the specs are very similar.
In addition, JBL announced the launch of a new party speaker and some karaoke accessories, which you can read about on the JBL and Harmon websites (JBL is owned by Harman).
Finally, the open-ear line announced at CES 2026 are now available for sale.
We're also very happy to report that although the initial pictures of the transparent JBL Soundgear Clips didn't look all that great, they do look much cooler in person. You can order them at the JBL website or via Amazon for $149.95.
If you purchase any of the new products through Amazon, you'll get 90 days of Amazon Music for free.
Timothy Beck Werth is the Tech Editor at Mashable, where he leads coverage and assignments for the Tech and Shopping verticals. Tim has over 15 years of experience as a journalist and editor, and he has particular experience covering and testing consumer technology, smart home gadgets, and men’s grooming and style products. Previously, he was the Managing Editor and then Site Director of SPY.com, a men's product review and lifestyle website. As a writer for GQ, he covered everything from bull-riding competitions to the best Legos for adults, and he’s also contributed to publications such as The Daily Beast, Gear Patrol, and The Awl.
Tim studied print journalism at the University of Southern California. He currently splits his time between Brooklyn, NY and Charleston, SC. He's currently working on his second novel, a science-fiction book.
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