At CES 2026, JBL introduced three new open-ear earbuds coming in March—and each one offers a different take on the open-listening experience. Whether you’re after big sound, all-day comfort, or a more stylish fit, the Sense Pro, Sense Lite, and Soundgear Clips aim to keep your ears open without totally giving up on sound quality.
What connects them all is JBL’s OpenSound technology, which uses air conduction to direct audio toward your ears—without blocking your ear canals. That means you can listen to music, take calls, and still hear what’s going on around you. No transparency mode needed.
The JBL Sense Pro is clearly the high-spec model in this lineup. It’s got 16.2mm drivers, support for Hi-Res Audio, spatial sound, and an adaptive bass boost that’s meant to give your music some actual weight—something a lot of open-ear models tend to struggle with.
If you take a lot of calls, the Sense Pro might be worth a closer look. JBL built in a Voice Pickup Sensor that detects vibrations from your voice (yep, through your face), along with four mics and some AI-powered noise filtering to help your voice come through clearly, even in noisy spots.
Here’s what else it brings to the table:
The Sense Pro will cost $199.95 when it launches in March.
If the Sense Pro feels like overkill, the Sense Lite might be the right balance. It skips some of the fancy audio features like Hi-Res support and spatial sound, but it still uses the same OpenSound tech and adaptive bass boost.
It’s lighter, both physically and in terms of features. The soft silicone ear hooks and memory wire give it a barely-there feel, and the battery life is still solid:
It’s also IP54 rated, so it can handle light rain or sweat without worry. And while it doesn’t have the voice pickup tech from the Pro, you still get dual beamforming mics for decent call quality.
The Sense Lite comes in black, white, or purple, and is priced at $149.95.
The JBL Soundgear Clips go in a different direction, uhm, literally. Instead of wrapping over your ear like the Sense models, these clip around the middle of your ear like a cuff. It’s a sleek, fashion-forward design that feels a bit more casual.
They use 11mm drivers and JBL’s SonicArc shape, which aims to boost bass and limit sound leakage. Like the others, they support JBL’s adaptive bass boost, so you’re not stuck with a thin or flat sound.
Key features include:
You can grab the Soundgear Clips in one of five translucent colors—blue, black, white, purple, or copper. They’ll launch at $149.95.
All three of these earbuds use air conduction, which sends sound through the air instead of vibrating your bones (like bone conduction tech does). They don’t block your ears, so you stay connected to your surroundings—ideal for runners, commuters, or anyone who doesn’t want to be completely shut off from the outside world.
JBL’s implementation includes directional shaping and phase control, which helps keep sound leakage low while improving clarity. The idea is to strike a balance between awareness and quality.
The Sense Pro, Sense Lite, and Soundgear Clips all land in March 2026 and will be sold on the Harman Audio website and through JBL retailers.
Each model offers something different—whether it’s extra sound features, all-day comfort, or a fresh look—and all of them keep your ears open to the world around you.
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