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JBL just announced the Live 780NC headphones.
They're equipped with Auracast, and users can access broadcasts directly from the JBL Headphones app.
This way, iPhone users can access a feature that would otherwise be inaccessible.
JBL usually releases a deluge of products each year, ranging from portable Bluetooth speakers and wireless earbuds to soundbars and over-ear headphones. The company's upper midrange Live lineup, with some of its best performance-to-price offerings, is receiving another upgrade, but the most meaningful one isn't what you'd think.
The JBL Live 780NC headphones debut with a refreshed design and upgrades to Bluetooth connectivity, battery life, and audio tuning. But, the most interesting upgrade is the ability to access Auracast broadcasts and start your own, creating a loophole for iOS users.
Also: What is Bluetooth 6.0? How the latest standard fixes audio problems we'd learned to live with
According to JBL, you can stream and access Auracast broadcasts from the JBL headphones app. Other Auracast-enabled devices, such as Sony's WH-1000XM6, Google's Pixel Buds Pro 2, and Samsung's Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, require an Auracast-enabled smartphone and access to broadcasts via the device's Bluetooth settings. This method leaves iPhone users out of luck, since Apple doesn't support Auracast on iPhones.
Last month, Sennheiser debuted the Auracast-enabled RS 275 TV headphone bundle, which also supported in-app Auracast. I could connect Sennheiser's headphones to my iPhone and search for nearby broadcasts, even though my device was technically incompatible. Still, iPhones contain the hardware to support Auracast and LE Audio, but Apple just doesn't release the feature.
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