JBL Tour Pro 3 earbuds: Premium sound with a smart twist
JBL Tour Pro 3 wireless earbuds. Pictures: JBL.
True wireless earbuds have come a long way, and the JBL Tour Pro 3 is a prime example of just how much the technology has evolved. These earbuds don’t just focus on high-quality audio — they also bring a smart touchscreen charging case, immersive spatial audio, and adaptive noise cancellation to the table, making them one of the most feature-packed options in their category.
I’ve been using the Tour Pro 3 for a while now, putting them through their paces in sound quality, comfort, battery life, and connectivity for this long-term review.
The earbuds and charging case have a premium matte finish with polished chrome accents for a sophisticated look. The charging case is a little larger than average yet offers a reassuring weight without feeling too bulky in your pocket.
JBL includes silicone ear tips in multiple sizes and a pair of foam ear tips for those who prefer extra comfort and noise isolation. The fit is secure and lightweight, making them great for long listening sessions or workouts. I’ve worn them for hours at a time and never felt any discomfort.
The real killer feature is the smart charging case — one of the most unique features I’ve seen in a pair of wireless earbuds. I can’t believe I’ve waited until the third iteration to take the Tour Pros for a test.
JBL has integrated a 1.57-inch touchscreen display into the case that lets you control your earbuds directly. You can adjust the volume, skip tracks, change noise cancellation modes, view notifications, check battery life, and customise the lock screen with a personal photo. The screen is responsive and intuitive, making it easy to tweak settings without pulling out your phone.
Another unique feature is the case’s built-in audio transmitter. Using the included USB-C or AUX cables, you can plug the case into non-Bluetooth devices like a TV, stereo, or in-flight entertainment system, and it will wirelessly transmit the audio to your earbuds. To test this, I plugged the 3.5mm cable into the jack of my digital audio player, which holds my library of lossless and hi-res audio files. The wired connection worked flawlessly, delivering excellent sound quality.
The Tour Pro 3 deliver a relatively balanced sound signature. The hybrid dual-driver setup includes a balanced armature driver for crisp highs and a 10.2mm dynamic driver for deep, powerful bass. This combination produces a rich, well-balanced sound that doesn’t distort at high volumes. The vocals sound natural and detailed, with every instrument in a track coming through clearly.
For Android users, including the LDAC codec means high-resolution, 24-bit audio support. This gives better detail and clarity than standard Bluetooth streaming, creating a near-studio-quality listening experience. Of course, you’ll need to subscribe to a Hi-Res audio music streaming service and have a compatible device to take advantage of this.
One of my favourite features is JBL’s 360 Spatial Sound with head tracking. It creates an immersive surround sound effect, especially for movies and gaming. With head tracking enabled, the audio remains anchored in space, so the sound shifts accordingly when you move your head. This adds a new level of realism to the listening experience, making you feel like you’re inside the music or the scene of a film. However, the 360 spatial sound won’t work if you enable LDAC or use the cable. The positional audio is so good that, even in stereo mode, I could clearly hear sounds coming from different directions within the soundscape of movies and TV shows.
When enabled, JBL’s adaptive noise cancelling (ANC) 2.0 dynamically adjusts to your surroundings. The earbuds automatically calibrate the level of noise cancellation to ensure the perfect balance of isolation and awareness. I used them on several flights, and the ANC was incredibly effective in nullifying the low bass sounds of the jet engines.
For those moments when you need to stay aware of your surroundings, the ambient sound mode lets in external noise so you can hear announcements or conversations without removing the earbuds.
The JBL Headphones app unlocks even more features, allowing you to customise the earbuds to match your preferences. You can tweak the EQ settings, adjust the level of noise cancellation, and even run a fit test to find the best ear tip for optimal sound isolation and comfort.
Gesture controls can also be customised, so you can decide precisely how the earbuds respond to taps and swipes. The app even offers different audio mode selections, letting you optimise the earbuds for music, videos, or custom settings.
The Tour Pro 3's battery life is impressive. With noise cancellation turned off, you get up to 11 hours of playback on a single charge. The charging case provides three additional full charges, extending the total usage time to 44 hours. If you prefer to keep ANC on, battery life drops to around 8 hours per charge, with the case bringing the total to 32 hours.
Up to three extra hours of listening time can be gained after a quick 10-minute charge. The Tour Pro 3 also supports wireless charging.
I tested them on a windy day, and my voice remained clear and undistorted, which is impressive for earbuds of this size. These are also Zoom-certified, making them a great option for virtual meetings and work calls.
The JBL Tour Pro 3 earbuds are packed with features, making them one of the most versatile options available. The sound quality is outstanding, and the smart charging case adds a level of convenience that no other earbuds currently offer, allowing you to control your audio without needing to touch your phone. Battery life is solid, and with wireless charging, quick charging, and high-res LDAC support, these earbuds tick all the right boxes.
€299 Harvey Norman
