6 days ago
JBL Tour Pro 3 Put The iPod's Spirit Back In Your Pocket
JBL's new pair of earbuds feature a Smart Charging Case with a touchscreen, like the iPod Nano from yesteryear. The JBL Tour Pro 3 are unlike any other earbuds on the market. They're a throwback in spirit yet cutting-edge in features. You get a 1.57-inch color touchscreen on the charging case and 10mm dynamic drivers in the earbuds. Here's how it changes the way you use a pair of earbuds.
Big But Functional Case
The JBL Tour Pro 3 are larger than most mainstream wireless earbuds, with a big, borderline bulky case that makes them less pocket-friendly than the competition.
It's a bold move in an industry where everyone else is focused on smaller and lighter charging cases. But once you start using the Tour Pro 3, you realise the value of that size. The case houses a 1.57-inch capacitive touchscreen that gives you far more control without relying on an app.
It's not as quick or responsive as a modern smartphone or smartwatch, but it's more than just a gimmick.
Like the iPod Nano, it lets you manage your music from a single device. You can control playback, handle calls and messages, tweak features like spatial sound and ambient sound, toggle auto play/pause, use the flashlight and Find My Buds, and even personalise it with your own wallpapers. If you don't own a smartwatch, this screen might be the perfect companion for your phone.
You can also use the included USB-C-to-3.5mm cable for a wired connection, turning the Smart Charging Case into a transmitter.
The earbuds themselves, mirror the case's slightly chunky personality, paired with a short stem and lightweight build. JBL includes five sizes of silicone tips and a set of foam tips in the box. While I prefer silicone, foam tips might suit a specific audience. Even better, when you switch tips, you can select which ones you're using in the app, and the system reboots with new EQ curves. They're comfortable to wear and carry an IP55 rating for sweat and water resistance.
JBL Tour Pro 3: What Else You Should Know?
The JBL Tour Pro 3 offer multiple EQ modes to suit different listening preferences. They use Bluetooth 5.4 for connectivity and support SBC, AAC, LDAC, and LC3 codecs, plus Multipoint connectivity for multiple simultaneous connections and Auracast for sharing audio with friends.
Sound-wise, they deliver strong bass and clear highs. The bass doesn't overpower vocals, and the treble avoids harshness. JBL's Personi-Fi 2.0 personalisation tool tests your hearing and tailors the sound accordingly, in my case, making the treble brighter. You can further fine-tune the sound with the built-in equaliser.
Noise cancellation is solid, thanks to both the passive isolation from the sealed tips and the active noise cancelling (ANC) system. ANC effectively cuts ambient noise, and you can dial in more passthrough with the app's slider. Call quality is also clear, with wind noise handled efficiently. Battery life is equally strong: up to eight hours with ANC on, plus another 30 hours from the case.
JBL Tour Pro 3: Price And Availability
The JBL Tour Pro 3 are available from major retailers worldwide. In India, they launched at INR 29,999 but are now available for INR 19,999. In the U.S., they retail for $250.
