JBL Tour Pro 3 headphones review: Lower price and attractive improvements

When they were released, in the fall of 2024, JBL flagship Tour Pro 3 The earbuds cost $330. While they had a touchscreen LCD display in their charging case, which doubled as a Bluetooth dongle, I thought it was a tad expensive for what they ended up offering.

But over time, the price decreased (approx $250 Or less sometimes), making it a better deal. In addition, they have now earned the distinction of receiving the first CNET Labs Award for Most Accurate Frequency Response, having tested the closest Harman target curve. Combine that with the added benefit for some Firmware updates This has improved its performance and is easier to recommend today. However, they face stiff competition from the likes of Apple AirPods Pro 3 headphones and Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.

Read more: Best wireless earbuds of 2026

JBL Tour Pro 3 design

The Tour Pro 3 earbuds have a premium charging case, but I wasn’t sure the design of the earbuds themselves was premium enough when I first encountered the $330 Tour Pro 3. While the headphones sported large dual drivers inside, their plastic chrome accents made them look a bit cheap to me — or not as sleek-looking as some premium headphones. It is IP55 splash and dust resistant.

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At its low price, it’s easier to be less precise. they We are Comfortable to wear and relatively lightweight at 5.6g per bud. By comparison, JBL’s Beam 3 progressive buds, which have a single 10mm dynamic driver, weigh 5g each. They also have an LCD touchscreen in their charging case (it’s a bit smaller at 1.5 inches compared to the 1.6-inch touchscreen on the Tour Pro 3), and I decided to recommend this model because it costs much less — it $150 Today – only for a slight step down in performance.

Aside from the Tour Pro 3’s larger touchscreen and dual-motor design, the only major difference between it and the Beam 3 is that its charging case turns into a Bluetooth transmitter and receiver, so you can plug it into the headphone port on your in-flight entertainment system and have it transmit audio to your headphones wirelessly (you can plug the case into any auxiliary port or USB-C port and have it transmit audio). Only a few earbuds, including the price Bowers & Wilkins B8 Earphones, offer this feature.

The touchscreen is responsive and doubles as a remote for the speakers, so you can skip forward and backward tracks and adjust settings, including sound modes and equalizer settings, without touching your phone. It’s a nice feature, but incorporating a touchscreen into the charging case makes it heavier and bulkier, which some people may struggle with; The charging case weighs 71.8 grams, or about 2.5 ounces, compared to 44 grams, or 1.6 ounces, for the AirPods Pro 3 charging case.

Features of JBL Tour Pro 3

Upgraded to Bluetooth 6.0 with a firmware update, the Tour Pro 3 has a robust feature set, including the aforementioned smart charging case along with ear detection sensors to automatically pause audio when the speaker is taken out, spatial audio with head tracking, Bluetooth multipoint, basic Find My Buds feature, equalizer settings and support for Auracast public broadcasts and Sony’s LDAC audio codec for Android devices (AAC for Apple devices).

Like some headsets these days, the Pro 3s have a sound customization feature called Personi-Fi 3.0. It’s in the JBL headphones’ companion app for iOS and Android and creates a unique sound profile tailored to your hearing (and auditory tastes). I also appreciate JBL’s VoiceAware feature that lets you control how much of your voice you hear through the earbuds during phone calls.

The earphones also have a feature – SmartTalk – that detects your voice when you start a conversation with someone and automatically lowers the music volume and switches from noise cancellation to ambient modes (on the Smart Touchscreen, you can enable TalkThru for the feature to work). This is similar to the Conversation Awareness feature in the Apple AirPods Pro 3 and Sony WF-1000XM6 Speak feature to chat.

Noise canceling JBL Tour Pro 3

The noise cancellation on the JBL Tour Pro 3 is very effective, especially if you’re able to get a tight seal from one of the six pairs of ear tips that come in the box, including a set of foam tips. I wouldn’t rate the noise cancellation as high as on the Sony WF-1000XM6, AirPods Pro 3, and Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra (2nd generation), but it’s just a small step back (I’d rate it a B-plus or maybe even an A-minus).

The sound quality of the JBL Tour Pro 3

As I said earlier, the Tour Pro 3s are equipped with a dual-motor design. They have a 10.2mm dynamic driver for bass and mids (vocals) combined with a custom 5.1 x 2.8mm balanced driver for the top. They sound good, with a rich, detailed sound that’s well balanced and has nice depth. As advertised, the bass is both meaty and powerful, and has plenty of kick without sounding boomy.

Our labs recently started testing the frequency response of many of the best earbuds out there. As mentioned, the JBL Tour Pro 3 wireless earbuds received the CNET Labs award for Best Frequency Response, meaning their frequency response closely matches Harman target curve“Science-backed” targeted frequency response for the perfect tonal balance for headphones and earphones. This isn’t too surprising considering JBL is a subsidiary of Samsung-owned Harman.

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All that said, although the Tour Pro 3s are impressive-sounding earbuds, I can’t say they really blew me away (I’d rate them an A-minus on the audio front). For pure sound quality, I’d choose the Sony WF-1000XM6 or the new one Noble Osprey ($200), which also feature a dual-driver design, over the JBL Tour Pro 3. These earbuds feel a little more premium than the Tour Pro 3’s buds, offering a more natural, pure sound. In the case of the Noble Osprey, its treble performance is a step up from the Tour Pro 3s, with more sparkle and clarity.

JBL Tour Pro 3 audio calling performance and battery life

I’ve been generally pleased with the voice calling performance of JBL’s headphones over the past few years, and the Tour Pro 3 are very good in the voice calling department (they have three microphones in each earbud). Callers said they heard only minimal background noise when I spoke to them from the bustling streets of New York. They said my voice sounded reasonably clear, although it was a bit muffled.

Voice calling performance is not up to what you get Anker’s new Liberty Pro 5 series buds Or Sony’s WF-1000XM6 (the voice calling performance on the AirPods Pro 3 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro is also top-notch), but it’s very good overall. I would rate it an A-minus.

The Tour Pro 3s is rated for up to 8 hours of battery life with noise cancellation at moderate volume levels, which is good (up to 11 hours with ANC turned off). The case adds about 32 hours of battery life with noise cancellation.

JBL Tour Pro 3 Final Thoughts

When they first came out, I thought the Tour Pro 3 were good earbuds, but they fell short of my expectations for the price ($330). Now it’s been over 18 months and the price has dropped to roughly $250 (and… Sometimes closer to $200 During flash sales) and received some firmware updates that improve performance, I became more tempted. This is especially true if you value the smart charging case features (including a Bluetooth transceiver feature) that help set them apart from other premium earbuds. I still think some competing models offer slightly more enjoyable sound quality, but their fit and overall performance package (sound quality, noise cancellation, and voice calling) are attractive. Although they are close to two years old, they are worthy of attention, especially if their price drops below $200.

The Live Beam 3 earbuds look similar to the above Live Buds Pro 2which I really liked, especially when they go on sale for under $100. Essentially, they’re competitors to JBL’s AirPods Pro 2, and their defining feature is a 1.5-inch LCD touchscreen display built into the charging case that acts as a remote for the buds and gives you access to their features. Equipped with 10mm drivers, it not only delivers clear, well-defined sound with powerful bass, but also has strong performance in noise cancellation and voice calls. Their battery is good too – they offer up to 10 hours of battery life with ANC on and 12 hours with it off at moderate volume levels (a 10-minute charge gives you up to 4 hours of battery life). Available in four color options, it is IP55 splash and dust resistant.

Note that JBL’s flagship Tour Pro 3 earbuds also have a built-in LCD screen but feature dual drivers, which deliver better sound than these headphones with more depth and detail. However, Live Beam 3 devices often sell for $50 off the $200 list price, making them a better deal overall.