ZDNET's key takeaways The JBL Tour Pro 3 earbuds offer clear and strong sound, powerful noise cancellation, and a battery life that will last you your entire work week.
The earbuds come with many improvements, like a Smart-Charging Case compatibility that plugs into in-flight entertainment or laptops for instant Bluetooth connectivity, as well as spatial audio.
The build quality of the Tour Pro 3 buds feels cheaper than their predecessors, and I had trouble connecting the earbuds at times. $329.95 at Amazon $329.95 at Walmart $329.95 at JBL.com more buying choices
Most music listeners have simple demands for their earbuds: they want a battery life that lasts for days and audio that sounds clear and strong. JBL has always known about this winning combination, and the audio brand develops its products accordingly.
Also: Why I recommend these wireless earbuds to most people - even though they're for gaming
So when JBL sent me its Tour Pro 3 earbuds, I already knew the sort of product I was working with before I put them in my ears. I've also had the chance to test the Tour Pro 2 earbuds and compare certain specs from one generation to the next. Here's what stands out the most about JBL's Tour Pro 3 and whether or not you should go for the new generation or stick to the earlier-gen earbuds that are $80 cheaper.
The JBL Tour Pro 3 are marketed as earbuds you can take everywhere -- from a run around the park to a long-haul flight. This broad applicability is enabled by the earbuds' upgraded Smart-Charging Case, which connects to in-flight entertainment systems or your laptop for instant audio connection and clear-call capability. You really can listen to anything, anywhere, with these earbuds -- as long as you don't mind the case's chunky build.
Also: I replaced my AirPods with these Nothing earbuds, and it was a sound decision
Set side by side, the Tour Pro 2 and Tour Pro 3 look nearly identical. JBL says it's increased the size of the smart display case and made some small improvements, but not much has changed appearance-wise from the second generation to the third.
What has changed, however, is sound. The sound of the Tour Pro 3 earbuds is substantial and clear, in general, compared to the Tour Pro 2. The earbuds deliver strong and loud sound that captures the full range of music. I listened to the same song at the same volume on both devices and found that the Tour Pro 3 buds stepped up their game with crisp and lucid music delivery.
... continue reading