Back in fall 2024 I called these too pricey. At $330 the JBL Tour Pro 3 felt like a slight overreach. The touchscreen case was cool sure. The dual drivers were impressive. But for that much cash I expected perfection. I didn’t get it.
Fast forward to today.
The price has slid down. Sometimes under $250. Occasionally touching $200 on a flash sale. This change matters. More importantly the earbuds themselves got smarter via firmware. They even earned CNET Labs’ first award for frequency response.
It is a much better buy now.
But you have options. The Apple AirPods Pro 3 and the Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro are waiting. They are good.
The Case Does Most of the Heavy Lifting
The buds look fine. Plastic chrome accents can feel cheap up close. Not “luxury” expensive.
They are light though. 5.6 grams each. IP55 rating keeps them safe from rain and dust.
The real star is the case. It weighs 71.8g. Bulky? Yes. Heavy? Compared to an Apple case which tips the scales at 44g yes.
But it has a screen.
A 1.6-inch touchscreen acts as a remote. No phone needed for EQ settings. No fumbling through menus mid-commute.
It also has a superpower most earbuds lack. Bluetooth transceiver mode. Plug it into a plane seat or an AUX port. Transmit wirelessly to the buds.
Few earbuds do this. The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 does. It costs a fortune.
For under $300 the JBL case feels like magic.
Features That Actually Help
Firmware pushed these to Bluetooth 5.4. Some sources say 6.0 but stick with confirmed 5.4 features unless explicitly stated otherwise. Let’s focus on what works.
Ear detection pauses music. Multipoint connection handles two devices. Spatial sound with head tracking is fun if you like that thing.
Personi-Fi 3.0 in the app scans your ear canal. Makes a custom sound profile.
Then there is VoiceAware. You want to hear yourself? The buds let you hear yourself on calls. Weird but useful.
SmartTalk detects conversation. Lowers the volume. Switches to transparency mode automatically. Like AirPods’ Conversation Awareness.
You don’t need to pause music to chat with a barista. It just works.
Noise and Sound
Noise cancellation is good.
Not Sony good. Not Bose good. But a solid B+ or maybe an A-. The seal is tight. Six pairs of tips. Foam ones included. If they fit your ears the silence is convincing.
Sound quality is where they shine now. Dual driver setup. Dynamic driver for bass. Balanced armature for highs.
CNET Labs said this. Most accurate frequency response to the Harman Target. Science backed tonal balance. JBL makes sense of this since they own Harman which Samsung owns.
They sound detailed. Bass is punchy but not bloated. Mids are clear.
Would I buy Sony WF-1000XMs over these for sound alone? Probably. Or the Noble Ospreys. They sound a bit more special. More sparkly highs.
The Tour Pros sound “correct” not necessarily “magical”. But they are very close.
Calls and Battery
Calls are clear. Three mics per ear.
Tested in New York City. Traffic noise was present. My voice came through okay. Slightly muffled compared to top tier.
Grade: A-
Anker and Sony handle voices a bit better. Still the JBLs won’t embarrass you on Zoom.
Battery is strong.
- 8 hours ANC on
- 11 hours ANC off
- 32 extra hours in the case
Total time? That’s a week of work easily.
Verdict
The Tour Pro 3 aged well. The firmware helped. The price helped more.
At $250 it is a great pair of earbuds. The screen case sets it apart. The Bluetooth bridge is unique.
If you find them near $200 buy them.
If sound quality is your god? Wait for a sale on the Sony WF-106.
What About the Cheaper JBL Beam 3?
They look similar. Screen case? Yes but smaller at 1.5 inch.
Single 10mm driver though.
Still sound great. Punchy bass. Clear highs.
Battery:
10 hours with ANC on
12 hours off
And price?
List is $200. Often on sale for $150.
You save money. You lose the transceiver feature. You lose the slightly higher ceiling on sound detail.
The Beam 3 is the rational buy. The Tour Pro is the fun buy.
