1 week Ago By David Richards
I have never been a big fan of buds because I have a partial hearing problem, and previous buds often felt clunky in my ears. That was until I tried the new $399 JBL Tour Pro 3 buds, with its pretty slick touch screen case and silicon in ear pads, that you are basically forced to fit properly as part of the set up process, and what a difference it makes. There are four extra sizes of ear tips, to choose from along with the option of foam ear tips for those who don’t like silicone tips.
And at 5.6g the JBL Tour Pro 3 buds don’t feel heavy when being worn for a long period. Built into the device is Spatial 360 and Head Tracking technology from any audio source.
This feature transforms stereo sound into a fully immersive experience, when watching movies or playing games. The head tracking delivers an immersive experience by making sounds appear to come from outside your head and stay fixed in space, even when you move your head. Pushing buds to a new level takes a lot of expertise, and to be able to pack so much audio and wireless networking technology into buds that are micro small is not only costly it takes a level of skill only found in a few companies today.
JB L is owned by Harman who in turn is owned by Samsung, and this is where a lot of their skill set comes from, Harman with their audio knowledge and Samsung with their processing and chip set knowledge make for a perfect combination of companies when you are looking for a premium product offering. Previously I had taken to wearing bone conduction devices but after a week of using the new JB buds I was hooked due to the superior quality of the audio output and the functionality and management capability options that are packed into the JBL app and case, that allow you to custom set up these buds to best serve your needs. The adaptive Active noise-cancelling ANC continuously monitors and adjusts to your environment over 50,000 times per second to the extent that you often find yourself fully immersed in a soundtrack as if you are in the studio when in reality you are sitting in a noisy cafe.
The ANC is extremely good however I strongly suggest that you turn it off when it’s windy or when you are outside walking because the wind seriously plays havoc with the output as I found out walking across the Sydney Harbour bridge. Another key feature was “TalkThru” mode. This activates after tapping the left bud twice allow users to instantly switch to talk mode for a conversation with someone without having to remove the earbuds.
In the past I have found it hard to find a pair of earbuds with advanced features that actually feel comfortable after you have had the buds in your ears for more than 20 minutes these flagship noise-cancellers seriously do the job no heat build up in the ear lobe and on one occasion I went several hours with the buds in my ears while walking. I love Tidal streaming due to the better selection options for high res audio tracks, and apart from the excellent active noise cancellation, the hi-res playback really delivered when it came to being able to hear instrumentation well as clearer delineation of singing by artists which often get muffled in cheap buds. In the past I found most audio by artists sounded tinny even with some affordable premium buds.
The JBL buds also come with multi-device pairing, and a really good charging case that can double as a remote controller and wireless headphone adapter. This case is more than just an audio transmitter, it can also serve as a standalone management system for the buds without the need to be constantly accessing the app to set up the buds. You can access many of the features that would normally be only via the app, right from the case’s screen.
You can change sound and ANC settings, find your earbuds when they’re lost, and activate other key features. I strongly suggest that if you want to get the best out of these buds you spend time setting up the buds to get your optimum settings right, whether it be for high resolution audio or simply setting up to find a lost bud or the optimum audio output that suites your musical tastes. Most people don’t lose both buds but with Pro 3 buds you can search for either or bud, however the signal is not all that strong, so you have to be pretty close to hear the output.
The buds themselves are manufactured entirely of hard plastic, and the sleek matte finish delivers a premium look that goes with the premium performance and above all the premium audio technology built into the latest JBL offering. The smart case has its own set of controls that allow you to see incoming calls as well as control playback and volume via a simple tap of the LCD screen. Via the case you can swap out the EQ, switch to different listening modes, and turn on the flashlight function without entering the app.
The 10.2mm driver, does a good job of managing the bass and there are several audio profile options including Jazz, Studio, Vocal, Club, and Extreme Bass. The balanced armature driver handles the high notes with enchanting clarity, while an 10.
2mm dynamic driver provides clean, powerful bass and vivid, lifelike vocals. They also deliver Hi-Res certified audio wirelessly with LDAC, Android’s native 24-bit high-resolution audio codec, delivering three times more data than Bluetooth for exceptional audio quality. The Tour Pro 3 reproduces audio without distortion and while I was using a Samsung S25 Ultra it did appear when I switched between multiple phones that the Samsung devices delivered superior throughput.
Another neat feature is that the Personi Hi Fi feature allows the chipset to analyse your hearing to create a personalised sound profile considering how much bass and equalisation you like. The JBL Tour PRO 3 is also Harman’s first TWS model with full Auracast functionality. This is a technology that allows you to share audio content with any Auracast -enabled device using the Auracast button on the Smart Case display.
It’s also possible to listen to the same content with someone else at the same time. As for battery life JB claims up to 44 hours of music playback – 11 hours from the buds plus three more full charges with ANC off. I was not able to check the battery life because after a day of use I simply topped up the battery.
If you do get into a pickle and your battery is low, you can always do a quick 10-minute speed charge. Conclusion The marriage of cutting edge audio engineering and access to the latest in chip technology has allowed JBL to manufacture what has to be the best buds in the market today, ahead of premium offerings from Apple, Sony and Bose. The JBL Tour PRO 3 are not just about great sound it’s all the other technology that’s packed into this piece of kit, that sets it apart and makes the $399 price tag a worthwhile investment.
I would strongly recommend that you add them to your insurance list because buds can be easily lost. The standouts are not just the buds but the case and the independence the two deliver. Open the app or tap the case these are two valuable options for an audio product that takes fitting of the buds, ANC and their Spatial 360 and Head Tracking technology to a new level even before you get to the premium sound output.
My next big test will be on the flight to CES when I want to see how good they are on a long flight. Rating: 10/10 Best we have seen this year..
