These earbuds offer great sound but come with a pricey gimmick – a built-in touchscreen

The world of wireless earbuds has hit a bit of a standstill. Most brands are focused on improving sound quality, noise cancellation, and minimizing size, with few revolutionary changes appearing lately. JBL, however, is once again taking a different approach. After introducing this feature in their previous model, the Tour Pro 3 includes a built-in touchscreen on the charging case for the second time. Is this a marketing gimmick or an innovative feature? And how’s the sound quality? We tested these earbuds from official retailer Bug and came back with clear conclusions.

Design

JBL hasn’t made drastic design changes to the Tour Pro 3 compared to the previous generation. The charging case retains its familiar look, including a rubberized back that prevents slipping. That said, it’s still somewhat bulky and not easy to fit comfortably in a pocket with your phone. The screen, now larger at 1.57 inches (up from 1.45 inches), integrates seamlessly with the case, featuring rounded edges and convenient access to various menus even with one-handed operation.

The earbuds themselves come in black with silver accents, offering an elegant appearance. While they are a bit physically large, they’re particularly lightweight and fit securely in the ear. Even during intense workouts or running, they felt stable. The package also includes a selection of silicone tips for a customized fit.

Controls

Control with the JBL Tour Pro 3 is twofold: directly on the earbuds and, uniquely, via the touchscreen on the case. The earbuds have touchpads that enable basic functions such as play, pause, and noise-cancellation control. However, the highlight is undoubtedly the touchscreen on the case, which provides access to 15 different menus, including music control, volume adjustment, equalizer, timer, noise cancellation toggle, flashlight, and more.

While it’s a cool and useful addition, it may not be essential. Throughout testing, we rarely felt the screen was necessary for a complete listening experience; it mainly served as a way to check battery levels. Most functions, like volume control or noise cancellation, can be handled easily via the earbuds or phone. On the other hand, the Auracast button on the display allows you to share your music with nearby devices.

Perhaps the screen’s main advantage is displaying phone notifications, which can save some unnecessary glances at your smartphone. Handy. For better customization, you can also use the JBL app (search for JBL Headphones in the app store), where you can set a personalized background image for the case screen.

Sound Quality

JBL is known for its great sound quality, and the Tour Pro 3 doesn’t disappoint. The earbuds are equipped with dual drivers in each bud—a 10.2 mm dynamic driver for rich low tones and an Armature driver for enhanced sound quality, supporting surround sound and noise cancellation. The result is a rich and impressively balanced sound experience with clean, detailed tones, deep and powerful bass that doesn’t overpower other sounds, and clear highs.

In video playback, the Tour Pro 3 also delivers impressive performance. Dialogue sounds clear and sharp, even in noisy scenes, while sound effects add depth and realism without overwhelming the listener. Additionally, they support Spatial Audio, which you can activate with a tap, creating a sense of sounds coming from all directions, adding a cool, immersive layer to the experience.

However, call quality is somewhat disappointing, as the other party frequently noted wind noise picked up by the microphone during calls.

Noise Cancellation

One of the most impressive aspects of the JBL Tour Pro 3 is its Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) system. As a regular user of Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, I was surprised to find JBL’s noise cancellation rivals the top brands in the category, like Sony, Bose, and Apple. Whether listening to music or on a call, the system effectively blocks out external noises.

JBL didn’t settle for standard noise cancellation but included three different modes, allowing full control over the isolation level. In “Full Noise Cancellation” mode, nearly all background noise is filtered out, from street traffic to sirens and even loud conversations. “Transparency” mode, on the other hand, allows you to hear surrounding sounds naturally, such as footsteps, car horns, or the cashier’s voice at the store.

The third mode, “Talk,” is intended to facilitate conversations without removing the earbuds, though it was the weakest point in my experience. It felt unnatural, as I found myself needing to raise my voice, and the person I spoke to sounded mechanical.

Battery Life

JBL promises up to 11 hours of listening with the Tour Pro 3, though this varies with usage. Enabling Active Noise Cancellation shortens usage time to 8 hours, and Spatial Audio further reduces it by an hour. But don’t worry—these are still respectable listening times, even surpassing Apple’s AirPods Pro 2. While Sony’s WF-1000XM5 lasts slightly longer, the Tour Pro 3 will easily last you two full days of regular listening, which is quite impressive. Plus, if you’re in a hurry, a 10-minute charge provides an additional 4 hours of playback.

Bottom Line

With a price tag of NIS 1,190 from the official retailer Bug, the JBL Tour Pro 3 offers an impressive package: quality sound, elegant design, and high usability. However, the question remains—does the addition of a touchscreen on the charging case truly justify the investment?

It’s a nice feature that adds a touch of innovation, but removing it might make these earbuds more competitive, especially given the fierce competition in the TWS earbuds market. If you’re looking for premium earbuds with excellent sound and don’t mind paying a bit more for a non-essential tech upgrade, the Tour Pro 3 is worth considering. But if you’re after the best value for your money, it may be wise to explore other alternatives as well.