Why I recommend these JBL earbuds for work and travel – especially at this price

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.

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What’s the deal? 

The JBL Tour Pro 3 are the brand’s luxury earbuds, and at Amazon, they’re on sale for $50 off. This deal applies to both the Black and Latte color options.

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 $50 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: A year after testing, I still recommend these Nothing earbuds the most

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. 

The earbuds are a boon for desk-side workers who rely on noise cancellation for deep focus and strong microphones for video and audio calls. I didn’t have a problem taking meetings with these earbuds and used the Smart-Charging Case’s clear call functionality to connect the buds to my video calls. 

Also: The best noise-canceling earbuds you can buy

At mid volumes, the sound is still immersive and strong, something I look for as a surefire sign of quality earbuds. JBL adds spatial audio to the third-generation buds, which boosts immersion as you listen to music or play a video game. JBL’s spatial audio is not as immersive as what I’ve heard from competing earbuds, like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, which cost nearly the same. So, if the feature is high on your priority list, the Bose will serve you better.

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

The Tour Pro 3 earbuds offer three listening environment features: noise cancellation, ambient awareness, and Talk Thru. The noise cancellation is strong and eliminates most ambient distractions, while some voices or harsher noises tend to slip through. I’m not a fan of the ambient aware feature on the Tour Pro 2 earbuds because of how inorganic it makes your music feel. This feature on the Tour Pro 3 is improved but it’s still not my favorite. 

Also: Why I travel with these Google Pixel earbuds instead of over-ear headphones now

The one area where the Tour Pro 2 earbuds supersede the Tour Pro 3 is in build quality. The Tour Pro 2 earbuds have a substantial weight, which helps anchor them in your ears and makes them feel like a $300 pair of buds. Holding both earbuds in my hand, the weight of the Tour Pro 3 buds is far lighter — and more plasticky — than the Tour Pro 2. This lighter build also makes them prone to falling out of my ears. 

As is the case for a JBL device, these earbuds have substantial battery life, with a maximum playtime of 44 hours with ANC off. I did not have to worry about charging these buds until the end of my testing period — when the case’s battery was fully depleted, but the earbuds still maintained an 80% charge. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

While I was generally impressed with the Tour Pro 3‘s new features, including clearer, stronger sound, spatial audio, and the Smart-Charging Case’s functionalities, the lighter, plasticky build of the earbuds made me not want to grab and wear them as often as I would other buds. The Tour Pro 3 earbuds would fall out of my ears as I moved because they failed to be anchored by the weight. A $300 pair of earbuds should feel like a weighty purchase in the hand, and that’s not the case with the Tour Pro 3 buds.

If you want earbuds with amazing sound, great noise cancellation, and a long, enduring battery life that will last you the entire work week and then some, these are the buds for you. If the lighter and cheaper build of the Tour Pro 3 earbuds is giving you pause, I’d recommend the Tour Pro 2 buds instead, which offer just as strong noise cancellation and a sturdier feel in your ears. 

Deals are subject to sell out or expire at any time, though ZDNET remains committed to finding, sharing, and updating the best product deals for you to score the best savings. Our team of experts regularly checks in on the deals we share to ensure they are still live and obtainable. We’re sorry if you’ve missed out on a deal, but don’t fret — we’re constantly finding new chances to save and sharing them with you at ZDNET.com. 

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The recent US tariffs on imports from countries like China, Vietnam, and India aim to boost domestic manufacturing but are likely to drive up prices on consumer electronics. Products like smartphones, laptops, and TVs may become more expensive as companies rethink global supply chains and weigh the cost of shifting production.

Also:Tariff war has tech buyers wondering what’s next. Here’s what we know

Headphones and wearable devices, which are predominantly manufactured in these regions, are now subject to tariffs as high as 54% on Chinese imports and 46% on Vietnamese goods. As a result, consumers may see price increases of approximately 20% on these items. 

Manufacturers are exploring options like relocating production to countries with lower tariffs, but such shifts are complex and may not provide immediate relief. In the short term, shoppers should anticipate higher costs for headphones and wearables due to these trade policies.

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