JBL Tour Pro 3 Review

In a market saturated with near-identical true wireless earbuds, differentiation has become the ultimate challenge. Most brands are locked in an arms race over noise cancellation, battery life, and audio fidelity. Then there’s JBL, which decided to rethink not the earbuds themselves, but the very case that holds them. The JBL Tour Pro 3 arrives with a headline feature so audacious it’s impossible to ignore: a full-color, 1.45-inch touchscreen display built directly into the charging case. Is this the next great leap in usability, or a solution in search of a problem? After extensive testing, the answer is, fascinatingly, a bit of both.

Design and the Smart Case Revolution

Let’s address the elephant in the room. The Tour Pro 3’s case is the star of the show. It’s a sleek, matte black pillbox that feels sturdy and premium, but it is undeniably chunkier than competitors like the AirPods Pro. This extra size accommodates the bright, responsive touchscreen that serves as a mini command center for your audio. From this screen, you can manage noise cancellation modes, adjust a 10-band EQ, take calls, check battery levels, and even view notifications from your phone. The interface is intuitive, swiping through menus feels fluid, and the ability to change a critical setting without fishing for your phone is genuinely useful. The novelty is immense, and for the first few days, you’ll find yourself using it for everything.

The earbuds themselves are a more conventional affair. They adopt a stemmed design that provides a secure, comfortable fit for most ears, with a good selection of included ear tips to ensure a proper seal. They are lightweight and well-balanced, making them suitable for long listening sessions without causing fatigue. While the design is safe, the build quality feels robust, easily matching the premium price point.

Performance: Sound and Silence

A clever case is meaningless if the audio doesn’t deliver, and thankfully, JBL gets the fundamentals right. The Tour Pro 3 earbuds are powered by 10mm dynamic drivers that produce a sound signature that is energetic and engaging. Bass is punchy and well-defined without becoming muddy, while mids and highs remain clear and detailed. With support for the high-resolution LDAC codec (for compatible Android devices), these earbuds can truly shine with the right source material. Through the excellent JBL Headphones app, you can either use preset EQs or dive into the full graphic equalizer to tune the sound precisely to your liking.

The adaptive noise cancellation is another strong point. The Tour Pro 3 does an admirable job of silencing the world around you, effectively muting low-frequency drones from engines and air conditioners. It competes strongly with the top contenders from Sony and Apple, creating a focused listening environment in noisy cafes or during a daily commute. The ambient aware and talk-thru modes are also well-implemented, allowing you to stay aware of your surroundings without removing the buds. Call quality is solid, with a six-microphone array that does a decent job of isolating your voice from background noise.

Is the Gimmick Worth It?

After the initial “wow” factor of the smart case wears off, you’re left with a practical question: is it actually better? For quick adjustments—like toggling ANC on a loud train or skipping a track while your phone is in a bag—it’s brilliant. It successfully untethers basic controls from the smartphone. However, for more complex tasks like fine-tuning the EQ, the larger screen of your phone remains a superior experience. Furthermore, the case’s screen is another battery to manage and another potential point of failure. It positions the Tour Pro 3 as a product for the tech enthusiast who loves features and novelty over the minimalist who craves simplicity and the smallest possible form factor. The value proposition hinges entirely on how much you value this unique screen-based interaction.

Ultimately, the JBL Tour Pro 3 is a bold and successful experiment. It proves that there is still room for innovation in the true wireless space. While the sound quality and ANC are strong enough to stand on their own, the smart case elevates the experience into something new and genuinely interesting. It’s not an essential feature, but it’s a wonderfully executed “nice-to-have” that makes a compelling argument for its existence. This is the ideal product for the user who wants best-in-class features and is willing to embrace a forward-thinking—if slightly unconventional—approach to user control.

Where to Buy:

Check it out on Amazon