Audio
JBL

JBL Tour Pro 3 review

Big sound in a bigger case!

₹ 22,999

As someone who's seen more gadgets than most people have had hot dinners, I'm always intrigued when a company tries something genuinely different. And boy, does the Tour Pro 3 try! But does it succeed in hitting all the right notes, or does it just add more noise to the already bustling true wireless market? Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Design

First impressions matter, and the Tour Pro 3's charging case definitely makes one. Though perhaps not always for the better. After years of witnessing the relentless march towards smaller and lighter charging cases, the Tour Pro 3 feels like it’s decided to go against the grain. It’s not absurdly big, but if you’ve been spoiled by the increasingly svelte true wireless designs over the years, this one’s bulk is noticeable. Slipping it into jeans or a compact sling isn’t as seamless as, say, the Sony WF-1000XM5 or the AirPods Pro.

The headline feature, of course, is the 1.5-inch colour touchscreen on the front of the case. It’s capacitive, not resistive, so technically modern, but visually and functionally, it’s more 2012 Android phone than 2025 smartwatch. Navigation is stiff, icons are dated, and responsiveness leaves a lot to be desired. It looks cool and will definitely earn glances on the metro, but it’s more form than function. Using it to switch tracks, ANC modes, or adjust volume defeats the point of “leaving your phone in your pocket” because now you’re clutching a smaller, less useful screen instead. It’s a gimmick, albeit a novel one, and only really makes sense in specific cases (like when your phone’s out of reach and your smartwatch is out of juice).

The buds themselves? Stocky, short-stemmed, and lightweight, but with a choice of silicone or foam ear tips and JBL has gone the extra mile to offer different sound tuning for both kinds of eartips. Through the app, you can specify which ones you are using with the Tour Pro 3 and the system will reboot with new EQ curves! Easy fit, good seal, and nothing too polarizing in the aesthetics but the “feel” could be more premium. They’re IPX55 rated though, so sweat and rain won’t pose a threat.

Tech

The Tour Pro 3 pairs a 10mm dynamic driver with a balanced armature driver for the highs, which is a combo more common in higher-end IEMs than mainstream wireless buds. The dynamic handles the punch, while the balanced armature brings speed and detail to the treble. Balanced armatures are known for their precision and efficiency at higher frequencies, so you get crisp vocals and sharper transients. At least in theory. But while the hardware’s promising, JBL’s tuning still favours impact over nuance, as we shall discover…

Spec-wise, JBL has thrown everything into the pot. There’s Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio and Auracast support, adaptive ANC, spatial audio with head-tracking, and support for SBC, AAC, and LDAC, a rarity in this price bracket. The Personi-Fi 2.0 personalisation tool is worth trying; it tests your hearing and tailors the sound accordingly. In practice, it does help elevate clarity and treble sparkle, especially if your hearing isn’t perfectly symmetrical. But there’s a catch: enabling it disables LDAC, which is the better-sounding option if your device supports it, if only by a narrow margin.

Battery

Battery life is a strong point with around 8 hours from the buds alone (ANC on), with another 24 from the case. Wireless charging is included and the USB-C port delivers quick top-ups of up to three hours in around 10 minutes. You can even use the Auracast compatible case as a Bluetooth transmitter via a 3.5mm dongle for things like in-flight entertainment screens. Clever, if niche and until now, only available in the much costlier Bowers & Wilkins models. Touch controls on the buds are reliable and customisable through the JBL Headphones app, which is fairly intuitive. But again, you’ll probably spend more time fiddling with the case screen just because it’s there. Even when the phone in your pocket would’ve done the job faster.

Performance

The Tour Pro 3 don’t shy away. The presentation is bass-forward, dynamic, and very much engineered to catch your attention instantly. It’s full-bodied for sure and tracks like “Thanks to You” by Boz Scaggs come across poweful and authoritative, with a clear emphasis on immediacy over finesse. Great if you’re listening to house, EDM, or chart hits. Less so if you’re into acoustic, jazz, or classical, where nuance, spatial cues, and timbral depth matter more.

Compared to rivals like the Sennheiser Momentum TW4 or Sony’s XM5s, the JBLs push harder in the lows but lose out on imaging precision and subtlety. Soundstage is more like a wall than dome and separation can get smeared on complex tracks. Interestingly, I found the "Spatial Audio with Music" setting to offer the best balance, providing a good blend of tamed highs and controlled bass, alongside superlative power and dynamics. But again, the major stumbling block for the JBL is its inability to create a truly realistic soundstage that keeps it from being holographic in nature.

ANC is competent. It’s not class-leading, but it’s perfectly usable for travel and office noise. Transparency mode is decent, with a more natural blend than older JBLs, though still a notch below Apple or Bose. Call quality is respectable too, with beamforming mics doing a solid job in quiet and moderately noisy environments.

Conclusion

The JBL Tour Pro 3 are an ambitious pair of true wireless earbuds that try to do everything; custom sound, big battery, hi-res support, spatial audio, and a touchscreen case thrown in for novelty. But ambition doesn’t always equal execution. The touchscreen case is a cool party trick, but not the revolution JBL may have hoped. It adds bulk, not usability. The sound signature is energetic and fun, great for bass-heavy genres and workouts, but lacks the refinement to satisfy audiophile tastes. So who’s this for? If you don’t mind a bit of sonic bombast over balance, this could be your jam. But if you’re chasing subtlety, realism, and best-in-class audio chops, you’ll want to look elsewhere.

Stuff Says

All the features, all the flair, but sound purists may want to swipe left.
Good stuff
Bad stuff
  1. Big, punchy sound with real presence

  1. Massive feature set including LDAC, Auracast, Bluetooth transmitter

  1. Touchscreen case is a novelty that grabs attention

  1. Personi-Fi sound personalisation adds useful tweakability

  1. Case is bulky and pocket-unfriendly

  1. Touchscreen feels clunky and redundant in practice

  1. LDAC disabled when using Personi-Fi

  1. Sound lacks finesse and depth versus premium rivals

Specifications
Driver size: 10mm dynamic / 5.1 mm x 2.8 mm Balanced Armature
Bluetooth version: 5.3 (LE Audio & Auracast support)
Codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC
Battery life: Up to 8hrs (buds), 44hrs total with case
Charging: USB-C, wireless charging
Touchscreen case: 1.5in capacitive display
Microphones: 6
Water resistance: IPX55 (earbuds)
Weight: 5.6g (per bud), 72g (case)