It’s still early days for squeezing tiny screens onto wireless earbud charging cases, but trendsetter JBL is already onto its third attempt. The JBL Tour Pro 3 now sits at the top of the firm’s true wireless tree, adding audio transmission into the mix along with a larger display, dual drivers and better hi-res streaming support.
The successor to the JBL Tour Pro 2 has a 30% larger screen, at 1.57in – but the case itself is now significantly smaller. The interface has been redesigned with ID3 tag support, so you can see what you’re listening to, and adds more customisation for the lock screen and home screen wallpaper. Useful info like the time and remaining battery life are still available at a glance, and a few swipes let you tweak noise cancelling levels, change EQ presets and enable spatial audio without reaching for your phone first.
If those weren’t enough smarts, you can also plug the case into another gadget – say a gaming handheld or airline entertainment system – and it’ll retransmit the audio. USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to 3.5mm cables included in the box mean you’re not limited to devices with built-in Bluetooth any more. Auracast is fully supported, too – making the Tour Pro 3 the firm’s first true wireless in-ears with the tech.
Unlike the Live 3 range, which has bud-style and open-style options, there’s only one flavour of Tour Pro 3: stem-style buds with silicone tips for a secure seal in your ear canal. JBL puts five pairs in the box now, with XS and XS sizes covering pretty much every ear shape, plus an additional foam pair for better background noise isolation.
LDAC Bluetooth support is new for this generation, along with LC3 streaming (LC3+ in dongle mode); that means it’ll be able to stream in higher quality from a much wider range of gear than the outgoing Tour Pro 2. JBL has also swapped that model’s single dynamic driver for a hybrid setup. The 11mm main driver and balanced armature pair promise an extensive 20Hz-40kHz frequency range, with a more precise high-end and more impactful bass.
Noise cancelling algorithms have been tweaked to better silence the outside world, and the six on-board mics updated to better resist wind noise. Head-tracking spatial listening also makes the cut, along with an updated Personi-Fi 3.0 hearing test, which checks twelve different frequency bands and adjusts levels based on your hearing.
ANC-on battery life is rated at the same eight hours as the previous generation, but disable noise cancelling and the buds should eke out another hour between trips to the charging case, at roughly 11 hours.
You’ll be able to pick up the JBL Tour Pro 3 from mid-September, in Black and Latte colour options. Expect to pay £280/€300.