JBL Tune 230NC TWS Review
- Design and ergonomics
- Convenience and comfort
- Communication and connection
- Management and software
- Sound quality
- Autonomy and charging
Summary
The JBL Tune 230NC are TWS wireless earbuds that offer nice, bright sound, comfortable fit, and long battery life at a pretty reasonable price. While the ANC isn’t the best in class, and neither are the mics, they’re more than good for the money.
Not all active noise canceling TWS wireless earbuds are worth considering, but the JBL Tune 230NC TWS is a very different product. There is good sound quality, good autonomy and a convenient application in which you can adjust the sound or control.
While earphones like the Anker Soundcore Life P3 are better than the Tune 230NC TWS in terms of noise cancellation, there are a few advantages here as well. Are they worth buying? Find out in my review.
Benefits
- Reasonable cost
- Decent noise cancellation
- Comfortable and secure fit in the ear
- Powerful bass with bright highs
- An app with an equalizer and many settings
Disadvantages
- Microphones could be better
- Mids not improved
- ANC is worse than some competitors
Contents
Specifications JBL Tune 230NC TWS
- Type: in-ear, wireless, closed
- Driver Size: 6mm Dynamic
- Sensitivity: 105 dB
- Impedance: 16 ohm
- Frequency response: 20-20000Hz
- Wireless: Bluetooth
- Bluetooth version: 5.2
- Bluetooth profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HFP
- Audio codecs: SBC, AAC
- Communication distance: 10 m
- Water and dust protection: IPX4
- Smartphone App: JBL Headphones
- Active Noise Cancellation: Yes, Transparency Mode
- Voice assistant support: Google Assistant, Siri, Amazon Alexa
- Power connector: USB Type-C
- Batteries: Li-Ion, in the earpiece 70 mAh, 750 in the charging case
- Autonomy: up to 10 hours without ANC, up to 40 hours with case
- Charging time: 2 hours, 10 min. fast charging give 2 hours
- Extras: JBL Pure Bass technology, Smart Ambient, TalkThru function
- Colors: Black, white, blue, sand
Design and construction
The JBL Tune 230NC TWS earphones have a classic shape with a stem, and offer four body colors: black, white, blue and sand.
These in-ear headphones sit securely in your ears and do not fall out. The set includes three pairs of nozzles of different sizes. The IPX4 water rating will save the Tune 230NC from splashes and rain, but nothing more. The case does not have protection, so the headphones must be completely dry before charging.
The case looks ordinary, has a standard flip cover, but the coating of the case is a bit slippery. On the front you will see an LED indicator, and on the back you will see a USB-C connector for charging.
Touch control
JBL Tune 230NC is controlled via touch panels, and after successful pressing you will hear voice confirmation.
A single press on the right earbud controls playback, on the left one it switches between noise reduction modes. Double tapping the right earbud will play the next track, and triple tapping the previous one. TalkThru mode is activated by double-clicking on the left earpiece, and the user hears his own voice during calls.
If someone calls you, by pressing twice, you can answer the call, and during the conversation also end it. A long touch and hold during a call mutes or activates the conversational microphone, and the rest of the time it calls the voice assistant.
JBL Headphones App
All JBL headphones use a single application – JBL Headphones, available for Android and iOS devices.
In the application, you can adjust the equalizer and switch between different Bluetooth connection modes. For example, one mode is optimal for listening to music, the other - for games, due to low latency.
The app also allows you to switch between regular noise reduction and transparency mode. There are settings for control and the “Find headphones” function – Tune 230NC TWS will make a loud high-frequency sound. If you have lost only one of the earphones, it is better to take the second one out of your ear when searching.
Sound quality
Inside the JBL Tune 230NC TWS, 6mm dynamic drivers are installed that produce sound with a frequency range of 20Hz – 20kHz and an impedance of 16 ohms.
The TWS earphones do a great job with tracks where low frequencies play the main role. At maximum volume, the bass rumbles here, but there is no distortion. But the mids sound a little unnatural, although this can be partially corrected with the help of an equalizer.
The built-in microphone in each earbud allows you to make calls and take voice notes. Although the Bluetooth transmission adds a bit of distortion, it's not very noticeable.
Active noise cancellation
If you want to enjoy music in noisy environments, JBL Tune 230NC active noise canceling technology will help you with this.
Noise in the lower frequency registers is eliminated very effectively, but in the upper ones they can remain: for example, it will not be possible to completely drown out the lively conversations of people in the ANC cafe in Tune 230NC. The more expensive Sony WF-1000XM4 should be chosen to eliminate all unnecessary noise, although the Anker Soundcore Life P3 from the same segment do a better job here.
But active noise cancellation does not reduce the sound quality in any way, which few models can boast of. The Ambient Aware transparency mode and the TalkThru function also work very well, although there is little difference between the two. Thanks to them, you can hear people’s voices and participate in conversations without removing your headphones.
Read also: Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 NC Review: Affordable Wireless Headphones with Powerful Bass and ANC
Autonomy JBL Tune 230NC TWS
JBL claims that the Tune 230 NC TWS can last up to 8 hours with ANC on and 10 hours off.
With additional charges from the case, that’s 32 or 40 hours of battery life, in general, although a lot depends on the volume level when listening. The fast charging function will let you enjoy your favorite music for 2 hours after 10 minutes. at the outlet. It takes 2 hours to fully charge the case via USB-C.
Outcome
The JBL Tune 230NC TWS headphones are relatively reasonably priced and offer good sound quality with active noise cancellation. They sit securely in your ears thanks to a thoughtful design, and the JBL Headphones app offers many convenient features and settings.
Alternatives
In the price segment from 5 to 10 thousand rupees. Anker Soundcore Life P3 and Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro remain the most attractive models . You can also take a look at the Jabra Elite 3 if you don't need noise cancellation.
Is it worth buying JBL’s Tune 230NC ?
JBL’s Tune 230NC in-ear wireless headphones are worthy of a buy recommendation. They provide good sound quality and active noise cancellation, but don’t really stand out from the powerful competitors.