The JBL Tune 230NC has many of the typical design characteristics that we've come to expect from the brand such as large and unmissable logos on the charging case and earpieces, hints of colouron the ear tips, and a solid industrial look and feel. The earpieces don't look particularly premium but they don't look too shabby either, and I found them comfortable to wear for long listening sessions. Single tap: Cycles between ANC on, 'Ambient Sound Control', which allows you to better hear your environment without taking the headphones out of your ears, and off, which turns off both ANC and Ambient Sound Control.

JBL puts a lot of emphasis in marketing on a dynamic and deep bass response. This in technical terms means increased demands on the driver and power amplifier, especially when active noise cancelling (ANC) comes into consideration. Inside the JBL Tune 230NC TWS we find the 6 mm drivers, which should provide enough power reserve to fight external noise. Four mics support the algorithm in calculating the anti-noise, but should also ensure superior speech quality when answering phone calls. JBL did not skimp on the controls, on the contrary: The matching app My JBL Headphones offers an attractive bunch of features, such as a 10-band graphic EQ. This is calling for quite some experience, so ask a befriended recording engineer if necessary. Or go for the preset curves for jazz, vocal, bass, club and studio. However, you can also save your own EQ presets.Battery status of both the earbuds and the reserve case can be monitored in the app, as well as it is offering the Bluetooth mode to be selected. Thus, either maximum data rate and thus the potential music quality can be prioritized, but optionally also realiability or the low-latency, which is useful for games and videos. In addition, the two touch surfaces on the earbuds can be assigned various functions. However, you have to get used to the position of the sensitive sensors and the differentiation of several commands, and still might end up with a misfunction. After all, the functions can not only be displayed in the My JBL Headphones app, but also configured according to individual needs.

Connectivity and call quality were acceptable on the JBL Tune 230NC, with the earphones holding a stable connection at distances of up to 4m from the source device. I didn't have any trouble with calls when indoors, and bumping up the volume ensured decent call quality outdoors too. JBL estimates that the earphones can last roughly 8 hours with ANC on, with an additional 24 hours in the case. If you turn ANC off, those numbers go up to 10 and 30 hours, respectively, but your results will vary based on your volume levels. App Experience The noise-cancelling can also be turned off if necessary or switched to transparency mode, which makes it easier to follow announcements from the outside world or conversations without taking the earbuds out. Of course, both buds have to fit tightly to the ear canal, and three different sized adaptors should ensure that for most ears. Selected the right one is supported by the free JBL My Headphones app from JBL. JBL Tune Flex has a battery life of up to 8 hours on a single charge and an additional 24 hours with the charging case. Additionally, they offer Dual Connect, allowing you to connect with either one or both earbuds depending on your preference. In addition, the app has on-screen switches for ANC and Ambient modes; adjustable settings for the on-ear controls; and a low-tech Find My Earbuds feature. When you turn it on, the earbuds emit a loud high-pitch noise, so make sure you don't have one in your ear when you press this button.The light hum of air conditioners, ceiling fans, and urban outdoor sounds such as construction equipment and machinery were still audible. However,ANC did help to make music a bit easier to listen to, even at low or moderate volumes. The hear-through mode sounded strangely artificial and it amplified wind sounds unreasonably. I preferred to just take the earphones off for short conversations with someone. Ambient Aware and TalkThru modes worked well, but we didn't find much of a difference between the two. You can hear voices loud and clear in both modes without removing the earpieces. Adjustable Audio

When the buds aren’t in use, you can drop them into the charging case. It’s neither the smallest you’ll find, nor particularly good-looking. Nevertheless, the flip lid does at least ensure they’re secure and covered, and they slot satisfyingly in place inside. A series of LED lights on the front of the case indicates the battery status of the buds, plus you’ll find a USB-C port around the rear for when it’s time to charge. Double tap: Turns 'TalkThru' on and off. This feature lowers your media's volume and enables 'Ambient Sound Control' so that you can have conversations. The JBL Tune 230NC headset has 6mm dynamic drivers with a frequency response range of 20-20,000Hz. It uses Bluetooth 5.2 for connectivity, with support for the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs. There is active noise cancellation and Google Fast Pair support on the headset. JBL Tune 230NC performance and battery life And we are talking about the bis ones, with great SPL reserves, full-bodied punch and surprisingly extensive dynamic range. This overall rich, but by no means boomy or bloated bass underlines the transparent, at the given pricepoint surprisingly differentiated midrange reproduction in conjunction with good high-frequency resolution, which is offered without harshness. It is true that one should not expect a silky smooth high-end flair from the Tune 230NC in terms of voice reproduction and could wish for a tiny bit more clarity. In its class, however, it is undeniably a big hit. In itself, JBL succeeded in creating a decidedly coherent, neutral tonal balance that is hard to beat at this pricepoint. Thus, the Tune 230NC meets all basic needs for a wide variety of musical tastes and applications. Conclusion and alternatives to the JBL Tune 230NC TWS Priced at Rs. 5,999 in India, the JBL Tune 230NC features active noise cancellation, app support, and the promise of good battery life, all at a fairly competitive price. Does this headset have enough to take on strong competition in this segment from the likes of the OnePlus Buds Z2 and Oppo Enco Air 2 Pro? Find out in this review.The JBL Tune 230NC has active noise cancellation, and works with the JBL Headphones app on iOS and Android You can expect to get eight hours of listening time with the JBL Tune 230NC buds, which is with active noise cancellation in use; this figure increases to 10 hours with it disabled. If you’re using the buds in ANC mode, a fully charged case delivers 24 hours battery in total, jumping to 30 hours with ANC turned off.

True wireless earphones, particularly affordable and mid-range options, have seen big improvements in recent months when it comes to sound quality and ANC performance. The JBL Tune 230NC does manage to compete against options from brands such as OnePlus and Oppo, with decent soundand functional active noise cancellation. True wireless ear buds are increasingly popular, and getting more and more affordable. Offering excellent sound quality and being produced by renowned brands, there is a lot of competition well under 100 dollars. With one exception: models offering a serious active noise cancelling technology are still more expensive. The JBL Tune 230NC TWS is promised to be a dealbreaker offering all key features of the more expensive models without a sacrifice in terms of sound quality. On top you get an impressive battery life of up to 10 hours without and 40 hours with recharging. Active noise cancellation onaffordable TWS earphones isn't new, and brands such as Realme, Oppo, and OnePlus have recently launched some very good options with this feature. Some ofmore established audio brands have been a bit slow to deliver similar products in this segment, but one in particular wants to change that. JBL recently launched two new affordable true wireless headsets, the Tune 130NC and the Tune 230NC.A welcome surprise awaited us in terms of the JBL 230NC’s battery life. The battery life of these earphones in our test was remarkably close to the audacious claims JBL had made. These earphones lasted an incredible seven and a half hours with ANC activated and volume set to 50%.