The JBL Tune 230NC price in India is Rs 5,999. It promises ANC, app support, and good battery life. The price has also remained quite reasonable. Coming as another contender in this segment with OnePlus Buds Z2 and Oppo Enco Air 2 Pro? Find out in this review.
Design and features of JBL Tune 230NC
The main difference between the Tune 130NC and the Tune 230NC is that the latter has a microphone in the earpiece. Apart from this, headset status indicators have also been provided.
The expected design elements can be seen in the JBL Tune 230NC. As you’d expect from JBL: There’s big logos on the charging case and earbuds, the ear tips have vibrant colors, and a solid industrial look. The wearable may not look premium, but it doesn’t look cheap either. I found it comfortable to wear during long music sessions.
Its charging case is neither too big nor too small. It can fit comfortably in your pocket with a wallet or smartphone. There are three indicator lights on the charging case to show the battery level. A USB Type-C port for charging is provided at the back. The sales package includes a USB Type-A to Type-C charging cable and three pairs of silicone ear tips for a customizable fit.
They have their own indicator lights on the earcup that show connectivity status. Along with this, they have also been given a touch sensitive area on their stem. The JBL Tune 230NC is rated IPX4 for water resistance. Two microphones have been provided on each ear cup for ANC and voice calls. One thing that may disappoint here is that there’s no wear detection feature so music can automatically play or pause when the device is worn or removed.
JBL Tune 230NC Applications and Specifications
JBL Tune 230NC has been supported by the JBL Headphones app, which is available on Android and iOS. Through this, touch controls can be changed and different presets can be selected. It also has mode switching for ANC and surround sound, on-earbud battery level display, and charging case.
Its control customization isn’t as seamless as I would have liked. The app allows you to choose from different sets of controls like playback, ANC and transparency modes, volume, voice assistant controls. You can choose a set for each headset, but the controls are fixed and cannot be customized within a set. Touch gestures were a bit confusing for me. Sometimes, even with the headset on, the one-touch gesture would apply.
You can activate your voice assistant on your phone or Alexa, which requires a separate setup. The Find My Buds feature works well, which comes in handy when the earbuds get lost somewhere in the house. Gives a loud enough sound to know where the earpiece is placed.
JBL Tune 230NC has 6mm dynamic drivers. Its frequency response range is 20-20,000Hz. For connectivity, it comes with Bluetooth 5.2 that has support for SBC and AAC codecs. The headset also supports ANC and Google Fast Pair.
JBL Tune 230NC performance and battery life
In terms of ANC and performance, the JBL Tune 230NC headphones compete with brands like OnePlus and Oppo. It has good sound and active noise cancellation. I heard Over Here by Mk.gee on it. The sonic signature was quite balanced and comfortable. The ‘bass’ on the track was smooth enough, the mids and highs sound clean. Therefore, these tracks can be listened to for hours on end. I could easily turn up the volume in places like my home or office because of its nice sound. The soundstage experience was great. It was easy to get a feel for the steering and other elements on Astropilot’s With Arambol 2 track. The deep bass on this track was very nice and tuneful. He never felt weak or inadequate. Like the OnePlus Buds Z2, it doesn’t sound aggressive. Users who want a foundation may find it lacking. Still, the sound feels clean, crisp, and well in tune.
The active noise cancellation on the JBL Tune 230NC is pretty basic, which is what you get with all affordable true wireless headphones. The noise was much less when used indoors. But it was not as effective outdoors or when the window of the house was open.
You could hear a ‘hum’ from the air conditioning, noise from the ceiling fan and noise from the urban environment etc. However, with the help of ANC, the sound experience was improved. The listening mode showed texture and sounded unnecessarily amplified. I only used headphones for short conversations.
Connectivity and call quality are decent on the handheld. The headphones maintain a stable connection up to a distance of 4 meters from the source device. I had no problem calling inside. There was no problem during calls, even after turning up the volume outdoors.
The battery life of the JBL Tune 230NC is very good. The headset lasted 6 hours and 30 minutes on ANC and medium volume. The charging case receives three charge cycles and the total operating time reaches 26 hours. The headset takes 2 hours to charge. Starting from scratch, you get 2 hours of backup in 10 minutes of charging.
Verdict
JBL isn’t known for budget TWS products, but the Tune 230NC’s active noise cancellation puts it in direct competition with brands like OnePlus, Oppo, and Realme. ANC performance is average and the sound is balanced. App connectivity is good and battery life is also very good. The device is also comfortable to wear. If your budget is less than Rs 6000 then you can check out this headset.
There is no doubt that the competition in this segment is fierce and there are already options like the OnePlus Buds Z2 or the more affordable JBL Tune 130NC on the list. If you look at the overall experience, you won’t be disappointed with them.