Our Verdict
The Jaybird X3 are good for sports but perform well as everyday casual listening headphones. They block ambient noise surprisingly well despite being passively isolating, and they're easy to carry around on your person. Unfortunately, they do not have the best sound for more critical listeners, and the proprietary charging dongle can be a bit restrictive and slightly frustrating if you do not have it on you at all times.
- Minimal leakage.
- Stable and portable design.
- Great passive noise isolation.
- The in-ear fit is uncomfortable for some.
Average for neutral listening. They have a powerful Bass and a good Mid-Range but slightly inconsistent Treble that sounds a bit bright on some tracks yet lacking on others. They also have a small soundstage due to their in-ear and closed back design as well as their high isolation. This means they won't have the ambiance of listening to speakers which some more neutral listeners may be looking for.
Above-average for commuting. They isolate well against ambient noise, they're portable and have an easy-to-use control scheme. They should be suitable for most commuters but would be better if they had a bigger battery with more power saving features.
The Jaybird X3 are excellent sports headphones. They're stable enough to use while working out or running, they're wireless and have simple and efficient control scheme. They're also compact enough to fit into most pockets which make them easy to have on you at all times.
Great for office use. They block a lot of ambient noise and barely leak, so you will rarely distract your colleagues even if you like to listen to your music at higher volumes.
Below-average for gaming. They have a mediocre microphone, and a bit too much latency to be suitable for gaming.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Oct 02, 2017: The microphone has been tested with our new methodology, as explained here
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Jaybird X3 Wireless are good sports headphones with a good customizable app. They should be versatile enough for most use cases but are best used for sports since they sound a bit too sharp for more critical listening and have a bit too much latency for gaming and watching movies. See our recommendations for the best headphones for running and working out, the best cheap earbuds, and the best noise cancelling earbuds.
The Jaybird X4 Wireless are an upgrade from the Jaybird X3 Wireless. They are a bit more comfortable and have slightly better sound quality, especially in the treble range, but these results might be due to the different ear tips. They are also more waterproof, being rated IPX7, while the X3 don’t officially have an IPX rating. On the other hand, the X3 have better noise isolation and slightly better latency performance, but both aren’t ideal to watch videos.
The Jaybird X3 Wireless are better wireless in-ears than the Fitbit Flyer Wireless. The Jaybird have a better isolating in-ear fit and come with a couple more tip options than the Fitbit. They also have a better default sound that you can customize via the Jaybird app and a longer battery life. On the other hand, the Fitbit have a more premium look and feel, and come with a few more stability fin options, which may be more comfortable for some ears. They also have a much easier to charge design that does not require a proprietary charging clip like the Jaybird, which can be very limiting.
The Jaybird X3 Wireless are a slightly better and more versatile in-ear/earbud than the Bose QuietComfort 20/QC20. The Bose have excellent isolation which makes them a far better choice for commute and travel than the Jaybirds. They also have a more comfortable earbud fit that you can wear for longer than the Jaybird. On the other hand, the Jaybird are better and more convenient sports headphone thanks to their wireless design. They also have a better default sound quality and come with an EQ so you can customize them to sound the way you like, unlike the Bose.
If you prefer in-ear headphones that are more compact to carry around, then go for the Jaybird X3, but if you're looking for noise cancelling over-ears, the Parrot Zik 2.0 are a good option. The Parrot Zik are well-built over-ears with great noise cancellation that make them a suitable choice for commute and travel. They also have a lot more features and customization options than the Jaybird X3. However, the Jaybird X3 are a lot more portable. They're also a better choice for sports, since they have a breathable and stable in-ear design.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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