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 Freedom are a slightly better sports headset than the Jaybird X3, although not by much. The Jaybird Freedom have a slightly smaller and more compact in-ear format that's easier to carry around when the charging clip is not attached. The Freedoms are also a bit more comfortable, breathable, and have a slightly better treble range on their default sound profile. On the other hand, the X3 are better built, have a longer battery life that does not require a bulky charging clip, and they're slightly easier to use with a better in-line remote. Their build quality also feels a lot more premium than that of the Freedoms.
The Beats BeatsX Wireless are slightly better wireless in-ears than the Jaybird X3 Wireless, although not by much. The Beats have a flexible neckband design that some will prefer over the Jaybird. They also have a better wireless range, faster-charging battery life, and a more balanced default sound profile. On the other hand, the Jaybird have a customizable sound, thanks to the MySound App available on both iOS and Android. They also have a longer continuous battery life, and a slightly more stable and comfortable fit for the gym and working out.
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 are a slightly better wireless headphone than the Jaybird Freedom 2 Wireless 2017. The X3 have a slightly better build quality, stronger isolation against ambient noise, and a longer more practical battery life for everyday use. The Freedom 2, on the other hand, have a more comfortable earbud hybrid fit that most will prefer over that of the X3. The Freedom also have a more portable design when the charging clip is not attached. On the upside, both headphones benefit from the same customizable app and they're both great headphones for sports.
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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