The JBL Tune 125TWS Truly Wireless are simple truly wireless headphones. They have a well-balanced sound profile, decent passive noise isolation capability, and a compact, lightweight design that makes them easy to carry around. Unfortunately, they lack any sort of sound customization features and have a very limited control scheme, not to mention high wireless latency on some devices. Still, if you're looking for a pair of truly wireless headphones that can be used to listen to most types of audio content, they're a good option.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS are decent for mixed usage. They have a well-balanced sound profile that should suit a broad mix of genres as well as a portable, lightweight design. Unfortunately, they aren't the most stable in-ear headphones, and their physical control scheme is quite basic, which could be a nuisance when you're on the move. Their lack of multi-device pairing capability could be an annoyance for office use, though their passive noise isolation capability is decent.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS are satisfactory for neutral sound. They have a well-balanced sound profile with just a touch of extra bass, which should give EDM and hip-hop tracks a bit of extra thump and rumble without overwhelming delicate vocals or instrumentals. Unfortunately, they have a very closed-off passive soundstage and don't have a companion app with an EQ to fine-tune your listening experience.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS are good for commuting and traveling. They're lightweight and easy to carry around and feel reasonably well-made. While they may not block out the low rumble of bus or plane engines, you shouldn't hear much chatter from other commuters. Unfortunately, their control scheme doesn't support on-the-fly volume adjustments, and their deep in-ear fit may not suit all listeners.
The JBL Tune 125 are a very good option for sports and fitness. They're very lightweight and easy to carry around. While they should stay in place during light workouts, they're liable to fall out during intense exercise sessions due to their lack of stability fins. They also don't have any sort of IP rating for dust or water resistance, though that isn't something we currently test for.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS are okay for office use. They should block out the chatter of nearby coworkers and leak very little audio. However, they don't have any sort of standby mode to extend their battery life and lack any sort of multi-device pairing capability. They also have high wireless latency on PCs, which could be an annoyance while watching videos.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS aren't suitable for wireless gaming due to their high audio latency when connected to Bluetooth-enabled PCs and incompatibility with PS4 and Xbox One consoles.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS are Bluetooth-only headphones and aren't compatible with any wired connections.
The JBL Tune 125TWS are a fair choice for making phone calls. Their integrated microphone makes your voice sound clear and natural, but also a little thin. They're also decently effective when it comes to filtering out background noise, but their mic can struggle to isolate speech from loud background noise.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS are simple-looking truly wireless headphones. They have a low-profile design that doesn't protrude too far from your ears and a conservative monochrome-color plastic casing, accented with the matte finish of their multifunction buttons. That said, you can configure their charging case with a variety of eye-catching color schemes and patterns when you order them directly from JBL's website, but at an added cost.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS have an easy to use but somewhat limited control scheme. You can use the left bud to control music playback, with a single tap skipping forward and a double-tap to go to the previous track. Tapping the right bud once pauses and plays media or answers and ends calls, while a tap followed by a long press mutes and unmutes your mic. A double-tap of this button also turns on your phone's voice assistant. They can be used in mono mode, but you lose the use of playback controls. Unfortunately, you can't adjust media volume via the onboard controls, and the buds don't provide any sort of audio feedback when making an input.
These in-ears have a good case. It's compact and made of somewhat sturdy-feeling plastic. Like the JBL Tune 120 Truly Wireless' case, the headphones' controls are engraved inside the case, which can be handy if you forget how to make a certain command. The case also features magnets to keep the buds in place when they're stored.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS have a reasonably well-balanced sound profile. Their slightly overemphasized bass response should add a bit of extra thump and rumble to your favorite EDM and hip-hop tracks, but without overwhelming vocals or lead instruments in other genres. Overall, these headphones should suit a wide variety of musical genres and audio content.
Like most in-ear headphones, the JBL Tune 125 TWS have exceptional frequency response consistency, though there's some variance in the treble range. Once you achieve a proper fit with the included selection of ear tips, audio should be delivered consistently on separate re-seats.
The bass accuracy of these headphones is great. The range is mostly overemphasized but quite flat, which should please listeners who prefer a little more thump and rumble without generating excess boominess. The dip in the high bass range should prevent the slightly exaggerated bass response from muddying vocals and lead instruments.
These headphones offer remarkable mid accuracy. Aside from a minor dip in the mid-mid range, the rest of the frequency spectrum is remarkably flat and well-balanced. This results in clear, full-bodied vocals and lead instrumentals that are present in the mix.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS have great peaks and dips performance. There's a small dip in the mid-mid range that nudges vocals and lead instruments toward the back of the mix. This is followed by a bump that extends across the high-mid through low-treble ranges, which could yield a slightly harsh quality to some notes. A dip in the low through mid-treble ranges can veil the finer details of some vocals and lead instruments and make some sibilants sound slightly dull and lispy.
These headphones have superb stereo imaging performance. Their weighted group delay falls beneath the audibility threshold, resulting in tight bass and transparent treble. Their L/R drivers are well-matched in regards to amplitude, frequency, and phase response, which should ensure the accurate placement of objects like voices and instruments in the stereo image. That said, these results are only valid for our test unit, and your experience may vary.
Like most closed-back in-ears, the JBL Tune 125 TWS have a terrible passive soundstage. They bypass any sort of outer-ear interaction, resulting in a closed-off listening experience that causes sound to be perceived as coming from inside your own head rather than speakers placed around you. You may want to consider the JBL Tune 225TWS True Wireless if you're looking for truly wireless headphones with a more spacious passive soundstage, in part due to their shallower earbud fit.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS don't have any virtual soundstage features.
These are the settings used to test the JBL Tune 125 TWS. Our results are only valid in this configuration.
These in-ears have decent passive noise isolation. They don't block out much ambient noise in the bass range, so you can likely hear the rumble of bus engines or passing construction vehicles. However, they're impressively effective when it comes to filtering out mid and treble-range background noise, so you shouldn't hear the chatter of people nearby or the high-pitched hum of an AC unit.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS leak very little audio. What little sound does escape occurs in the mid-treble range, which gives leaking audio a slightly thin quality. Still, you should be able to listen to your music at pretty high volumes with little fear of disrupting people nearby.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS have an integrated microphone.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS' battery performance is somewhat disappointing. They supply just under seven hours of continuous playback, which is relatively decent for a pair of truly wireless headphones, but falls some way short of their advertised claim of eight hours or when compared to alternatives like the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless. Their case holds roughly three additional charges, which should be enough for a couple of days at work. Unfortunately, they don't have an auto-off-timer to help extend their continuous runtime.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS don't have a companion app.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS have okay Bluetooth connectivity. They support Bluetooth 5.0, but not NFC or multi-device pairing, which could be annoying if you like to stream music from your phone while remaining connected to your work computer. They have high audio latency on PCs and Android devices but perform slightly better in this regard when connected to iOS devices. It should be noted that apps and devices compensate differently for latency, so your experience in the real world can vary.
These truly wireless headphones are Bluetooth-only.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS offer full microphone and audio compatibility with Bluetooth-enabled PCs, but their latency is too high for gaming. They can't connect to PS4 consoles.
These headphones aren't compatible with Xbox One consoles.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS come with a charging case that supplies roughly three extra full charges. It doesn't have any inputs other than a USB-C charging port and doesn't support wireless charging.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS come in four color schemes: 'Black', 'White', 'Blue', and 'Pink'. We tested the 'Black' variant, and you can see its label here. That said, we expect the other color variants to perform similarly.
If someone comes across a different variant of these headphones, let us know in the discussions below so that we can update our review.
The JBL Tune 125 TWS are basic truly wireless headphones but represent a marked improvement over the similarly-designed JBL Tune 120 Truly Wireless. They have a fairly well-balanced sound profile, decent passive noise isolation capability, and reasonably sturdy construction. Unfortunately, they have a very simple control scheme, and they lack any sort of companion software. If you're considering alternatives, take a look at our recommendations of the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds, the best true wireless earbuds, and the best cheap wireless earbuds.
The Sony WF-XB700 Truly Wireless and JBL Tune 125TWS Truly Wireless are closely-matched headphones, and you may prefer one over the other depending on your preferences. The Sony headphones have onboard volume controls, better-build quality, and a longer continuous battery life, though the JBL have a case that supplies a longer total runtime. The JBL also have a better-balanced sound profile and a superior integrated microphone.
The JBL LIVE 300TWS Truly Wireless are better mixed usage headphones than the JBL Tune 125TWS Truly Wireless. The 300TWS have a more comfortable and stable fit, a more comprehensive control scheme, sturdier build quality, and a companion app with a parametric EQ. However, the 125TWS have a longer continuous and total battery life, lower wireless latency, and a slightly more neutral sound profile.
The JBL Tune 125TWS Truly Wireless are better overall than the JBL Tune 120 Truly Wireless. The 125TWS have a better-balanced sound profile, superior microphone recording quality, and longer-lasting battery life. Meanwhile, the 120 block out a little more ambient noise.
The JBL Tune 125TWS Truly Wireless are more versatile than the Apple AirPods 2 Truly Wireless 2019. The JBL block out far more ambient noise, have an easier-to-use control scheme, deliver a better-balanced listening experience with greater consistency, and last longer on a single charge. That said, the Apple are better-built, more comfortable, and charge substantially faster. Thanks to their open-back enclosure, they provide a far more expansive listening experience.
The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless are slightly better overall than the JBL Tune 125TWS Truly Wireless. The Anker are better-built, more stable in the ear, block out more ambient noise, and leak less audio. They have a much longer total battery life of almost 100 hours, not to mention a battery-saving standby mode. However, the JBL have an easier-to-use control scheme and a better-balanced sound profile.
The JBL Tune 125TWS Truly Wireless are more versatile than the JBL Tune 225TWS True Wireless. The 125TWS have a more comfortable fit, more consistent audio delivery, far superior noise isolation and audio leakage performance, and a longer continuous battery life. They also exhibit lower audio latency. Meanwhile, the 225TWS have a more stable fit and charge a little faster.
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