The JBL Tune 130NC TWS Truly Wireless are the next generation of the JBL Tune 125TWS Truly Wireless. These wallet-friendly buds have a leg up on their predecessor, thanks to their companion app support, noise cancelling (ANC) system, and better build quality. However, for their price, they don't block out quite as much background noise as similarly-priced competitors like the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless.
Our Verdict
The JBL Tune 130NC are good for neutral sound. Out of the box, they have a very neutral sound profile suitable for various audio content. Although their mid-treble is slightly underemphasized, you can adjust their sound using their companion app's parametric EQ and presets. Unfortunately, since they're in-ear headphones, sound seems like it's coming from inside your head rather than from speakers placed in the room around you, which doesn't sound very immersive.
- Well-built and comfortable.
- Consistent audio delivery.
- Parametric EQ and presets available.
- Terrible passive soundstage.
The JBL Tune 130NC are good for commuting and travel. They have a small and lightweight design, making it easy to put them into your pockets or bags when you're on the go. They also have a comfortable fit and deliver over seven hours of continuous battery life. If you need to top them up, their carrying case supplies three additional charges. However, their ANC struggles to block out bus and plane engine noise.
- IPX4 rating for water resistance.
- Well-built and comfortable.
- Consistent audio delivery.
- ANC struggles to block out bass-range noise.
The JBL Tune 130NC are great for sports and fitness. They have a comfortable, lightweight, and well-built design rated IPX4 for resistance against water splashes. They also have roughly 7.6 hours of continuous battery life, which will last through days on the move. They lack stability fins and can fall out of your ears with more intense head movement.
- IPX4 rating for water resistance.
- Well-built and comfortable.
- Terrible passive soundstage.
The JBL Tune 130NC are decent for office use. These headphones have a comfortable fit and a 7.6-hour continuous battery life with three extra charges in the case. They also don't leak a lot of audio at high volumes, so you can turn your music up without bothering your coworkers. They have active noise cancelling and can block out an excellent amount of office chatter around you. However, you can't connect them to your PC and smartphone simultaneously.
- Well-built and comfortable.
- Excellent at blocking out ambient chatter.
- No multi-device pairing.
- Terrible passive soundstage.
The JBL Tune 130NC TWS can't connect to PlayStation or Xbox consoles, and their latency with PCs, iOS, and Android devices is too high to be suitable for gaming. That said, they have a low-latency 'Video Mode', which helps lower their audio lag within reasonable levels on iOS and Android devices. It's handy if you're into mobile gaming.
The JBL 130NC are Βluetooth-only headphones, and you can't use them wired.
The JBL Tune 130NC are okay for phone calls. Their integrated mic offers a satisfactory recording quality, ensuring your voice is intelligible to whoever you're talking to. However, it struggles to separate your voice from moderate ambient noise around you, and your voice can be drowned out if you're taking a call from a busy street.
- Well-built and comfortable.
- Satisfactory recording quality.
- No multi-device pairing.
- Mic struggles to separate your voice from moderate noise around you.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The JBL Tune 130NC TWS come in three color variants: 'Blue', 'White', and 'Black'. We tested the 'Black' variant; you can see our model's label here. If you encounter another variant, please let us know in the forums.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The JBL Tune 130NC are the next generation of the JBL Tune 125TWS Truly Wireless and have a more comfortable and well-built design. Unlike their predecessor, they also have ANC. Although it offers an okay overall performance, it falls short compared to other truly wireless headphones like the EarFun Air Pro 2 True Wireless or the Anker SoundCore Life P3 Truly Wireless. That said, they offer a very neutral sound profile and, like many JBL headphones, have a companion app with a parametric EQ and presets.
Check out our recommendations for the best true wireless earbuds, the best noise cancelling earbuds and in-ear headphones, and the best earbuds and in-ear headphones.
The JBL Tune 130NC TWS Truly Wireless are similarly performing in-ears as the JBL Tune 230NC TWS True Wireless. While both headphones are comfortable and well-built, the 230NC have a more stable in-ear fit and better battery performance. The 130NC have a more neutral default sound profile, which some users may prefer, and their ANC can block out more ambient noise.
The Jabra Elite 7 Pro True Wireless are better overall headphones than the JBL Tune 130NC TWS Truly Wireless. While both headphones are comfortable and well-built, the Jabra have a more stable in-ear fit, are equipped with an ANC system, and their default sound profile is even more neutral, which some users may prefer. They also have a slightly better battery performance.
The Apple AirPods Pro are better in-ears than the JBL 130NC TWS Truly Wireless. While both headphones are comfortable, the Apple are better built, have a better noise isolation performance, and have an H1 chip for seamless pairing with your other Apple devices. However, the JBL have a more neutral and customizable sound profile. Their continuous battery life is longer too.
Depending on your usage, you may prefer either the Beats Solo Pro or the JBL Tune 130NC TWS Truly Wireless. The Beats are on-ear headphones that are better built, have a significantly better noise isolation performance, and have longer continuous battery life. They also have an H1 chip to seamlessly pair them with your Apple devices. However, the JBL are in-ears that are more comfortable and have a more neutral default sound profile that you can adjust to your liking using their companion app's parametric EQ and presets.
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.
Test Results
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