Going truly wireless is a big thing now, but truly wireless earbuds are usually expensive. But recently, we’ve seen great audio quality at lower prices such as the Creative Outlier Air and the X-Mini Liberty Xoundpods. JBL has recently introduced an entry level truly wireless earbuds – JBL Tune 120TWS. Selling at S$149, it’s another truly wireless earbud to add to your shortlist!
Unboxing
The JBL Tune 120TWS comes in 6 colors – blue, white, green, yellow, black, pink. I have the white color for review. So going forward, you’ll be seeing the white color variant of the product.
Unboxing the Tune 120TWS, you get:
- JBL Tune 120TWS earbuds (13g)
- Charging case (7cm * 5.8cm * 3cm, 60g)
- Ear tips x3 (Size S, M, L)
- Micro USB charging cable
- Quick start guide
Tech specs
- Driver size: 5.8mm Dynamic Driver
- Dynamic frequency response range:20Hz – 20kHz
- Maximum input power: 15mW
- Impedance: 14 ohm
- Bluetooth version: 4.2
- Bluetooth profiles: A2DP 1.3, AVRCP 1.5,HFP 1.6
- Battery life: 4h playback + 12h on charging case (Lithium-ion battery 85mA/3.7V)
- Charging time: <2hrs from empty
As it is an entry level model, the JBL Tune 120TWS comes with only Bluetooth 4.2 and charges via micro USB. It’s a slight bummer not to have Bluetooth 5.0 and charging via USB-C. However, JBL has equipped the Tune 120TWS with a speed charge capability that gets your earbuds 1 hour of playback time with just 15 minutes of charging.
Build quality and controls
The build quality of the Tune 120TWS is very nice. It’s made of plastic with a slight gloss finish and feels very sturdy. Each earbud has a very faint print of the L and R guide.
As for the charging case, it’s a smooth matte finish plastic case. The way it opens resembles the Airpods, you can easily flick it open with your thumb and get a very satisfying click when it closes. It is also very fast to put back the earbuds as the magnets snap them back in place very well.
As for playback controls, the left and right earbuds have their own unique controls. The left earbuds gives you forward and backward controls, while the right earbud handles the play/pause, phone calls and smart assistant. An interesting omission is the volume control . This means if you want to change the volume you’ll have to reach for your phone to adjust it.
The buttons are okay to use. As the buttons is not too clicky it doesn’t feel uncomfortable when pressing on it.
Battery life
The JBL Tune 120TWS comes with 4 hours of battery on a single charge, which I would think is decent. I wished it packed more hours but then again most truly wireless earbuds are averaging 4-6 hours. And for S$150 what more it’s fairly decent.
A fully charged case can provide another 12 hours so it should be sufficient for most use. And due to JBL’s speed charging, you get 1 hour of play time from just 15 minutes of charging.
Sound
JBL markets the Tune 120TWS with its JBL Pure Bass Sound which “provides a powerful punch to all your playlists”. Living to its claim, the Tune 120TWS certainly delivers very firm and punchy bass. But do not expect ear thumping bass like you would get with the Creative Outlier Air. The difference in bass becomes quite apparent when you listen to tracks have has very emphasis on low resonating bass like “Black Eyed Peas – Boom Boom Pow”.
As for mids, vocals stand out, providing a clean and crisp sound. Pop music and acoustic arrangements sound especially great with the Tune 120TWS. And for highs, they are just okay, not the brightest but good enough for its price point. And with regards to soundstage, this is probably the Tune 120TWS weak point. When listening to music like “John Williams – “A Life in Music (Star Wars Theme)”, the soundstage feels fairly narrow.
I feel that the EQ tuned for the Tune 120 TWS is a relatively dynamic one, focusing on punchy beats and vocals. It is a fun sound signature that will sound good on most songs. I would say the sound quality is kinda like the Airpods but with punchier bass and clearer mids.
Fit
There is actually a correct way to wear the Tune 120TWS. The following picture demonstrates the right way:
Initially to get a snug fit, I actually turned the earbud such that base of the earbud is resting on the groove of my ear as seen in the picture below:
However, I actually did not notice any difference in audio quality in either ways of wearing. But I do suspect this affects call quality.
Because of the wide oval shape of the Tune 120WTS, it is incredibly easy to put them in your ears. The Tune 120TWS has a contoured shape which is intended to provide a good seal. The earbuds sit well it my ears but it is not as snug as what the Creative Outlier Air provides. Its fit in my ears resembles the Liberty Xoundpods where the size of the eargels will make a big difference to the fit you get.
As usual, I’d perform a yawn test (pretend to yawn with your mouth wide open, if the earbuds start to come loose in your ears, it means the fit isn’t the greatest). The result? The earbuds didn’t budge and remained very well in place.
As for comfort, the Tune 120TWS is very comfortable. Despite it’s large look, it’s actually lightweight and even after hours of wearing, I don’t feel ear fatigue.
Comply foam tips?
As usual, I’ll test if the Tune 120TWS can be used with the Truly Wireless Comply Foam Tips. So can you use them? The answer is yes, and it closes well in the charging case. But because the Truly Wireless Comply Foam Tips is a “low height” tip, you won’t able to enjoy a good seal. Perhaps other variants of comply foam tips can work. But it’s good to know that the case does not hinder your choice to change eargels/eartips.
Pairing and connectivity
Pairing the Tune 120TWS to your phone is fairly easy. You remove the both earbuds and your phone should search for the Tune 120TWS. Once you have paired it successfully, the next time you want to connect the Tune 120TWS, you simply put the earbuds in your ears and they should auto connect to your one (provided your phone bluetooth is turned on and is the last connected bluetooth device).
Despite only having Bluetooth 4.2, the connection was really stable and I barely experienced any audio dropouts.
If you want to use the Tune 120TWS on one ear, you can only the right earbud as it is the master earbud.
Conclusion
If you enjoy punchy bass that doesn’t drown out the vocals, then this might be the earbuds for you. With great build quality and a comfortable fit, the Tune 120TWS is a safe choice for your first truly wireless earbuds. But if you do intend to take this to exercise, the Tune 120TWS are not IPX rated, so you take that with a pinch of salt.
Where to buy
You can get from many places, thought Qoo10 offers the lowest price as it is shipped from Korea by a retailer. You can purchase them for around $90 here. If you do want to purchase directly from JBL, there are three options: