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JBL Endurance Peak 3 True Wireless Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.5
Reviewed Mar 20, 2023 at 10:07 am
Latest change: Writing modified Mar 20, 2023 at 10:07 am
JBL Endurance Peak 3 True Wireless Picture
6.8
Neutral Sound
7.5
Commute/Travel
8.1
Sports/Fitness
6.8
Office
5.4
Wireless Gaming
5.2
Wired Gaming
6.0
Phone Calls

The JBL Endurance Peak 3 True Wireless are sports-oriented buds and are the next generation of the JBL Endurance Peak II True Wireless. Although their ear hook design hasn't changed much in form, they now have an increased IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Unlike their predecessor, they also have companion app support for customizing the buds to your liking, which is good if you find their very bass-heavy sound profile overwhelming.

Our Verdict

6.8 Neutral Sound

The JBL Endurance Peak 3 aren't designed for neutral sound. They're sports-oriented in-ears that utilize JBL's 'Pure Bass Sound', which is a sound profile with extremely heavy thump, rumble, and boom, which overshadows the rest of your mix. They also don't have a very wide or spacious soundstage to help immerse you in your audio. On the upside, their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you adjust their sound to suit your tastes.

Pros
  • Customizable sound via companion app.
Cons
  • Very bass-heavy sound by default.
  • Bad passive soundstage due to in-ear design.
7.5 Commute/Travel

The JBL Endurance Peak 3 are good for commute and travel. They have a sturdy ear hook design, which helps keep them in place while you're on the go. That said, the hooks can put pressure on the back of your ears over time, and since they don't have noise cancelling (ANC), they struggle to block out the low rumble of bus and plane engines. On the upside, they have a long continuous playback time, and their carrying case holds an extra three charges if you need it.

Pros
  • Stable ear hook design.
  • Great battery performance.
Cons
  • Struggle to block out engine noise.
8.1 Sports/Fitness

The JBL Endurance Peak 3 are great for sports and fitness. These buds have a well-built and sturdy design that won't fall out of your ear during vigorous workouts. They're certified IP68, meaning they're dust-tight, and you can submerge them in water without them taking damage. That said, their fit isn't comfortable for everyone, especially as the ear hooks can put pressure on your ears over time.

Pros
  • IP68 rating.
  • Stable ear hook design.
  • Great battery performance.
Cons
  • Bad passive soundstage due to in-ear design.
6.8 Office

The JBL Endurance Peak 3 are okay for office use. These buds have a sporty design with ear hooks, which can put pressure on your ears over long periods. They also don't support multi-device pairing, and their mic has poor recording quality, making it difficult for others to hear you clearly if you're taking calls or virtual meetings. On the upside, the buds can easily last through your 9-5 workday and passively isolate you from ambient chatter.

Pros
  • Great battery performance.
  • Good noise handling performance.
Cons
  • Poor recording quality.
  • No multi-device pairing.
5.4 Wireless Gaming

The JBL Endurance Peak 3 are Bluetooth earbuds, and their latency is likely too high for wireless gaming. While they have a low latency video mode in their companion app, which can help lower audio lag, their latency may still be a bit too high for competitive gaming, though it isn't so bad if you're only using them for mobile gaming.

5.2 Wired Gaming

The JBL Peak 3 are Bluetooth-only headphones, and you can't use them wired.

6.0 Phone Calls

The JBL Endurance Peak 3 are mediocre for phone calls. They have an integrated mic and have a hard time capturing your voice clearly. As a result, speech sounds dark, unnatural, and lacking body. On the upside, the mic does a better job of separating your voice from ambient noise, so you'll still be intelligible if you're calling from a noisy place like a busy street. The buds can also reduce a decent amount of sound around you, but they don't have ANC and perform worse with traffic than ambient chatter.

Pros
  • Good noise handling performance.
Cons
  • Poor recording quality.
  • 6.8 Neutral Sound
  • 7.5 Commute/Travel
  • 8.1 Sports/Fitness
  • 6.8 Office
  • 5.4 Wireless Gaming
  • 5.2 Wired Gaming
  • 6.0 Phone Calls
  1. Updated Mar 20, 2023: Review published.
  2. Updated Mar 14, 2023: Early access published.
  3. Updated Mar 09, 2023: Our testers have started testing this product.
  4. Updated Mar 06, 2023: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  5. Updated Feb 23, 2023: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The JBL Endurance Peak 3 come in two color variants: 'White' and 'Black'. We tested the 'Black' variant, and you can see our model's label here. If you come across another variant of these buds, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.

Compared To Other Headphones

The JBL Endurance Peak 3 are the third generation of the JBL Endurance Peak True Wireless, which are sports earbuds. In this generation, the buds have increased water resistance, better battery life, and even have companion app support, giving them a leg over their predecessors. That said, their ear hook design, while stable, isn't as comfortable as similarly designed competitors like the Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless and the Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless. They also have an extremely bass-heavy sound profile, which is a bit of a departure from other JBL headphones, which tend to follow the Harman target curve more closely and sound more balanced and neutral.

Check out our recommendations for the best headphones for running, the best wireless earbuds for running and working out, and the best earbuds for bass.

Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless

The Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless and the JBL Endurance Peak 3 True Wireless have different strengths and, depending on your preferences, you may enjoy either pair. The Beats are worth considering if you're already in the Apple ecosystem since they have an H1 chip for seamless pairing with iOS devices. They're also significantly more comfortable and have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer. However, the JBL are better built with a higher IP rating for water resistance. They have a better overall battery performance, and their sound can be customized to your liking using their companion app's graphic EQ and presets.

Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless

The Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless and the JBL Endurance Peak 3 True Wireless have different strengths and, depending on your usage, you may prefer either one. While both headphones have a stable ear-hook design, the Skullcandy are more comfortable, have a more neutral sound profile out of the box, which some people may prefer, and have smart commands via the companion app. However, the JBL are better-built and have a better overall battery performance.

JBL Endurance Peak II True Wireless

The JBL Endurance Peak 3 True Wireless is the next generation of the JBL Endurance Peak II True Wireless. While both models look similar, the successor have a couple of improvements. The third-gen are better-built, have a higher IP rating for water resistance, and their battery life is better. They have companion app support, meaning you can adjust their sound to your liking. However, the 2nd gen have a more neutral sound profile, which some people will prefer, and they can block out more background noise.

Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless

The JBL Endurance Peak 3 True Wireless are better for sports and fitness than the Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless. The JBL have an ear-hook design to keep them stable during tough runs and workouts and are better built. They can also block out more background noise and have a better overall battery life. However, the Sony are more comfortable and have a more neutral sound, which some users may prefer.

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic

The JBL Endurance Peak 3 look similar to their predecessor, the JBL Endurance Peak II True Wireless. They have a distinct, chunky ear hook design, which is good if you're looking for a stable in-ear fit. The manufacturer's logo is embossed on the side of the buds, and they come in two color variants: 'Black' and 'White'.

6.5
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.06 lbs
Clamping Force
0 lbs

These buds have a fairly comfortable fit. They don't have a deep in-ear fit and come with three different pairs of ear tips to help you get the best fit possible. Their ear hooks have a 'TwistLock' design, which helps keep them stable. However, the hooks can put pressure on the back of your ears, especially if you wear glasses. If you have smaller ears, you can accidentally turn the buds off if you're trying to tighten their fit, which is annoying. If you're looking for more comfortable ear hook headphones, try the Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless or Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless instead.

6.0
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use Decent
Feedback Good
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control No
Microphone Control Mute/Unmute
Channel Mixing
No
Noise Cancelling Control No
Talk-Through
On/Off
Additional Controls Voice Assistant

These buds have mediocre controls. They have a touch-sensitive surface on each bud, and unlike their predecessor, their controls are split between the L/R buds. The controls are responsive, and there's feedback given when registering commands. There's even voice feedback when turning the ambient sound mode on and off.

On the left earbud:

  • Single tap: Enables 'Ambient Aware', which allows you to stay aware of your surroundings without taking off the earbuds.
  • Double tap: Enables 'TalkThru', which lowers the volume of your audio so that you can have a conversation without removing your earbuds. Also answers and ends calls.
  • Tap and hold: Activates voice assistant. If you're on a call, this command mutes and unmutes your mic.

On the right earbud:

  • Single tap: Plays and pauses audio.
  • Double tap: Skips the track forward. Also answers and ends calls.
  • Triple tap: Skips to the previous track.
  • Tap and hold: Activates voice assistant. If you're on a call, this command mutes and unmutes your mic.

9.1
Design
Portability
L 1.2" (3.0 cm)
W 2.0" (5.0 cm)
H 1.6" (4.0 cm)
Volume 3.47 in³ (56.90 cm³)
Transmitter Required No

These buds are pretty portable. Although they're bigger than most conventional truly wireless buds, they're still pretty portable and can easily fit into most bags or pockets without an issue. They also come with a carrying case to help protect them when you're on the go.

7.0
Design
Case
Type Hard case
L 2.3" (5.8 cm)
W 3.6" (9.1 cm)
H 1.4" (3.6 cm)
Volume 11.64 in³ (190.80 cm³)

The carrying case is decent. It's mostly made of plastic and is a bit larger than that of more traditionally designed in-ears. There's a strip of four LED lights in the front of the case to indicate battery life.

8.0
Design
Build Quality

The JBL Endurance Peak 3's build quality is great. Although they're made of a similar plastic and silicone material as their predecessor, they feel a step up from the JBL Endurance Peak II True Wireless. Their IP rating has gone from IPX7 to IP68 to indicate they're dust-tight and can survive submersion in water. While the silicone ear tips feel like they can rip over time, they're still sturdy enough to survive tough workouts or accidental impacts without taking damage.

8.0
Design
Stability

The stability of these buds is great. Thanks to their 'TwistLock' design, the ear hooks hold the earbuds stable during even the toughest of workouts. The ear tips can feel like they're popping out, and you may need to readjust them to ensure their fit.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • JBL Endurance Peak 3 headphones
  • 3x earbud tips
  • USB-A USB-C charging cable
  • Charging case
  • Manual

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
7.58 dB
Treble Amount
-1.75 dB

The JBL Endurance Peak 3 have a very bass-heavy sound profile. If you enjoy genres like electronica and hip-hop, their intense thump, rumble, and boom can help keep you pumped up at the gym. Surprisingly, the rest of the response is fairly flat, although the extra bass still overwhelms vocals and instruments. If you prefer a different sound, their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you get the most out of your buds.

9.1
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.19 dB

These buds have outstanding frequency response consistency. Once you achieve a good fit using the included ear tips, you'll get consistent bass and treble delivery each time you use them.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
5.7
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
7.17 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
10 Hz
Low-Bass
12.14 dB
Mid-Bass
7.03 dB
High-Bass
3.4 dB

The bass accuracy is disappointing, although you still may enjoy this if you're a basshead. These buds deliver massive bass, from visceral thump and rumble to intense punch and boom. It's great if you love songs with a heavy-handed bassline, like Radioactive by Imagine Dragons, but it also muddies the rest of the mix.

8.9
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
1.47 dB
Low-Mid
-0.37 dB
Mid-Mid
-2.08 dB
High-Mid
0.01 dB

The mid accuracy is excellent. The response is fairly flat. Vocals and instruments are detailed and clear, but a dip in the mid-mid nudges them to the back of the mix. In isolation, the mid-range is quite suitable for vocal-centric content. However, the extra bass muddies the entire mix, including the mid-range.

8.5
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
2.25 dB
Low-Treble
-0.04 dB
Mid-Treble
-0.7 dB
High-Treble
-7.62 dB

The treble accuracy is also excellent. Vocals and instruments are adequately detailed, while sibilants like S and T sounds are bright and present. If you're listening to bass-heavy tracks, the treble has some trouble cutting through the boom. For example, hi-hats in the song Satisfaction by Benny Benassi are meant to emphasize the lead and bassline but feel weak compared to the extra rumble and boom.

7.8
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
1.47 dB
Dips
0.9 dB

The peaks and dips performance is very good. There's a small bump in the low-treble, which adds extra thump and rumble into mixes. A dip starting in the low-mids extends into the mid-mid thins out vocals and instruments and pushes them to the back of the mix. Small peaks in the low-treble accentuate the details of vocals and instruments, but the sharp spike in the mid-treble makes sibilants like cymbals piercing.

8.8
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.2
Weighted Phase Mismatch
2.18
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
1.06
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.2

The JBL Endurance Peak 3's imaging performance is excellent. Many of JBL's headphones have good imaging performances, although there have been mismatch issues with their other products in the past, like the JBL Tune 130NC TWS Truly Wireless, which can be indicative of JBL's larger quality control and ergonomics. That said, our unit's L/R drivers are well-matched. The group delay falls below the audibility threshold, resulting in tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. The L/R drivers of our unit are well-matched in amplitude, frequency, and phase response, which ensures the accurate placement of objects like voices within the stereo image. Imaging varies between units, though.

0.8
Sound
Passive Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
N/A
PRTF Size (Avg.)
N/A
PRTF Distance
N/A
Openness
3.0
Acoustic Space Excitation
0.7

The passive soundstage performance is bad. However, this is normal from in-ear headphones, which bypass your outer ear by design. This soundstage is perceived as small and as if coming from the inside of your head rather than from out in front of you. Since they also have a closed-back design, their soundstage doesn't feel very spacious or open, either.

0
Sound
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
No
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
No
8.0
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.261
WHD @ 100
0.093

These headphones have a great weighted harmonic distortion performance. Although there's a small peak in between the low to mid-treble, it's very minor. As a result, all frequencies fall within acceptable limits, resulting in clean and pure audio reproduction.

Sound
Test Settings
Firmware
3.7.0
Power
On
Connection
Bluetooth 5.0
Codec
SBC, 16-bit, 44.1kHz
EQ
No EQ
ANC
No ANC
Tip/Pad
Silicone (small)
Microphone
Integrated

These are the settings used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid when used in this configuration.

Isolation
7.0
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-21.43 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
-6.22 dB
Mid
-21 dB
Treble
-38.5 dB

The noise isolation performance is satisfactory. They don't have a noise cancelling (ANC) system, so they don't block out much of the low rumble of bus and plane engines. That said, they can passively reduce mid to high-pitched sounds like ambient chatter and A/C units quite well.

9.4
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
24.43 dB

The leakage performance is outstanding. Leakage is mostly concentrated in the bass and treble range. However, the leakage is low, so even if you're listening to audio at high volumes, others around you won't hear it.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
In-Line
No
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
No
Mic Yes
4.1
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
570.18 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
5.16 dB
HFE
2,152.7 Hz
Weighted THD
3.051
Gain
-28.2 dB

The recording quality of the integrated mic is poor. Recorded speech sounds dark, unnatural, and lacking depth.

7.5
Microphone
Noise Handling
SpNR
18.27 dB
Noise Gate
Always On
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
7.5
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
7.5
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample

The noise handling performance is good. The mic can separate your voice from moderate noise fairly well, although your voice can get temporarily drowned out by very loud sounds like a train pulling up to the station. However, if you're taking a call from a consistently noisy place like a busy street, you'll have no problems being understood clearly.

Active Features
8.0
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
10 hrs
Additional Charges
3.0
Total Battery Life
40 hrs
Charge Time
1.2 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
Auto-Off Timer
Audio While Charging
Yes
Passive Playback
No
Charging Port USB-C

The JBL Endurance Peak 3's battery performance is great. The manufacturer advertises them to last 10 hours continuously, and we measured a similar amount. Battery life varies depending on use, though. Luckily, their carrying case holds three extra charges. They also have a quick charge feature, and for 10 minutes of charging, you can get up to one hour of playback time. The buds also have an auto-off timer to help conserve battery life if you forget to turn them off.

7.5
Active Features
App Support
App Name JBL Headphones
iOS Yes
Android Yes
macOS No
Windows No
Equalizer
Graphic + Presets
ANC Control
No
Mic Control No
Room Effects
No
Playback Control
No
Button Mapping Yes
Surround Support
No

Unlike the JBL Endurance Peak II True Wireless, these buds are compatible with the JBL Headphones, which is a good app. You can see a video of how it works here. You don't need an account to use the app. You can access a 10-band EQ as well as presets, turn on/off or cycle between ambient mode controls, and remap controls. You can also adjust the voice assistant and voice prompts as well as access dedicated audio and video modes to help improve audio quality and lower audio lag, respectively.

Connectivity
6.9
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
5.2
Multi-Device Pairing
No
NFC Pairing
No
Line Of Sight Range
323.16 ft (98.50 m)
PC Latency (SBC)
294 ms
PC Latency (aptX)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX HD)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
N/A
iOS Latency
205 ms
Android Latency
280 ms

These buds have fair Bluetooth connectivity. On one side, they don't support multi-device pairing and have high latency across all devices, which isn't great for streaming video. However, on the flip side, they have a smart video mode in their companion app, which the manufacturer advertises to help lower latency. This mode lowers latency on iOS devices to good levels. The Android latency is higher and falls just out of good levels, and the PC latency is still high. Some devices compensate for latency, though.

0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
0
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
No
USB Audio
No
Detachable No
Length N/A
Connection
No Wired Option
Analog/USB Audio Latency
N/A

These headphones have a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging the carrying case. However, you can't use these buds wired.

Connectivity
PC Compatibility
Analog
No
Wired USB
No
Non-BT Wireless
No

These buds can connect to Bluetooth-enabled PCs with full audio and mic support. However, this is the only way to connect these headphones to your PC.

Connectivity
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
No
PS4 Wired USB
No
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
PS5 Analog
No
PS5 Wired USB
No
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
No
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
No
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No
2.2
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
Charging Case
USB Input
No
Line In
No
Line Out
No
Optical Input
No
RCA Input
No
Dock Charging
Yes
Power Supply
USB-C

The JBL Endurance Peak 3 come with a carrying case that has a USB-C port. It holds three additional charges but doesn't support Qi Wireless charging.