JBL Tune 720 BT Review

JBL is well-established in the audio industry, known for its audio innovations and decades of experience in producing consumer, industry, and automotive audio equipment.

Sound Quality

The JBL Tune 720 BT delivers a generally well-balanced sound profile with no particular frequency range overpowering the rest of the mix. The headphones sound much quieter than most competitors, and we had to turn them up a lot to get them loud enough for comfortable listening. Thankfully, they maintain a consistent quality at various listening volumes, with no distortion at higher volumes, which can tend to happen when you pump up the volume. The overall sound profile is solid for the price.

Sound Quality Ratings

Product	Bass	Mid-Range	Treble
Best	9.5	9.4	8.8
Average	7	7.2	6.4
JBL Tune 720 BT	4.0	6.3	2.5
Worst	4.3	4.0	2.5

When it comes to low-end (0hz to 500hz) frequencies, the Tune 720 BT performed well. The bass offers adequate power, with a hefty punch that enhances most genres, aside from treble-heavy classical, folk, and jazz. The bass is powerful and never bloated or distracting, which was a common complaint with many other JBL headphones and earbuds. Songs such as “Didn't I” by Kelly Clarkson and “Night Garden” by BENEE showed off the headphones' ability to deliver a strong bass presence. We enjoyed listening to synth-pop and newer alternative music with these.

Midrange (500hz to 2kHz) is where these headphones shine. We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the mids, offering lovely depth and development without being overshadowed by the lows or highs. Tracks like “Tacoma” by Caitlyn Smith and “Bottle Green” by Theo Lawrence sound vibrant and engaging, making these a great choice for listeners who enjoy vocal-driven music or acoustic genres. The mids provide overall warmth and clarity, giving instruments and voices room to breathe. The price-to-performance here is notable, as these scored as well as here as many of the high-end headphones in our lineup.

The treble (2kHz+) performance doesn't quite match the quality of the midrange. The highs have a full presence, but the upper highs can sometimes feel slightly harsh or overemphasized. This is particularly noticeable in songs like “Hurtin' (On the Bottle)” by Margo Price, where the treble becomes fatiguing after extended listening. Although they provide enough detail to appreciate most genres, treble-heavy tracks can highlight this limitation.

The Tune offers a well-balanced sound profile that excels in the midrange, making it a strong choice for casual listeners who enjoy vocal-centric or acoustic music. Their exciting yet reserved low-end makes synth-heavy genres fun without feeling boomy or overpowering. However, if you're seeking headphones with more treble clarity, you may want to explore other options. Still, for the price, the 720 BT delivers commendable performance across the frequency spectrum.

We assessed the Tune 720 BT's frequency response curve and compared it to our custom GearLab House Curve to gauge how well it aligns with what we consider ideal.

While they deviate slightly from our house curve, particularly in the highs, they still deliver a balanced performance that should satisfy most casual listeners. The bass and midrange sit comfortably close to our curve, providing a pleasant listening experience across various genres, though audiophiles and critical listeners will yearn for more precision and depth, especially in the high-end frequencies.

Soundstage

Soundstage refers to the spatial dimension that gives the impression that instruments are all around you. At a live performance, you might perceive the guitar on the left, vocals in the center, and bass to the right or behind the rest of the band. This spatial separation adds depth and realism, though it can be challenging to reproduce in headphones.

Soundstage Ratings

Product	Expert ear Soundstage Score
Best	9.5
Average	6.8
JBL Tune 720 BT	4.3
Worst	3.0

The Tune 720 BT doesn't offer a vast soundstage but performs adequately. Instruments are separated well enough, and there's no sense of the sound collapsing. That said, the presentation feels contained within the headphones, lacking the expansive depth of higher-end models. While not the most immersive, it provides enough clarity and space to let tracks breathe.

Overall, these have solid price-to-performance. Budget-focused listeners of pop, rap, EDM, and some midrange-heavy genres won't be disappointed with these.

Comfort and Fit

The Tune 720 are not comfortable. But their lighter weight of only 221 grams and lower clamping force make them more comfortable than their more premium sibling. Their ear cups are smaller (52mm by 38mm) than those of their less comfortable sibling, and the headband discomfort increases with time. We measured their average comfortable listening time at around 3 hours. The lightweight design makes them less prone to falling off during activities, and they are pretty stable for stretching, yoga, walking, etc.

Noise Cancellation

The Tune 720 BT does not have noise cancellation (ANC), which is disappointing as many competitors at this price do.

They offer decent passive noise cancellation, with background noise becoming noticeably muffled. Low-end frequencies, like thuds and the low hum of plane engines or AC compressors, get through easily. Mids and highs are more subdued, making them decently effective at abating more constant hisses and whirring of things like fans and keyboard taps.

We couldn't hear our typing or the chatter of coworkers around us. However, we had these headphones at a higher volume than usual, and this louder volume likely affected our ability to perceive outside noise.

Ease of Use

The Tune 720 BT offers okay ease of use, but some key problems impact its performance.

User Experience Ratings

Product	Comfort	Controls	Customization
Best	10.0	8.5	8
Average	7.6	7.9	6.8
JBL Tune 720 BT	6.0	7.5	6
Worst	4.0	6.0	5

Customization

These headphones have the same robustly customizable EQ as other JBL headphones we've tested. The in-app EQ presets offer a nice range of options if you don't know exactly what you want to dial in on the fully adjustable EQ map. They also boast Voice Aware, which helps control how much of your voice you hear during calls. They have button-based controls, and while effective, they are similar in shape, size, and distances apart, making them prone to accidental pressing.

These don't have the premium hearing test feature that some contenders include. This feature scans your hearing to help you choose the ideal EQ process.

Connectivity

These have multipoint connectivity, connecting two Bluetooth devices simultaneously. We found them much easier to connect than their premium sibling. They're faster to set up on Android than Apple devices, but pair with both without issues. They also seem to stay connected to both devices instead of dropping the connection and reconnecting, which we witnessed in some competitors.

Battery

The Tune 720 BT had one of the best battery performances in the lineup, delivering a whopping 75 hours of continuous playback before requiring a charge.

These headphones lack the always-on microphones and computation that most of their noise-cancelling competitors provide. This battery life is a lovely convenience, but their poor comfort means you aren't likely to need the extended life.

Call Quality

The Tune 720 BT has one of the best call quality scores. It is perplexing, considering most competitors have a computer chip to control the microphones to create clearer calls.

These have no bells and whistles, yet baseline call quality is crisp and clear, and stress testing was impressive.

Baseline audio in a quiet room is loud, clear, and pleasant. Lower-pitched voices did great in a simulated office setting and during our subway test. High-pitched voices weren't quite as isolated and clear, but they were still clear and easy to understand.

Ultimately, whatever JBL is doing to get their headphone call quality to sound this good should be duplicated by other manufacturers, because their results are impressive with far less technology packed inside.

If you primarily make phone calls with headphones on, these headphones are unbeatable for the price.

Should You Buy the JBL 720 BT?

The Tune 720 BT is a bit of a strange offering. They don't have common features like noise cancellation, despite costing as much as headphones that do. However, if you have a smaller head and ears, make lots of calls, love pop, rap, EDM, and vocal-heavy music, and want extended battery life, your prayers have been answered. This is a specific and maybe even non-existent niche, meaning we don't recommend these for most listeners. Though if you're dead-set on JBL, we do think these offer a better all-around package than their more premium sibling.

What Other Headphones Should You Consider?

For about the same price, we like the Android-friendly 1More SonoFlow. 1More is a lesser-known brand that delivers a richer, more balanced sound with a slightly wider soundstage. While there are occasional connection issues, once connected, they're remarkably comfortable and stable for the price. If you're willing to spend more, the Bose QuietComfort offers outstanding noise cancellation, solid sound quality, and all-day comfort, though their 22-hour battery life falls short.