Hear me out: you don't have to spend a lot to get great wireless earbuds. In early summer, I started using my AirPods (gen 2) again because they're so convenient. Then a month ago, I was thinking it'd be nice if they had a USB-C port for charging (or at least the Qi wireless charge feature) like the newly updated AirPods Pro 2. Then it hit me: I'll just use my JBL headphones since they have USB-C, sound much better than AirPods, and have noise cancelling. But there are trade-offs.

The big trade-off was losing the convenience and comfort of Apple's pocketable earbuds. I wondered, could I find a wireless audio solution without compromise? It would combine the USB-C, noise cancellation, and big sound of my JBL headphones with the compact convenience of earbuds and be affordable. In other words, something like the AirPods Pro 2 without the high price tag.

That sounds challenging, but I thought it might be possible; true wireless earbuds today are a commodity. That's likely why Apple plans to revamp its AirPod lineup in coming years. Yet I was afraid to risk losing money on a pair of earbuds that don't fit my ears or have some technical problems.

I have good experience with my JBL Tune 760NC headphones and my JBL Go 2 bluetooth speaker, so I thought I'd see what else the company offers. It turns out that JBL has a large lineup of true wireless earbuds. It also has deals on its website, like a discount for joining its mailing list. Reviews for most of its earbuds are generally good. After looking, I let them simmer on the back burner.

A couple weeks later, I got an Amazon alert on a deal: 50% off a pair of JBL earbuds! So I checked them out, read a few customer reviews, then rolled the dice. Normally, the sell for $100, but I nabbed them for $50. I figured that for such a reasonable price, I wouldn't lose much if they turned out to be ear-duds.

They arrived the next day and...wait, what? Wow!

I've been using the JBL Tune 230NC true wireless earbuds for over a week now, and I love them. They're so impressive, I can easily say that while the earbuds cost me $50, I would gladly have paid the full $100 for them, knowing now they're worth every penny. In a nutshell, they seem like worthy alternatives to the Apple AirPods Pro 2, which set a high standard. I've never used AirPods Pro so I can't really say. But the JBL 230s literally made my smile and eyes go wide when I first used them.

Bonus: mine are the same color blue as my JBL headphones and also nearly match the color of my iPhone!

JBL Tune 760NC headphones and JBL Tune 230NC earbuds.

iPhone 12 mini and JBL Tune 230NC earbuds.

Here's what I like about them:

• In-ear design (with three tip sizes): good sound isolation seal and secure fit
• Small earbuds and charging case: super mobile
• Surprisingly deep bass: full sound like my over-ear JBL headphones
• Noise cancelling: I can comfortably and clearly hear the audio over most noise
• Customizable touch controls: easy to gently tap either earbud to control settings or features
• USB-C charging: convenient!

In addition to the above features and benefits, the JBL 230s also work with an iPhone app. It lets you easily control different settings and customize things like touch controls and equalizer settings. There's also a mode called Ambient Aware, like AirPods Pro Transparency mode. It lets you hear outside sound while the earbuds are sealed in your ears, kind of like hearing aids.

Summary

I'm sure if I bought Apple's AirPods Pro 2, I'd love them. But I think I've got something that's better. The JBL Tune 230NC earbuds seem very much like Pro AirPods on paper, having similar features. The biggest difference, though, is even at normal full price, the JBLs cost less than half of the AirPods Pro 2 price. Yet I'd guess the 230s are more than half as good as AirPods Pro. So the value, especially at $50, is incredible. Maybe I should buy a second pair for backup and choose a different color.