JBL Tune 670NC review: lightweight in both build and sound quality

JBL Tune 670NC review: Two-minute review

Sometimes, you can look at a piece of tech and immediately think of what demographic it's perfect for. I'm thinking student lifestyle when I look at the JBL Tune 670NC. Much of that is thanks to just how portable they are. All headphones are portable, of course, but these cans make it easier.

The JBL Tune 670NC fold and bend in a few different ways so you can easily toss them into your bag. They're lightweight both in your hands and on your head. The cotton carry case they come with keeps them a little safer still.

For £89.99 (which is about $112 although they've yet to be announced for the US), the JBL Tune 670NC are instantly appealing as they line up with the mid-range market well.

On paper, they look great too, promising adaptive ANC, Bluetooth 5.3 support, and up to 70 hours of battery life. All the features you would expect from anything vying for a place among the best headphones. 

In reality, the JBL Tune 670NC doesn't quite score on every count. They're comfy and simple to use but ANC isn't mind-blowing here and sound quality is fine but quiet and subdued. Still, the battery life is phenomenal and the JBL Tune 670NC thrive when it comes to convenience. 

At this price, the JBL Tune 670NC compete with the trusty Sony WH-CH720N and the Anker Soundcore Life Q30. We'd favor the Sony WH-CH720N but that all comes down to certain preferences we'll go into later.

For the average user, the JBL Tune 670NC will do the job well. It's just if you want to know you have the absolute best that you may find yourself looking elsewhere. 

JBL Tune 670NC review: Price and release date

•  Released in August 2023 
•  Officially priced at £89.99  

The JBL Tune 670NC was released in August 2023 for £89.99. Available in Europe and the UK, there's no sign of a US release date but given JBL's past record, we're assuming it's coming.

The headphones are available in four colors – black, purple, blue and white. The first to be discounted is likely to be white but we're rather keen on the minimalist look.

At £89.99, the JBL Tune 670NC's main rival is the Sony WH-CH720N and it's a hefty one. The latter sounds better and has more oomph about it, but then again the JBL Tune 670NC is that bit more portable. 

JBL Tune 670NC review: Specs

JBL Tune 670NC review: Features

•  No wear detection 
• Great app with multipoint support  
• Up to 70 hours battery life 

Impressively for the price, the JBL Tune 670NC has multipoint support so you can use a couple of devices at once. It's a feature that some much more expensive headphones don't always offer or at least aren't as reliable as this. There might be no wear detection but we'd be tempted to choose multipoint over tapping the pause button as needed.

There's also pretty good app support with the JBL Headphones app being simple to use and allowing you to choose from pre-set EQ modes or adjusting the curve to your liking. Other options include setting up voice assistant support to your favorite and changing around adaptive noise cancelling so you can more easily hear what's going on around you. 

It's all intuitive stuff adding to the straightforward nature of the JBL Tune 670NC. It's also possible to hook the JBL Tune 670NC up to any device accepting 3.5mm connections, which is a nice bonus that is increasingly less common elsewhere.

Bluetooth 5.3 support ensures that you don't need to worry about dropouts and it'll help with battery life too.

The JBL Tune 670NC offers great battery life. Keep ANC switched off and you can easily achieve the 70 hours promised by JBL. With it switched on, you still get 44 hours and that sense that you'll rarely need to recharge. There's a quick charge feature too with five minutes giving back three hours which should suit most commutes or active days. 

• Features score: 3.5/5

JBL Tune 670NC review: Sound quality

• Middling ANC 
• Weak bass 
• Adjustable EQ

The JBL Tune 670NC aren't the strongest when it comes to sound quality, at least not without some tweaking. Use them out of the box and they're surprisingly weak. Jump into the EQ settings and you'll find yourself sticking with vocal for most music as it's loud enough to confidently hear without cranking up the volume. 

Alternatively, switch over to bass and it's like all the energy has left the JBL Tune 670NC. The bass is positively weak and lacking any kind of oomph. To enjoy whatever you're listening to, you need to head back to vocal with an occasional departure to jazz. 

Of course, you can tweak this but the bass is never that strong. Foo Fighters' All My Life doesn't sound as exciting as usual but at least a heart round of Eminem's Lose Yourself is well matched to the vocals. 

There's also the matter of the JBL Tune 670NC's ANC. It's ok but it suffers greatly from the fact these are on-ear headphones so environmental sound leaks in. When trying them on a busy road, you could still hear traffic although it did make attempts to block out some of the more annoying elements. 

• Sound quality score: 3.5/5

JBL Tune 670NC review: Design

• Plasticky and a bit cheap feeling
• Button controls
• Comfy headband  

The JBL Tune 670NC look roughly as you would expect at this price. They're a little cheap with a plasticky headband and ear cups. The foam ear cups get warm if you wear them for extended periods during hot weather and your ears will feel sweaty. 

However, the JBL Tune 670NC are mostly fairly comfy to wear. There's no pinching here and the headband doesn't squash down on your skull. The headband is adjustable too without making an awkward clunk.

One other bonus is how light the JBL Tune 670NC are. They really don't weigh much and they fold inwards for easy storage. A simple cotton bag comes with the headphones and that works just fine for a little bit of extra protection.

Controls are very traditional with some obvious buttons on the right ear cup. They work fine if – again – feel a little cheap. Controls include power, volume, and a button for making it easy to hear conversations around you once more.

• Design score: 3.5/5

JBL Tune 670NC review: Value

• Sleek premium design
• Features aren't on par with same-priced competitors 

The JBL Tune 670NC certainly aren't perfect but they reflect their price very well. We're still eyeing up the competition of the Sony WH-CH720N and a few headphones from the Anker Soundcore range though.

So, the JBL Tune 670NC aren't a hidden gem of a bargain but they are still quite good for the price. Temper your expectations and it's mostly plain sailing.

• Value score: 3.5/5

Should I buy the JBL Tune 670NC?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

JBL Tune 670NC review: Also consider

Sony WH-CH720N
Offering great sound balance and plenty of detail, the Sony WH-CH720N sound better but they still lack potent noise cancellation. 

Anker Soundcore Life Q30
A little cheaper, the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 are heavier but offer good sound quality if slightly heavy on the bass. They look dull but they tick all the other boxes. 

How I tested the JBL Tune 670NC

• Tested for nearly two weeks 
• Used both outside and around the home 
• 10 years of audio reviewing experience 

Over the past week of testing the JBL Tune 670NC, I used them in place of any other headphones. As they were my daily form of listening, that meant I spent time listening to them while doing housework including noisy vacuuming and some decorating. Primarily, I listened to music playlists or podcasts while doing these.

I spent my evenings watching YouTube videos and Twitch streams to see how they performed with a mixture of music and people speaking.

Away from the home, I used the JBL Tune 670NC daily when going on walks. This included windy scenarios as well as walking near busy main roads that were very noisy. It also gave me the ideal opportunity to test them out while talking to neighbours and dog walkers on my journeys. 

I've reviewed many audio products over the past 10 years including headphones, earbuds, and speakers, all of different price ranges. I love to hear how differently music can sound and gain the chance to notice a new to me detail where possible.

• First reviewed: September 2023