Squarespace is known as being one of the best website builders, popular amongst small, medium, and growing businesses due to its range of easy to use, yet powerful website builder building features. But what happens when your business outgrows the standard subscription options offered by Squarespace?
That’s where Squarespace Enterprise comes in.
Squarespace Enterprise has been designed to help agile teams within large organizations launch new projects without the need to rely on development support. The platform allows users to manage multiple sites, integrate with complex systems, and offers top-tier security. In this guide, we dive into Squarespace Enterprise, uncovering everything from its standout features to security measures.
Looking to get the best deal on your Squarespace subscription? We have listed the top Squarespace promo codes currently available.
Squarespace Enterprise features
Customizable templates
With Squarespace Enterprise, team administrators can create, edit, and delete templates directly from the Design Library, while other users can generate new sites from these pre-made templates. This helps businesses maintain brand and style consistency, whilst still providing a team with the tools they need to build great websites.
Once you create a custom template, just click on “Convert to an Organisational template,” and it’ll be available to your team. Along with that, most of your site's content, such as pages, sections, blocks, and CSS, will also carry over.
However, some settings like API keys, linked files, and third-party integrations must be added manually after conversion. Apart from this, you can customize fonts, colors, layouts, and content blocks to match your brand identity. Plus, since these templates are responsive, they adapt to any screen size for a consistent viewing experience.
Page draft
The page draft feature allows users to draft changes to a live site page in a way that doesn't impact the original content. This means teams can create and refine page drafts, and even share them with others for collaboration before making them live.
Once the draft is finalized, a website manager or administrator can publish it, replacing the existing live page with the updated content. Your editors can't directly publish these drafts, but they can share the draft URL with other contributors for feedback and collaboration. However, remember that you can't edit site-wide settings, such as headers, footers, or style settings, in a draft. Plus, drafts cannot be created for collection pages.
Enterprise account dashboard
Think of the Enterprise Account Dashboard as a central hub that lets you manage all your company-owned sites and team permissions from one place.
As a team admin, you can quickly change roles and permissions across multiple sites. The dashboard can be customized with tags and filters to help you organize projects, track progress, and assign tasks efficiently.
You can also tweak the dashboard to fit your brand’s aesthetic by updating your organization’s name, logo, and header color. Similarly, it lets users publish a website directly from the dashboard, but remember to adjust the site’s availability from Private or Password Protected to Public.
Setting up single sign-on
With Squarespace Enterprise, you can easily set up Single Sign-On (SSO) to control access to your site or specific pages.
By integrating SSO, you can create secure internal sites that are accessible exclusively to employees. This means they can log in to the system using the existing authentication systems, such as Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, ClassLink, or Google, without any hassle. Aside from that you get automated provisioning and de-provisioning through SCIM API endpoints as well.
Additionally, to maintain confidentiality while hosting events, your company can create a dedicated website that only employees can access via the company's SSO. Similarly, if your company has multiple departments or teams, you can control access to different site sections via page-level SSO for group-specific content. Squarespace lets you customize the login screen to match your brand using the background panel to add a background image, video, or colors. Whereas with the Branding & Text panel, you can edit the company logo or text, add a headline, or include more details in the body text.
Squarespace recommends collaborating with the IT team to set up SSO for the site and specific pages.
Squarespace Enterprise pricing
You can reach out to Squarespace for a custom Enterprise package tailored to your business needs. Squarespace Enterprise also offers volume plans starting at 25+ websites, with consolidated billing for simpler management of purchases and renewals.
Squarespace Enterprise support
Apart from 24/7 email and chat support (Monday to Friday, 4 am to 8 pm EST), all Squarespace plans give you access to the Squarespace Help Center, tutorials, guides, webinars, and an active community forum to connect and learn from other professionals.
With the Squarespace Enterprise plan, you get SEO training and access to personalized SEO consultations for product/brand-specific advice.
Squarespace also offers white-glove tech support and product training. This means you get personalized help with development best practices, advice on third-party integrations, and
Quality Assurance (QA) testing. With the Enterprise plan, you even get customized training sessions to ensure your team knows how to use all the features of Squarespace effectively.
Squarespace Enterprise security
Squarespace Enterprise prioritizes your website's security and reliability to protect your data and business operations. With 99.9% uptime, your site remains accessible, avoiding downtime that could impact traffic.
Squarespace has also passed the SOC 2 audit, showcasing its commitment to rigorous security controls and customer data protection. For further security, Squarespace gives you free SSL certificates with industry-recommended 2048-bit keys and SHA-2 signatures for all websites, including those with custom domains. This approach helps your site rank higher on search engines while ensuring encrypted connections.
Plus, the platform complies with PCI-DSS standards, meaning all your payment transactions are secure and in line with industry best practices. For businesses that need more personalized security measures, Squarespace even has security evaluations and expert advice to align your business-specific goals.
Squarespace Enterprise: Verdict
Squarespace Enterprise indeed comes with many benefits for digital businesses.
As a Squarespace Enterprise customer, you get access to custom business website templates, website drafting features (including unlimited website trials), design consultations, private product training, SEO training, security evaluations, quality assurance testing, integrated SSO, dedicated account management, and priority email support.
Plus, before any commitments, you can chat with Squarespace’s support who will guide you on all the details about the program. So, if your business is expanding and you need a platform to help you scale, Squarespace Enterprise is a strong choice.
Learn more about what Squarespace offers in our full Squarespace review.
A Kindle in color makes so much sense, it's a wonder the Kindle Colorsoft took so long to arrive. But it's finally here, and it is a decidedly Kindle take on color e-readers. If you're shopping for a new Kindle and you've considered the Colorsoft for even a moment, you should buy it. Monochrome Kindles will feel like a step backward once you've seen this screen.
I loved reading graphic novels and comics on the Kindle Colorsoft, but even having a virtual bookshelf of my Kindle collection with full color covers was a treat. I wish Amazon gave me control over which cover edition is shown, especially for books with great design work like the Southern Reach series. Maybe in the future. For now, I just enjoy scrolling through my library and leaving a book’s cover on the lock screen while I'm in progress reading.
Scrolling is actually kind of amazing on the Kindle Colorsoft, and so is zooming. On E Ink tablets, this is usually a weakness that might have been fatal for comic reading. If the Colorsoft left mottled and ghosted pages like many color E Ink competitors, I wouldn't be so enthusiastic about this device. Instead, the Kindle Colorsoft feels like the fastest, smoothest e-reader I've ever used, whether reading in color or just black and white text.
The new Kindle Colorsoft is water resistant, just like the Kindle Paperwhite, so you can read it in the bath and Amazon even builds the Kindle strong enough to take a splash of salt water, if you promise to hose it off with fresh water when you're rinsing sand.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
That doesn't mean the Colorsoft has what I'd consider a premium build. It feels tough, but it feels a bit cheap for a new Kindle that costs more than a hundred more than the older Paperwhite. I can't even say this is just a Paperwhite with a color display, because the brand new Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is an even nicer looking device with its metallic paint finish. It feels more premium than this.
No matter, buy a nice case (there will be plenty to choose from, I'm sure) and ignore the plastic. The Kindle Colorsoft display is all that matters, and it's a delight. It's very bright, for a Kindle, and the color looks good enough for graphic art. I wouldn't invest in photography art books for the Kindle Colorsoft, but Manga looks perfect.
If you're due for a Kindle upgrade… actually, Amazon hasn't released a new Kindle since the Kindle Scribe launched two years ago, and there hasn't been a new e-reader Kindle for even longer. So, everyone is due for an upgrade.
The Kobo Libra Colour uses a very similar color E Ink display (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
There are other color e-readers that offer nicer hardware, with displays that aren't quite as advanced, but you may not notice the difference. The Kobo Libra Colour is a fantastic device. I personally have more books on Kindle, but if you use Kobo or your local library through Libby, the Kobo is worth a look.
Do you need color? If you aren't reading graphic novels, probably not, but what is this, 1983? Are we still choosing between color displays and monochrome? I like color, and now that there's a Kindle Colorsoft, it's the one I'd buy. It doesn't feel like a first-generation technology, or an early attempt. It's a Kindle in color, and it might be the best Kindle yet.
Kindle Colorsoft Signature review: price and availability
A panel from All-Star Superman, available on Comixology Unlimited (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
$279.99 / £269.99 for 32GB of storage
No Australia launch date yet
There’s no doubt the Kindle Colorsoft is expensive, a bit too expensive to say it’s the Kindle for everybody. Color on your Kindle is still a luxury, and I hope that price comes down with sales and bundles, but I wouldn’t expect any discounts soon.
The Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition costs around $80 / £80 more than the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, and the only difference is color. Actually, the Paperwhite Signature is available in some very nice metallic colors.
The Colorsoft is $120 / £110 more than the base model Kindle Paperwhite, which doesn't come with wireless charging, but wireless charging is an odd luxury, anyway, on a Kindle.
Is it worth the additional cost? Adding color increases the price by 75% versus the Kindle Paperwhite. I can’t say it’s worth the premium, but it doesn’t feel too expensive for the luxury. I just wish the rest of the device felt more luxurious to justify the higher price. Some metallic paint would help.
While Kindle fans will jump on this one, Amazon may have a hard time winning folks over who aren’t committed to the Kindle library. The Kobo Libra Colour is only $219.99 / £219.99 / AU$359.95, and it has more features than the Kindle Colorsoft, including stylus support for note taking, as well as physical buttons to turn pages. Ironically, the Kobo device looks more like the old Amazon Kindle Oasis, a premium Kindle that was discontinued a couple years ago.
Just saying, the Kindle Oasis felt like a premium e-reader (Image credit: Future)
If your books are on Kindle and you’re a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, the choice is much easier – get the Kindle Colorsoft and be happy. If your reading is flexible or you use the local library for e-books through Libby, you may read our review of the Kobo before you invest in the Kindle Colorsoft. Its performance won’t feel as quick and smooth as the latest Kindle, but performance isn’t a deal breaker when it comes to an e-reader.
Value score: 3 / 5
Kindle Colorsoft Signature review: Specs
Reading the latest tattooed, smoking Nun detective story on my Kindle Colorsoft (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Kindle Colorsoft Signature review: design
That power button is unfortunately placed (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Kind of cheap looking
Only has a power button, no page turning buttons
Amazon hasn't given us a Kindle that feels truly premium for quite a while, and sadly the Colorsoft doesn't break that trend. It's more like the basic Kindle Paperwhite, with a matte plastic back that comes in one color - black. The Paperwhite Signature edition is availble in some nice metallic paints, but oddly this Colorsoft Signature edition only comes in black.
Ironic for Amazon’s first color Kindle? It doesn't matter, because most people buy a cover for the Kindle, and you can always get a sticker if the plastic doesn't suit.
Still, I'd love to see a Kindle Oasis comeback with this display. Not just for the Oasis’s premium build, but for the page turn buttons as well. The Kobo Libra gives you buttons, if you like turning pages that way instead of tapping the touch screen.
The Kindle Colorsoft has a power button and a USB-C port on the bottom for charging or connecting to a PC. It also offers wireless charging, and Amazon offers a charging stand with the perfect fit if you don't have one.
My Editor-At-Large Lance Ulanoff pointed out that the button on the bottom means it’s easy to rest this Kindle in a way that turns off the screen. It didn’t bother me before he mentioned it, but he’s absolutely right, and now I wish the power button was somewhere else.
Design score: 3 / 5
Kindle Colorsoft Signature review: display
This is a good depiction of color on the Kindle Colorsoft, with no touch-ups (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Kaleido 3 E Ink display, customized by Amazon
Looks like paper, great for comics
The Kindle Colorsoft uses a Kaleido 3 color display from E Ink, with tweaks and mods from Amazon. I love E Ink technology and find it endlessly fascinating, but it's very complex, so here's all you need to know.
The Kindle Colorsoft uses the same black and white E Ink technology as all of the other Kindle devices, with an added layer of color. The color is not part of the black and white layer, like you'll see on the reMarkable Paper Pro writing tablet that launched a few months ago.
Instead, the color layer is independent, and the color pixels are much less dense. This helps the Kindle Colorsoft pan and zoom quickly, and if you've ever panned and zoomed on E Ink before, you're going to be amazed at how well the Colorsoft handles zooming. In full color, I could pinch and zoom on a character in a comic panel and it looked smooth, with no ghosts or artifacts popping up.
Here's a closeup of a color e-book cover (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The page snapped quickly into a sharper look once I settled, and the refresh was super fast and nearly undetectable. There was no weird cycling through colors, as I've seen on other color E Ink devices.
A Kindle doesn't have a backlight, it's lit from the front and sides and the light is reflected into the page evenly. The Kindle Colorsoft was the brightest Kindle I've used, and it has a full set of both warm and cool LEDs for reading with less blue before bedtime.
Lighting the color layer can be tricky, but the Kindle Colorsoft lights the color and black pixels evenly, and color pages look fantastic. They look like paper, as they should, so don't expect a glossy magazine. Get an iPad if you want bright and saturated.
Highlighting a book in different colors on the Kindle Colorsoft (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
I hardly noticed a difference between the normal and vivid color modes on the Kindle Colorsoft, but I left the display on vivid for comic reading. As I finished my review, The Verge reported on an issue with slight yellowing at the bottom of the display. I noticed that this was happening on my screen, but the effect is so slight that I never would have seen it if I didn’t read The Verge’s report. I don’t expect perfect color fidelity from a Kindle, so it didn’t bother me one bit.
Amazon is fixing the issue, and if you have a Kindle Colorsoft with this problem, the company will replace it and let you hold the one you have while you wait, so you can keep reading.
Display score: 5 / 5
Kindle Colorsoft Signature review: software
You can choose Standard or Vivid color styles, but they look very similar (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Same Kindle software keeps things very simple
Better performance improves the interface experience
Amazon pledges to keep things simple and distraction free with the Kindle, and the Kindle Colorsoft doesn't veer from this path, it just runs where previous Kindles have skipped along. The whole Kindle interface has been dramatically improved with faster processing and the new display. The old delays, flashing screen refreshes, and taps lost to the ether are no longer a problem.
I prefer Amazon’s simpler software over a more robust E Ink tablet, like an Onyx Boox Note Air 3. E Ink tablets are better when the interface keeps things simple. You can run Android apps on an Onyx device, but apps don’t look great, and Onyx makes you jump through hoops to get the E Ink display to behave in a satisfying way.
If you use Amazon and get your books from Kindle, the software is made for you specifically. If you sideload books or borrow from your library through an app like Libby, you may have to do a bit more work to get your reading fix, but once you figure it out, you’ll have a steady stream of titles.
Unfortunately, since you can’t run third-party apps on the Kindle Colorsoft, there’s no way I could find to read comics directly from the biggest publishers. If you subscribe to Marvel Unlimited or DC Universe Infinite, you won’t be able to read your favorite titles on the Kindle. Amazon offers Comixology instead, which has a much more limited Unlimited subscription offering. I’d rather see partnerships with the big name publishers.
A TechRadar.com web page on the Kindle Colorsoft browser (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
There's a web browser, but it can’t load complicated web pages properly. Our own TechRadar.com home page was wildly distorted, though it was cool to see color photographs on a Kindle web page.
Amazon also lets you connect directly to Goodreads to report the book you’re currently reading and write reviews. Goodreads looks especially sharp on the Colorsoft display.
User experience score: 5 / 5
Kindle Colorsoft Signature review: performance
Hulk isn't the greenest, but it still looks fantastic (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Surprisingly fast performance on E Ink
Smooth zooming, whether color or black and white
It's a book. What sort of performance do you want? Actually, the Kindle Colorsoft is a delightful surprise when it comes to performance, just like the new Kindle Paperwhite. Amazon has improved the response time dramatically, and using the e ink display no longer feels like a slog.
In the past, I'd tap the screen and kind of wonder if my touch got through. On the new Kindle Colorsoft, the screen responds immediately. What's most impressive is watching the E Ink display zoom and pan around pages and images. This used to be a disaster, but now Amazon has its E Ink performance looking much more like a normal display.
It moves at a very slow refresh rate, so it isn't as smooth as your smartphone, but the ghosting and weird fuzzy bits that used to linger are gone.
Otherwise, performance was great in my time with the Kindle Colorsoft. It's a book, and now it turns pages faster than before. Amazon improved the performance of a book. That's kind of cool.
Performance score: 5 / 5
Kindle Colorsoft Signature review: battery
USB-C charging or go wireless with the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Great battery life, but not limitless
Avid readers will get a few days of battery life
Amazon says the Kindle Colorsoft battery will last eight weeks if you read a half hour every day, with the brightness level set just below the halfway mark. That's impressive, because it gives you not just 28 hours of screen time, but also a battery that won't drain itself dead if you aren't using it.
In my tests, I was able to do more than eight weeks of reading in an intense review week that included getting a bad cold and lying in bed for four days. I killed the battery on the Colorsoft in three days, and after Amazon clarified its battery claims, I'm sure the Kindle Colorsoft lasted more than 20 hours of actual reading time with the brightness set much higher than Amazon recommends.
The nice thing is the new color display will sip power just as slowly if you read all color or just black and white. I was reading comic books from Comixology Unlimited, including Planet Hulk and All-Star Superman. They have some good, iconic titles and a nice selection of independents, but comic nerds should do their own research before committing.
The Kindle Colorsoft doesn't charge super fast. I guess after eight weeks of power it assumes you'll be patient for a couple of hours. You can read while it charges, of course. There is wireless charging as well, and you can get a wireless charging stand to keep it topped up and looking pretty on the bedside table.
Battery score: 5 / 5
Should I buy the Kindle Colorsoft Signature?
Buy it if...
You want a Kindle Upgrade It's the Kindle in color. If you've been waiting for this like I have, you won't be disappointed
You want to read graphic novels on a tablet in the sunshine You can read comics on an iPad or Galaxy Tab, but the Kindle Colorsoft is great for sunshine like the pool and beach, or just a nice park
You miss seeing your book covers in color If you're an avid reader, you probably have a collection, but without color it doesn't feel like a proper bookshelf
Don't buy it if...
You don't care about color at all The Kindle Colorsoft doesn't do anything else better than the Paperwhite, and the latter is prettier (sorry, KC)
You subscribe to Marvel Unlimited or DC Infinite The Kindle Colorsoft isn't an Android tablet, so you can't read comics through an app. It works with the Kindle library and Comixology
You want to write a lot of notes You can take some notes and add highlights, but there's no pen support like you'll find on Kindle Scribe or Kobo Libra Color
Also consider
Kobo Libra Colour If you don’t rely on the Kindle library for your books, you might consider this less expensive Kobo alternative, which has a very similar color display and more features. Read our in-depth Kobo Libra Color review
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) If color is an expensive dream, the Kindle Paperwhite is an excellent e-reader with the same snappy performance and great battery life as the Kindle Colorsoft. We're testing the Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition now, so we'll have a review soon. Read our hands-on look at the new Kindle Paperwhite
How I tested the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Testing period - two weeks
Subscribed to Kindle Unlimited and Comixology Unlimited
Tested books, comics, audiobooks, and bathtub reading extensively
I used the Kindle Colorsoft for two weeks before I published my review. For the first week, I was under the weather and lying in bed, so I read for hours and hours at a time, mostly comics from Comixology and books from my Kindle library. I am an unlimited subscriber to Kindle and Comixology.
I read graphic novels in color and books in black and white on the Kindle. I read during the day and before bed, adjusting the color temperature to the time of day. I read in bed, on the couch, on the train, and in the bathtub. I dunked the Kindle Colorsoft and rinsed it under a running shower.
I tested the web browsing features by visiting TechRadar and reading articles at our own site. It wasn’t a great experience. I connected Bluetooth headphones, Pixel Buds Pro, and listened to Audible audiobooks. I used the Kindle Colorsoft without a case for the entirety of my review.
Cisco’s Catalyst C1300-8MGP-2X enterprise-class Ethernet switch manages small and medium-sized networks at speeds up to 10Gb.
Specifications
CPU: Dual Core ARM 1.4GHz
RAM/Flash: 1GB/512MB
Ports: Four 1Gb, Four 2.5Gb
PoE budget: 30W per port, a total of 120W
Processing throughput: 41.66 Million packets per second
Dimensions/Weight: 26.8 cm x 32.3 cm x 4.4 cm/2.64 kg
It has eight wired interfaces, a 120W PoE, and two 10G SFP sockets. The compact fan-less unit consumes 20W when idle. As with all Cisco switches, a PC interface is available on the front panel to speed up installation through a Type-C USB socket, providing backup for the switch settings.
The Catalyst 1300 series uses a customized Linux OS and sports a dual-core network CPU, enabling an intuitive dashboard and fast packet processing with lower network latency. The high-end hardware simplifies network setup and provides security, and QOS features out-of-the-box. Cisco networking appliances integrate seamlessly with other devices, such as access points, through their cloud platform.
The Cisco C1300-8MGP-2X is available on Amazon for $718 and has a lifetime warranty. The eight-port unit supports 1Gb, 2.5Gb copper Ethernet, and 10Gb through SFP modules.
(Image credit: Future)
C1300-8MGP-2X: Design
The C1300-8MGP-2X is a compact unit measuring 26.8 cm x 32.3 cm x 4.4 cm and weighing 2.64 kg. As with other models in the C1300 series, all network and debugging ports are on the front. The back has two large heatsinks with no fan, which makes the switch ideal for an office where minimum noise is essential. Each side of the white enclosure has one screw hole for rack-mounting.
The front panel hosts eight RJ45 connectors, divided into two bandwidth groups. Four 1Gb Ethernet ports on the left provide around 30W each for PoE purposes to connected devices. The right offers a similar arrangement but with 2.5Gb Ethernet ports. The copper ports have a total PoE power budget of 120W. Two SFP slots support up to 10G modules and complete the list of interfaces.
Copper ports display their status on individual LEDs. The one LED per port approach differs from the previous model, which used two LEDs showing port activity and PoE warnings. As a result, the C1300 LEDs are more challenging to understand during troubleshooting. A reset button helps to restore factory settings should the switch become inaccessible.
Under the hood, the C1300 uses a Marvell dual-core 1.4GHz ARM processor, 1GB of RAM, and 512MB for application storage. The processor connects to two network ASICs that route packets at a maximum throughput of 10Gb per second to the eight copper ports and two SFPs. The processor can do packet analysis on the fly, significantly reducing latency while making the network more reactive to sudden changes.
(Image credit: Future)
C1300-8MGP-2X: In Use
The switch boots in less than two minutes. The system LED on the left shows progress and blinks green during the boot process, eventually settling on a solid green if all goes well. For each port, a single LED shows activity but not link-up speed. PoE is available as Ethernet becomes ready across the ports. Unlike older models, the SFP connectors do not share resources with any copper ports; using SFP will not turn off any copper port.
The C1300-8MGP-2X includes several new features compared to its predecessor. Bluetooth support is through a USB dongle, allowing remote and secure wireless access to the CLI and GUI. The PoE is undisturbed during reboots, allowing connected devices to retain power. Finally, a built-in REST API makes automation possible.
With an aggregated bandwidth of 56Gbps, the C1300-8MGP-2X should be enough for speedier 2.5G and 10G network appliances such as a NAS or a VPN. The processor can forward up to 42 million packets per second, thus maintaining minimum network lag. Moreover, the PoE budget of 120W makes connecting several outdoor devices, such as high-resolution cameras, a breeze. The unit consumes 20W idle with one 2.5G copper and one SFP connection.
The C1300 requires registration to be accessible from the Internet. For this, the Cisco Business mobile app initiates the installation using a QR code at the back of the case. The app offers most features available on the cloud, with many configurations done in less than four steps. The switch processes packets on Layer 2 and 3, providing security through VLANs or blocking unknown IPs.
(Image credit: Future)
C1300-8MGP-2X: The competition
The Engenius ECS2510FP targets a similar audience as the C1300-8MGP-2X switch. Its eight 2.5Gbps ports and double PoE power budget make it a serious contender, priced at less than $500. However, the ECS2510FP has two fans, which makes it impossible to use on a desk. The power consumption is also higher than the eight ports in the C1300 series, making it more costly in the long run.
C1300-8MGP-2X: Final verdict
With the new Catalyst C1300-8MGP-2X switch, Cisco improves on a tried and trusted platform, adding more security and practical features that make setup and configuration easier. The SOHO-type switch with a dual-core CPU is well equipped to fully utilize the quad 10 Gb and quad 2.5 Gb Ethernet ports. The companion mobile app is responsive and implements most of the functionality found on the cloud. Being passive, power consumption and noise are minimal, making the unit ideal in a small office.
The main drawbacks are the higher MSRP compared to similar units available elsewhere and the ports' status shown on a single LED.
you need a reliable switch with PoE and supporting 10G Ethernet.
It’s 2020, the height of COVID-19 lockdowns, and the Oculus Quest 2 – an affordable yet capable VR headset – has exploded in popularity because everyone wants to feel like they aren’t trapped inside. Had the virtual reality dancing game Just Dance VR launched in this era of VR gaming I’m confident it would be considered one of the best VR games of the day.
Review info
Platform reviewed: Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S Available on: Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S, Meta Quest 2 Release date: October 15, 2024
The immersive 360-degree dance sessions are bursting with color and good vibes. And if you have someone to play with – especially local co-op via pass-and-play – it’s hilarious to watch as you each flail about or fire up your competitive spirit as you aim to demolish the high score they just set.
And if you live alone, you can hop into the multiplayer hub world to Just Dance with players from anywhere in the world.
But in 2024, the year we’re actually getting this Just Dance VR port, the game already feels out of date thanks to a setlist of years-old tracks that don’t compete with the 2024 chart toppers found on Just Dance 2025 which was also just released. Factor in that Just Dance VR doesn’t take full advantage of its 360-VR stages, as well as lacks a mixed reality mode like some other recent VR rhythm games – which makes modern XR titles feel more approachable to newcomers – and I can’t help but feel this title will struggle to find an audience even amongst Just Dance fans.
A Little Just Dance Never Killed Nobody
If you were expecting anything other than Just Dance but in VR then you’ll be disappointed. Everyone else can groove along with the series’ signature dancing gameplay.
For the uninitiated, unlike Beat Saber, Samba de Amigo, or other rhythm games, Just Dance VR isn’t simply about striking poses or smashing blocks to a beat, it’s about following the on-screen coach as best as you can while they take you step by step through an actual dance routine. There’s a track that clues you into what move you’re about to perform, but otherwise, it’s basically a gamified dance lesson.
And the coach isn’t simply in a comfy tracksuit and hoodie like an 'IRL' coach, they’re dressed to the nines in thematic outfits that perfectly match the immersive stage they’re performing in or the vibe of the artist they’re performing to – like the rebellious band captain who leads the charge as Hollaback Girl blasts through their high schools’ speaker system. Seeing the vibrant splashes of color and slight absurdity of it all, you can’t help but crack a smile while you play through Just Dance VR’s best levels.
As you progress you’re judged based on the movements of your hands as an estimate for how well you’ve performed the dance as a whole. Though estimate is the keyword here.
My biggest gripe with the dance scoring system is that it feels entirely arbitrary. No matter how poorly I know I’ve performed, I still manage to get at least five stars on pretty much every track because I vaguely wave a hand in the right place. I don’t say this as a flex, I say that because it feels like I’ve been handed a participation trophy.
I know, I know, as a family-friendly game, there’s nothing wrong with Just Dance’s kinder approach to judging dance skill, however for me the inflated scoring system doesn’t encourage me to push for that five-star Superstar rating over several playthroughs. Because my achievements feel undeserved, I instead feel like any further success would feel equally unrewarding.
But these disappointments could be brushed aside if the tracklist featured some amazing music that I could have a blast dancing to.
Wake Me Up when the tracklist’s better
Unfortunately, Just Dance VR’s track selection feels lackluster, and especially dated next to the modern chart-topper-packed setlist of Just Dance 2025 which was also released on October 15.
Where the flat edition offers dances to Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter, Exes by Tate McRae. Lovin’ On Me by Jack Harlow, and Yes, and? By Ariana Grande (via DLC) – to name just a selection of its best tracks – the VR version instead boasts Beauty and a Beat by Justin Bieber (Ft. Nicki Minaj), Dark Horse by Katy Perry, and Lights by Ellie Goulding.
Best bit
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
I Just Dance VR for pass-and-play, it's so much fun to watch other people try their best to match the couch's moves.
That’s not to say some of the VR picks aren’t fantastic – I love Hollaback Girl, Don't Stop Me Now, and Thank u, next as much as anyone, even in 2024 – and Just Dance games have pretty much always featured a mix of older or newer songs.
This VR game doesn’t feature that mix, just a lot of older stuff – it’s like opening a pack of Jelly Babies and mostly seeing the colors you aren’t a fan of.
So for people looking to pick up a new Just Dance game in 2024 this VR entry doesn’t feel like the one they should go for – doubly so when you factor in that many of the best tracks (at least the ones I liked the most) are also playable in Just Dance 2025 via the Just Dance Plus subscriptions service.
There is something to enjoy in Just Dance VR. The vibrant forgiving gameplay will definitely appeal to a younger audience – as the series always has – and in terms of VR rhythm games it is somewhat unique in that it’s actively teaching you a full-body dance rather than having you simply smash targets, which could appeal from a VR perspective. It's just not the best Just Dance game to release in 2024; so if you have access to a Nintendo Switch, PS5, or Xbox Series X or Series S you’ll probably be better served by Just Dance 2025 which delivers basically identical gameplay with a much wider range of excellent music choices.
Is Dancity pronounced Dan-City or Dance-City? (Image credit: Ubisoft)
Should you play Just Dance VR?
Play it if...
You love silly party games Just Dance VR excels as a pass-and-play title. Throw the live Quest feed up on a TV or stream it to your phone and you'll have a good laugh playing this with your friends and family.
You want a child-friendly VR game Vibrant colors, accessible controls, and a forgiving scoring system make this an ideal choice for younger VR players.
Don't play it if...
You have another console If you have a Nintendo Switch, PS5, or Xbox Series X then Just Dance 2025, which also just released, may be a much better choice given its music selection.
You're looking for a challenge As a game, Just Dance VR feels a lot more forgiving than other rhythm games. There is difficulty in perfectly matching the dance moves, but it's hard to track your full-body motion in VR to judge yourself, and the in-game scoring system doesn't seem to mind if you make mistakes.
Accessibility
As VR games go, Just Dance VR is fairly accessible. You do need to be able to stand and have a full range of movement to perform the game’s routines, but it does offer comfort controls like teleportation-style movement for navigating its hub world which should vastly reduce motion sickness compared to smooth analog stick movement.
Dancing in levels can be a tad disorienting so make sure you have a large, clear play space (so you don’t accidentally kick or trip over something). I was a little surprised that this title doesn’t offer a mixed reality mode – like we saw for Samba de Amigo VR – as these blended reality games are typically easier for VR newcomers to get accustomed to, and would reduce the potential of you bumping into a hazard as you dance.
How I reviewed Just Dance VR
My first few play sessions were on my Meta Quest 3, however, when I received the Meta Quest 3S to test for my Meta Quest 3S review I swapped to playing Just Dance VR exclusively on that headset. I played through most tracks at least once and explored the hub worlds – Dancity and the Apartment – to try the different mini-games they offered and test the teleportation movement.
I wasn’t able to test the online multiplayer functionality, but my partner and I did a couple of pass-and-play sessions to experience couch co-op (and laugh at how silly we both looked). This almost meant I could get her thoughts on the title as she has a lot more experience with the Just Dance series than I do.
The JLab Go Pop ANC have all the hallmarks of an instant budget favorite. These wireless earbuds pack in plenty of quality in the audio department, with particularly impressive bass and treble, strong active noise cancellation and a tiny, lightweight design.
By covering these core essentials, it's already hard to believe the JLab Go Pop ANC are only $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$69.99. However, JLab has gone beyond the basics by including companion app compatibility, which lets you fully customize touch controls – a great addition for the amount you expend.
Earbuds in this price range don’t often feature ANC and although you won’t get the near-silence that some of the best wireless earbuds might offer, overall quality here is good. It’s certainly enough to keep conversations muted and loud noises dulled when you’re out in public. Similarly, sound quality – although not mind-blowing due to a relatively narrow soundstage – is still up-to-standard, thanks to energetic bass and treble output.
With a great seven hours worth of battery per bud (with ANC on), high-comfort feel and IP55 waterproof rating, you’re getting more than your money’s worth from the JLab Go Pop 4, so don’t be surprised if they appear in our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds sometime soon.
(Image credit: Future)
JLab Go Pop ANC review: price and release date
$29.99 / £29.99 / AU$69.99
Launches on October 15 in the US
Expected to launch in Q1 2025 in the UK and Australia
The JLab Go Pop ANC are set to launch on October 15 in the US and although there’s no confirmed release date for the UK and Australia, it seems likely you'll see them on sale sometime in the first quarter of 2025. We’ll keep you updated with full availability info as it comes.
I tested the Black color variant, but if you want to jazz things up a bit, you’ll also be able to grab them in either Fuchsia or Teal. But arguably the main draw of these wireless earbuds is their ultra-low price. They’ll be just $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$69.99 at launch, so you’re going to be hard pressed to find better value ANC buds.
JLab Go Pop ANC review: specs
(Image credit: Future)
JLab Go Pop ANC review: features
Solid ANC
Companion app compatibility
Customizable touch controls
The JLab Go Pop ANC surprised me in that they offer a fairly personalized user experience.
At the core of this is the JLab app, which offers a handful of tasty options. This includes customizable touch controls for each earbud, allowing you to choose between play/pause, volume controls, skip/previous track, voice assistant and EQ controls. I personally love touch controls, but if you find them irritating, fear not – you can deactivate them entirely in the JLab app.
I touched on EQ options there – and these are very good. There are three presets – JLab Signature (a fairly exciting sound with more of a bass/treble focus), Balanced, and Bass Boost. You can also alter EQ to your personal taste with a Custom option. In a similar vein, there are also Music and Movie modes to choose from, depending on the sort of media you’re consuming.
The main event, though, is ANC. You can adjust the strength of this with an in-app slider or simply switch between Noise Canceling and Be Aware mode – the latter of which lets in more ambient sound. And ANC quality itself is good overall. You’re not going to get the near-silence you'd expect from some of the best noise cancelling earbuds, though. What the Go Pop ANC can do is effectively dull external noise – I was unable to clearly make out conversations when in the office and playing music at medium-high volume. You can’t ask for much better at this price-point.
Finally, you’re getting good battery life out of these buds. They can survive for approximately 24 hours with a fully juiced charging case and you’ll get seven hours out of each earbud with ANC on. When testing this over the course of an entire work-day, I found the seven-hour timeframe to be accurate after listening at medium-high volume.
Features score: 4.5/5
(Image credit: Future)
JLab Go Pop ANC review: sound quality
Sparkling treble; impressive bass
Mids not so prominent
Limited tinniness and distortion
For some super-cheap wireless earbuds, the JLab Go Pop ANC fare well in the audio-quality realm. It’s worth noting upfront, you’re not getting great audio here. The soundstage is pretty narrow and details won’t be fully realized. As you’d anticipate, there’s nothing fancy on offer like ‘lossless’ audio codecs, so if you’re an audiophile, it might be worth looking elsewhere (and perhaps spending a little more too).
But for buds like this, none of that matters all that much. For the most part, I used the default JLab Signature EQ setting and found that bass was surprisingly impactful and treble was sharp enough to add some flair to the overall listening experience.
When listening to I Want You by Moloko, instrumental separation was admittedly quite limited, with the complex mix a little constrained. However, the actual punch of the bass was still satisfying, synths had a cutting, prominent edge and there was little-to-no tinniness, even at high volumes.
I also tried tuning into Black Eye by Allie X. The track’s all-action intro was replicated well; the depth of the drum machine came through nicely and the dynamism of the bouncing bass line – which connects up to the lower-mid range – was responsive. I didn’t sense incredible agility or explosiveness when listening to this track, but for some budget wireless earbuds these replicated the intended energy accurately.
If you’re really into podcasts, these earbuds might not be ideal for you, though. Mids can be pushed a little bit towards the background, so vocal-heavy media doesn’t always sound perfectly clear. Of course, you can make EQ adjustments in the JBL app to partially offset this, but these earbuds are really at their best when leaning into their strengths in the lower and higher-end frequencies.
Audio is decent for calls, however. I made a phone call, Messenger video call and Google Meet video call and the quality was decently clear across the board. The only problem here is that higher-pitched sounds have a bit of a hiss, but this is a pretty common issue, even with a lot of the more expensive wireless earbuds out there.
Sound quality score: 3.5/5
(Image credit: Future)
JLab Go Pop ANC review: design
Pleasingly lightweight
Super-small build
Admittedly a tad cheap-looking
Something that I instantly loved about the JLab Go Pop ANC was their ultra-lightweight, compact build. These factors combine to give them a truly minimalistic profile – both in terms of feel and aesthetic. I happily kept these buds in across multiple full work days without any irritation or discomfort.
Looks-wise, I have mixed feelings here. Given their price, I wasn’t expecting beautiful quality, but I still wasn’t won over by the plastic JLab logo etched on the outside of each bud. That is me nitpicking, though. Ultimately, these are a little cheap-looking across the board, from bud to charging case, but they aren’t off-putting by any means.
Another design aspect that could be better is the color options. Don’t get me wrong, the fact there are options at all is a nice touch – but both the purple/maroon Fuchsia and the Teal colors didn’t do it for me. They lack vibrancy, but don’t have a mild, classy look either, floating in an awkward middle ground. The classic Black will be perfectly fine for most, however.
Practically speaking though, these are very well designed. The charging case is tiny, perfect for carrying in your pocket. It also has a USB-C cable that's folded inside the base of the case, which is incredibly handy for charging on-the-go (although if you were hoping for a new USB-C to USB-C cable for general use, you'll be disappointed; this one's permanently attached to its product). The buds themselves are also IP55 rated, meaning they’re both sweat and splashproof – ideal for workouts or if, like me, you live in a rainy English city.
Design score: 4/5
(Image credit: Future)
JLab Go Pop ANC review: value
Incredibly cheap wireless earbuds
Very impressive sound quality at this level
ANC at this price-point a rarity
OK, spoiler alert, these get full marks in the value department, but honestly, reader, I expect you saw that coming. ANC, app compatibility and solid audio quality all for less than $30 / £30 / AU$70 – that’s truly exceptional.
ANC especially is a massive win for wireless earbuds in this price range. It’s quite unusual to find this feature for so little – not to mention that the actual ANC quality is admirable. In the context of its cost, the sound quality is strong here too. Sure, it’s nothing mind-blowing and audiophiles will likely find a few faults – but their exciting sound signature is still very much enjoyable.
Value score: 5/5
(Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the JLab Go Pop ANC?
Buy them if...
You’re on a budget but want ANC Active noise cancellation at $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$69.99? Go on then. There aren’t too many competitors offering ANC for this little and given the actual quality is good here too, these buds are an absolute steal.
You want some small, lightweight buds These buds are absolutely tiny – even their case is as diminutive as it gets. On top of that they feel about as heavy as a feather, which combined with their high-comfort fit makes them ideal if you want to lock in for a long listening session.
Don't buy them if...
You’re an audiophile Right, so as much as the sound quality here is great for the price, it’s still not going to be enough to impress audiophiles. There are no fancy Bluetooth codecs here like LDAC and the soundstage is a tad narrow. As a result, audiophiles, you’ll almost certainly have to splash a bit more cash to get the rich sound quality you crave.
You’re a fashionista first, listener second For all their perks, I can’t lie, these buds haven’t won me over looks-wise. The plastic JLab logo on the buds isn’t the easiest on the eye and the color options weren’t my thing either. If you want to look a bit more stylish, it may be worth looking at another strong budget option, like the (still) amazing Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW.
JLab Go Pop ANC: Also consider
EarFun Air Pro 3 The EarFun Air Pro 3 are probably the closest competitor to the JLab Go Pop ANC when it comes to pound-for-pound value. With solid ANC and sound quality, Bluetooth LE Audio support and a lightweight design they hit all of the right notes. Their stem-like look might not be for everyone, so weigh up whether that more out-of-the-box appearance is for you before picking them over these brilliant JLab buds. Read our full EarFun Air Pro 3 review.
Sony WF-C700N Right, these are admittedly a fair step-up over the JLab Go Pop ANC price-wise. However, I’ve seen these go on sale for as little as $98 / £67 on Amazon UK and US respectively – that’s great value. I personally own these buds and you get impressive, customizable sound, plenty of fun features and perfect comfort levels. The ANC here is very competent too, so given that these are budget earbuds, you’re not sacrificing much at all on quality. Read our full Sony WF-C700N review.
JLab Go Pop ANC review: How I tested
Tested over the course of one week
Used in the office, at home and while on walks
Predominantly tested using Spotify on Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
I tested the JLab Go Pop ANC over an intense week-long period, keeping the buds in for the majority of my work days. I used them at the office, while at home and when on walks to grasp the competency of ANC in multiple environments.
Although I predominantly tested these wireless earbuds using Spotify on the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, I did also try using them while using both Tidal and YouTube. When listening to music, I ran through the TechRadar testing playlist, which features tracks from a wide variety of genres but also tuned in to hours worth of bangers from my personal library.
Where appropriate, I compared these to my Sony WF-C700N earbuds on metrics such as comfort, audio quality, ANC capabilities and features.
Platform reviewed: PS5 Available on: PS5, PC Release date: October 4, 2024
Until Dawn has leaped from the shadows to reacquaint fans with yet another creepy horror game classic. But while this new version of Sony and Supermassive Games' playable slasher flick spawned from the 2015 PlayStation 4 original, it's not being billed as a ‘remaster’ or ‘remake.’
Perhaps that's because Until Dawn brings a bit from both camps. Like most remakes, it's been rebuilt from the ground up – a fact that's showcased in every frame of its stunning, Unreal Engine 5-fueled visual presentation. But save for a few other tweaks and additions, the rest of the experience will feel very familiar to anyone who braved Blackwood Mountain nearly ten years ago.
The result is a definitive, director's cut-like offering that retains the appeal of its predecessor, while also making it a whole lot prettier. It’s potentially one of the best PS5 games right now, but that's not to say Until Dawn is perfect. Even more changes, extra content, and a cheaper price tag would've been appreciated.
Mostly familiar frights
(Image credit: Sony)
Until Dawn's core gameplay, story, and characters (including strong performances from Rami Malek, Hayden Panettiere, and Peter Stormare) mostly remain unchanged from the original. Once again, players are put in the quaking boots of eight young adults who've reunited one year after a tragic, mysterious event put two of their friends – twin sisters – on "Missing Person" posters. Hoping to honor their pals, and also put the painful past behind them, the group meet at the same remote mountain estate where the girls were lost.
Unsurprisingly, things go south before the friends can crack their first beer, leading the player to navigate them through a living nightmare that lasts, well, until dawn. As the scared crew begins to splinter – like typical horror movie victims – players take control of the individual characters on their separate paths. What differentiates Until Dawn from most games though, is the fact that any of the protagonists can die. Depending on how you steer the story, you may reach the credits with everyone still breathing – or all eight in body bags.
Whether or not they survive or die largely depends on a few things, most notably your dialog choices along the way and how well you perform quick-time events. It's a unique, risky formula that Supermassive pretty much nailed, and new developer Ballistic Moon has smartly not messed with. The result is a highly cinematic, character-driven, story-focused – but not narratively linear – experience that essentially makes you feel like you're playing a horror movie.
Cinematic slasher
(Image credit: Sony)
While its gameplay loop is largely unchanged, Until Dawn's visual presentation has received a scary-good makeover. Entirely rebuilt in Unreal 5, the game has been brought up to speed with – and sometimes surpasses – PlayStation 5's prettiest first-party stunners.
In fact, the first thing that hits you when you fire up the game isn't the business end of a psychopath's blade, but the striking character close-ups. The incredibly realistic models sport the sort of nuanced details – from facial stubble and pores to birthmarks, blemishes, and, of course, blood – usually reserved for live actors.
But while I spent an embarrassing amount of time studying the imperfections on Peter Stormare's face, it was the lighting work that regularly had me pining for a photo mode (which is unfortunately not included). The varied, specific effects that came from different sources, including moonlight, lanterns, lighters, flashlights, smartphones, and more literally stopped me in my tracks on several occasions.
Of course, the presentation is at its breathtaking best when all these enhancements combine to deliver something truly eye-popping. Fairly early in the 8 or so-hour story, for example, you'll find yourself clutching a lighter as you navigate a narrow, dark hallway. You'll immediately spy the slick effects cast on the walls and items surrounding you, but you'll also want to stop and stare at your bespectacled character's face. On top of the aforementioned facial details being realistically lit by the tiny, dancing flame, you can see its flicker reflected in his glasses while its glow illuminates the individual hairs on his parka's fur hood.
A definitive edition, with a scary price
(Image credit: Sony)
Best bit
(Image credit: Sony)
Having played the original multiple times, I found myself enjoying the remake more for its stunning visuals than its jump scares. The best moments were any that saw its graphical upgrades – from the enhanced lighting work to the richly detailed character models – firing on all cylinders.
The lighting and character models steal the show, but they're not the only upgrades the game has received. Adding to the nerve-fraying atmosphere is the DualSense Wireless Controller's adaptive trigger, haptic feedback, and other immersion-ratcheting features. Like the lighting work, these inclusions never settle for a ‘one size fits all’ approach, but are rather nuanced and situational.
So while you probably expect the feel of your footsteps to change organically when you proceed from a snow-covered dirt path to an icy wooden bridge, you might be surprised when the rumble of a power generator delivers a different sensation than a reverberating boiler. A less subtle, but no less effective trick, includes the DualSense mimicking your pounding pulse while you're tasked with keeping the controller completely still.
Until Dawn has also stripped out its predecessor's fixed camera for a closer, over-the-shoulder view that offers far more freedom. In a game that's often controlled with quick-time events, it feels good to have a bit more leeway when simply exploring, taking in the sights, or searching for collectibles. And on the topic of shiny trinkets, this updated take has also added more hidden totems, and creepy wood carvings that trigger deadly premonitions when interacted with.
(Image credit: Sony)
Until Dawn's most notable enhancements undoubtedly deliver a more cinematic, immersive experience, ensuring the game is back in my regular nightmare rotation. Still, I would've liked to see these updates complemented with some fresh content or new features that better justify its $60 price tag.
The story's prologue has been, er, fleshed out a bit more, and new post-credits scenes do offer some fun surprises. But these inclusions, while welcome, generally feel like director's cut extras rather than significant additions. All that said, if you've never played the original or you're a super-fan looking to have your pants scared off all over again Until Dawn's got you covered like a blood-soaked sweater.
Accessibility
Keeping in line with Sony's more recent first-party releases, Until Dawn features far more accessibility options than its predecessor. Before starting the game, it offers multiple selections for subtitles and a screen reader. Once inside the game, you can dig deeper into these specific features by going into the settings menu. Various other adjustments, from content censoring and camera movement to gameplay difficulty and even the ability to disable the game's "don't move" challenges, can also be tweaked in the settings menu.
Should I play Until Dawn?
(Image credit: Sony)
Play it if…
You're a horror fan seeking your next fix Until Dawn is as close as you'll come to a playable slasher movie. It's also incredibly accessible, so even if you're not much of a gamer – but love the idea of interacting with a horror movie – you’ll be able to dive right in.
You loved the game, but haven't returned to Blackwood Mountain since Until Dawn is the same game you remember, but with significantly better visuals and other presentational upgrades that complement its cinematic qualities. It's the definitive version of the horror classic.
Don’t play it if…
You remember the original well While Until Dawn looks a whole lot prettier and benefits from a few other tweaks, its story and core gameplay are unchanged. If the original was a one-and-done for you, the remake won't convince you to come back.
How I reviewed Until Dawn
I spent about fifteen hours playing Until Dawn, completing its eight or so-hour campaign before replaying some portions to test out the choice-driven dialog systems and other features – like keeping characters alive – that encourage replayability.
I paid particular attention to the various graphical upgrades, as well as the new DualSense integration. I also fired up the original version to compare both the visual and the new over-the-shoulder camera.
I played on my PlayStation 5, using a DualSense Wireless Controller, on a budget model TCL 4K display with HDR. I primarily tested with the television's stereo audio but also played for a few hours with PlayStation's Pulse Explore earbuds. I also paired the latter with PlayStation Portal, which made for some especially spooky sessions while tucked into bed.
The Air 3S is the latest flagship model in DJI’s mid-range Air series of consumer camera drones, supplanting the July 2023-launched DJI Air 3. Like the Air 3, the Air 3S’s main draw is its two-camera setup: instead of a single camera for aerial photos and video, its camera module pairs wide-angle and medium-telephoto cameras, mounted on a three-axis gimbal on the drone’s nose.
In many ways – physical design, specifications, battery life, and pricing – the Air 3S and Air 3 are close, if not virtually indistinguishable. That being said, the Air 3S does offer a couple of notable improvements over its predecessor: a larger image sensor on one of its cameras, and a more effective omnidirectional object-sensing system to help it avoid mid-air collisions with obstacles. With the front-facing sensors now powered by LiDAR rather than standard vision tech, DJI says the Air 3S is better at navigating tricky terrain at night. It’s also packed with technology that makes it easy to fly, including automatic take-off and landing, advanced return-to-home flight, and super-stable video transmission courtesy of DJI’s O4 system. The battery life is very impressive too, with a full charge providing up to 45 minutes of flight time.
The cameras are both excellent, able to shoot raw photos and 10-bit 4K video at 60fps (120fps in slow-motion mode) with HLG or D-Log M color profiles that allow more flexibility in post-production. Users can expect up to 14 stops of dynamic range, plus superb stability in footage thanks to the three-axis gimbal. The new larger sensor on the wide-angle camera, meanwhile, gives the Air 3S a distinct advantage over the Air 3 when it comes to shooting in lower-light conditions.
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
DJI suggests that the Air 3S’s compact size and camera arrangement make it ideal for travel photography and video, but potential buyers should note that its take-off weight puts it in a class of drone that requires much more regulatory and administrative hoop-jumping than an ultra-lightweight model like the DJI Mini 4 Pro. EU- and UK-based users will need to have completed a paid competency course and passed an exam in order to fly it in almost any public space or built-up area, and US-based users will have to register the drone and pass an exam.
If you can live with the paperwork and revision, however, the DJI Air 3S is a truly fantastic mid-range camera drone that’s safe and easy to fly, capable of capturing gorgeous photos and videos, and only a little more expensive than the Air 3. If you already own the latter, we’d suggest you stick with it for now, but for anyone upgrading from an entry-level drone, the Air 3S represents a logical progression.
DJI Air 3S: release date and price
Released October 15 2024
Base kit costs $1,099 / £959 / AU$1,699
Fly More Combo bundles from $1,399 / £1,239 / AU$2,129
The DJI Air 3S is available to buy from the day it was announced to the world: October 15 2024.
At launch, it’s available in three different configurations. The base kit, which consists of the drone, a single battery and an RC-N3 controller, costs $1,099 / £959 / AU$1,699, and there are also two Fly More Combo bundles available. These include the drone, three batteries, a battery charging hub, an ND filter set and a shoulder bag, in addition to a controller. The Fly More Combo with an RC N3 controller costs $1,399 / £1,239 / AU$2,129, and the Fly More Combo with an RC N2 controller costs $1,599 / £1,439 / AU$2,429.
This makes the Air 3S slightly more expensive than the Air 3, as you’d expect, slightly cheaper than the larger Mavic 3 Classic and significantly cheaper than the Mavic 3 Pro.
Price score: 4.5/5
DJI Air 3S: specs
DJI Air 3S: design and handling
Compact folding design
Weight puts it in UK A2 subcategory
Level 6 wind resistance (up to 12m/s or 26mph)
42GB of internal storage plus microSD card slot
The Air 3S sports a folding design that’ll be familiar to anyone who’s encountered a DJI Mini, Air or Mavic drone before: a blocky main body with a gimbal-mounted camera at the nose and space for a battery at the back, plus four fold-out arms holding the motors and rotors that keep the drone airborne.
When fully folded it’s compact and lightweight enough to carry around in a small bag – although with extras like a controller and spare batteries you’ll probably want to carry it in something with a bit of room and extra protection. I found that the shoulder bag that comes with the Fly More Combo bundles does the job perfectly, as it features padded partitions to keep all the elements snugly and safely in place, plus a zip-up pocket for cables, spare propellers, ND filters and the like. DJI also supplies the Air 3S with a hard plastic cover to keep the delicate camera and gimbal protected during transport.
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(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
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(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
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(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
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(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
At 724g take-off weight, the Air 3S is subject to more restrictions on its use than a sub-250g drone like the DJI Mini 4K. In the US, for instance, recreational Air 3S users will need to register their drone with the FAA and have passed the TRUST exam. In the UK, recreational users, in addition to getting a flyer ID and passing the CAA’s free online theory test, will also need to fly the Air 3S at least 50m away from people and 150m from ‘residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas', with the latter including parks, beaches and the like. UK pilots who take and pass the A2 CofC course (which costs around £100 and requires taking a 90-minute invigilated exam) will be able to fly their drone in the above areas, provided it remains at least 50m from people.
So, the Air 3S’s weight does present an issue that sub-250g drones do not. It’s not a deal-breaker by any means – anyone willing to put in a bit of time, effort and money into learning how drones work can have a lot of legal fun with this thing – but I think it’s enough to put off casual users. They should just get a Mini or DJI Neo instead.
I found the Air 3S to be a solidly constructed piece of equipment and, while I’ll talk about its flight capabilities in the next section of this review, its sturdiness and motor power mean it can stand up to pretty strong winds, hovering in place in gusts of up to 12m/s or 26mph.
It’s flown with a remote controller. For this review, I used the touchscreen-equipped, 420g RC 2 controller, which is also solidly built and comfortable in the hand. It has a bright 5.5-inch Full HD screen, 32GB of storage capacity, and controls for both flight and camera functions. It connects to the drone in seconds, and it’s just excellent all-round, and I much prefer it to having to mess around with my iPhone and a smaller controller.
The drone’s connectivity is nice and simple. At the back there's a USB-C port which can be used to charge the battery or transfer data, plus a microSD slot for storing videos and photos. However, you may not need to use the latter, as DJI has added 42GB of on-board storage here – room enough for about one hour of 4K/60p footage, 2.5 hours of FHD/60p footage, over 2,200 raw photos or 5,400 JPEGs.
Design score: 4.5/5
DJI Min 4K: features and performance
Up to 45 minutes flying time per battery
Automatic return-to-home feature
Omnidirectional obstacle sensing including forward-facing LiDAR
Up to 20km transmission distance
When it comes to flight performance and safety, the Air 3S improves even on the strong showing of previous Air and Mavic drones.
The battery life is roughly the same as the Air 3’s, lasting an impressive 45 minutes in ideal conditions. In reality, due to wind speed and other factors, you’ll get significantly less, but I never felt any major anxiety over the battery running low while flying due to the strong starting point. I also had two additional batteries to use as I was sent the Fly More Combo for testing, so I could land the drone, quickly swap out a flagging battery for a fresh one and get back in the air, all within a minute or so.
Batteries can be charged on the go ‘in-drone’ using the USB-C port, but the Fly More Combo’s charging hub does things much better. Not only can it accommodate three batteries at once, charging them in sequence; it can also consolidate the remaining battery power from two half-spent batteries into a third. Charging speed varies depending on the power adapter used, but a DJI 100W adapter will refill an empty battery in about one hour.
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(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
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(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Flying itself is about as simple as it gets. The controller’s flight app takes care of a lot of the busy work (you press a button on the touchscreen to take off, for instance), and GPS means the drone can be brought back to its home point at any time for a safe landing; it’ll also return to home automatically in the event of the signal being lost or the battery reaching low levels. As with most DJI drones there are three flight modes: Normal, Cine (which slows things down to help you get smooth video), and Sport, which turns off safety features and increases the top speed to around 21m/s (or about 50mph).
The twin stick controls are easy to learn, and the Air 3S flies much like any other quadcopter – as someone who’s been flying them for over a decade now, very little has changed except for battery life and the level of safety features, both of which just keep getting better. The Air 3S has omnidirectional object sensing, allowing it to avoid crashing into trees, lampposts and the like (either by braking automatically or re-routing itself around them), and is DJI’s first drone to use LiDAR for the front-facing sensors. DJI claims that this helps to make the obstacle detection far more effective at night, where traditional vision-based sensors can fail to spot objects.
Due to UK restrictions about flying in public parks or built-up places, I wasn’t able to test the Air 3S’s obstacle-dodging capabilities as rigorously as I would have liked, but even during some dusk-time flying I noticed the directional sensor indicators blinking on the controller’s screen when I was taking off and landing the drone. I would say, though, that the front-facing LiDAR isn’t going to help object sensing with obstacles to the side or rear of the drone at night. These sensors still use vision to detect things, and in low light they don’t work as well. So you'll still need to exercise caution at night.
DJI’s O4 video transmission system (the same as used on the Air 3) is robust and slick, beaming a low-latency FHD/60fps image live from the Air 3S’s camera to the RC 2’s screen. I never had it cut out or even stutter during the week I was testing the drone. That said, even though the transmission’s theoretical range is up to 20km I never flew the Air 3S further than a few hundred meters from me due to UK drone laws dictating that drones must remain in visual range of the operator.
In terms of special flight modes, the Air 3S features ActiveTrack 360º, which debuted on the DJI Mini 4 Pro and was later added to the Air 3 via firmware update. This feature allows you to drag a box around a subject on the touchscreen and have the drone perform movements around it while keeping it centered in the shot, all while using its obstacle detection system to avoid crashing. The idea is that you can walk, run, ride a bike, ski or skateboard and the drone will automatically follow along, effortlessly dodging potential obstacles while moving around you and creating cinematic shots.
Features score: 4.5/5
DJI Air 3S: image and video quality
Dual-camera setup (wide-angle and medium-tele)
1-inch (wide-angle) and 1/1.3-inch (medium-tele) sensors
4K video at up to 120fps and 2.7K vertical shooting
DNG raw and JPEG still photos
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
The Air 3 has a dual-camera array, with wide-angle (equivalent to 24mm on a standard 35mm camera) and medium-telephoto (equivalent to 70mm) options to switch between. The Air 3S has practically the same setup but better, thanks to DJI upping the physical size of the wide-angle camera’s CMOS sensor from 1/1.3-inch to 1-inch. The tele camera keeps the same 1/1.3-inch CMOS as the Air 3’s. Both cameras’ lenses are fixed-aperture, so videographers will probably want to ensure they get hold of DJI’s ND filter set in order to use slower shutter speeds on sunny days.
I think having more than one camera on a drone is a brilliant asset. The tele lens really expands the Air 3S’s creative options, both by allowing it to get ‘closer’ to subjects while staying physically far away and by giving it the ability to compress perspective to give a scene a different look. There’s a digital zoom option for both cameras, but it does noticeably soften the video quality, and I tried to avoid using it in order to keep my videos and photos as sharp and crisp as possible.
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DJI Air 3S shot with wide-angle camera (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
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DJI Air 3S shot with medium tele camera (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
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DJI Air 3S shot with medium tele camera (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
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DJI Air 3S shot with medium tele camera (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
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DJI Air 3S shot with medium tele camera (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
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(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
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DJI Air 3S shot with medium tele camera (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
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DJI Air 3S shot with wide-angle camera (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
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DJI Air 3S shot with medium tele camera (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
DJI has packed a lot of video and photo options into the Air 3S, albeit nothing that really surpasses the range of options that comes with the original Air 3. Both the wide-angle and tele camera can capture 4K video at 24/25/30/48/50/60/120fps (with 120 reserved for slow-motion footage), FHD video at the same frame rates plus 240fps (again, with 120 and 240fps reserved for slow-motion), and TikTok-friendly 2.7K vertical 9:16 video at 24/25/30/48/50/60fps. Video can be captured in normal, HLG and D-Log M color modes, with 8-bit and 10-bit options for normal (HLG and D-Log M are always 10-bit) encoded in H.264 or H.265.
Photos can be capturing in DNG raw format and/or JPEG. The wide-angle camera takes photos at 12MP or 50MP resolution, while the medium tele takes them at 12MP or 48MP resolution.
The major difference between the cameras here and on the original Air 3 is the larger sensor on the wide-angle camera, which boosts its performance, particularly in low-light situations.
As you can see from the photo and video samples above, image quality is generally excellent – including in those tricky dusk and night-time conditions. I thought the Air 3 was a fine performer in this regard already, but the Air 3S’s larger sensor bumps the wide-angle camera’s low-light capabilities; these images look clean, clear and noise-free in situations where smaller sensor 4K cameras, like the one on the DJI Mini 4 Pro, would struggle.
I had a blast color-correcting and grading the footage shot in 10-bit D-Log M. I used DaVinci Resolve Studio 19 for this, which already includes some DJI LUTs for converting D-Log M footage. There was plenty of scope for grading here, and aerial videographers who want to create great-looking footage and have maximum control over the end results will love what the Air 3S’s cameras can do.
Image quality score: 4.5/5
DJI Air 3S sample video 4K
DJI Air 3S: testing scorecard
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Should I buy the DJI Air 3S?
Buy it if...
You need a two-camera drone The Air 3S’s dual-camera setup opens up a world of new shooting possibilities. If you’re used to wide-angle only, having the extra camera feels like a breath of fresh air.
The Mavic 3 Pro is too expensive The triple-camera Mavic 3 Pro is still the pinnacle of DJI’s consumer range – and still pricey. If you want something approaching its capabilities at a much cheaper price, the Air 3S is ideal.
You want great battery life Up to 45 minutes from a full battery takes much of the time-related anxiety out of flying. And you'll get three times that with the Fly More Combo bundle.
Don't buy it if...
You want a casual camera drone The price and weight class of the Air 3S makes it more suited to drone experts than beginners. If you’re starting out, a cheaper sub-250g drone like the DJI Mini or Neo is a much better choice.
You already own a DJI Air 3 The Air 3S is an improvement on its predecessor, but not enough of one to warrant an expensive upgrade – unless you’re really picky about low-light video performance.
DJI Air 3S: also consider
DJI Mini 4 Pro
Currently our favourite sub-250g drone around, the Mini 4 Pro is an ultra-lightweight folding drone that can be legally flown almost anywhere. It doesn’t lack for advanced features, though, with omnidirectional object avoidance tech and a fantastic gimbal-mounted 4K camera.
The world’s first triple-camera consumer drone is about as versatile and high-quality as it gets for aerial imaging without spending many thousands of dollars or pounds. It’s easy and safe to fly too, but its 900g weight means it’s subject to the same legal flight restrictions as the Air 3S.
Camera tested in sunny, cloudy, windy and low-light conditions
I’ve been testing the DJI Air 3S for a week using pre-launch firmware and the Fly More Combo, which meant I had a couple of extra batteries and the RC 2 touchscreen controller, plus the ND filter set and a nice sturdy bag to carry everything around in.
I flew the drone in a variety of locations near my home on the English coast, including in potentially tricky windy and low-light conditions, although legal restrictions meant I couldn’t fly it close to buildings or in public parks, which did make testing out the drone’s obstacle avoidance system quite hard.
I captured photos and videos in a wide variety of formats, editing and adjusting my images and clips using Adobe Lightroom and DaVinci Resolve 19 on my computer.
Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch Available on: Nintendo Switch Release date: October 17, 2024
With the holidays fast approaching, you can’t really go wrong with a new Mario Party game as the best way to bring people together or drive each other crazy. Super Mario Party Jamboree is even more special as the third entry on the Nintendo Switch, which feels like a big blowout for both the series and the console, as it takes the best of everything to make it the Mario Party with the biggest and most varied amount of content for every type of player.
Motion controls are back for those who enjoyed them in Super Mario Party, though if you didn’t you can opt out as they only take up a small portion of the more than 110 minigames in Jamboree. There are even more options for online multiplayer, including two modes made exclusively for online play (or AI if matchmaking becomes an issue).
Minimayhem
(Image credit: Nintendo)
For newcomers, the Switch gameSuper Mario Party Jamboree is essentially an interactive board game where up to four players roll (or rather bump) dice to move across a range of lovingly designed Mario-themed boards, competing to win coins and in turn obtain stars to come out on top. That’s the civil description, as of course it also involves a lot of shenanigans with minigames where you’re actively screwing over your rivals to bag the most coins or having to work together in 2v2 or 3v1 minigames.
Those underhanded tactics, often based on luck, also play out on the board themselves, each with different mechanics and paths to take. For example, on Goomba Lagoon, the changing tide might find you stranded and going around in circles for a couple of turns, and while the star is always at the same location in Mario’s Rainbow Castle, you can flip the rules so that your rival has the misfortune of collecting a fake star instead. Nothing however is quite as evil as getting a Boo to steal stars for you.
Best bit
(Image credit: Nintendo)
As a fan of rhythm games as well as being a bit of a foodie, I couldn’t help but instantly take to Rhythm Kitchen, which combines well-timed motion-controlled shaking with food-themed minigames. From spreading butter on bread slices to skewering meats and vegetables flying towards you, it’s all rather delightful. For those less motion-inclined, there’s also some mouthwateringly-rendered food in button-based minigames that can also be grouped together in Minigame Bay’s Daily Challenges.
This level of unpredictability is, much like the controversial blue shell in Mario Kart, Nintendo’s unique brand of leveling the playing field, so that no matter how good or bad you think you are at Mario Party, everyone’s got a chance to be a superstar. Even then, minigames, from the super-short item minigames to the gauntlets required to obtain an ally character who can also double your rewards, are simple and intuitive enough for players of all skill levels to understand, while by default you can practice as long as they like until everyone’s ready to play the minigame for real.
Suffice to say that much of what makes Mario Party work so well is being able to play together, so I found the board mechanics and watching everyone to have their turn tedious when just playing solo with AI players, even with the option to speed up some animations. Boards can be played online too, and there are some charming emotes you can use, which have also been designed so that trolls can’t spam them repeatedly, but even post-pandemic, it’s a poor substitute to being in the same room. If you are going to play online, then I can only recommend setting up a group with friends instead of random matchmaking and to also have your own separate voice chat group rather than the Switch Online app.
Don't play alone
(Image credit: Nintendo)
While the main attraction, boards are just one aspect of Super Mario Party Jamboree, as you can traverse this bountiful party resort, reminiscent of Wii Sports Resort’s Wuhu Island, and pick a range of other modes, while the Party Plaza hub also contains what you could call the game’s single-player campaign; Party-Planner Trek.
It’s the weakest element of the package, since playing Mario Party by yourself can feel like a drag outside of minigames. It’s all the more peculiar that it guts the boards of their inventive mechanics as you simply move across them freely while ticking off a series of mundane fetch quests to earn mini-stars. It may be a short campaign but I still resented playing this mode in order to rank up with achievements and unlock game content. Your mileage may vary with unlockables, but I found it frustrating that the game’s newest features, such as new playable characters Pauline and Ninji, require jumping through a bunch of hoops first.
Faring better is side content that cuts out the futz and focuses on minigames. Minigame Bay is the perfect pitstop for short burst sessions, whether you want to play whichever of the more than 110 minigames available or jump into the Daily Challenge, with a selection of minigames grouped into themes. I was however most taken by the bespoke motion-themed islands, such as Toad’s Item Factory, a series of puzzle challenges as players guide balls around to a goal using motion-controlled platforms and blocks, and which feels fun even when soloing.
For the times when getting people together is impossible, there are also online-specific modes. Compared to the stop-start of co-op-based Bowser Kaboomb Squad, the 20-player Koopathlon has a peculiar charm to it as you’re competing against other players but almost always in parallel. Each minigame you’re thrown into gives you the chance to collect as many coins, which in turn keeps your character moving along a racetrack that’s also visible to the right of the screen. It’s a refreshing mode in a post-Fall Guys world and one that may have the most staying power, given its also button-only minigames make it easy to jump into for a quick handheld session.
Accessibility
Super Mario Party Jamboree doesn’t have accessibility settings as such but you’ll have the option to toggle various settings before the start of any mode. These include adjusting difficulty, whether or not to start each minigame with a tutorial, or the option to turn off motion minigames. Note that there are no alternate button controls for motion minigames, which means modes such as Rhythm Kitchen will be inaccessible if you’re not able to play with the required control configuration.
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Should you play Super Mario Party Jamboree?
Play it if...
You love having people over for couch multiplayer Getting up to four people together in front of the TV is the way Super Mario Party Jamboree is best experienced, providing all manner of charm, hilarity, and shenanigans that anyone can enjoy.
You’re after a varied party package There’s not just a large selection of boards but other modes, including some dedicated to motion controls, that provide a good variety if you’re after a quick burst of fun.
Don't play it if...
You’re prefer single-player Mario adventures The joy of Super Mario Party Jamboree comes from playing with others in the same room. While there are single-player and online options, they pale compared to good old couch multiplayer.
How I reviewed Super Mario Party
I played Super Mario Party Jamboree for more than 15 hours on my Nintendo Switch OLED, which included multiple local multiplayer sessions. I was able to complete the single-player campaign, unlock all the party boards, try every minigame, and unlock lots if not all cosmetic items. Nintendo didn’t host online play sessions during the review period, so my experience with the online modes was limited to playing with AI players.
I played primarily in docked mode on an LG C2 OLED TV and played with a single Joy-Con, which is the default configuration if you want to swap between button and motion minigames. I also spent some time playing in handheld mode, which didn’t impact visuals and performance but would mean I wouldn’t be able to access motion-based minigames.
Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release date: October 11, 2024
Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series developer Atlus is back with its first original franchise in years in the form of Metaphor: ReFantazio. This new game trades in the modern-day Japan backdrop for a decidedly dark fantasy setting - something we haven’t really seen from Atlus since the Etrian Odyssey series.
However, Metaphor’s take on fantasy is remarkably different from its peers - and it’s highly ambitious. The game presents a world racked by discrimination and a broken class system in which church and state very much operate hand in hand. It explores how peoples’ fear and anxiety can be weaponized against them - and how that can cause people to confidently act against their own best interests time and again.
This - paired with an evolution of Atlus’s challenging ‘press turn’ battle system that merges the best elements of the developer’s other franchises - makes for a constantly engaging role-playing game (RPG) that never once grew stale across its mammoth 80-hour runtime. With all that said, Metaphor: ReFantazio is easily the best RPG of the year, one of Atlus’s best games to date, and shouldn’t be missed whether you’re familiar with the developer’s back catalog or not.
Fight for your right
(Image credit: Atlus)
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s world is inhabited by numerous humanoid tribes, each with their own defining features such as horns, wings, or facial markings. Most of the tribes tend to keep to themselves, with rarely a nice thing to say about one another. Most have also fallen into the teaching of the Sanctist Church, which also acts as the world’s primary governing body.
Our protagonist hails from the eldan tribe, a near-extinct race defined by the fact that they have no, well, defining physical features at all. They are the closest to resembling real-world humans and thus are the most shunned of all of Metaphor’s societies. What the game refers to as ‘humans’ are instead towering, demonic monstrosities that roam the land, terrorizing countryside and communities both. You can see a bit of meta-commentary starting to form there, then, but to divulge more here would be to encroach on spoiler territory.
The story in Metaphor begins as the world is thrust into a rite of royal succession. The culprit is a high-ranking military man known as Count Louis. After assassinating the king in cold blood and placing a curse on the prince that puts him into a coma, we, as the prince’s aide, are tasked with bringing the Count to justice. However, that’s much easier said than done; while the populace knows Count Louis to be the culprit, discontent with the royal family and the Sanctist Church have made him a popular figure and thus a frontrunner to succeed the throne.
Best bit
(Image credit: Atlus)
The battle system in Metaphor: ReFantazio is its crown jewel. Archetypes are a phenomenal evolution of both Personas and Shin Megami Tensei’s highly customizable demon builds. Being encouraged to change up your party and archetype composition between quests and dungeons means you’ll constantly have your thinking cap on when it comes to clearing content as efficiently as possible.
Much of Metaphor’s narrative revolves around the ‘Tournament for the Throne’- a contest set into motion by the deceased king. It’s here where our protagonist and his band of comrades must make a name for themselves in order to be considered worthy of Louis’ attention.
It’s an eclectic and diverse bunch, too. There’s Strohl - a nobleman’s son bent on killing Louis after razing his village to the ground - as well as Hulkenberg, a decorated royal knight who blames herself for being unable to protect the family in her charge. And that’s just the first two party members; the rest each have their own vibrant personalities, motivations and backgrounds that are equally rich and tragic. I’m also a huge fan of the wide variety of British accents used in the game’s English dub, ranging from East London ‘cockney’ and Welsh to Irish and Liverpudlian.
Overall, Metaphor: ReFantazio presents a constantly gripping story that I found incredibly difficult to step away from. It’s a veritable virtual page-turner where I often found myself playing into the wee hours of the night just to unfurl the next chain of unpredictable events.
Royal beggars
(Image credit: Atlus)
The flow of gameplay in Metaphor: ReFantazio feels like a broad mixture of systems from other Atlus games. Like the Persona series, Metaphor features a calendar, but it only covers about four months as opposed to a year. The tradeoff there, then, is that you’re not attending school in Metaphor, and therefore there’s more you can do in a single day. Days are broadly split into two halves; day and night. Performing an activity consumes one of these halves, unless you’re exploring a dungeon, which will take up the whole day.
Metaphor repurposes Persona’s social link system as ‘Followers.’ There are 14 of these that’ll gradually unlock over the course of the game, and includes your party members and non-player characters (NPCs) that play a key role in the narrative. Improving your standing with your followers is crucial, as you can unlock various benefits such as increased battle experience, cheaper rates at shops, and new Archetypes to take into combat (more on those later).
You’ll also have opportunities to perform activities that increase the protagonist’s five Royal Virtues. These are Courage, Wisdom, Tolerance, Eloquence and Imagination, and upgrading them is essential to unlocking further bonuses with your Followers. My tip would be to spend your free days improving these, if you don’t have any dungeons to explore or present Follower conversations to see to.
Tasks like these will most often be done in the days you have before a plot-crucial deadline, which usually comes in the form of clearing one of the game’s major dungeons. I often found myself planning out my days in advance, and there’s a great deal of satisfaction in clearing up your to-do list with enough time to spare.
What's your Archetype?
(Image credit: Atlus)
Metaphor: ReFantazio employs Atlus’s ‘press turn’ style of battle system most commonly found in the Shin Megami Tensei series. Essentially, on your turn, you’ll have up to four actions based on the number of characters in your party. By attacking, guarding, or using an item, you’ll consume one of these actions by default. However, hitting an enemy’s elemental weakness (or passing a character’s action onto another) will only consume ‘half’ of it, thus increasing the number of actions you can perform in a whole turn. On the other hand, if an enemy dodges, blocks or repels your attacks, you’ll lose precious actions or possibly even your whole turn.
As a result, battles will typically either be a resounding success or a crushing disaster. Mercifully, Atlus has thrown in some lifelines this time. You can choose to restart a battle at any time (with enemy weakness and resistance analysis carrying over), and the game isn’t instantly over if the protagonist dies in battle.
The real genius of Metaphor’s battle system, though, is Archetypes, which feel more like traditional RPG classes that each bring their own sets of skills and abilities.These are Persona-esque summoned entities in appearance, but they really feel more like Shin Megami Tensei’s demons, with all the customizability and player expression those bring.
Also, there are zero restrictions on party members equipping different Archetypes. Unlike Persona, it’s not just the protagonist that gets free reign. As a result, different quests and dungeons will typically require you to change up your party and Archetype composition each time. For example, some enemies may be susceptible to a specific element, encouraging you to bring along magic casters. Others, rather humorously, might be enraged if they so much as see a staff, implying you should bring along a number of melee-based Archetypes.
(Image credit: Atlus)
Now, party members do have base stats to consider. Hulkenberg has high Endurance by default, making her excel with tankier Archetypes like the Knight or the Brawler. Heismay (a former knight hailing from the mouse-like eugief tribe) is physically weaker but has naturally high Agility, meaning Thief and Gunner Archetypes are perfect for him. Strohl is something of an all-rounder, making him handy for trying out specialist Archetypes like Merchant (which has attacks that literally cost money) and Faker (which specializes in applying debuffs to enemies).
Archetypes also have some leeway in which skills they can equip with up to four free slots with which they can inherit skills from others. This means that you can carry over skills that you regularly rely on should a quest or dungeon require you to change up your Archetypes. Each also has its own set of resistances and elemental weaknesses, which you’ll need to take into account to avoid enemies getting too much of an advantage.
To summarize, I think this is Atlus’s most rich and in-depth battle system to date. You simply can’t plow through the entire game relying on the same handful of Archetypes; you’re constantly asked to adapt to the situation at hand. This means you’ll get plenty of use out of every party member (there’s little room for choosing favorites here), and discovering which Archetypes are best suited to each - not to mention unlocking more powerful versions of them - is an adventure in itself.
Delightfully dystopian
(Image credit: Atlus)
While not the most visually stunning game on the market, Metaphor: ReFantazio nonetheless sells its setting with incredible art direction. The brutalist architecture of the royal capital of Grand Trad is striking, as are its dingy alleyways where the least fortunate in society congregate. Even in more seemingly well-to-do areas like the castle town of Martira or the port of Brilehaven feel like they’re subtly stagnating, helped in part by the deliberately drab color palette that goes a long way to sell the grim fantasy setting. It’s certainly Atlus’s grittiest-feeling game - probably since the PlayStation 2’s Digital Devil Saga.
The game’s soundtrack is also a highlight with renowned composer Shoji Meguro returning for the score. Here, he trades in the infectious pop beats of Persona and the grimy rock sound of earlier Shin Megami Tensei games for something more orchestral and offbeat. The battle themes are the crowning achievement here, for sure; while they took some time to grow on me, the fast-paced, almost overbearing chanting really helps drive battles forward.
Unfortunately there are some performance issues that Atlus should look to iron out with future updates. Atlus targets 60 frames per second (fps) here, but it can chug as low as 30fps in busier city areas and when traveling between zones. It does hold up better in battles and in dungeons, but overall performance is currently a blemish on an otherwise pristine package.
Accessibility
Metaphor: ReFantazio has no dedicated accessibility features, though it does have a robust difficulty selection for those who want to tailor their experience. Players can also choose to enable a network function that shows how others spend their in-game days, offering a handy bit of guidance in case you’re torn between multiple choices.
Should I play Metaphor: ReFantazio?
Play it if...
You want a truly unique dark fantasy RPG By combining the best bits of its other series and marrying those with a firmly gripping narrative, Atlus has crafted a truly unique turn-based RPG that’s also among the best stories it has ever told.
You love highly customizable parties Metaphor’s Archetypes mean that no two quests or dungeons are going to feel the same, and you’ll be constantly encouraged to switch up your composition, skills, and abilities for the best chance at success.
Don't play it if...
You prefer modern settings The grim fantasy setting of Metaphor: ReFantazio may not be to your liking if you’re more at home with Persona’s comfier modern-day adventures.
You don’t like turn-based combat If you prefer action RPGs or faster-paced battle systems, you might not get on with the relatively slower turn-based affair here - even if the UI and animations are perfectly snappy and responsive.
How I reviewed Metaphor: ReFantazio
My full playthrough from start to credits for Metaphor: ReFantazio lasted around 85 hours on the Normal difficulty setting. During this time, I was able to max out all Follower ranks, unlock most Archetypes and complete most side quests in addition to completing the main story.
Being a fan of the RPG genre and having played almost all major Atlus releases since the PS2’s Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne, I’ve been able to experience the developer’s growth of its turn-based battle systems and storytelling over the years. With Metaphor: ReFantazio, I found a relatively much more mature story and arguably its most refined battle system to date.
I played through the game on PS5 on an LG CX OLED TV, using a DualSense Edge controller, occasionally playing with a JBL Quantum 910P gaming headset which really helped the game’s soundtrack to pop.
Sometimes, we can become victims of our own success. Are the new JBL Tour Pro 3 some of the best noise-cancelling earbuds I've ever tested? They're emphatically the most feature-packed I've ever used, bar none, and that is wholly commendable. A quick scroll through the on-screen menu options is testament to that. These flagship earbuds do so much; to your music, to the voice of anyone you talk to during calls, to the ambient sounds around you, to your in-game experience, to broadcast audio to your friends – I could go on (I will go on, don't worry).
So why do you sense a 'but' coming? Well, since the arrival of the January 2023-issue JBL Tour Pro 2 upon which this third-gen flagship set are built, JBL has offered much of its once-flagship tech to the cheaper Live 3 earbuds (which come in three flavors: 'toothbrush-head' Beam, 'open-ear-ish' Flex and 'no-tail' Buds propositions) including that super-impressive smart case. Which is good, right?
Yes, except it means that justifying the price hike from $199.95 / £179.99 for the excellent JBL Live Beam 3 up to $299.99 / £279.99 for the Tour Pro 3 isn't easy. And making a case for buying the flagship set only becomes harder when you discover that the more budget set is now available for a bit less; a quick UK scan proved you can buy the Live Beam 3 for £149.99 – and I'd suggest that they're amazing value for that money.
(Image credit: Future)
So what are the upgrades here? Let's not mess around, I'll tell you right now: you now get two color choices – black and a new 'latte' caramel-type finish – and the screen is 30% larger than the older Tour. Also the case a little smaller than that of the Tour Pro 2, but it's still bigger than the Live Beam 3.
The headline-grabber is that this case is now a transmitter (see the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 or LG Tone Free T90S for similar) meaning that with the included 3.5mm-to-USB-C cable, you can hook up to the in-flight movie system in your airplane seat (say) and broadcast the audio to your buds – but like B&W's option, it'll do it in high-quality audio, this time using LE Audio and the LC3 codec.
The JBL Tour Pro 3's case is also one of the first registered Auracast source devices in portable audio, which means anyone in the vicinity with Auracast-enabled headphones (there aren't too many about right now, but they're coming) could also join to hear the sound being transmitted, and you can add a password if you don't want random listeners hooking up to your broadcast.
JBL's Spatial Audio 360 is onboard too, which now includes head-tracked, device-agnostic immersive audio helped by an updated algorithm; L/R balance optimization; 12 EQ bands to tailor things sonically and JBL's new Personi-Fi 3.0 update. Personi-Fi helps to personalize the sound to your liking, creating a sound profile based on your hearing by giving you an otoacoustic test of sorts (more on this later).
Under the driver housing there's now a hybrid 10.2mm cellulose dynamic driver coupled with a 5.1mm x 2.8mm balanced armature setup, which splits the audio signal so different frequencies go to their optimized drivers. Codec support is also better: in addition to SBC and AAC, hi-res LDAC joins the party when listening wirelessly – great news for Sony Xperia or other Android phone owners.
JBL also claims its new AI algorithm means the company's True Adaptive Noise Cancellation 2.0 with 'smart calibration' is actually able to tackle what it calls 'incident noises' – think unusual, one-off sounds rather than constant jet engine cabin noise.
If that sounds like a lot for it to offer over the Live Beam 3, it is and it isn't. The difference in screen size is negligible to the eye and for me the case is a touch on the bulky side to be truly pocketable. It'll come down to whether you want that head-tracked spatial audio (which is very good indeed), the transmitter in the case, and/or an Auracast source device. If you're not worried about those last two perks, I cannot build a compelling case for paying the significant price hike over the Live Beam 3.
Add to this the fact that for me, the Tour Pro 3 earbuds themselves are on the large side (despite the addition of foam tips as well as silicone, I struggled to get them to stay put in my ears) plus the fact that, like the cheaper set, you still need to make a compromise in terms of on-ear control options and you'll see why I can't give them the full five stars – or the 4.5-star verdict their cheaper siblings get – despite the plethora of perks.
JBL Tour Pro 3 review: Price & release date
Unveiled on August 21, 2024
Priced$299.95 / £279.99 / (approx.) AU$545
OK, so the JBL Tour Pro 3 are not cheap. What to say about the asking price? Well, the aforementioned flagship Bowers & Wilkins earbuds (which coincidentally launched on the same day and also offer a case transmission feature – but no spatial audio processing) are even more expensive, at $399 / £349 / AU$699.
It's worth noting that the older Tour Pro 2 launched in January 2023 at MSRPs of $249.95 / £220 / AU$350, so there's been a $50 / £50 price hike this time around. Given the upgraded specs listed, you could say that the new asking fee doesn't seem unreasonable. On the other hand, I really think the small matter of the splendid $199.95 / £179.99 / AU$249 JBL Live Beam 3 remains a thorn in this Pro set's side…
(Image credit: Future)
JBL Tour Pro 3 review: Specs
JBL Tour Pro 3 review: Features
Excellent spatial audio with head-tracking
Case retransmission feature adds value
Noise cancellation is good rather than excellent
Before I launch headfirst into what the Tour Pro 3 do incredibly well, if you want Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds or AirPods Pro 2 levels of active noise cancellation, you don't quite get it from JBL Tour Pro 3. When I deploy ANC (and here you can select from a seven-step slider or pick 'Adaptive ANC' to have JBL's algorithm sort it) I do feel the noise floor drop, but that cocooned, bubble-of-silence feeling is never quite achieved.
This may be in part to the fit and seal I was personally able to get – despite the in-app 'Check my best fit' test telling me I'd got it just fine and toggling 'Auto compensation' on, in the ANC customization tab (which promises to check wearing and ear canal status to adjust ANC in real time) the Tour Pro 3 never felt incredibly secure in my ears, and this does contribute to sound leakage and passive isolation.
However fervent the claims JBL makes about its souped-up True Adaptive Noise Cancellation 2.0 with 'smart calibration' (the company says it does a good job of nixing 'incident noises' as well as regular low-level constants), I never quite feel it. Don't get me wrong: there is a marked difference to the level of extraneous noise that seeps in, but it isn't wholly cancelled, and the Tour Pro 3 never perform as well as the options listed above in this area.
Quite a deep-set design for stemmed earbuds. (Image credit: Future)
Now, the really very good bits: spatial audio. Oh, it's good. When I cue up Rod Stewart's Handbags & Gladrags, the drums sit over on my right as flutes join in, somewhere behind my brainstem. Honestly, as I deploy head-tracking and turn my head slowly away from my phone, I notice when Stewart belts a little too close into the mic, or a key is miss-played in a chord – or that there's actually a conversation barely audible, during the last chorus. You don't get this head-tracked spatial audio support with the cheaper Live Beam 3. Is it worth the $100 / £100 price hike? If they only fit a little better for me, probably… but I'm getting ahead of myself (the sound and design sections come later).
Now the screen: it's just as snappy as the one you'll find on the JBL Live Beam 3 and although marginally bigger, it doesn't do an awful lot more. Functional screens (ear tip sound settings; toggling between Bluetooth and transmitter mode; options within spatial sound) are here, but the chief benefit here is still the lock-screen wallpaper.
Elsewhere, JBL really has thrown everything and the kitchen sink at these earbuds. Top of the pile is Personi-Fi 3.0, but here again I find myself backtracking to the Live Beam 3 and trying to justify whether they're worth a price hike. I absolutely loved Personi-Fi 2.0, in the Live Beam 3, and I'm not 100% sure how this has been upgraded – because I once again took the test (which involves listening to various tones and lifting your finger from a button when you can no longer hear them) to create a test report and your own personal augmented profile, and once again I got the self-same result. I still love the effect of it in the Tour Pro 3, but I can get it for cheaper in the Live Beam 3…
Call-handling is again very good, thanks (again) to the numerous options you have available to enhance the experience, including Sound Level Optimiser, which balances the volume of the voice on the other end of the line; Sound Setting, to increase the bass or treble of the voice at the other end of the phone, or keep things "natural"; Voice Setting, aka same thing but for your own dulcet tones in the call; VoiceAware, which is a slider to control how much of your own voice you'd like to hear during calls; and Private Call Mode, which actually lets you remove one bud and use it as a mic – ie. to talk a little quieter and keep the conversation on the down-low. Again, it's all very good, but you can get it in the Live Beam 3 too, for less.
You get the same six EQ presets as the Live Beam 3 too, or the ability to create your own, plus Adaptive EQ for automatic adjustments in real-time with the option of toggling on "Low Volume EQ" to boost highs and lows if listening at low volumes, plus "Leakage Compensation", to help the sonics if the tips you've fitted don't offer a perfect seal.
And of course, here you also get a transmitter mode. Do you take a lot of flights? You'll love it and so will the person sitting next to you, who won't entangle themselves in any headphone cables when trying to politely nip past you and your tray table. Also, the Tour Pro 3's case is an Auracast source device, if you've got friends with (new, Bluetooth 5.2 and later) earbuds that can join the party. Will I personally use these features often? No. But they are extra perks in a set of earbuds that already offered myriad features.
The JBL Tour Pro 3 offer an admirable battery life of up to 44 hours in total – 11 hours from the buds plus three more full charges with ANC off. If you're always using ANC, it's eight hours plus three more full charges with ANC on, for a 32-hour total. During my testing I got just over eight hours and 20 minutes from them on a single charge with ANC deployed, which is very impressive. And that claim of an additional three hours of listening with a quick 10-minute speed charge? Yup, all good – and very useful.
Features score: 5/5
Personi-Fi 3.0 is just as good as 2.0… (Image credit: JBL)
JBL Tour Pro 3 review: Sound quality
Admirable separation and detail in head-tracked audio
A zealous mix; brims with energy
Plays nice and loud at 50% volume
I knocked the JBL Tour Pro 2's sound quality and the good news is, it's a different story with the Tour Pro 3. Your codec support here includes LDAC if you own an Android device to deploy it, which won't do much for your lowly Spotify streams but will help you get the best from Tidal Max tracks, Apple Music playlists or Qobuz albums.
The rumble at the outset of Grian Chatten's The Score is deftly handled and gives way to the detailed and textured Spanish guitar. The album continues to Last Time Every Time Forever and something I haven't felt since testing the Bose QuietComfort Ultra happens: I forget I'm wearing earbuds for a second because the head-tracked spatial audio sounds so convincingly like it's coming from below my chin. Sadly, this only lasts until I turn my head sharply (as that dislodges the right earpiece) but you can't knock the talent of the driver array here.
Switching to Free Fallin' by Tom Petty, jangly guitars, a resolute easy drum and Petty's vocal are present with ample room to shine, in a cohesive mix that never sees one instrument or musical passage vying for enough space to be impactful. When backing vocals come in to echo the words "Ventura Boulevard", there's a level of detail to the dynamics to the mix similar to the kind you get with the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8.
Also, the Tour Pro 3 play nice and loud, even at 50% volume, which means those battery claims are bang on. (Often find yourself whacking the volume up to get robust audio from your earbuds? Impacts the stamina doesn't it? Not a problem here.)
In direct comparison, the zealous and energetic presentation of the Tour Pro 3 may have one very small shortfall, and it's to do with the timing. It's not a cluttered or disorganised performance by any means, you understand, but I tap my feet more readily during what I call the 'marching band' section of this track (where Phil Jones switches up the time signature on his drums) when listening to the Bowers & Wilkins earbuds.
Again, it's only a very minor issue and only notable in direct comparison, but the JBL earbuds lose out just fractionally for regimented accuracy across the frequencies here – as if the two drivers under the hood haven't quite married up perfectly. It's a difficult concept to explain without going overboard, so know that it isn't a big issue at all. If pushed to expand on it, it's as if the B&W product keeps a wholly tight grip on every musical strand, constantly, and the JBL earbuds just very occasionally loosen one, through the treble.
Sound quality score: 4.5/5
It's a small detail, but this rubberised section so useful (Image credit: Future)
JBL Tour Pro 3 review: Design
Driver housings feel a little thick
On-ear functions still require a compromise
Not-so pocketable case
One thing I really like about the JBL Tour Pro 3 is the rubberized section on the back of the case that offers traction when placed on most surfaces. If, like me, you tend to gesture a lot when you talk (or love a good dance al desko) often swiping your earbuds case to the floor with a flourish, this won't happen here.
The JBL Tour Pro 3's case opens like a satchel (think AirPods) rather than a suitcase (think JBL Live Beam 3) and while it feels well-made, the case is a little too bulky to slip into my pocket anonymously. Also, there isn't a lanyard hole here, as there is with the Live Beam 3, which was a fun way to showcase your lock-screen wallpaper.
My issue with the JBL Tour Pro 3's design and where they lose marks in this section is the size of the driver housings. Now, I know I've said before that actually, deeper 'concha-fit' designs – see the Technics EAH-AZ80 – often look a little big and end up feeling anything but. Sadly, that's not the case with the Tour Pro 3. Despite supplying foam tips as well as silicone, the addition of a stem and a deeper housing makes for a poor fit, for me. I still struggle to keep them in my ears.
Now, fit is obviously subjective, but I know (after compiling a list of the best earbuds for smaller ears) I'm not alone in finding certain options easier to accommodate in my bijou ears than others. This set of earbuds will not be making an appearance in the above buying guide.
The Tour Pro 3 (right) is a deeper design and doesn't feel as ergonomic or secure as the Live Beam 3 (left). (Image credit: Future)
I do have one more minor negative though, and it's the self-same minor issue I encountered with the JBL Live Beam 3. Basically, you need to ditch a set of functions again. To explain, you can customize what tapping each bud controls, but the sums don't work. Your command options are Playback Control, Ambient Sound Control, and Volume Control – ie. three-fold. But humans typically have only two ears and thus only two earbuds to give jobs to, so one useful thing is left out of the mix.
It could be worse; earbuds that don't offer a way to tweak the volume of music without having to dig out my phone (or ask Siri) annoy me most, but while the JBL Tour Pro do offer volume control, assigning that to my left earbud and Playback Control to my right means foregoing on-ear ANC > Ambient aware > Off tweaks. The touchscreen gives you another way to quickly access the ANC, Ambient or TalkThru modes besides my phone, it's true, but at this level I think it's not unreasonable to expect a comprehensive set of on-ear controls that covers the lot simultaneously – because other options, such as the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100, do.
Design score: 3.5/5
(Image credit: Future)
JBL Tour Pro 3 review: Value
The most fully-featured earbuds around
…but sadly, the JBL Live Beam 3 exist
Can't offer the full suite of on-ear controls at once
As I've tried at length to explain in this review, the JBL Tour Pro 3 are a very interesting proposition and to justify their price hike over JBL's talented Live Beam 3, you do get head-tracked spatial audio, Auracast broadcasting, a slightly bigger screen, a case retransmission feature for in-flight entertainment systems, plus additional foam eartips and processing that claims to compensate for the tips you've chosen.
On paper and in the flesh, they're stuffed to the gills with features. The problem is the existence of the excellent, cheaper, also screen-enhanced earbuds the company released in January 2024, instantly making those once-flagship perks afforded by a smart screen available for much less.
Are the extras listed above enough to represent great value? I think for most people, no. Yes, the Denon PerL Pro-esque Person-Fi hearing tests are excellent, but for me, they're no different to those you'll get within the much cheaper JBL Live Beam 3. Both are very good indeed, and one can be had for significantly less money (aka, better value). And the thing is, the cheaper set fit my ears much better than the flagship Tour Pro 3's bulkier driver-housing…
Value score: 3.5/5
(Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the JBL Tour Pro 3?
Buy them if...
You prioritize natural head-tracked spatial audio These earbuds don't care which streaming service you're listening to, simply toggle it on and hear the sound open out all around you – and fix itself as you turn your head to each sonic article.
You like to wear your heart on your sleeve This is the biggest smart screen JBL's ever put on a case, so you'll get a few millimeters more of lock-screen wallpaper.
You have an Android phone Your Sony Xperia phone (and other Androids) will let you have at LDAC quality streaming using the JBL Tour Pro 3
Don't buy them if...
You have smaller ears The buds are on the large side, and they feel it.
…and smaller pockets I mean physically: the case is pretty big. Then again, they're not exactly wallet-friendly either, so deep pockets are metaphorically preferable here too…
You want the best ANC on the market Here, AirPods Pro 2, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Ultra or even the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 will serve you better.
JBL Tour Pro 3: Also consider
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 I think these are the best-sounding buds you can get, with superior noise cancellation than the JBL as well, and they also have the audio transmission features. But they're very pricey, and there's no spatial audio, so take a read of my full Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 to see if they're right for you.
JBL Live Beam 3 I've already talked a lot about these, but the pitch is simple: most of the best features of the Tour Pro 3, for a much lower price. Definitely take a read of my JBL Live Beam 3 review to see if they're right for you.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Want device-agnostic, head-tracked spatial audio as well as some of the best ANC in the business? It's here in the September 2023-issue earbuds from Bose. It's rare that we get to call Bose the cheaper option, and they aren't here – but they're only slightly more expensive than JBL's flagship offering. You'll have to forego multi-point connectivity, wireless charging support, and a modicum of detail sonically speaking, but maybe noise-nixing takes priority for you, and that's ok. You can read more in-depth inour full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review.
Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 The ANC is very good indeed here, too – as is the sound quality. And to top it all off, you get the option of Matt Berry on voice prompts (his "Waiting to pair!" is sublime). You don't get a case with a screen on it, mind – and the fit is good rather than exceptional, but the M100's still a viable cheaper rival, depending on your priorities. Our Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 review will help you sort through the details.
How I tested the JBL Tour Pro 3
(Image credit: Future)
Tested for three weeks; listened against the competition
Used at work and home
Listened to Tidal Masters, Apple Music Lossless tracks and Spotify
The JBL Tour Pro 3 became my musical companions for nearly four weeks – after a thorough 48-hour run-in period, as per our guidelines on how we test wireless earbuds.
I wore them to work on weekdays (running to the station; on the London Underground; at the office), and during a weekend on Weymouth sea-front – the best way to test blustery wind interference from mics during calls I've ever found.
To better test the comfort and security of the Tour Pro 3, I even wore them during a cycle along the promenade, and while they did ping out onto the street, they seem virtually uncrushable (since I believe another bicycle may have gone over it).
To check the audio quality across the frequencies, I listened to TR's playlist (spanning everything from acoustic mixes to electronica) on Apple Music, Qobuz and Tidal, but I also tested using podcasts and albums on Spotify, plus YouTube tutorials (mostly about how to duck-dive while surfing because I still can't do it, in case you wondered) on my MacBook Pro. I compared them directly against the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, Cambridge Audio Melomania M100, AirPods Pro 2 and JBL Live Beam 3.
I’ve been testing audio products well for over five years now. As a dancer, aerialist and musical theater performer in a previous life, sound quality, fit and user experience always take priority for me – but having heard how effective ANC can be when done well, I have grown to love immersing myself in a cocoon of silence also.
