j b le tour pro 2

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Buy new: #buybox .a-accordion .a-accordion-active .a-price[data-a-size=l].reinventPriceAccordionT2 .a-price-whole { font-size: 28px !important; } #buybox .a-accordion .a-accordion-active .a-price[data-a-size=l].reinventPriceAccordionT2 .a-price-fraction, #buybox .a-accordion .a-accordion-active .a-price[data-a-size=l].reinventPriceAccordionT2 .a-price-symbol { top: -0.75em; font-size: 13px; } $249.95 $ 249 . 95 FREE delivery: April 24 - 26 Ships from: Electronic Express Sold by: Electronic Express

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JBL Tour Pro 2 (Black) - True Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds, Small

Headphones + Case

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About this item.

• Smart Case for seamless experience: Control the earbuds' settings, manage calls and playback, control your audio setting and battery level and set your alarm without taking out your phone, through the screen of the charging case. Enjoy a truly seamless experience thanks to the JBL Tour Pro 2 unique smart charging case without using your phone or the JBL Headphones App.
• True Adaptive Noise Cancelling with Smart Ambient: Enjoy the soundtrack of your life no matter where you are. True Adaptive Noise Cancelling technology automatically uses 4 noise sensing mics to adjust to your surroundings in real-time, minimizing distractions when you need to focus and optimizing the JBL Tour Pro 2's performance for a superior audio experience—all while you adjust ANC mode control with the JBL Headphones app.
• 6-mic perfect calls with voice control: The 6-mic crystal call algorithm of the JBL Tour Pro 2 earbuds allows you to have better conversations even in loud or windy environments or to get help from your preferred voice assistant. And with VoiceAware, you can choose how much of your own voice to hear by controlling the amount of mic input routed back into your earbuds.
• Smart Ambient technology: Stay alert to the sounds of the world around you while enjoying your music with Smart Ambient. Control either feature with a simple touch of a button and fine-tune them with the JBL Headphones app.
• Legendary Pro Sound: Thanks to extensive global research and testing, the superior JBL sound curve delivers precise, accurate audio and less distortion with all the music you love at any frequency or volume, even in noisy environments. Enjoy deep-dive bass thanks to the 10mm dynamic drivers powered by JBL Pro Sound.

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For over 75 years, JBL has helped people own their sound with Headphones, speakers and audio gear designed around expression. From the history-making stages of Woodstock to the thrilling sports stadiums, music venues and movie theaters you visit today, JBL amplifies truly unforgettable experiences.

Booming bass, rich detail and the freedom to feel the moment, wherever you are.

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JBL Tour Pro Series

True Adaptive Noise Cancelling Technology That Tunes Out Distractions So You Can Enjoy Your Favorite Audio.

JBL Tune Series

On-Ear & Over-Ear Stereo Headphones With Wireless Bluetooth Technology. Built In Microphones For IOS And Android Devices.

JBL Quantum Series

Hear every detail of the environment around you with the superior sound of JBL Quantum. Take on new challenges. Dare to level up.

JBL Endurance Series

Enjoy JBL Pure Bass Sound While You Work Out. Stay Focused On The Task At Hand With Music That Starts And Stops When You Do.

From the manufacturer

Jbl tour pro 2.

The JBL Tour Pro 2's True Adaptive Noise Cancelling technology tunes out distractions so you can enjoy your favorite audio—or even the sound of silence—all powered by legendary JBL Pro Sound and experience seamless, superb sound on the go. The unique smart charging case allows you to control the earbuds' settings without using your phone or the App. Immerse yourself in spatial audio for up to 40 hours on a single charge.

Smart Case for seamless experience

Control the earbuds' settings, manage calls and playback, control your audio setting and battery level and set your alarm through the screen of the charging case. Enjoy a truly seamless experience with JBL Tour Pro 2's unique smart charging case without using your phone or the JBL Headphones App.

True Adaptive Noise Cancelling with Smart Ambient

True Adaptive Noise Cancelling technology automatically uses 4 noise sensing mics to adjust to your surroundings in real-time, minimizing distractions and optimizing the JBL Tour Pro 2's performance for a superior audio experience—all while you adjust ANC mode control with the JBL Headphones app.

6-mic perfect calls with voice control

The 6-mic crystal call algorithm of the JBL Tour Pro 2 earbuds allows you to have better conversations even in loud or windy environments or to get help from your preferred voice assistant. And with VoiceAware, you can choose how much of your own voice to hear by controlling the amount of mic input routed back into your earbuds.

Smart Ambient technology

Stay alert to the sounds of the world around you while enjoying your music with Smart Ambient. Control either feature with a simple touch of a button and fine-tune them with the JBL Headphones app.

JBL In-Ear/Earbud Headphones

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JBL Tour Pro 2

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What's in the box.

• JBL Tour Pro 2 Earbuds; Charging Case; USB-C Charging Cable; 3 sizes of Eartips; QSG; Warranty

Looking for specific info?

Product information, warranty & support, product description.

The JBL Tour Pro 2's True Adaptive Noise Cancelling technology tunes out distractions so you can enjoy your favorite audio—or even the sound of silence—all powered by legendary JBL Pro Sound and experience seamless, superb sound on the go. The unique smart charging case allows you to control the earbuds' settings without using your phone or the App. Immerse yourself in spatial audio for up to 40 hours on a single charge.

Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers like the quality, battery life, sound quality, and fit of the headphones. For example, they mention that it's very well made, has a trademark JBL bass sound, and that the fit is good. They're also happy with appearance, and customization. That said, opinions are mixed on performance and value.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers like the sound quality of the headphones. They say the noise cancelling is phenomenal, and the adaptive control through the phone app is very good. They also appreciate the trademark JBL bass sound, and say the music quality is good. However, some customers have reported issues with call quality and video watching quality.

"...the firmware update and setting up the custom eq, the Tour Pro2 sounds amazing so far ...." Read more

"...are pricey but are by far the highest quality sound, best base, best noise canceling , etc. Excellent battery as well. Will NOT try anymore...." Read more

"...The sound quality is really good . I'd say the bass is rich and punchy but not heavy. If you're a heavy bass fan maybe these aren't for you...." Read more

"...They fit perfect and the sound is better than the more expensive options. JBL bass as well as the app and ANC function cannot be beat...." Read more

Customers like the appearance of the headphones. They mention that the case is neat, the earbuds look cool, and the material used feels high. Some are amazed at the design and touch screen on the case.

"...The smart case is good , I'd wish it would show the artist and track and the flashlight function is silly. Couple of things i have to get..." Read more

"Having a screen on the case is awesome . The hinge for the lid seems a little weak. Mine creaks a little when closed if I hold it tightly in my hand...." Read more

"...The sound is better with all the amazing functions, The screen looks cool and when you don’t have your phone with you...." Read more

"...Earbuds:Other than the pairing issue, they're very nice . For earbuds, the sound quality is very good...." Read more

Customers like the fit of the headphones. They say it fits nicely and comfortably in their ears. Some customers also mention that the buds stay put and don't irritate their ears at all.

"...I have small ears and these buds stay put and don't irritate my ears at all...." Read more

"...I just received my JBL Tour Pro 2 earbuds and am in heaven. They fit perfect and the sound is better than the more expensive options...." Read more

"...The fit is good , functions are great, and there’s not much I would change about them except I wish they had a longer battery life but these last..." Read more

"...With larger charging contacts and very snug fit in the case I think they solved that issue. so I'm hoping these will last much much longer...." Read more

Customers are satisfied with the battery life of the headphones. They mention that it has an excellent battery life, and connects quickly to their iPhone. Some appreciate the touch screen feature.

"... Excellent battery as well. Will NOT try anymore. These are it!..." Read more

"...The battery life is amazing so far ...." Read more

"...Worth the money. Has a excellent battery life and Bluetooth range connectivity." Read more

"...ANC works well ambient a little iffy, but not bad. Battery life is outstanding (much better than Samsung)!" Read more

Customers like the customization features within the app. They mention that the app lets them customize and adjust the EQ, different settings, and adaptive control through the phone app. Some appreciate the different modes and the adaptive control. They also mention that these buds literally customize to your ear.

"...The touch screen is perfect, the options with the app have technology that I didn't even know existed..." Read more

"...That was not possible with my cheaper JBL earbuds. The app lets you customize and adjust the EQ which is essential. Presets are not good at all...." Read more

"...Noise canceling is phenomenal, and the adaptive control through the phone app is very nice, so much so that I get annoyed when I can’t adjust..." Read more

"...The noise cancellation is on point, and the different modes are immersive . They may be meant for a great musical experience...." Read more

Customers like the quality of the headphones. They say it's well-made, has great sound, and is not damaged at all.

"Biggest plus I have with these is how well they are made .. makes the price worth it.. u see I've gone threw like 20 pairs of ear buds...." Read more

" Amazing quality , and great sound as always." Read more

"...side, they are ok for regular modern music if you don't mind the somewhat weak ANC but for classical music they are virtually useless, JBL should..." Read more

"I'm glad that I Purchase these JBL Tour Pro 2 , very will made , fits in my ears nicely/ comfortably, screen on device is not a gimmick/ work great,..." Read more

Customers are mixed about the performance of the headphones. Some mention that the on device is not a gimmick and works great, while others say that it's nearly unusable.

"...These JBL's are pricey but are by far the highest quality sound, best base , best noise canceling, etc. Excellent battery as well...." Read more

"...The fit is good, functions are great , and there’s not much I would change about them except I wish they had a longer battery life but these last..." Read more

"...2. The touch controls are not great. Almost unusable . If the volume is at all loud, you just can't hear the touch control feedback...." Read more

"Got my one today. The sound is better with all the amazing functions , The screen looks cool and when you don’t have your phone with you...." Read more

Customers are mixed about the value of the headphones. Some mention that it's a worthy investment in your ears, with good sound quality that's worth the cost. However, others say that they're not bad for the price and not worth the money.

"...Compared to the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra this is way cooler. Worth the money . Has a excellent battery life and Bluetooth range connectivity." Read more

"...These JBL's are pricey but are by far the highest quality sound, best base, best noise canceling, etc. Excellent battery as well...." Read more

"Biggest plus I have with these is how well they are made.. makes the price worth it .. u see I've gone threw like 20 pairs of ear buds...." Read more

"...I certainly think they are worth the money . A very different experience than any other earbuds that I've owned...." Read more

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• Headphone Reviews

JBL Tour Pro 2 review: these earbuds have a screen

The touchscreen offers quick access to earbud settings along with extras like timers and even a flashlight. it’s not a super compelling addition right now, but this is only the beginning of what’s sure to become a trend..

By Chris Welch , a reviewer specializing in personal audio and home theater. Since 2011, he has published nearly 6,000 articles, from breaking news and reviews to useful how-tos.

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Am I holding the future of wireless earbuds in my hands? Or are JBL’s Tour Pro 2 buds — with a charging case that has its own built-in display — a parlor trick negated by the smartwatch? Do you need these controls directly on the physical product when they’re all easily accessible via an app on your phone? I’ve been testing the new $249.95 noise-canceling earbuds for a couple weeks now, and strangely enough, it’s a difficult question to answer.

The Tour Pro 2 are the first to come to market with an interactive case; HP has announced something similar (albeit focused on enterprise customers), and Apple patent filings suggest that the AirPods maker is at least exploring this concept. But JBL’s earbuds are here now and start shipping today in the US after launching in other markets earlier this year.

Look, I know we’re all in this together for the zany case-with-a-screen experiment. So let’s get the earbuds part of this equation out of the way first. The Tour Pro 2 include an exhaustive, well-rounded list of features. Their adaptive noise-cancellation, which adjusts in real time based on the loudness of your environment, is impressively strong and comparable to the upper tier of competition. Battery life is another highlight and rated at up to eight hours of continuous listening with ANC on or 10 with it off — plus another 24 or 30 hours from the case, respectively. That outlasts the AirPods Pro, Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, the Nothing Ear 2, and other premium options. 

According to JBL, the sound signature from these 10-millimeter drivers follows the revered Harman response curve , albeit with some extra bass tacked on. And while the Tour Pro 2 sound perfectly good, I still prefer the audio fidelity from the second-gen AirPods Pro, Samsung’s flagship buds, and Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds. To my ears, those earbuds have more depth, greater dynamic range, and just lend more definition to whatever music is playing. The Tour Pro 2 don’t fully sound like $250 earbuds to me, so yeah, the case is factoring into that price. You get several equalizer settings to pick between, and JBL’s Personi-Fi feature can further tune the audio output frequencies based on your own hearing traits and preferences. 

The company also piles on other tricks like multipoint, proprietary spatial audio profiles (music, movie, games, etc.), an earbuds locator utility, and speech detection for automatically activating ambient sound mode. That transparency / ambient sound mode was where I was least impressed; it just sounds very stuffy, inarticulate, and lags modern competitors quite substantially. Voice call performance is clear and satisfactory, however, and the earbuds are rated IPX5 for water and sweat resistance. 

To sum it all up, the Tour Pro 2 are comfortable, sound good even if not great, and they pack plenty of battery endurance. JBL also notes that the earbuds are ready for LE Audio spec and will be updated to enable it once the spec goes mainstream. That could lead to more efficiency and even better battery performance. For now, Bluetooth codec support is limited to AAC and SBC.

Now for the main attraction: that case. It’s pretty large by today’s standards thanks to the built-in 1.45-inch touchscreen LCD on the front. But there’s support for wireless charging, at least, which isn’t always guaranteed , even for the bulky ones. Do I wish the screen used something cooler like OLED or even E Ink? Sure. As is, you can adjust between three different brightness levels, but even the lowest setting isn’t particularly dim. Unlike the buds inside, the case only offers the slightest amount (IPX2) of water protection, so you’ll want to keep it dry. JBL tells me it might offer standalone replacement cases down the line since “I dropped my earbuds and broke the screen” is a dilemma that now exists, but it will likely replace both earbuds and the case in the event you damage any of them individually.

When you tap on the display, your chosen wallpaper appears. (There are presets, but you can also use custom images. JBL preloaded The Verge’s logo onto our review unit.) Slide your finger to the right, and you’ll start cycling through the different functions. And there are more than you might think:

• Playback controls
• Sound mode (ANC, transparency, etc.)
• Timer: the earbuds will power down after your chosen time elapses
• Spatial audio 
• Screen brightness
• Wallpaper selection
• VoiceAware: this determines how sensitive the voice detection is
• SilentNow: you can enable ANC even without music playing for a preset amount of time
• Automatic play/pause ear detection
• Notifications
• Find My Buds

That’s a lot of widgets to constantly be swiping between. You can (and should) remove the ones you don’t want through JBL’s mobile app for Android or iOS and cut that list down to a more manageable five or six screens.

Track controls and volume adjustments work well enough, although you’re never shown what song is currently playing; it’s just the controls. (You can’t fast forward or rewind by long-pressing the buttons, either.) Other core tasks like switching audio modes or EQ modes also pose no issue. But even here, I’m already questioning whether the display is necessary and how much convenience it adds. You can perform several of these functions through the remappable earbud gesture controls with the case stowed away. And yes, they’re all present in JBL’s app on your phone. 

I’m doing my best to ignore the possibility of ads on an earbuds case someday

But some inherent benefits do come with the screen. For one, there’s never any mistaking whether or not your earbuds are charging or how much battery remains. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve wound up with one fully charged AirPod — insert any earbud brand here, honestly — and the other fully depleted just because the contacts needed cleaning or didn’t align perfectly. But with the Tour Pro 2, that information is always visible in a small font at the top of the display. And since it’s the most pressing data for earbuds, it remains there as you swipe through the other widgets. 

There are even some rudimentary, super basic smartwatch-like features tossed in: the case lets you see and answer / reject incoming calls, and it can show an alert whenever you receive messages on your phone. When I say an alert, it literally just says “new message on mobile device” most of the time, so don’t expect much context. The message notifications disappear so quickly that they’re rarely helpful, so I left them off.

Does the case make life easier overall? …Perhaps ? Technically it’s faster to grab the case and change some random setting than it would be to pull out your phone, unlock it, find and open the JBL app, and go hunting for the same toggle. And it’s nice to have the Find My Buds tool right there if you open the case and discover one or both buds to be missing. 

But all of these “benefits” come with a big assumption: do you really carry your earbuds case on your person at all times? More often than not, I leave mine in my backpack or my coat’s chest pocket. If that’s you, the advantages of this interactive case go out the window unless you change your habits and keep it within reach. 

The earbuds case needs to be within reach often for the display to be useful

I can’t imagine anyone who routinely wears a smartwatch will see much to get excited about with the Tour Pro 2, either. Apple, Samsung, and Google all provide deep controls over their respective earbuds right from their wearables; hell, the Apple Watch can now tell you how much noise the AirPods Pro (or Max) are canceling in real time. There’s only more synergy growing in these walled-off gardens. But JBL doesn’t have a horse in that race. Many companies don’t. So if you think about it that way — a platform-agnostic audio brand trying to stand out — the Tour Pro 2 make a bit more sense. 

Agree to Continue: JBL Tour Pro 2

Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate.

By using JBL’s Tour Pro 2 earbuds, you’re agreeing to:

• JBL / Harman terms of use
• Harman privacy policy statement

The final tally is two mandatory agreements.

And they’ve definitely got me pondering what’s to come. How long will it be before earbuds are a fully independent source of entertainment? It’s not hard to imagine some company building flash storage into an earbuds case and letting you sync music to it from your phone. You can already do so with a smartwatch; why not just extend that to the actual listening device? Maybe several years from now, we’ll be using AirPods with an iPod nano crammed into the case. 

I haven’t uncovered any singular compelling reason that will keep me using the JBL Tour Pro 2 in place of my favorite wireless earbuds. The surefire battery status is handy, but I’m too set in my ways to give earbuds valuable pocket space. That’s true for this first try, at least.

This concept isn’t going to begin and end with JBL — or HP, for that matter. I predict we’ll see others try their hand at “smart” earbud cases. Truthfully, no idea has ever struck me as more Samsung, but I suppose the Galaxy Watch lineup covers similar bases. Maybe someone will figure out a brilliant reason for earbuds to have a screen. For now, this feels like one screen too many.

But I can’t knock creativity and an attempt at something new. The Tour Pro 2 don’t measure up to the best earbud contenders when it comes to sound, but they definitely have a unique gimmick. They’re offbeat and weird. Let’s keep getting weird. Something good has to come out of that.

Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge

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JBL Tour Pro 2 Review – Objective Perfection

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JBL’s Tour Pro 2 boast a pretty graph that masks the sheer lack of dynamism in the sound.

Score Breakdown

Click the label to navigate to the section.

• Battery ⓘ 98% good
• UX ⓘ 100% outstanding
• Design ⓘ 100% outstanding
• Portability ⓘ 50% average
• Battery ⓘ 100% outstanding
• Design ⓘ 80% good
• Mic ⓘ 75% good
• Sound ⓘ 41% substandard
• Connectivity ⓘ 90% good
• Waterproof ⓘ 75% good
• Carrying case allows a lot of customization without opening up the app
• Very good battery life
• Comfortable to wear for longer periods
• Good microphone performance
• Very good ANC performance
• BT multipoint
• Academically “well” tuned with no harshness
• No LDAC/AptX support; L3 support is still scarce
• Display on the case ends up being a party-trick
• Heavy, bulky carrying case
• Compression in the microphone
• Sound lacks dynamics
• Severely falls behind in terms of resolution, imaging, and staging

Unboxing and First Impression

Where to buy.

JBL has a long history attached to its name, with the legendary L-series of speakers being a mainstay of many households and recording studios during the 70s and 80s. Since then, JBL has transitioned into the mainstream and has lately been mostly focused on portable speakers.

The Tour Pro 2 are somewhat of an oddball offering from JBL. These flagship TWS IEMs intend to differentiate themselves through an interactive carrying case display. It’s a novel idea that might border on ridiculous for some, but let’s not be too rash to judge.

However, more than having a novelty is needed in this cut-throat market, as sound quality is the prime parameter – one where the Tour Pro 2 have to prove their worth.

Battery 98% ⓘ

• Battery Life: 30 hours (no ANC), 24 hours (ANC)
• Connector: USB Type-C
• Wireless Charging: Yes
• Battery Capacity: 850 mAh

Battery life is outstanding, with the case holding 24 hours of extra charge. This takes the total battery life to about 32 hours (with ANC on). I have to charge the JBL Tour Pro 2 once a week.

The Tour Pro 2 support Qi wireless charging . So, the type-C port is not the only option for a quick top-up.

• Can be opened easily with one hand: Yes
• Pass the shake test: Yes
• Display: Shows detailed battery levels, customized functions

The case can be easily opened with one hand. The earbuds themselves are held with strong magnets.

The front capacitive touch display is the star of the show here.

The screen indicates detailed charging stats about the case and each earbud. Moreover, you can choose ANC modes, select EQ presets, and enable/disable a litany of other features without ever opening the app. Nifty indeed.

Design 100% ⓘ

• Shape of the case: Rectangular with rounded edges
• Material: Plastic
• Build Quality: Premium

The case is built really well. The lid shows no creak or wobble. The added weight makes the case feel denser, resulting in a sense of robustness rarely found in TWS cases.

Portability 50% ⓘ

• Weight: 73g (case only), 97g (with earbuds)
• Volume: 6 cm x 6 cm x 3 cm = 108 cm cu
• Portability: Average

The carrying case has noticeable weight, and it’s not one to disappear in your pocket. I am not a big fan of such bulk, but given the large battery and the front display, the extra weight is understandable.

Earbuds 74% ⓘ

Battery 100% ⓘ.

• Battery Life: 8 hrs (with ANC), 10 hrs (without ANC)
• Charge Time (15 mins): 240 mins playback time

The earbuds last about 8 hours before they run dry (with ANC on). You can turn off the ANC and get 10 hrs on a single charge.

The JBL Tour Pro 2 need about 2 hours to charge fully (with the case), but you can get up to 240 minutes of playback time with just 15 minutes of charge.

• Control Mechanism: Touch
• Touch Accuracy: Reliable
• Control Symmetry on both earbuds: Yes
• Mono Use: Yes, both sides

The stem has a fairly responsive touch-sensitive panel built-in. Accidental taps and activations are minimal. The various touch controls can be remapped to whatever you prefer via the app.

Design 80% ⓘ

• Profile: Low
• Comfort: Outstanding
• Fit: Outstanding

The JBL Tour Pro 2 have a bland, unremarkable design language.

The build is all plastic, resulting in a look that doesn’t befit the price tag. There is also a wear-detection sensor on the inside, which works well in practice. At the bottom, there are the charging pins.

Fortunately, the fit is great. The earpieces fit snugly and are stable even when working out.

There is one vent near the nozzle. I did not notice any pressure buildup when wearing the Tour Pro 2.

• Noise Cancellation: Good
• Voice Pick-up: Outstanding

Thanks to six dedicated microphones, the mic has exceptional voice pickup in a quiet environment.

In very noisy environments, the very aggressive noise cancellation results in some break-up. However, such extreme cases should not arise in a day-to-day situation.

The VoiceAware feature allows you to reroute your voice back to the earpiece for a more natural sound during calls.

• Jbl tour pro 2 quiet
• Jbl tour pro 2 noisy

Sound 41% ⓘ

• Driver : 10mm single dynamic driver
• Sound Signature: Neutral with sub-bass boost
• Bass: Average
• Mids: Average
• Treble: Substandard
• Sound Detail: Substandard

The JBL Tour Pro 2 utilize a single dynamic driver. Unfortunately, that’s all the details about the internals from the promotional materials.

The JBL Tour Pro 2 follow the Harman target closely, with some deviations in the treble region.

Taken in isolation, the graph is excellent if you are one of those “academically inclined” listeners who prefer their IEMs to hit a specific “target” curve.

Unfortunately, the sound is only “good” on paper. During actual listening, the Tour Pro 2 turn out to be dull, lacking in texture, detail, and dynamics.

The bass is slow and nebulous, with the strong sub-bass rumble being the only saving grace. Fast basslines are not rendered well, as the bass notes bleed into each other.

The mids sound correct for the most part, though there is some haziness in the lower-mids. The upper-mids are not shouty and mostly pushed to the front, resulting in well-articulated female vocals.

The treble is elevated more than the Harman target, but tends to sound very compressed and “low resolution.” Given the otherwise “perfect” frequency response, it’s a strange phenomenon. The upper-treble extension is also lacking, furthering the lack of overall resolution.

Staging is intimate, while imaging is mostly left and right with no sense of frontal projection or ordinal placement of instruments.

The macrodynamic punch is decent in the bass region but sounds compressed overall. Microdynamic shifts are imperceptible, resulting in subtle changes in volume not being picked up at all.

Overall, the sheer lack of resolution and other “technical” parameters make the Tour Pro 2 a severe letdown, especially at the given price point. They do not sound “bad” in terms of tuning, far from it, but there is no engaging factor in the sound. A shame, really.

ANC performance is very good overall as it reduces low-frequency noise drastically, whereas high-frequency sounds are dampened to a degree.

Connectivity 90% ⓘ

• Audio Codec : AAC
• Bluetooth Version: 5.3
• Bluetooth Chip: N/A
• Auto-connect when: Case lid opened
• Average drop-outs in an hour: 0-3 times
• Multi-point connection: Yes

Multipoint support is present, and it is seamless to switch between an Android phone and a Windows PC. The latest Bluetooth 5.3 and class 1 support is here, resulting in a long connection range and exceptional stability.

Waterproof 75% ⓘ

• IP Rating: IPX5

The IPX5 rating means that the JBL Tour Pro 2 are secure from minor splashes and water sprays, but there is no dust protection.

Software 100% ⓘ

• Available on: Android & iOS
• 10-band EQ and Personi-fi 2.0 .
• Spatial sound.
• Customizable gesture and ANC modes.
• Auto-Pause: Yes.

The ANC can be customized with specific levels of “feedback” from the environment that the user can dial in via settings. Many of the app functionalities can be accessed via the display on the case, so you don’t have to pick up your smartphone for a quick EQ preset change, for example.

The EQ is fairly comprehensive, offering 10 bands of adjustment. The Personi-Fi feature is a variation of the “sound personalization” feature that many competing TWS IEMs offer. It tended to boost bass consistently for me, so it’s probably not a good audiophile solution, but your mileage may vary.

The Spatial Sound presets worked well, with a convincing expansion of the stereo image without sacrificing details or imaging. The upper-treble was boosted too much at times, so I found myself turning this feature off for music.

In short: class-leading companion app with a dizzying array of customizability.

The JBL Tour Pro 2 get nearly everything right apart from the sound. The ANC performance is excellent, rivaling the best in class. The microphone array is competent, while the app is the most comprehensive I have come across.

Also, let’s not forget that display on the case, though it was nothing short of a gimmick for me in the long run.

Sadly, the Tour Pro 2 sound unrefined, and the lack of resolution for the asking price is a deal breaker. As such, I cannot recommend them since they fail at the most fundamental aspect – sound quality.

The current predicament might be a combination of poor quality driver, sub-optimal acoustic chamber design, and codec compression. I hope JBL can focus on refining the tuning and finding an engaging signature in the next release instead of relying on cool gimmicks.

• JBL official  store

💬 Conversation: 4 comments

Quality good sound

What spinfit eartip model did you manage to fit in the Tour Pro 2? Do they fit snuggly well? Spinfit does not list this buds model on their website.

The Spinfit CP-1025 worked for me (it’s also added as a note in the review). The tips fit well and there were no issues placing the earbuds in the case.

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Related articles.

JBL Tour Pro 2 review: the screen-toting case is fun, but the sound is just fine

With a touchscreen case and lots of settings these buds are fun to use but not fantastic.

TechRadar Verdict

The JBL Tour Pro 2's touchscreen is a winner. We enjoyed using it and so will most of your train carriage. There are lots of settings on offer here and the JBL app is fun to use. We thought ANC was pretty good and enjoyed listening to them, but they don't feel worth the price tag and some genres definitely sound better than others.

Touchscreen case is great

Various fit tests/EQ profiles add value

Good battery life

Sound could be better for the price

ANC is average

Rivals offer more

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

• Two-minute review
• Price and release date
• Sound quality
• Should you buy them?

Also consider

Jbl tour pro 2: two-minute review.

JBL is famed for its rock-solid audio products, the kind of shiny but affordable gems which reveal themselves as diamonds in the rough more often than not and almost always, always sound excellent for the money. So what happens when the company veers off its successfully navigated low-cost path to go all-in on a flagship set of all-guns-blazing, active noise-cancelling, uniquely screen-toting earbuds? Is our best noise-cancelling earbuds guide about to welcome a new arrival? 

The JBL Tour Pro 2 sit above (way above) the brand’s other earbuds – including the splendid JBL Live Pro 2 – which feature possibly the best active noise cancellation at the level I've ever experienced. But the huge upgrades are easy to see from the off; there's a whacking great color touch-screen on the front of the case for starters. 

This, dear reader, is a thing of beauty. It is delightful. It's fun, it lets you accept calls with ease (how many times have we tried our best to touch the correct earpiece in the right way, succeeding only in hanging up on our friendly caller?) and it provides simple, scrollable access to ANC profiles, alarms, spatial audio and other perks. During daily use, we find ourselves playing with EQ profiles and useful extras which might have seemed unworthy of the hassle had they been squirrelled away in an app, requiring our phone. Then again, the screen did lose its sparkle, so to speak, after a few days.

Because of said screen, we worried that the battery-life might be a little on the anaemic side. Not so – the total claim of up to 50 hours of playtime (or 30 hours with ANC activated) and a very good 10 in just the buds themselves before they need charging stood up to scrutiny. Fast charge means 10 minutes plugged in will get you five hours of playtime too, which is a smart trick. 

So off they go to our best true wireless earbuds guide then? We love the design; we love all of the sound tests and special customizations – including Personi-fi, which is one of the most thorough audio tests within a set of earbuds we've taken to date. We also think the JBL Tour Pro 2 sound good and ANC works well. But that's it. We didn't find the sound stellar, and we wouldn't rate the ANC as fantastic. 

Listening to music with the JBL Tour Pro 2 is a pleasant experience for the most part. Instrumental music, jazz, easy listening and soulful tracks sounded smooth. But bassy tracks, rock music and even some vocals didn't sit well with us. Vocals, at times, were a little tinny – especially with the built-in EQ profiles, which we didn't enjoy using – and it was hard to pick out the detail in powerful instrumental tracks, making for a muddy listen at times. 

To us it feels a little like JBL nailed it with the JBL Live Pro 2 and tried to go all out with the Tour Pro 2 – slapping a screen on the case, bumping up the specs, improving the sound – when really they're excellent buds and at times it feels like the Tour Pro 2 are a little overcooked somehow.

Don't get us wrong here, the JBL Tour Pro 2 are good. In fact, if you don't have many top-performing buds to compare them to like we do, you might find them great. But are they premium price tag, top-of-the-range great? We're not sure.  

JBL Tour Pro 2: price and release date

• Launched January 2023
• Coming to the US in Spring 2023
• Cost $249.95 / £220 / AU$350 

The JBL Tour Pro 2 launched in January 2023 in most regions and will be coming to the US in Spring 2023. The buds cost $249.95 / £220 / AU$350 in either champagne or black finishes. 

This price puts them slap bang into competition with the likes of Apple's AirPods Pro 2 ($249 / £249 / AU$399) and the Bose QuietComfort 2 ($299 / £279 / AU$429), some of the best true wireless earbuds you can buy today, a category in which the Sony WF-1000XM4 Wireless Earbuds also feature among the best, at $279.99 / £250 / AU$449.95 – although this particular set of earbuds is now available for quite a bit less than the original MSRP. 

In case it needs to be mentioned, this pricing puts the JBL Tour Pro 2 out of contention for our best budget earbuds buying guide, where the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus , Beats Studio Buds and Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0 rule the roost (although they aren't as fully featured of course). 

For this money – and toting the smart screen no other audio outfit has offered to date – the JBL Tour Pro 2 are on to a winner, provided the sound is up to snuff. 

JBL Tour Pro 2: features

• Excellent app adds scope to tailor the case
• Sound and fit tests add value
• ANC efficacy is easily beaten by AirPods Pro

You can customize the sound by telling the buds which sonic profile sounds best to you, in the Personi-fi 2.0 software. It starts out with an environment noise check (you need to be in a relatively quiet spot), then a wearing status check (you need to have a good seal betwixt ear canal and earbud). It then plays you nine chirpy sounds per ear, and you remove your finger when the sound is imperceptible. We take this test twice, and receive a different pictorial result each time. That said, the second time, the sound augmentation did feel more to our liking. 

However, other members of the team weren't as impressed and there was no discernible difference in the audio sample that plays after the test, no matter how many times they tried.

Still, we're not done. The Ear Canal Test (which must be done in a noisy environment) plays another music clip. After it, you can relax as the hybrid True Adaptive ANC does the rest. We note a slight hiss after completion, but toggling 'Leakage Compensation' and 'Ear Canal Compensation' within the 'Customize ANC' tab largely nixes it. We sit under an office heater at work and find it is quashed by the Tour Pro 2 ANC, but certain low-level sounds (cars passing outside, heeled footsteps on concrete) do creep in. Switch to the Apple AirPods Pro 2 and it's a different story – the bottom drops out of the room. With the Tour Pro 2, low-level sounds are diminished, but still, we can hear some extraneous background noise. 

The six-mic setup does promote crystal-clear audio during our tests – and the advanced built-in voice recognition can react to your voice, pause music and enable Ambient Aware, then resume the tunes once your conversation is over. This is really good, (it can be set to low, mid or high, depending on how loudly you and your colleagues speak) and we also find call-handling a breeze. But those are just two of a slew of perks, including an EQ tab with five different presets (or create your own), Spatial Sound profiles for music, movies or games, 'smart' audio and video modes, SilentNow (which aims to create a no-music silent bubble by turning on ANC but disconnecting Bluetooth – ideal for naps, because it can be set on a timer with an alarm at the end), Personal Sound Amplification (which can amplify situational sound from your surroundings – and between each ear) adding a volume limit and a Find My Buds feature, if one goes missing. All of this, and we've yet to talk about the features afforded by the case… All in good time. 

Before that, the buds: they feature a capacitive touch panel at the very top of the stem. You can switch noise cancelling on and off with a tap on the left stem, double tap for TalkThru and tap and hold to trigger Siri. All of these are customizable – at least to a point. You can’t decide which gestures do what, but you can select which gets priority on each bud. If you want on-ear volume control (which most of us do) you have to sacrifice either ambient sound control or playback options, which is a shame – but a relatively small gripe. 

We need to stress that the case helps in a big way, but we do think this experience could be subjective. The screen built into it never fails to acquiesce to our taps first time, quickly becoming a joy and a pleasure we wonder how we ever lived without. For example, we find ourselves scrolling straight to the volume tile (you swipe across) to alter volume rather than even attempt to use the buds. It's a brilliant addition – and within the JBL Headphones app, you can alter the screen brightness, choose one of five screensavers, toggle on message notifications and select which of seven further feature shortcuts you'd like to have access to on-screen. We toggle off SilentNow, since it's a feature we'll rarely use (we don't get to sleep on the job!) but for some that may be a priority. It's also very handy that notifications appear on this screen too – it really is like a smartwatch on your charging case – like calls and messages. 

Although we were excited by the case – and do think it could be game-changing for some – it's worth mentioning we did use it less and less once the novelty had worn off. If you find yourself forever opening apps that control your earbuds or headphones, it'll make a big difference. If you don't need to tweak settings much, it may be more of a gimmick.

• Features score: 4.5/5

JBL Tour Pro 2: sound quality

• Easy-listening, jazz and instrumental genres sound good
• Not for those who prioritize detail and dynamic breadth
• Doesn't have the punch or power we were expecting

These buds sound good, they really do. But they're not fantastic and that's what we expected with their price tag. Having said that, with lots of settings we did find a sound we enjoyed and think they definitely suit some genres more than others. 

We experimented with the different EQ profiles on offer and settled on leaving these off in favor of Harman's revered curve (the company's own heavily researched target sound signature, said to produce the best sound quality that most listeners prefer). That's because we found the EQ sound profiles to be a bit of a disappointment, especially vocals which were tinny and studio, which sounded far away. We didn't notice much of a difference in the others. 

We most enjoyed the JBL Tour Pro 2 for easy listening and soulful tracks. Proxima Parada's Musta Been a Ghost was smooth and the balance felt perfect here. The same can be said for instrumental and ambient music, like Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury's score for Devs. We like to listen to that while working and it provided an enjoyable soundtrack to our day. Having said that, instrumental music only sounded good to a point. Hildur Guðnadóttir's Joker soundtrack lacked the detail and the power we're used to from other buds. We had just been using the LG Tone Free T90Q buds so compared the two and the LGs felt more expansive, more powerful and enjoyable to listen with.

It's worth mentioning that spoken word sounded great and, strangely enough, the not-totally-perfect-but-fine ANC coupled with this fact made these good buds to wear outside if you like walking and listening to audiobooks and podcasts. We don't like feeling completely isolated from the world when we're listening on-the-move, so these did seem like the best of both worlds.

Tracks with more bass or rock music didn't sound as rich or powerful as we'd have liked. For example the 2023 Remaster of Iggy & The Stooges' Search and Destroy was a little muddied and we couldn't differentiate between instruments and vocals as much as we'd have liked, meaning there was an overall flat effect. Likewise, the Dead Weather's Treat Me Like Your Mother lacked detail, resulting in a muddied listen that wasn't altogether pleasant. 

Wondering if this was just something to do with rock music than the buds themselves, we listened to BANKS' Waiting Game and found the vocals more tinny than we expected – that's usually such a smooth listen – and the bass was powerful, but it had a fuzzy-sounding effect. Look, all of these examples sounded objectively fine, but we're used to trialling a pair of new earbuds at this level and being blown away by the new things we discover from our favorite tracks, that didn't happen here. Instead, we were underwhelmed.  

If you want buds for music while you're working or podcasts, we like these. If you're after audiophile quality or like powerful tracks – whether that's classical or rock – we think you might be disappointed here.

• Sound quality score: 3.5/5

JBL Tour Pro 2: design

• Smart case is really fun to use
• Battery life is surprisingly good 
• Some will struggle to achieve a seal

As with Apple's AirPods range, the Honor Earbuds 3 Pro , Huawei Freebuds Pro 2 and Nothing Ear (1) to name just a few, the JBL Tour Pro 2 sport little stems. Despite thinking that the driver housings look a little on the bulky side at first glance, some of the team with smaller ears downsize once and find the earpieces fit well very little fiddling. That said, those with larger ears may struggle – only three ear tips are provided, and one of the team couldn't achieve a seal good enough to pass any of the fit tests (more on these in a moment) even with the largest set, despite several minutes of adjusting them. At this level, a few more ear tip size options – and in different materials – is desirable. 

JBL has added its own more angular, look-at-me take on the AirPods' ice-white, no-sharp-edges design though. Here, there are lips and notches in various materials and finishes, including the rubberised driver housings, matte top plate and mirror-finish accents on the stems. There's even a little 'TOUR' embellishment written on the circumference of each bud, as well as JBL's branding on the tails. These are every inch JBL's top-tier offering and the design choices reflect that. 

Let's bypass the touchscreen for a second. The underside of the case hasn't been forgotten. This has a rubberized portion which adds traction and means you won't inadvertently swipe it off your desk – a small detail, but the gestural among us will love it. 

The 10mm dynamic drivers represent a significant leap up from the 6.8mm drivers found in the JBL Tour Pro+, and they're listed as Bluetooth 5.3 LE audio-compatible, too. So, it seems a shame that no higher-resolutions codecs are supported – no LDAC, no aptX (standard, HD, Low Latency or otherwise). 

With up to 50 hours of playtime (or 30 hours with ANC activated) and a very good 10 in just the buds themselves before they need charging, they also trounce most of the competition at the level for stamina. For comparison, the Sony XM4s have 8 hours in each bud, but only 16 in the case, and the latest Apple AirPods Pro 2 offer 6 hours in the buds and a further 30 hours in the case. Fast charge means 10 minutes plugged in will get you five hours of playtime too, but the case can also charge wirelessly. 

The JBL Tour Pro 2 have an IPX5 water and dust-proof rating. Interestingly, the case itself has a rating of IPX2 (just make sure you close it). So the whole package is splash-proof, but not waterproof. Many earbuds at the level offer at least an IPX4 certification (which means they'll survive a sweaty gym session) but certain options go much further. The Jabra Elite 7 Active carry an IP57 rating, which means they're dustproof and can be submerged in water at up to one meter in depth, for up to 30 minutes, and survive.

There’s a feature in the JBL Headphones app called 'Check My Best Fit', which plays a short clip of music to ensure you’ve got a good seal in each ear. It's no slouch either, telling us to alter the bud in our troublesomely-shaped right ear until we're good to go. We pass this test, but some of the team fail time and time again. To speak plainly, this is why we removed a star from the design score – if they don't fit, it's impossible to get the best sound from them. And that's not the end of the story when it comes to aural tests! We'll get to grips with further features below. 

• Design score: 4/5

JBL Tour Pro 2: value

• The screen is currently unique – and thus, hard to quantify
• Myriad extra fit and hearing tests 
• Audio and ANC can be beaten at the level

We don't hate these buds, far from it. If you want that case, you can't currently buy anything like it from anyone else. It's almost akin to adding a smartwatch to the front of an earbuds case. And if you're wondering whether it's fun to use, it is. We really enjoy the unique feature but know this is bound to be a matter of personal taste. The novelty did wear off after a few days. 

Despite some of our issues, the JBL Tour Pro 2 also sound good and we're always singing the praises of JBL's plethora of settings within its user-friendly app. But for us it's a question of value. Are they worth the premium price tag? Unless you're completely swayed by the screen, we think you can find a better sound and fit elsewhere.

Even noise cancellation, which we enjoyed, can be bested. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 , Sony WF-1000XM4 and AirPods Pro 2 outshine the JBL Tour Pro with relative ease – and although those first two options are priced close-to and a little more than the JBL proposition, the Sonys are now quite a bit cheaper.

• Value score: 3/5

JBL Tour Pro 2: should you buy them?

Buy them if….

You want that look-at-me smart screen Rarely have we looked at an earbuds case and been so wowed. You'll love pulling it out of your pocket and amazing your friends. 

You care about calls, especially when commuting The fact that you can just tap the touchscreen on the case to accept phone calls saves a lot of effort (and stress), especially when your phone's in your bag and you struggle with on-ear touch controls. 

You like a whole host of customizations If you like to know for certain whether your buds fit correctly and the hearing tests sound interesting (they certainly are) the JBL Tour Pro 2 remain a compelling option.

Don't buy them if…

You want the best sound money can buy JBL's top-tier buds will not satisfy the audiophile. Want the best sound quality possible for this money? You will find better performances from Apple and Sony (see below for this).

You don’t like a "toothbrush head" design Many wireless earbuds have a stem these days, (thanks to Apple's ubiquitous AirPods) but plenty don’t, so shop around if you want a more rounded or teardrop-shaped style.

You want the ultimate ANC experience The ANC here is acceptable, but look to the AirPods Pro 2 or the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 if you want the best noise-nixing earbuds on the market.

If our JBL Tour Pro 2 review has you considering other, non screen-toting true wireless earbuds, then take a look at these three alternatives.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 Own an iPhone? Want the best ANC experience from a set of earbuds? Look to the AirPods Pro 2 – their H1 chip allows you to seamlessly pair them with other Apple devices and the difference in terms of 'blank canvas' active noise nixing is quite startling. 

Sony WF-1000XM4 The Sony XM4s are at the top of our best earbuds list for a reason. Sound performance and noise cancelling here is excellent, as is call quality. And although their launch price was high, they're now available for far less than the JBL Tour Pro 2. 

Bose QuietComfort 2 The master of noise-cancellation tech is back on top here, taking the competition right to Sony – and these second-gen. buds sound even better than before. Battery life is nothing to write home about (at only six hours from the buds) but still, for similar money to the JBL Tour Pro 2, these are arguably the best noise-cancelling true wireless earbuds around right now. 

Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW If you don’t have top-tier JBL kind of money, consider the minimal, cubist look of these Audio-Technica buds that deliver great sound. Unfortunately, there’s no ANC (or screen), but the price is fantastic at only $79/£79/AU$129…

• First reviewed: December 2022
• How we test: explore TechRadar's review guarantee

Becky is a senior staff writer at TechRadar (which she has been assured refers to expertise rather than age) focusing on all things audio. Before joining the team, she spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing and reviewing everything from wallet-friendly wireless earbuds to huge high-end sound systems. Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in 2018, Becky freelanced as an arts critic alongside a 22-year career as a professional dancer and aerialist – any love of dance starts with a love of music. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, FourFourTwo and The Stage. When not writing, she can still be found throwing shapes in a dance studio, these days with varying degrees of success.  

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Review: JBL Tour Pro 2

Big sound from jbl.

The JBL Tour Pro 2 is the pure multi-performer of a pair of wireless earbuds. There's almost nothing they can't do!

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When I tested the Tour Pro+ , I was very excited, especially about the EQ settings. It was possible to adjust the frequency curve just enough to achieve the desired sound.

The ease of use, on the other hand, is so similar on most good earplugs that it was difficult to distinguish the Tour Pro+ from other earplugs on the market. You plugged in and pressed the earbuds to manoeuvre through playlists, answer calls, activate noise cancelling and audio replay, and summon the voice assistant. Nothing new there, in other words.

JBL has thought further with Tour Pro 2

The new Tour Pro 2, on the other hand, takes the user experience to new heights. Often, only minor upgrades are made when a new heir is introduced. A slightly better battery, maybe marginally better sound, and sometimes – but certainly not always – a smaller size of the earbuds themselves.

But JBL has gone a step further with the Tour Pro 2. In addition to longer battery life (up to 10 hours in the earplugs themselves) and also smaller size, JBL has done something completely new. This is the first time I’ve seen a screen on the charging case itself. And even a touch screen.

The touch screen on the case has a function

The screen turns out to be anything but a gimmick. It lets you adjust volume, scroll through music lists in a much more user-friendly way than tapping the little earplugs, and there are more options. You can turn EQ on and off and scroll through several different sound settings. Or turn on 360 audio for movies or games for a more immersive audio experience.

The best thing about the display is that you can access EQ functions even when you don’t have the app within reach. Like when the plugs are connected to a PC or TV.

Multipoint and better audio codec

Tour Pro 2 can connect two devices simultaneously, thanks to Bluetooth with multipoint. This means, for example, that you can be connected to both your phone and PC at the same time and listen to music from one source while answering a Zoom call on the other.

In addition, the earbuds support the new audio codec LC3 (also known as LE), which arrived with Android 13. This will eventually take over from the much inferior SBC codec, and once the standard is more established, the idea is that proprietary codecs like aptX and LDAC will become redundant.

But we’re still in the early stages, and although the JBL apps have been made ready for LC3 and LC3+, the codec wasn’t yet opened up during testing. But JBL promises it’s on the way, and then you’ll be able to get even better Bluetooth audio. For now, I’ve had to test with the AAC codec, which is a good deal better than SBC. If you have an iPhone, you’ll have to rely on the AAC codec anyway.

Personal listening test

In the app, JBL also has a personal listening test that maps your hearing and then adjusts the sound from the earbuds. I have to admit that I never got it to work because I got an error message that the left hearing plug wasn’t sealed well enough. I tried swapping tips, and checked again and again.

I didn’t experience any leakage myself because the sound and bass response felt the same between the left and right ears both when listening to music and when ambient sound was let into the plugs. In the end, I had to give up on the calibration, but at least here you have an option to get better sound tailored to your own hearing.

Noise reduction and sound leakage

The noise reduction now has the option to set the level, and if you select Adaptive ANC, the earbuds will automatically select the strength. They can also compensate for sound leakage in case of poor sealing in the ear. It works well, especially indoors on a train or plane, while wind noise is a challenge as with most others.

The SilentNow feature, by the way, lets you use noise cancellation for as long as you want without music playing.

There are two types of ambient sound: Ambient Aware takes in as much of your surroundings as possible, with a wide frequency range. TalkThru , on the other hand, lets through more midrange and less bass to emphasize human voices in a conversation. This feature works well in most situations, and I personally use it most when I want to hear my surroundings.

The JBL Tour Pro+ supports the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice assistants, and in the app you can choose whether to press the right or left earbud to activate the assistant.

Engaging sound

Right out of the box, JBL Tour Pro 2 delivers an engaging audio experience. The bass in particular is both big and physical, just as I would expect from JBL. If at all costs you want the sound as linear as possible, the bass is probably a bit overdone, although it’s more balanced and tuned than the more bass-oriented earbuds in JBL’s Live range.

The midrange is a bit restrained, meaning the bass drowns out the vocal midrange a bit. Yes, it’s popular, and it works. But for acoustic gigs, I need a little tweaking. There are preset EQs, but I’m not crazy about any of them.

Better sound with EQ

Fortunately, the EQ has really good adjustability. I pull the midrange up a bit with a soft filter curve that covers a pretty wide frequency range. Then I lower it a bit at 5 kHz, where it can otherwise get a bit sharp. It’s a setting that I find works very well on many JBL props from JBL. The same is true on the Tour Pro 2. There are also good fine-tuning options here.

Vocals open up more, the different timbral textures of an acoustic guitar can now be better distinguished from each other, and that without compromising the engagement of electropop and hiphop. Whether it’s Ed Sheeran’s melodious F65 (you have to force yourself through his tame attempts at rapping) or the dramatic piano ballad Love You in a Dream by Elsie Bay, the music comes through in the best possible way.

Call quality

The earbuds work well for phone calls and video conferences, the receiver hears me just fine. It’s not easy to get good dialogue sound through a pair of small earbuds, which need microphones with good beamforming for the sound from your mouth to be picked up by microphones placed in your ears. Without picking up all sorts of other noises.

The JBLs do a good job, it doesn’t sound quite as good as through some good headphones, but it’s certainly among the best I’ve heard from a pair of earbuds.

Every time I test JBL earbuds or headphones, I’m reminded of how far ahead of the competition they are when it comes to sound settings in the app. And with the all-new touch screen on the charging case, you no longer have to deal with the app on a daily basis. Simply choose from different EQ filters, set audio levels, and move around playlists right on the case. It’s especially handy when you’re connected to a PC or phone where the app isn’t downloaded.

Noise reduction is particularly good, as is call quality. With all the features, the excellent sound, and considering the price, I would dare to call the Tour Pro 2 outstanding.

Specifications

• Type: Fully wireless earbuds
• Bluetooth: 5.3
• Multipoint: Yes
• Protection: IPX5
• Active noise cancelling: Yes
• Codecs: AAC, LC3, LC3+ ( upcoming), SBC
• Battery life: 10 hours + 30 hours from case (u. ANC)
• Weight: 2 x 6.5 g + 73 g (case)
• Charging: USB-C
• Web: jbl.com

1 thought on “JBL Tour Pro 2”

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JBL Tour Pro 2 review

Jbl’s flagship wireless earbuds have high ambitions tested at £250 / $250 / au$330.

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

JBL’s Tour Pro 2 are a solid pair of wireless earbuds, but you can find far better sound at this price elsewhere

Fun, innovative on-case display

Well-made and smartly designed

Packed with features

Sound is merely OK

Middling ANC

Serious competition at this level

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

It’s shameful to admit that we spent much of the time before composing this review trying to think of puns revolving around the word “case”. After all, there’s no escaping the exciting novelty that JBL’s Tour Pro 2 bring to the party with their cute display that gives full touchscreen functionality from the front of the earbuds’ charging case. Gimmick or not, it’s something unique to JBL .

Time will tell if that sort of thing catches on, and while such an innovation may be the first thing to grab your attention, we’re more concerned about high-quality sound than a touchscreen in a place we’ve never seen before. There’s little use in recommending a pair of wireless earbuds for sporting pretty patterns or fun gimmicks if they make your music sound like it was recorded at the local swimming pool.

This is the standard that the JBL Tour Pro 2 must live up to, and it’s a high one. At this price, there’s serious competition from the likes of Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds II , Sony's WF-100XM4 and of course Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 , so a fancy charging case isn’t going to be enough to stave off such heavyweight rivals if JBL can’t deliver genuinely outstanding audio. Let’s find out if the new Tour Pro 2 are up to the task.

Comfort & build

The JBL Tour Pro 2 are as stylish and comfortable as you’d expect at this price. Some of our team had a little more trouble making a full seal, while others found these new earbuds nestled happily in their ears after a little perseverance. If you don’t manage to get a perfect fit first time, you may find yourself limited by the fact that JBL only offers three choices of ear tips to accompany its latest pair of wireless buds.

General build quality, though, is good, and while the earbuds themselves aren’t particularly remarkable to look at, their ridged edge pattern and neat, short stems are far from offensive to the eye. That case is a lovely item, robust and sturdy while never straying into the realm of bulky or obtrusive. The coveted touchscreen, meanwhile, is relatively responsive and usually pretty precise, even if it can take a few attempts to get a reaction from some of the display’s fiddlier commands.

JBL’s latest pair of earbuds are well-furnished in the features department, boasting a large stable of tricks for an impressive wireless experience. The buds themselves are call-enabled, with a substantial 40 hours of total playback (if you’re a very frugal user) with the case. On a single charge on the buds, you'll get eight hours of play with ANC on (or 10 hours with ANC off), while a 15-minute charging session can bolster battery life by around four hours. For comparison, Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II offer around 24 hours in total, whereas Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 manage roughly 30.

As you’d expect, JBL has also brought active noise cancelling (ANC) to the Tour Pro 2 party, with the JBL app and smart case both offering access to the standard Noise Cancelling, Ambient Aware or Talkthru modes, and while there’s certainly a difference between these three options, none of these settings is especially remarkable. Standing next to a moderately busy road with Noise Cancelling activated removes the general rumble of traffic, but the louder wooshes and bumps of individual cars, not to mention other intrusions, still filter through.

Bluetooth 5.3

Codec Support AAC, LC3, LC3+, SBC

Noise-cancelling? Yes 

Battery Life Up to 8 hours (single charge in earbuds with ANC on), up to 10 hours (ANC off); total 40 hours (with charging case)

Finishes x2 (Black, Champagne)

Weight 6.1g (each)

Most of these functions, including spatial audio, ANC and JBL’s onboard equaliser, can be set and adjusted via the charging case screen as well as through the app itself. In a further attempt to justify its own existence, JBL’s novelty display also allows for your smartphone’s notifications and alerts to come through, as well as allowing control of VoiceAware settings to let you choose how much of your own voice you hear on calls, autoplay and a very handy Find My Buds feature. There’s even a case flashlight, but it’s so limited in its brightness that you’d struggle to light up a mouse’s cupboard with it.

The question, though, is whether that display on the case is really needed. Sure, it’s nice to be able to make adjustments on the fly from a new interface, but considering that you’ll likely be playing music from your phone as a source (and therefore always have it handy wherever your buds go), there isn’t much of a necessity to also have a case display in addition to your phone and the detailed JBL app. Maybe we’ll be proved wrong, but this feels more like Google Glass than Google Earth.

All of this agonising over novel charging cases shouldn’t distract us from the main event: sound. Considering the superb sense of refinement and balance offered by Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II, not to mention the effortless dynamic quality of the AirPods Pro 2, there’s some serious competition to be had at this flagship price level. Our expectations, frankly, were high.

Sadly, the Tour Pro 2 don’t quite meet them. There’s nothing actively wrong with JBL’s game effort, but little truly grabs us as we work our way through our favourite tunes. Few tracks are coloured by a predominant or overbearing sonic bias, but whether you’re wanting to groove to Noisette’s Never Forget You or rock out to Wig Wam’s In My Dreams, there’s just a slight lack of dynamism, detail or personality on display throughout.  

Cranking up Kanye West and Jay-Z’s No Church In The Wild should be an invigorating experience, but the Tour Pro 2 always feel as though they’re holding back somewhat. That primal, driving drumbeat just doesn't thump like you feel it should, and there’s a limit to the expression and feeling from the track’s charismatic performers. It’s far from an unpleasant listen, it’s just not quite an essential one, either.

Smoother, more chilled efforts fare a little better. Pick out a softer track from De La Soul’s seminal 3 Feet High And Rising album and you may find the JBL’s more muted presentation better suited to tracks like Eye Know or The Magic Number, even if heavier, punchier offerings just don’t feel as thrilling as you’d like. 

Spatial audio compatibility is one of the Tour Pro 2’s flagship features, adjustable via the JBL app and case to accommodate three different modes: Movie, Music and Game. Setting the Tour Pro 2 to Music before loading up Apple Music and digging out sections of Gorillaz’s Cracker Island sees the technology working respectably, with voices and instruments somewhat separated into their own distinct areas with relative conviction. However, the JBL’s implementation of this spatial audio tech pales in comparison to the AirPods Pro 2’s more assured performance; during the album’s title track, Thundercat’s upper-range vocals envelop you in an echoey fog, while the funky piano on Silent Running has a far more distinct personality all of its own when played on Apple’s wireless buds. The difference is stark.

Ultimately, then, the listening experience offered by the JBL Tour Pro 2 feels a little thin, limited by a lack of excitement and dynamism that rivals are able to offer at this level. The Tour Pro 2 aren’t a bad listen, but they fail to truly thrill on a sonic level. 

JBL had its work cut out if it wanted to muscle in on the action against some seriously impressive rivals. Hovering around this price are some of our favourite earbuds, be they the Award-winning Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II or Apple’s superb AirPods Pro 2, both exceptional performers that would have taken something seriously special to be knocked from such lofty perches. 

JBL’s latest don’t quite have the firepower to dethrone such worthy rivals. Yes, that case is a fun novelty and yes, everything’s well-made, well-designed and easy to use, but there’s something missing from the ensemble when it actually comes time to getting stuck into your catalogue of favourite songs. The Tour Pro 2 buds sound fine, but fine just isn’t going to cut it when you’re coming up against the best in the business. 

Read our review of the Apple AirPods Pro 2

Also consider the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

Read our Sony WF-1000XM4 review

Best in-ear headphones: budget to premium

JBL’s smart case is a fun innovation – but I can’t see it catching on

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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JBL Tour Pro 2 review: Welcome to the smart case era

The company jam-packed these earbuds with features of varied utility..

When it comes to earbud innovation, these days advances typically come in reduced size, longer battery life and improved audio. Rarely does a company offer something truly unique. But JBL seems to think there’s room for improvement in the charging case . With the Tour Pro 2 , JBL has installed a touchscreen display , giving you access to settings and tools without having to dive into its app. On top of that, these are a feature-packed set of true wireless earbuds, with a ton of options for sound customization, hearing assistance and more. But with everything the $250 set offers, JBL might’ve been too ambitious.

JBL’s product range features a mix of “traditional” earbuds, stick buds and sport models with an over-the-ear loop. The Tour Pro 2 fits in that middle category with a design akin to Apple’s AirPods. These certainly have a more refined look, though, with a mix of matte and gloss black plastic. The shape of the inner part of the earbud is ovular which, again, is similar to the AirPods Pro.

JBL Tour Pro 2

JBL threw a ton of features in the Tour Pro 2 earbuds, but some of them work better than others. The most interesting tool is the touchscreen smart case, but it’s not necessarily any quicker than reaching for your phone.

• Smart case works well
• Loads of features
• Smart case utility is debatable
• ANC can struggle
• Some features work better than others
• Sound leakage at high volumes

The curves here combine with lower weight to make for a comfy fit. The Tour Pro 2 are one of the few sets of true wireless earbuds I can wear for hours at a time without it becoming a chore. There’s a touch panel on the outside of both buds that can accept single, double and triple taps, in addition to long presses, for a variety of on-board controls. Plus, you can reconfigure those to your liking inside the JBL Headphones app.

The headline feature, though, is undoubtedly the case. Most earbuds come with a charging case, the feature list basically ends at charging. Some companies have added wireless transmission for use on planes, but nothing too crazy. The Tour Pro 2 comes with a “smart case,” complete with a touchscreen on the outside. As you might expect, it’s larger than what we typically see, but it’s not huge by any means. It’s equipped for wireless charging and there’s a USB-C port on the button for wired top-ups.

Software and features

The Tour Pro 2 offers a ton of features for audio setup, convenience and customization. All of which are accessible inside the JBL Headphones app and some are available via the charging case display. When you pair the earbuds to the app for the first time, the software will prompt you to complete a few steps for initial setup. Those include an ear tip fit and ear canal tests for ANC performance, voice assistant setup and a quick feature tour. The main section of the app displays battery status for both earbuds individually and the case right up top.

Everything else is situated on that main screen, accessible with a simple scroll. Ambient Sound Control is up top, giving you the ability to choose between active noise cancellation, Ambient Aware (transparency mode), TalkThru for IRL conversations and off. There’s the option to further tweak ANC by opting for Adaptive, automatic adjustments or by enabling leakage and/or ear canal compensation. Ambient Aware allows you to adjust the level of environmental sound the earbuds pick up with a slider.

Next on the list is Personi-Fi. This is JBL’s take on personal audio profiles. After completing a hearing test, the app creates a sound profile that also takes into account your listening preferences. Personi-Fi considers gender, age and more to build its custom preset. Before completing the process, the audio on the Tour Pro 2 was… fine. After the five-minute bout with tones at various volumes and frequencies, my sound profile produced improved bass response from the earbuds and what felt like a slightly wider soundstage. However, the tailored setting did lose some detail in things like softer background vocals, guitar distortion and subtle noise.

Sound options follow Personi-Fi. Here, JBL gives you a collection of audio presets as well as the ability to manually adjust the EQ curve. Any tuning you create can be saved for future use. You also have the option of enabling Spatial Sound on the Tour Pro 2, JBL’s take on spatial audio. Once you turn it on, the company offers three options based on what you’re listening to: movie, music and game.

The app gives you the ability to change the gestures for the on-board controls from this menu too. There’s a limit to the fine-tuning here as JBL has grouped all the options under Ambient Sound Control, Volume Control or Playback & Voice Assistant Control. Those are self-explanatory and you can choose to put one on the left and a different one on the right. The only consistent behavior is that a long press will summon your voice assistant on all three gesture options.

Three of the most useful features on the Tour Pro 2 are VoiceAware, SilentNow and Personal Sound Amplification. VoiceAware is an adjustable tool that allows you to tweak how much of your voice you hear during calls. JBL describes SlientNow as a quiet bubble, a feature that disconnects Bluetooth and turns on ANC. The company goes a step further by allowing you to schedule when the mode will turn on, how long it will be active and if you want an alarm when it ends (in case you’re planning to nap). Personal Sound Amplification is designed for hearing assistance, boosting environmental sound by 15 to 20dB and helping with conversations. When it’s enabled, you can adjust left/right balance and gain to fit your needs.

The smart case

While the main purpose of the smart case is to give you easy access to the Tour Pro 2’s features. I’m happy to debate the utility of putting everything on the charging accessory instead of leaving it in an app – software that takes only a couple more taps to open. But, if you find the entire concept convenient, I’m pleased to report that the touchscreen works well. You swipe from side to side to scroll through the myriad options available on the case and that panel is receptive to taps without issue. Plus, JBL decided to put battery levels, a clock and handy icons on the top edge, giving you crucial info at a glance. What’s more, when you’re on a call, those controls pop-up on case too.

The JBL Headphones app includes a section for customizing the smart case. Here, you can adjust the display brightness, select a screensaver, enable message notifications/previews and choose which features will be accessible on the touch screen. By default, the case shows Ambient Sound Control, Spatial Sound, EQ presets, VoiceAware and auto play/pause (when you remove the buds from your ears). That’s in addition to the lock screen wallpaper selector, screen brightness, timer, volume, playback controls, flashlight and Find My Buds that can’t be removed. The only additional feature that isn’t enabled by default that you can add to the case is SilentNow.

Sound quality and noise cancellation

The default tuning on the Tour Pro 2 is pretty average. There’s some decent clarity and detail, but the soundstage feels compressed despite a good amount of bass and a smidge of punch in the treble. Overall, things converge on the midrange, leaving the extra oomph on the table with tracks like Better Lovers’ “30 Under 13” and boygenius’ “$20.” Personi-fi helps open things up a bit, but as I mentioned, it comes at the cost of lost detail. You lose some of the texture of the vocals and guitars in that boygenius song, for example.

Another prime example of the lack of space in the sound profile is on Nickel Creek’s Celebrants. That album was recorded in a way that sounds like you’re in the room getting a private performance. Guitar, fiddle, mandolin and bass surround you with vocals sprinkled around to complete the vibe. On the Tour Pro 2, you lose the sense of the virtual room, so the songs just become music in your earbuds instead of capturing the atmosphere and energy of the tracking session. Personi-fi makes no noticeable difference here.

While there are a number of audio customization options in JBL’s app, they don’t do much to improve things. In fact, some make the sound worse. Spatial Sound’s effectiveness can vary depending on the genre. Sometimes there’s a noticeable improvement in the immersive nature of the audio. But with some content, like that Nickel Creek album, it seems like positioning is just moved up slightly, like it's trying to simulate up-firing drivers in a soundbar. In those cases, the sound is just relocated, not improved. I found it best to leave Spatial Sound off.

JBL threw a ton of features in the Tour Pro 2 earbuds, but some of them work better than others. The most interesting tool is the touchscreen smart case, but while it offers quick access to a lot of features, it’s not necessarily any quicker than reaching for your phone. Sure, everything is on the outside, but the company might’ve been better off fine-tuning transparency modes and ANC performance – among other things.

JBL Tour Pro 2 review

In terms of ANC performance, the Tour Pro 2 does a solid job in most circumstances. They’re very good at blocking the constant roar of a dishwasher, clothes dryer or white noise machine – things that conspire for the daily droning at my house. However, the earbuds struggle with human voices, especially if the person is close by. Listen to anything relatively quiet and you’re sure to hear the chatty person behind you.

One note on noise isolation that’s worth pointing out. Despite the ear tip fit test determining that all was well with the Tour Pro 2, there was a lot of sound leakage so the people around me could clearly hear what I was listening to. My wife was the first to notice, and while she says it happens occasionally while I’m testing, it has never been this bad. Sure enough, when she popped in the earbuds, I could clearly hear the tunes at volumes above 60 percent or so. It’s something to consider if you like to blast heavy metal in the office.

For calls, the Tour Pro 2 is a mixed bag. Confusingly, the TalkThru option in the Ambient Sound Control menu can’t be activated here. You can enable ambient sound mode, but that doesn’t pick up a considerable amount of your chatter. Instead, there’s that separate VoiceAware feature and it only works during calls. Again, it’s adjustable, so you can select the amount of your speech you want sent back through the earbuds. It works okay, but it’s nowhere near as natural sounding as what you get on the AirPods Pro . While TalkThru is meant for in-person conversations, it doesn’t pipe in much more of your voice than the transparency mode Ambient Aware. So, even if you could use it for calls, it’s not a great option for them. In the end, it just feels like different features here do variations of the same thing. Overall, call quality is just okay here, despite JBL’s promise of “perfect calls” via six on-board mics.

Battery life

JBL says you can expect up to eight hours on a charge with ANC on, plus another three full charges in the case. Turn noise cancellation off and you could muster two additional hours on both the buds and per charge in the case. During tests consisting of “normal” use – a mix of ANC, transparency mode, calls and leaving the buds to power off automatically – I got seven hours before having to dock the Tour Pro 2 in the case.

Oddly, I started getting low battery notifications when the case was still showing 25 percent left on both earbuds. Power plummeted quickly from there and after less than 30 minutes the pair was dead. I mention this to point out that the battery estimates on the case don’t seem to be entirely accurate, especially when you hit 25 percent. If you unexpectedly encounter a faster-than-expected drain, there is a 15-minute quick-charge tool that will give you up to four hours of use.

The competition

When it comes to premium true wireless earbuds, Sony’s WF-1000XM4 are the best you can buy right now. The company includes just as many features as JBL, if not more. You won’t find a smart case, but you will find handy tools like Speak-to-Chat automatic pausing when you start talking and the ability to automatically change sound settings based on location or activity. Plus, the M4s offer better sound quality and more effective noise cancellation on top of all the conveniences. They’re starting to get some age on them as they debuted in mid-2021, but that means you’re currently privy to a discount: they’re currently going for $200.

JBL threw every feature it could at the Tour Pro 2 . And that’s without even considering the smart case. That touch-screen-enabled accessory is the main draw but I’m not sold on the concept just yet. Sure, there’s something to be said for easy access to settings, but that only works if you leave the case sitting out on your desk. Otherwise, you can probably get your phone out just as quickly. JBL isn’t the only company putting a display on a charging case, so who knows, maybe it will become standard. Tour Pro 2 do offer handy tools like VoiceAware, SilentNow and Personal Sound Amplification. But overall they’re an average set of earbuds with okay sound, decent ANC and so many features you might not use some of them more than once.

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Serious Insights

Research and reviews from strategist, futurist and analyst Daniel W. Rasmus

JBL Tour Pro 2 Review: Excellent Headphones That Crush With Their NextGen Case

December 20, 2023 by Daniel W. Rasmus Leave a Comment

JBL Tour Pro 2

Very good headphones in an innovative case that moves most control from the app to the case (though the app still works too). Excellent ANC audio and noise reduced quality calls, and a long battery life.

JBL Tour Pro 2 Review

JBL continues to offer one of the widest ranges of earbuds on the market, from $50 stocking stuffers to innovative entries like the JBL Tour Pro 2 . Not only do the chrome-accented black or champagne earbuds look good in the ear, but they also charge in a case that brings full control to the listening experience through a high-resolution display. Some reviews see the display case as a gimmick, others as redundant to the app. Those are valid opinions. All I know for me is that every time I wear the Tour Pro 2s, I tweak my experience using the charging case.

Specifications

Adaptive Noise Cancelling (ANC)

Ambient Aware

Number of Microphones

Touch Control

Active Noise Cancelling

Bluetooth ® Version

Bluetooth ® Profiles

Codecs Supported

Fast Charging

Driver Size (mm)

Weight Case/Earpiece (oz)

Play time (ANC OFF/ON)

A2DP V1.3.2, AVRCP V1.6.2, HFP V1.7.2

SBS and A2DP

What we like

• Charging case with a display and user interface moves control from phone to case
• Great sound
• Solid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
• Clear calling with noise reduction
• Silent Now to mask out the audio of the world
• Smart Ambient feature to amplify nearby voices

I’m going to start with the charging case first. It’s not that the JBL Tour Pro 2s aren’t good earbuds, but they are just earbuds, regardless of how good they are. The case proves the immediate differentiator for the Tour Pro 2 experience.

The 1.45-inch touchscreen LCD offers a number of features. Its eye-catching brightness suggests why JBL went with an LED rather than an alternative such as eInk. While eInk might save battery, it just isn’t an exciting, responsive interface technology.

The case display experience begins with a swipe over a screen saver. The app (not the case) supports uploading custom logos. My now sports a Serious Insights logo. The swipe accesses several control features.

So, what exactly does the display do? A lot!

• Playback controls
• Sound mode (ANC, transparency, etc.)
• Timer: the earbuds will power down after your chosen time elapses
• Spatial audio 
• Screen brightness
• Wallpaper selection
• VoiceAware: determines voice detection sensitivity
• SilentNow: enables ANC for a preset amount of time even without music
• Automatic play/pause ear detection
• Notifications (messages and mail)
• Find My Buds

I don’t think any of these items require additional explanation, but I do have a few notes for JBL. They all fall into the “I like it with qualifications” category.

Volume . Who decided 16 was the maximum value? That’s some interesting audio math I haven’t seen before.

Card inclusion. Users should be able to delete or hide any cards from the case app. I never use the equalizer because I default my Apple iTunes to Dolby and let it worry about the sound profile. I’m never going to use the equalizer, so I hide that card and reduce the number of swipes. Along with the equalizer, ambient sound, spatial sound, VoiceAware, Auto Play & Pause, and SilentNow can be turned off. Others cannot be hidden. I think JBL should allow all cards to be hidden.

Reducing the number of cards focuses on the UI’s more important frequently accessed functions, making it even more useful.

Card order. The first swipe opens to Playback. But maybe I want sound mode first. I would like to see the card order. Along with the card-hiding feature, I would like the ability to reorder the cards on the case.

On a further positive note, the case also supports wireless charging.

This case is a start, as is the one from the Poly Voyager Free 60+ reviewed here . I think Poly primarily aims at conferencing applications, while JBL focuses on consumer use. But both point toward a more integrated listening experience, perhaps even the return of music to something other than a phone. I do not, however, look forward to a future with ads on my earbud case or a full-tilt competition between screens.

With memory size and prices continuously shrinking, however, and display technology also getting cheaper and less power-hungry, we will likely see many more earbud cases with displays moving into the market. At some point, they will stop looking innovative, and then the market will need to decide where exactly they fit into the ecosystem of user experiences.

Now, what about the audio?

The sound is very good, as would be expected from $250 earbuds. Using the volume limiting feature constrains the sound stage. That feature protects hearing. It also protects a full-bodied audio experience.

Turned off, the JBL Tour Pro 2s hold their own against the best earbuds in my collection, which include the Sennheiser Momentum 3 s and the Tozo Golden X1s . Dua Lipa’s vocals seduce above the deep base. SZA does anything but snooze as she undulates through her toons. Miley Cyrus’s raspy tones bloom on “Flowers”. And Taylor Swift scorches on her confessional “Anti-Hero.” Toosii reinvents the concept of the singular song with “Favorite Song” in the tradition of Elton John’s classic “Your Song.”

The JBL Tour Pro 2s produced the sound I expected for the track I was listening to—plenty of bass, clear vocals and never a muddying of the two. From the ethereal, mournful but uplifting detail of Hamilton’s “It’s Quiet Uptown” to the sonic beats of the Beastie Boys on “Brass Monkey,” the Tour Pro 2s performed exceptionally well regardless of genre.

Calls are also clear, as is the owner’s voice, thanks to six microphones and noise reduction, coming in from those microphones.

I have no complaints. Just lay back and chill to Billie Eilish and learn why she thinks and concludes that, “Therefore I am.”

JBL checked most of the boxes when it comes to features, with the case being the icing on the audio cake.

The JBL Tour Pro 2s, of course, support all of the features that can be controlled from the case, like ANC, transparency and hear-through, all of which work effectively. I have not tried the JBL Tour Pro 2s on a plane yet, but if my opinion changes on my trek to CES in January 2024, I will update the review. A unique attribute on the JBL “True Adaptive Cancelling” comes from its four microphones dedicated to sensing the environment and adjusting to exactly the sounds detected rather than a more general algorithm.

JBL offers its own Spatial Sound. In conversations with various headphone manufacturers, they suggest not using on-ear modifications to the audio if the audio service provides its own way to amp up the experience. For those on Apple Music, for instance, with lossless audio and Dolby/Apple’s Spatial Audio set as a default, songs that leverage those mixes will control the listening experience. Turning on another sound-expanding feature may defeat the advantages of both. My ears attest to the cleanness of this choice when listening to the Beatle’s “In My Life” in its 2023 mix. It’s just gorgeous.

Depending on ANC settings, the JBL Tour Pro 2s deliver between 10 and 30 hours of playback. Speed charging converts 15 minutes of waiting into 4 hours of listening.

For those who want to go through the process, JBL offers personalized listening profiles and ear fit tests to maximize the auditory experience.

And BTW, if you’ve heard enough of everything, the JBL Tour Pro 2s offer what I think is a unique feature: SilenceNow, which just cranks up the ANC, placing the owner in an audio bubble. And if you want to hear a nearby conversation better, their Smart Ambient feature identifies nearby voices and amplifies them.

Bluetooth® 5.3 includes Windows and Google rapid pairing.

JBL Tour Pro 2s also support touch controls on the earbuds, with the left earbud mostly concerned with ambient sound and noise cancellation, while the right bud manages playback and voice assistance. Both earbuds respond to a double-tap for accepting a call. Unlike some earbuds, the touch controls are fixed. And like all earbuds, owners will need to master the taps and holds to get the most out of their purchase. The Tour Pro 2s, however, make many of these features available through the case, which makes forgetting which taps do what less of an issue in the moment.

Not only do the JBL Tour Pro 2s, which come in black or champagne, sound great, but they are fun to use. While some may dismiss the case, I think it offers a hint at how to create “sticky” products that are usually passive once people start using them.

What could be improved

• Sketchy Bluetooth® connection to laptop
• No support for Apple’s AAC codec or Qualcomm’s aptX
• Needs to be put into the JBL sustainability program

When attached to my Apple MacBook Pro, I found that, on occasion, I receive garbled audio. I did not experience that with the iPad Pro. I thought there was some relationship between the case receiving updates and the garbled audio, but I turned off notifications and still experienced the issue. It’s very intermittent but annoying when it happens.

Bluetooth note : If you ever have an issue with pairing, make sure to look for the JBL Tour Pro2-LE items listed as a Bluetooth device. I had an instance where the app would not recognize the earbuds. I tried repairing, resetting and reloading the app. No joy. I then remembered the JBL Tour Pro2-LE. I had my iPhone “forget” that item, and the app immediately recognized my earbuds upon repairing.

I would also like to see a wider range of Bluetooth codecs supported to enhance audio quality.

The plastic hang tag doesn’t complement the otherwise paper-based packaging. Unlike some JBL “eco” products, the Tour Pro 2s make no claims toward sustainability so I rate them as average for the general lack of package plastic.

JBL Tour Pro 2: The bottom line

I don’t find the smart charging case a gimmick. I find it useful, but also a 1.0 version. I am interested to see other feedback on the case, and how adaptive JBL’s firmware is in terms of updating features without waiting for the Tour Pro 3s.

JBL provided the Tour Pro 2 for review. Images courtesy of JBL unless otherwise noted.

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JBL Tour Pro 2 review: totally tricked-out wireless earbuds

“They're easily the most feature-rich wireless earbuds you can buy.”

• Tons of features
• Very good ANC
• Solid sound quality
• Strong battery life
• Custom EQ and controls
• So-so call quality
• No high-quality codecs
• Smart case doesn't add a lot of convenience

Rumors began to swirl that Apple might be considering the addition of a touchscreen to the charging case of the AirPods Pro 2. This was followed up by a rendering that imagined what such a touchscreen case might look like. Reactions to the concept were varied, from enthusiastic, to deeply skeptical. Digital Trends’ own Christine Chan was among the latter, claiming it was the worst thing she had seen that week .

Most of the objections, including Chan’s, were simply about the utility of adding a touchscreen to an object that really only exists in order to charge and protect a set of earbuds when not in use. Does it really make any sense? We may never know for sure — Apple’s patent applications rarely see the light of day as actual products — but we’ve got a very good idea thanks to JBL’s new $250 Tour Pro 2 wireless earbuds .

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Among the many enhancements to JBL’s second-gen Tour Pros, the most notable by far is the inclusion of a touchscreen on the charging case, which is almost exactly what the Apple patent appears to describe.

JBL’s version of the smart charging case lets you perform a wide variety of actions without removing your phone from your pocket. Ordinary things like playback and volume control, less ordinary things like changing how the earbuds respond when you remove them from your ears, and even some really extraordinary things like using the built-in screen as a flashlight. It can even flash a notification and the first dozen or so characters from an incoming email.

Some functions are always present on the case (e.g. playback) and some are optional — you can decide how many of the optional ones are included using the JBL Headphones app for Android and iOS.

The case itself is a bit bulky, but not much bigger than the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II or Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2, so JBL still deserves props for keeping things relatively compact.

The screen is surprisingly responsive and with the included brightness control (yet another function) it’s easy to read even in relatively bright light. You unlock it with a single swipe from left to right. But the question remains: is it easier to use your charging case than your phone? Most wireless earbuds — the Tour Pro 2 included — come with plenty of controls built into the actual buds, making several of the case-based options mere duplicates (triplicates if you include your phone). Of the remaining options that can’t be performed with the buds, how often do you really need to access them?

I definitely enjoyed playing with it — there’s a real novelty factor to it — but I mostly use my earbuds when I’m out for a walk or going to the gym and in both situations, I leave my charging case at home. For me, that makes it hard to develop a habit where I’d reach for the case instead of my phone (or the earbuds).

Most of the features are only relevant when the buds are connected to your phone, like playback, volume, spatial sound (I’ll get to that in a moment), and EQ settings. However, some remain useful even with no connection at all, like ANC, reminder timers, find my buds, and the flashlight.

In fairness, the whole case versus phone choice may be a red herring. If you’re using the Tour Pro 2 with a computer or tablet (or even a second phone) that doesn’t have the JBL Headphones app installed, the case can give you access to nearly every one of the app’s settings — that’s pretty handy.

Still, I can’t help but wonder about the other phone-less features that JBL could have included that might have made the Tour Pro 2’s smart case even more useful. It could act as a Bluetooth transmitter for times when you need to plug into a physical headphone jack (airplanes) — the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 does this — or it could have a small amount of built-in music storage for times when you don’t want to bring your phone with you, like an Apple Watch.

Those examples will likely never come to pass, but here’s one that might: With support for Bluetooth 5.3 and LE Audio , the Tour Pro 2 will probably be Auracast -compatible when this clever Bluetooth broadcast technology rolls out. At that time, you may be able to use the case to discover and connect to Auracast streams, with no phone needed.

For the Tour Pro 2, JBL abandoned the round, all-in-one earbud style it used on the original Tour Pro+ in favor of a more AirPods-like stem design. That was a good move in terms of comfort — the Tour Pro 2 don’t make your ears feel as full as the first version — I’ve worn them for hours with no problems. However, it’s not as easy to get a super-secure fit. So while the IPX5 water-resistant rating makes them robust enough to survive sweaty workouts or runs, you may find they don’t stay put through high-impact activities.

Speaking of Apple’s buds, the Tour Pro 2 offer a compelling alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 when it comes to sound quality. Depending on your settings, the two models can sound very similar, but JBL has a big advantage here: a highly customizable 10-band equalizer with factory presets and the ability to create and save your own custom recipes.

When pushed, these tweaks can give the Tour Pro 2 a big, commanding bass response, or they can be used to give the mids and highs greater presence. Admittedly, without any advanced Bluetooth codec support (they’re SBC/AAC only), these earbuds can’t live up to their full potential, but JBL goes a long way to make them sound great. Not only do you get adjustable EQ — but you can also leverage some new tools like Personi-Fi, which attempts to personalize the EQ based on your age, sex, and ability to hear various frequencies.

I’ve used lots of these systems over time and sometimes they produce impressive results, and other times, not so much. Personi-Fi accurately assessed my slightly diminished high-frequency sensitivity, though when I flipped the personalization setting on and off, I couldn’t hear much of a difference.

The Tour Pro 2 also attempt to compete with the AirPods Pro 2 in the realm of spatial audio , but in this case, I think the Tour Pro 2’s approach is less effective. Enabling spatial sound will take whatever you’re listening to and apply one of three digital signal filters: music, movies, or gaming. Each accentuates a different aspect of your sound — movie mode goes for a cinematic effect, music tries to create a greater sense of realism, while gaming enhances the precision of high-frequencies so you can develop a better idea of what’s happening inside your game.

You should think of them as three more EQ presets that you can play with. If you like them, great — go nuts. If you don’t, leave them turned off. But they are not the same thing as listening to an actual spatial audio source, like Dolby Atmos for movies, or Dolby Atmos Music . Moreover, they do not perform the same trick as Apple’s head-tracking for spatial audio, which alters the presentation of spatial audio based on your head movements.

I liked the sound of JBL’s filters — movie mode was my favorite — but I still prefer the sound of Dolby Atmos content. The good news is that missing head-tracking aside, these buds will still let you hear Dolby Atmos and Dolby Atmos Music as long as your smartphone and apps support it.

And that’s just the start of a startling list of tech tools that JBL throws your way via the Headphones app. You can perform a fit test, an ear canal test that ostensibly improves active noise cancellation (ANC), and there’s even an option for leakage compensation. Uh, pardon me? It’s sound leakage. ANC requires a strong seal to do its best work, but getting a perfect fit can be hard to achieve let alone maintain, so leakage compensation attempts to correct for those changing seal conditions. It’s the flip side of adaptive ANC, which adjusts itself based on how outside noises change from moment to moment. The Tour Pro 2 has this, too, and you can turn it on and off in the app.

I found ANC on the Tour Pro 2 very effective at blocking a variety of sounds from traffic to the whine of a vacuum, and it even helped reduce the intrusion of nearby conversations as I was trying to write this review. It’s at its best when you’re listening to podcasts, preserving the sound of hosts’ voices even in very noisy environments. It also works well as a tool for diminishing unwanted sounds when you’re not listening to anything at all, although in this situation, you’ll get the best results by using the Silent Now option. This disconnects the Tour Pro 2 from Bluetooth entirely and leaves ANC mode on. You won’t get any notifications or distractions. You can set the duration for Silent Now and the buds will automatically reconnect when the time is up.

This not only preserves battery life but also deals with an anomaly in how the earbuds work with audio connections to your phone or computer. When you’re not listening to any audio, the Tour Pro 2 still react to small changes in your device’s activity — like an incoming text message notification — which can affect how ANC works. It usually presents itself as a slight hiss that sticks around for a minute or two and then goes away until the next notification. Silent Now eliminates this.

The Tour Pro 2 has four versions of transparency. Ambient mode lets in as much outside sound as you want, TalkThru does the same thing but also dips the volume of any audio that’s playing so you can have a conversation, VoiceAware (sidetone) lets you adjust how much of your own voice gets piped back into the earbuds during phone calls, and Personal Sound Amplification is designed to make conversations easier in busy environments.

All four do an excellent job of bringing the outside world in, for greater awareness of your surroundings, but even at their maximum settings, my voice did not sound natural to me — nowhere near as truly “transparent” as the AirPods Pro 2. This diminished the value of TalkThru, VoiceAware, and Personal Sound Amplification.

Call quality on the Tour Pro 2 is surprisingly poor. Not poor in the sense that it’s bad — it’s not. Compared to many other wireless earbuds, it’s on par. I mean poor in the sense that it’s worse than on their predecessors, the Tour Pro+, and much worse than the similarly-priced AirPod Pro 2. Background noise is very effectively canceled, but my voice paid the price for this aggressive processing, becoming warbly and compressed-sounding in anything but the quietest of locations. If you’re primarily using them indoors, it won’t be a problem, but when outside, your callers will be aware of it.

Unbelievably, we still haven’t touched on all of the Tour Pro 2’s features. So before your eyes completely glaze over, let me give you the broad strokes. The charging case will charge wirelessly on any Qi charger, or you can plug it in with the included USB-C cable. When fully charged, it can recharge the earbuds three times from empty.

Battery life on the buds themselves is decent when using adaptive ANC, at a claimed six hours, better when you use non-adaptive ANC (eight hours), and very good when turning ANC off (up to 10 hours). Under ideal conditions, that means you can get as many as 40 hours of play time without needing a power source.

Keep in mind, these numbers all assume a 50% volume level, which may not be loud enough in all situations.

The earbuds have wear sensors and they can be turned on or off depending on whether you want auto-play/pause when you insert or remove them from your ears. I found it was very responsive when turned on.

You can use each earbud independently, and they support Bluetooth Multipoint for connecting two devices simultaneously — a very handy feature for jumping between a phone and a computer. It worked very well, with one exception: when connected to an iPhone and a Mac, the JBL Headphones app wouldn’t always recognize the earbuds. The fix was to disconnect the Mac, open the app, then reconnect the Mac. I didn’t have the same problem with two simultaneous smartphone connections (e.g. iPhone/Android).

Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair are both supported, for one-tap/click pairing on compatible devices.

The Find My Buds feature is rudimentary — there’s no Bluetooth location tracking in the app — but it can still be effective: one or both earbuds can be forced to emit a very loud tone to help you find them. It does not work if the buds are in the case, and unlike the AirPods Pro 2, you get no help in locating a misplaced case.

The notifications on the case — for texts or emails, etc. — is only moderately useful. If the case happens to be located where you can see it, you may notice the very quick, one-line message pop up, but if you miss it, there’s no way to get it back. A small envelope icon in the corner of the screen is your only clue that you missed one.

The lock screen art can be customized in the app. In the accompanying photos, you can see the Digital Trends logo that JBL preloaded onto our review sample, but you can use almost any image you like.

Your phone’s default voice assistant can always be triggered from the earbuds, but Amazon Alexa is also an option on both iOS and Android.

Finally, JBL even gives you some choices when it comes to controls. It’s not nearly the level of customization offered by Jabra or Sennheiser, but each earbud can be assigned one of three function groups: ambient sound control (for all ANC-related features), volume control, and playback/voice assistant control. Unfortunately, you can’t have all three at once, so some tradeoffs must be made.

If there were a prize for the most tricked-out set of wireless earbuds, the JBL Tour Pro 2 would win by a mile. No contest. It’s hard to think of a single feature JBL has left us wanting, with the possible exception of better Bluetooth codecs like LDAC or the aptX family. They’re comfy, they sound very good, and their ANC is more than capable. With excellent battery life and a charging case that is undeniably unique, I was only really let down by the Tour Pro 2’s handling of my voice both on calls and generally when using transparency modes.

Still, for the price, JBL’s latest flagship earbuds offer a ton of value.

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JBL's smart, touchscreen-equipped charging case is coming to the company's latest generation of Live wireless earbuds. JBL says that the $250 Tour Pro 2 -- the wireless earbuds that debuted the smart charging case in 2023 -- rapidly sold out after they went on sale, proof, perhaps, that there's an untapped need that the touchscreen case meets.

The Live 3 were announced at CES 2024 alongside JBL's new Bluetooth speakers, wireless headphones, and party speakers and will sell for $200 when they're released in summer 2024. Like previous JBL Live wireless earbuds, the Live 3 come in three versions, but JBL has changed the naming convention to match its Tune family of wireless earbuds. The new models are the Live Flex 3, the Live Beam 3, and the Live Buds 3. Each comes in a choice of two colors: black and silver.

Along with updated party speakers, Bluetooth speakers, and tons of wireless earbuds and headphones, JBL has something new to show CES 2024 attendees: its first set of open-ear earbuds. They're called the SoundGear Sense, and JBL expects they'll be available by March 2024 for $150, in both black and white colors.

As with all open-ear earbuds, the SoundGear Sense let you hear your music, calls, and podcasts while allowing you to maintain perfect awareness of your surroundings. Instead of sitting inside your ear and/or sealing your ear canals with silicone tips, the SoundGear Sense sit just outside your outer ear and use air conduction (as opposed to bone conduction) to let you hear audio.

Ahead of CES 2024, Raycon, the audio brand that gets a lot of love from social media influencers, has created a new tier for its flagship Everyday lineup of wireless earbuds and headphones: the Everyday Pro.

Both the Everyday Earbuds Pro and the Everyday Headphones Pro are priced at $149 and come in three color choices: white, black, or blue. You'll be able to buy them at the end of January.

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JBL Tour Pro 2 Review

JBL has an interesting new line of Bluetooth products that seem to want to compete with some of the high rollers of wireless audio. So far, their Tour One M2 headphones were pretty impressive as a less expensive over-ear option compared to Sony or Sennheiser’s current flagship models. They’ve had a few budget true wireless earbuds come out, but the Tour Pro 2 is their biggest launch yet. It features an innovation that could be a future staple of truly wireless earbuds, so let’s see if the Tour Pro 2 can make it stick.

What You Get

• 1 x JBL Tour Pro 2 earbuds
• 1 x Charging case
• 1 x USB Type-C charging cable
• 1 x 3 sizes of ear tips
• 1 x Warranty / Warning (W / !)
• 1 x QSG / Safety Sheet (S / i)

Look & Feel

We could talk about the earbuds first, but it’s the charging case that is going to elicit the biggest impression. There’s a touch screen on the charging case that has its own lock screen you can personalize. You can swipe through different playback options, adjust volume, activate ANC, and even sort through EQ presents. There are a ton of features that the Tour Pro 2 offers and the touch screen is just another way of interacting with the earbud’s many features. The earbuds themselves have a nice stemmed design that seems more original in style than their usual output. They’re light and fit great without any problem.

Design & Functionality

10mm dynamic drivers are used here, which is nothing out of the ordinary. You’ll get some adequate volume out of the earbuds, with a little bit of headroom to play with. Like other recent models from JBL, the Tour Pro 2 comes jam-packed with features. ANC is the biggest one of course, and it’s perfectly functional for medium-traffic areas. It’s not the most effective with vents, so you might find trouble with this ANC on airplanes. However, it does enough to be considered effective noise cancelation. Using the earbud’s touch sensors, or the touch screen charging case is simple and easy, with both options being highly responsive. Other cool features like spatial audio mode, EQ, and Personi-Fi all make a return here too.

The Tour Pro 2 comes with the latest Bluetooth version with 5.3 LE. JBL has always carried stable Bluetooth and that’s exactly the case here as well. Pairing is lightning quick, and there were no instances of desynchronization throughout my testing. The only improvement they’ve yet to make is including higher-quality CODECs.

Battery Life

You should get around 10 hours of playtime from one charge of the Tour Pro 2 earbuds. Adding another 30 hours from the charging case makes for 40 total hours of battery life, which is pretty strong for a pair of Bluetooth earbuds.

I’ve been happy about the level of sound quality that recent JBL products have been delivering. One factor of this improvement is the soundstage, which has become less congested and more spread out between the left and right channels. The Tour 1 M2 and Vibe Buds are good examples of better soundstages for JBL, so the Tour Pro 2 should be in the same vein. While the Tour Pro 2 does a good job of keeping the sound elements fighting for the middle, the width of the tracks is still limited. Its wingspan doesn’t reach very far, only expanding half your shoulder length.

This is still an effective soundstage for true wireless earbuds though, as they communicate fair positioning of sound elements throughout the mix. Spatially there isn’t much depth to be found, but the surface of the sound is enjoyable enough. Nothing feels overshadowed or foggy with the Tour Pro 2, and everything is provided with enough room to identify each performance individually. You get a spatial audio option with the Tour Pro 2, but just like on Tour One M2, it doesn’t give off a good effect. It’s more like a digital filter than 3D audio.

JBL knows how to tune a fun bass response that is easy to be gripped by. The bass has a good movement, as you can feel it coming up from a pool of frequency content in the sub-bass. However, the frequencies’ timbre is much more relaxed and lacks the significant energy that JBL provides with a lot of their headphones. You still get a good kick out of the Tour Pro 2, it’s just the power that is a little disappointing. The bass can cut through well though, and with added clarity. However, if you’re looking for a bass that can shake you, you might not find it here, at least not without EQ.

In the mids, the Tour Pro 2 doesn’t offer anything out of the ordinary for JBL’s standard sound. You won’t hear any egregious recession in the midrange, but it’s not the most detailed or transparent range of frequencies. With that being said, the instruments come through smoothly. There is even some admirable expansion to the low and upper mids that help colorize the sound elements enjoyably. This is more like the fun factor that I’m used to hearing from JBL’s sound profile. Of course, you have more options with EQ and Personi-Fi settings, but the default sound is fine as it is.

The treble frequencies are surprisingly expressive, at least with my Personi-Fi activated. Otherwise, the timbre is a lot duller, but never to an extraneous amount. EQ can provide some lift, but using Personi-Fi made most of the difference here. For me, it added pop to the highs, adding more sizzle and height to the sound signature. Cymbals have more movement to them, as they dance around your forehead with more air to their timbre. Overall, the response was far more favorable to me, but your results might not be the same.

JBL’s Bluetooth library is getting pretty strong with these new products being launched. The Tour Pro 2 is the most innovative release from them yet, with its touchscreen charging case that has a few different uses. For now, I see it as a cool novelty rather than a useful feature, although it is a nice inclusion. The sound will have different levels of enjoyment based on which features you choose to use, but in its default mode, there is still enough to enjoy.

The JBL Tour Pro 2 is available at Audio46 .

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First deal finally lands on the JBL Tour Pro 2 buds

Published on October 2, 2023

The JBL Tour Pro 2 launched almost six months ago, so it’s been a real waiting game for the first deal on the high-end wireless earbuds to drop. Amazon has finally delivered, with the price of the buds slashed to $199 today.

JBL Tour Pro 2 for $199 ($51 off)

The deal saves you over 20% and is currently only available on the black colorway of the earbuds. The wait continues if you hope to pick up the Champagne color of the JBL earbuds at a discount, although Black Friday is just around the corner.

The JBL Tour Pro 2 earbuds boast adaptive noise cancelation tech that adjusts in real time to the loudness of your surroundings. In terms of battery life, you’re getting up to eight hours of continuous listening with noise cancelation activated, and the charging case provides an additional 24 to 30 hours. The case itself is unique, featuring a 1.45-inch touchscreen LCD that allows users to control various settings directly. Additional functionalities include multipoint connectivity, various spatial audio profiles, and a utility for locating misplaced earbuds. The buds are also slated for future updates to support the Low Energy Audio specification, potentially enhancing their efficiency and battery performance.

Hit the widget above to learn more about the deal.