JBL Tour Pro 2 Review: Future-Ready Earphones
Holding a JBL Tour Pro 2 somewhat feels like having a slice of the future in the palms of your hand. The striking built-in LCD screen on the front of the case of the earbuds is a compelling sight, if not an exciting peek into what the future of gadgets could look like. But is it all showbiz and no substance? Delve into this at-length review to find out!
JBL Tour Pro 2 Review
| JBL Tour Pro 2 Specs | |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 |
| Codec Support | AAC, LC3, LC3+, SBC |
| Battery Life | Total 40 hours (with charging case) Up to 10 hours (ANC off)Up to 8 hours (single charge in earbuds, ANC on) |
| Frequency | 2.4 GHz – 2.4835 GHz |
| Modulation | GFSK, π/4-DQPSK, 8-DPSK |
| Weight | 2.6 |
| Driver Size | 10 |
| Noise-Cancellation | Yes |
| Weight | 6.1g each |
What Is In The Box?
- True wireless in-ear headphones with noise-cancelling technology and a smart case from JBL (Champagne)
- Innovative Power Bank
- Three sets of equally sized ear tips
- USB Type-C Charging Cable with a Manufacturer’s Limited Warranty of One Year
Features Of JBL Tour Pro 2
JBL claims to follow the Harman response curve for designing these 10-millimetre drivers with some added bass features. It sounds pretty cool in all the settings and stays true to their brand name and reverence. However, the matter comes down to the price point. At $250, you would expect the audio to have better depth, dynamic range, clarity, and fidelity than Samsung, AirPods Pro, and Sennheiser’s True Wireless 3 earbuds. And that is where the JBL Tour Pro 2 falls short. It offers several equaliser settings, and you can always customise audio inputs through the Personi-Fi feature.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
JBL Tour Pro 2’s standout feature must be noise cancellation. Standing in the middle of a busy road helps tune out traffic sounds to almost the last bit. While loud noises and whooshes filter through, these earbuds beautifully eliminate most of the racket. Moreover, the intelligent case offers three options: standard Noise Canceling, Talkthru, and Ambient Aware modes.
Spatial Audio Experience
JBL excited this one quite a bit, and rightfully so, we may add. The multipoint, proprietary audio profiles come with separate sound modes for movies, games, music, etc. They have also managed to integrate an earbuds locator utility. Another exciting feature in this section is VoiceAware. It detects speech and automatically turns on ambient mode as and when required. The calling clarity is satisfactory but does not rank high regarding water and sweat resistance. Apart from the ambient/ transparency sound mode that sounds stuffy and made up compared to competitors, the spatial audio features shine through for the Tour Pro 2.
Screen Features: Good Or Bad?
Coming to the most exciting and unique feature: the screen. It is a comparatively big (1.45-inch) LCD touchscreen with wireless charging support. While some may wish for a brighter OLED screen, this one makes up for it with a few special screen features.
With JBL Tour Pro 2, you can adjust between three brightness levels using the case. Tap on the display, and you will see your chosen wallpapers that you can choose from either presets or customise. One slide of the finger to the right, and you will find the different functions such as playback controls, equaliser, sound mode, timer, spatial audio, volume, screen brightness, VoiceAware (to determine how sensitive voice awareness functions are at any given moment), notifications, auto-play/pause, wallpaper selection, flashlight, Find My Buds, and so much more.
There are a lot of widgets, and you can choose which ones to keep through the JBL app on your mobile. However, with so much going on, you would think they would have preferred to display which soundtrack is currently playing, but unfortunately, it is missing. So are the controls for rewind and fast-forward on the screen.
Summing up
The JBL Tour Pro 2 earbuds sound pretty good, if not great. Fitting snugly, they offer a stylish and comfortable audio experience as well. They come with a great battery life and one of the best audio features with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). Once the LE audio spec goes mainstream, JBL has announced that the Tour Pro 2 will adapt, which can mean improved efficiency and a better battery life.
Pros and Cons Of JBL Tour Pro 2
| Pros | Cons |
| Superb battery life | Transparency mode sounds artificial |
| A-grade noise cancellation | Could have better audio fidelity |
| Fun and interactive case | Adds one more screen to your life |
Should I Buy JBL Tour Pro 2?
While it is a good and somewhat futuristic gadget, the all-around verdict remains that it does not provide $250-worthy audio fidelity. The in-built screen on the case might be a fun addition. So, go for it if you want a good audio experience with a cool feature on the side. Your demands and choices determine whether you should buy the JBL Tour Pro 2—research expert and customer evaluations to learn about the performance and user experience of the earbuds. Check your needs to match sound quality, comfort, battery life, and connectivity. To make an informed choice based on your priorities and preferences, compare the JBL Tour Pro 2 to other items.
FAQs
Q: Can the JBL Tour Pro 2 earbuds case be used only as a case without using the in-built screen?
No. The screen will automatically light up on turning on the earbuds. You can choose to keep minimum widgets to lessen the interactions.
Q: Does JBL Tour Pro 2 provide all-around ANC?
Yes. It provides active noise cancellation for most noises and three noise cancellation modes that you can pick from.
Q: Will I get a replacement if I drop the earbuds case and the screen gets damaged?
Yes. Within the warranty period, JBL offers swift assistance for all screen damage-related matters for JBL Tour Pro 2.
