JBL Tour Pro 2: An Honest Review

The Tour Pro 2 noise-canceling true wireless earphones from JBL never scrimp on features. The $249.95 model has consistent active noise cancellation (ANC), a customizable bass-forward sound characteristic, and a lengthy battery life. The unique touch screen on their charging case may be simplified. We prefer the second-generation Apple AirPods Pro for the same price because they sound better, cancel noise better, and work better with iPhones.

JBL Tour Pro 2 Specs

Battery Life

The stem-style Tour Pro 2 earphones in black or champagne fit firmly and come with three silicone ear tips. In their hefty enclosures, 10mm dynamic speakers produce 20 Hz to 20 kHz with a 16 ohm impedance. They support Bluetooth 5.3 and only AAC and SBC. JBL said they would support LE Audio using LC3 or LC3+ codecs, although they didn’t mention a timetable. We wanted AptX or LDAC (like the $279.99 Sony WF-1000XM4 earphones), but neither the $299 Bose QuietComfort II earphones nor the AirPods Pro do. At least Google Fast Pair is supported.

Build and design

The case display is the only area to start designing. The 1.45-inch LCD touchscreen allows for comfortable swipes across the simple user interface. No resolution has been specified for this screen by JBL, but it doesn’t matter. The essential point is that it has enough detail to be visible in most lighting circumstances. You can choose between low, mid, and high brightness, although the lowest is usually enough. A right swipe opens the screen without a PIN or password. This lock screen wallpaper can be customized with a preset or custom design. The latter uses the Android and iOS JBL Headphones app.

You can also choose which of the six optional case display pages to display: Ambient Sound Control (ANC and transparency modes), Spatial Sound, Equalizer, VoiceAware (voice detection sensitivity), Auto Play & Pause, and SilentNow. This device has many features, including playback and volume controls, timers, bud finding, and lighting. The case can answer calls and display notifications, but the latter often cuts off important information. The box includes three silicone ear tip sizes, and the JBL Headphones app has an easy seal test. Even after selecting the proper ear tip size, the buds never felt secure. I feared they would fall out when walking down the street, so anything more vigorous was out.

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Sound quality

How does the JBL Tour Pro 2 sound? The quick answer is good, but not as good as other competitors. Wireless earbuds lack warmth and depth, but dual 10mm drivers add them. It’s detailed enough to hear each instrument in a song’s background but has enough bass when needed. The JBL Headphones app has an in-depth hearing test and lets you customize it. I didn’t detect any major changes before or after the test, but it’s nice to have. The casing has equalization for more precise bass, mid, and treble control.

The five preset profiles—jazz, vocal, bass, club, and studio—change the sound. With either AAC or SBC output, the Tour Pro 2 falls behind rivals in high-res codec support. It means Amazon Music’s ‘Best of Ultra HD’ playlist won’t be CD-quality, but most songs sound great. Pop songs like Lil Nas X’s ‘Industry Baby’ aren’t overwhelming despite a well-produced backing track and thundering vocals. ‘As It Was’ is totally different in tone and manner, yet the buds catch Harry Styles’ subtleties.

Noise cancellation and smart features

Active noise cancellation (ANC) is essential on wireless earbuds, and JBL has done it effectively here. Only a good seal blocks most external noise with the ANC. In loud places, a lot of sound penetrates your ears without your knowledge. An ear canal test on the JBL Headphones app detects your ear canal and adjusts the ANC to suit it. Like the customized sound, this doesn’t seem to improve performance, but it’s worth doing. Two other main listening modes exist. JBL’s transparency option, ‘Ambient Aware,’ lets you adjust the sound with an in-app slider. This makes hearing everything around you easy at maximum volume.

A special ‘TalkThru’ mode amplifies sounds well, allowing you to hold a full conversation without removing the headphones. This mode cannot be used simultaneously with the others. TalkThru won’t be useful if you utilize ANC like me. Another important audio element is spatial sound, which makes audio seem to come from all directions. Few songs are meant to be played this way, but those that are sound great. JBL has movie, music, and game spatial sound options; however, I didn’t see any difference. JBL offers an additional option for silent ANC use. ‘SilentNow’ enables ANC and disconnects Bluetooth to save power.

Features

JBL’s latest wireless earbuds provide many features for a great wireless experience. The call-enabled buds have 40 hours of playback, which is enough for frugal users. With ANC on, the buds last eight hours (or 10 hours without), but a 15-minute charge can extend battery life by four hours. Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II last 24 hours, while Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 last 30. As expected, JBL has added active noise cancellation (ANC) to the Tour Pro 2, with the JBL app and smart case offering access to Noise Cancelling, Ambient Aware, and Talkthru modes. While there’s a difference between these three modes, none is particularly noteworthy.

Standing next to a somewhat busy road with noise canceling reduces traffic rumbling, but automobile wooshes, bumps, and other invasions continue. The charging case screen and app can control most of these functionalities, including spatial audio, ANC, and JBL’s built-in equalizer. To justify its existence, JBL’s novelty display also shows your smartphone’s notifications and alerts, controls VoiceAware settings to let you choose how much of your voice you hear on calls, and autoplay, and has a useful Find My Buds feature. A case flashlight is available, but it’s too dim to light a mouse’s pantry.

FAQs

JBL Pro 2 waterproof?

No worries whether at the gym or in the rain. IPX5 certification makes JBL Live Pro 2 headphones water-resistant.

How big is the JBL Tour Pro 2 driver?

JBL Pro Sound 10mm dynamic drivers deliver deep-dive bass.

JBL Tour Pro 2 battery life?

Adaptive noise cancellation in the JBL Tour Pro 2 earphones adapts to ambient volume. The charging case adds 24 to 30 hours to the eight hours of continuous listening with noise cancellation.