Early this year, JBL released two new headphones in the Tour series; the JBL Tour One M2 headphones and JBL Tour Pro 2 in-ears. Both products are made for those with an active lifestyle looking for high-quality audio and active noise cancellation. In this review, we test both models.
In this review, we look at two different headphones: an over-the-ear model (JBL Tour One M2) and an in-ear model (JBL Tour Pro 2). First, we look at the specifications and main features per model.
JBL Tour One M2
The JBL Tour One M2 is the successor to the JBL Tour One. These headphones combine JBL’s hybrid True Adaptive ANC with JBL Pro-tuned drivers. According to the manufacturer, this should ensure the best sound. The active noise canceling automatically adapts to the environment in real-time. The battery life is 50 hours (30 hours with ANC on), and a ten-minute charge gives you five hours of listening.
Features of the JBL Tour ONE M2
- True Adaptive noise canceling with adjustable ANC and adjustable ambient noise
- 40mm dynamic drivers tuned by JBL PRO sound
- Customizable sound experience with Personi-fi 2.0
- Phone calls with 4-mic technology with VoiceAware
- JBL Spatial Sound
- Up to 50 hours total music playback, up to 30 hours with ANC activated
- Bluetooth 5.3, LE Audio connectivity
- Comfortable, compact, foldable design and 278g in weight
- Price: 299 euros
JBL Tour Pro 2
These are earbuds with a smart charging case containing a display. The company calls it a smart charging case with a 1.45-inch LED touch display. It allows you to manage your music, adjust earbuds and receive messages, calls, and social media notifications. And that without having to touch your phone. The JBL Tour Pro 2 has active noise canceling and six microphones.
Features of the JBL Tour Pro 2
- True Adaptive noise canceling with adjustable ANC and adjustable ambient noise
- 10mm dynamic drivers powered by JBL PRO sound
- Customizable sound experience with Personi-fi 2.0
- JBL Spatial Sound
- 40 hours of total music playback – 10 hours in the earbuds and an additional 30 hours in the case
- 6-mic phone calls with VoiceAware
- Bluetooth 5.3, LE Audio connectivity
- Oval tube design with multiple ear tip sizes for comfort, performance and seal
- Water repellent
- Price: 249 euros
Design JBL Tour One M2
The JBL Tour One M2 is a premium over-ear headphone, meaning the ear cushions fall over the ears, and you are completely cut off from the outside world. The headphones are black and grey/beige, with chrome elements and a high-quality finish. The whole can be folded into a compact package and stored in the supplied case. JBL has provided the headphones with a beautiful design with a sleek finish and, above all, a sturdy design. The number of buttons is limited to three; volume, on/off/Bluetooth, and ANC. The rest of the operation takes place via touches on the ear cup.
The cushions are large enough to cover the average ear and feel very comfortable. The headphones are easy to adjust, quite light, and weigh 278 grams, and the headband also feels comfortable enough not to disturb even after a longer listening time. All in all, the Tour One M2 is a comfortable pair of headphones for longer listening sessions.
Design JBL Tour Pro 2
The Tour Pro 2 is a completely different model, with two separate earpieces placed in the ear. However, this model is also characterized by a premium, sleek finish. Two things immediately stand out; the display on the front of the charging case, or the ‘smart case’ as JBL calls it, and the feather-light design of the earphones.
The smart case is not light and can even be a bit heavy, which you have to consider if it is in your pocket while walking or exercising. The higher weight is due to the built-in battery, but also the display that can be found on the front. This display has a relatively high resolution and a color screen on which the most important settings can be adjusted, and you can see notifications from your phone. The touch controls work fine, and everything on the screen is easily read. A nice extra is that you can customize the background (screensaver) with your image. Also useful is the display of the battery, both the earphones and the case itself.
The earphones are very light, which improves wearing comfort. You hardly notice that you are wearing earphones, which sit firmly in the ear, so you can also do light sports without any problems. They sometimes want to get loose if you go for a run or intensive sports in the gym. For more intensive sports, we often recommend earphones with a hook. JBL supplies three different tips so that the earphones fit almost every ear.
Use JBL Tour One M2
The basic controls of the JBL Tour One M2 are found on the earcups of the headphones, with three buttons and gestures (or taps) on the earcups. These gestures can be set up via the JBL Headphones app itself, but basically, you can pause the music, choose the next or previous song and accept a call with one, two, or three taps on the ear. The ANC button can also be adjusted by adding Ambient Aware or TalkThru.
The Headphones app lets you set up and personalize the headphones to your liking. That is also the strength of JBL: many options and extras. You have to find your way around, and not all options are interesting for everyone, but something in between makes the headphones just a little better for your use.
For example, you can switch between ANC (active noise reduction), Ambient Aware (ambient sound is audible), and TalkThru (clear sound to have a conversation) via the app. ANC is further adjustable for Adaptive ANC (the headphones adjust the ANC level by listening to the environment) and leakage compensation (whether the sound is leaking out due to the ears not being closed properly). Personi-Fi is another interesting personalization feature, which we’ll discuss in more detail later in the review along with ANC.
In the app, we also see an equalizer with different presets, but you can also set the equalizer completely to your liking. Spatial Sound is a feature of JBL that makes movies, games, and music more spacious. For music, however, it is a bit too much; stereo sounds much better. The Gestures option partially allows you to customize the gestures on the ear cup. Smart Talk is a handy feature that allows the headphones to recognize that you are talking and quickly activate the TalkThru function until your conversation ends. Smart Audio & Video is interesting if you watch many films and series. The headphones then automatically switch between presets for audio and video, which has the advantage for video in that there are hardly any lip sync problems.
SilentNow is a function that allows you to create a silent bubble (without sound) when you need some peace, and Siri or Alexa can be activated if you want to use voice control. Finally, you can have the headphones turn off automatically after a certain period, and with VoiceAware, you can set how loud you hear your voice during calls. I haven’t even discussed all the options and functions yet, but as you can read, there are more than enough possibilities to adjust the headphones and their use completely to your liking.
Use JBL Tour Pro 2
The JBL Tour Pro 2 is a different product, but many of the same features as the Tour One M2 can be found in the Headphones app. However, a little more automatically occurs immediately after pairing, including an ear canal test and a fit test with leakage compensation. Based on a short test, the earphones determine whether they close properly and fit well. The ear canal test also scans your ear canal, where the ANC is adjusted for optimal audio reproduction. These are handy and quick tools to adjust the earphones to your ears and hearing quickly.
In the app, we see the same functions and options, including separate sections to perform the aforementioned tests again manually. Extra is the option for ‘Find my earphones,’ which plays a loud sound through the earphones. There are also settings for the display of the Smart Case in the app. These settings are the same as on the case itself, including brightness, screen saver, notifications from your smartphone, and shortcuts. The added value of this display still needs to be mentioned. It is mainly a fun gimmick and distinctive element compared to the competition. According to JBL, the screen is useful when you don’t have your smartphone at hand, but we have not yet found ourselves in such a situation where the case is nearby, but the smartphone is not. Your smartphone is always present, and you often put the case in your inner pocket or bag. Perhaps a useful scenario is when you use another device as a source for music or video, for example, a laptop. It can also sometimes be more convenient to adjust the volume via the case than via your smartphone, for example, while walking or exercising. The display looks good, works perfectly, and is a nice extra.
Apart from the volume, the options ANC, Ambient Aware, and TalkThru can be selected via gestures (tapping) on the earphones. It can also be used to accept a call or start voice control. In addition, you can pause music and choose the previous or next track. However, tapping on a small earpiece is a bit more difficult than on a large one and can sometimes cause you to tap the earpiece loose so the ear is less well closed. You can also miss more quickly. The Smart Case is also more convenient since the same settings can be found here and in the app on your smartphone. The use of the so-called Gestures, therefore, takes some getting used to and is not useful in every situation.
ANC and Personi Fi
We combine Active Noice Canceling (ANC), Ambient Aware, TalkThru, and Personi-Fi features for both products. This is because the basis for this is the same, but the effect can differ due to the difference in the closure of the ears. Looking at the active noise reduction and JBL’s years of experience in this area, we can only conclude that both headphones perform above average. As a listener, you are almost completely cut off from the outside world, and disturbing ambient noises are filtered out almost perfectly. The over-ear variant does slightly better in this area, which can be explained by the better sealing of the ears. But both devices are perfect for your quiet bubble in the busy city, on the plane, or on the train. The Adaptive function of ANC is also ideal because it means you do not have to switch levels for ANC every time. Both headphones themselves adjust the level of ANC by listening to the environment. Sometimes this takes a few seconds, for example, when you get off a quiet train on a busy platform, but the headphones adapt effortlessly to this. The same applies to the leakage compensation, which automatically checks whether sound ‘leaks out’ due to a lesser connection to the ear canal (Pro 2) or the ear cushion (One M2). We experience a stable and continuous audio quality without checking exactly when this happens, even when an earpiece is slightly less well in the ear. Both headphones themselves adjust the level of ANC by listening to the environment. Sometimes this takes a few seconds, for example, when you get off a quiet train on a busy platform, but the headphones adapt effortlessly to this. The same applies to the leakage compensation, which automatically checks whether sound ‘leaks out’ due to a lesser connection to the ear canal (Pro 2) or the ear cushion (One M2). We experience a stable and continuous audio quality without checking exactly when this happens, even when an earpiece is slightly less well in the ear. Both headphones themselves adjust the level of ANC by listening to the environment. Sometimes this takes a few seconds, for example, when you get off a quiet train on a busy platform, but the headphones adapt effortlessly to this. The same applies to the leakage compensation, which automatically checks whether sound ‘leaks out’ due to a lesser connection to the ear canal (Pro 2) or the ear cushion (One M2). We experience a stable and continuous audio quality without checking exactly when this happens, even when an earpiece is slightly less well in the ear. But the headphones adapt effortlessly to this.
Ambient Aware is a great option if, for example, you are walking and want to keep an eye on your surroundings or if you are cycling through traffic. Ambient sounds are passed through clearly enough to enjoy music and get the environment. TalkThru is a handy feature when you want to have a quick conversation. This can be done manually by activating the function or having the headphones automatically recognize when you talk.
Then there is the interesting feature called Personi-Fi. According to JBL, this adjusts the audio reproduction (equalizer) to your ear canal and hearing. The system asks questions about gender, age, and listening experience, creating a basic profile. After that, nine tones (from low to high) are played for each ear, and you have to release a button in the app as soon as you no longer hear the tone. Now this will vary from person to person, but the tone was always audible in my case. However, not letting go of the button caused the tone to replay, forcing me to guess when the tone would restart, finding the exact moment when the tone was least audible. That wasn’t easy and not the purpose of this test. Not a single tone could be heard anymore, so it was unclear whether adjustments had to be made to the equalizer. Nevertheless, the system gave a result with a few (minor) adjustments, and you can immediately compare those adjustments after the test with the audio reproduction before the test. The results differed each time as I was sometimes just too late releasing (so the software thought I didn’t hear a loud noise). After a few tries, a reasonable result came out, and after the test, the sound sounded a bit fuller and more bombastic. Not necessarily better, in my opinion, although that is a matter of taste. Even after the test, it remains unclear how adjustments were made while not a single tone was inaudible. In the end, I chose to disable Personi-Fi completely.
Incidentally, there is one more component that we would like to highlight for both devices: calling with your headphones. This is very simple and of high quality with both devices. Thanks to the (several) built-in microphones, you can be heard perfectly, and conversations can be conducted seamlessly and clearly.
Audio quality JBL Tour One M2
The JBL Tour One M2 comes with two 40mm drivers that can produce a nice volume, and as the volume goes up, the music also comes to life. The headphones offer a fairly limited soundstage but provide a dynamic reproduction with good balance. Of course, it largely depends on the presets and settings you choose. For this test, we have therefore disabled almost all features that affect audio quality.
The audio reproduction is relatively closed, but that is also the only small downside of these headphones. You can pull the vocals a little further forward with the Spatial Sound option, but at the same time, you lose some detail. The overall most vibrant display is achieved with these options disabled and an equalizer preset of your choice.
JBL has mastered the reproduction of the low tones well. These are reproduced with sufficient punch and power without dominating or exaggerating. The vocals and other mids are well-balanced, clear, and transparent, with plenty of energy and detail. The Tour One M2 also maintains perfect control of the highs so they are sparkling and never too loud or sharp. The overall picture is well-balanced, dynamic, controlled, and transparent. The only thing we miss a bit, given the price segment of these headphones, is the wider and deeper soundstage, which makes the whole thing even more alive.
Audio quality JBL Tour Pro 2
The JBL Tour Pro 2 are comfortable headphones to wear and listen to. The audio reproduction is warm, transparent, and well-balanced. Yet I notice the same limitation here as with the Tour One M2; the lack of space. The soundstage is not wide or deep and mainly lingers in the middle. This ensures that just that little bit of extra life and dynamics is missing in the reproduction.
Nevertheless, this headphone knows how to handle the limited space well. Instruments find their place and are distinguishable, vocals come across as transparent and clear, and there is sufficient detail in the reproduction. The lows lack that bit of punch but are convincingly tight and never dominate. Highs are detailed and clear without coming across as shrill or harsh. We missed some flexibility and emotion in the vocals, something that the M2 had more.
The Tour Pro 2 generally remains somewhat flat, especially if we compare the earphones to the competition in the same price range. The listening session never gets boring or boring because the balance is there, and the earphones score sufficient in all areas, but the Tour Pro 2 does not impress in any of these areas and can place itself among the top earphones.
Conclusion
With the Tour One M2 and Tour Pro 2 headphones, JBL mainly relies on extensive features and extras, excellent noise reduction, a very long battery life, and a premium and lightweight design. The company has been one of the better players in these areas for years. And the Tour Pro 2 even adds an innovative Smart Case with a display, although its usefulness is debatable. However, it is about the differentiating factor, and these extras probably tempt buyers.
Both headphones are easy to use, comfortable to wear, and pleasant to listen to. However, they are not among the best in their price segment. If you have to choose between these two models and want the best audio quality, the Tour One M2 is better. Naturally, you also sacrifice the compact size and the Smart Case with the display. The display of the Tour One M2 is well-balanced, dynamic, controlled, and transparent. The only thing we miss is a wider and deeper soundstage. The Tour Pro 2 are excellent earphones that you will not get bored of quickly, and that can provide comfortable, long listening sessions. But, purely looking at the audio quality, you can get more for 300 euros today. On the other hand, you miss the Smart Case and some of JBL’s useful features.
All in all, you can’t go wrong with either the Tour One M2 or Tour Pro 2. They are both headphones with solid basic quality, their target group, and their distinguishing factor. Whether one of these headphones is the right choice depends on which part you value the most.
Pros
- JBL Tour One M2
- Comfortable and light
- Lots of extras and a good app
- Good noise reduction
- Long battery life
- JBL Tour Pro 2
- Comfortable and light
- Lots of extras and a good app
- Good noise reduction
- Long battery life
- Smart Case is a nice extra
Negatives
- JBL Tour One M2
- Personi-Fi is unconvincing
- The soundstage is quite limited
- JBL Tour Pro 2
- Personi-Fi is unconvincing
- Audio playback is somewhat flat
