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JBL’s Tour Pro 2 wireless earbuds are an exciting newcomer to this fiercely competitive product category. In addition to a host of predictable audio performance upgrades, the legendary audio maker’s latest premium earphones rock a storage case with an onboard color touchscreen.
The color touchscreen adds a new world of features to an otherwise ubiquitous accessory. It was among the reasons why the Tour Pro 2 wireless earbuds are one of our favorite products of CES 2023.
I’ve been looking forward to testing the JBL Tour Pro 2 since their debut for the conversation-worthy case and $249.95 sticker. The latter places the product in the same league as big-name rivals with a proven record of excellence, such as the Apple AirPods Pro, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, and the Sony WF-1000XM4. After a week as my go-to set, here is how JBL’s latest earbuds stack up.
SCORES
Sound: 8/10
Comfort: 8/10
Design: 8/10
Battery Performance: 9/10
Overall Score: 8/10
JBL Tour Pro 2 at a Glance
- Customizable sound and noise cancellation
- Up to 10 hours of battery life
- IPX5 water-resistant
SOUND: 8/10
The Tour Pro 2 earbuds pack 10-millimeter audio drivers, tuned to deliver JBL Pro Sound. In real life, the last-mentioned term translates into a sonic experience with a noticeable harmony between bass, treble, and mid-range. For comparison, the brand’s lower-priced true wireless earbuds produce a sound with varying levels of enhanced bass.
As expected, the earbuds’ sound is customizable via a JBL mobile app with an easy-to-navigate interface. The available tools include an elaborate selection of equalizer presets and the option to create your own. You can save the custom setting for quick and easy access.
There’s also the option to create a sound profile tailored to your hearing by taking a hearing test. Dubbed Personi-fi 2.0, the feature will factor in your age, gender, and listening experience. Setting it up takes a few minutes in a quiet space.
A buzzworthy new feature that’s becoming common in wireless earbuds regardless of their price point, spatial sound is unsurprisingly available on the Tour Pro 2 earbuds. The functionality is powered by JBL tech, making the sonic experience more lifelike and enjoyable.
I enjoyed spatial sound while listening to live jazz and classical music tracks. I also liked having easy-to-access modes for music, video, and gameplay.
The earbuds’ noise cancellation is stellar, and given their sticker, I expected nothing less. The Tour Pro 2 swiftly reduced the Midtown Manhattan traffic cacophony underneath my living room window to a barely audible hum. Its customizable Ambient Aware and TalkThru modes were also reliable for keeping me aware of my surroundings and making short conversations.
Regarding sound quality and noise cancellation, the Tour Pro 2 earbuds are the best I have experienced from JBL. In an inevitable head-to-head sonic comparison with the similarly priced AirPods Pro, the Sony WF-1000XM4, and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, the JBL Tour Pro 2 held its ground in certain aspects and left a little to be desired in others.
Sony’s earbuds have a serious edge in sound quality, while the Bose product offers superior noise cancellation and aware mode. On the other hand, the AirPods Pro earphones have an edge in spatial audio capabilities without skimping on great sound and efficient noise cancellation.
The call quality of the Tour Pro 2 is solid. Each earbud packs three microphones, helping me sound clear during telephone and FaceTime calls and virtual meetings. Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity allowed the earbuds to maintain a rock-solid link with an iPhone 14 Pro Max, a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, and a MacBook Pro while I put them through their paces.
COMFORT: 8/10
The Tour Pro 2 treated me to hours of use without causing fatigue or discomfort. At 6.1 grams each, the earbuds weigh on par with the 6.2-gram Bose QuietComfort II earbuds and less than the 7.3-gram Sony WF-1000XM4. Considering the Pro 2’s battery life alone, such a low weight is quite impressive.
The app-customizable touch controls of the Tour Pro 2 are adequate, but not the product category’s best. The touch setup with swipeable volume controls of the Bose QuietComfort II earbuds is better. Apple’s squeezable stems of the AirPods Pro are the best in this price range.
Remarkably, the color touchscreen-toting case of the latest JBL earbuds offers access to all controls dressed in an intuitive interface you can navigate with swiping gestures. I could customize the sound and the noise cancellation, switch between spatial sound modes, adjust the volume, and take calls quickly and effortlessly.
The above features are easy to tap into directly on the earbuds or by opening the JBL Headphones app, so adding another screen to your daily routine is not necessary. So is the option to see phone notifications on the screen of your earbuds — a smartwatch is the only secondary device that should have this duty.
After a week of using the bundled accessory and pondering its utility, I found it helpful while using the Tour Pro 2 in a multi-link setup with a MacBook and iPhone. I could change the sound settings while streaming music from my laptop and take calls on my phone from the buds’ case.
DESIGN: 8/10
Design-wise, the JBL Tour Pro 2 is a hybrid between compact and stem earbuds. Available in black and champagne colors, the earphones’ short stems have glossy and matte bits, giving them a distinct, undeniably premium look. They are IPX5 water-resistant and suitable for exercising.
I tip my hat to JBL for making the Tour Pro 2 case touchscreen customizable via colorful graphics or an image of your choice. This will give you a quick and easy way to personalize one of your most commonly used gadgets.
Equipping the charging case of the earphone with a touchscreen has made the accessory bulkier than its rivals. This isn’t a dealbreaker, but if you like to carry your earbuds’ case in the small pocket of your jeans like me, it's a slight inconvience.
BATTERY PERFORMANCE: 9/10
You can expect up to 6 hours of use with adaptive noise cancellation from the JBL Tour Pro 2. Switching between adaptive and adjustable noise cancellation will get you two more hours’ worth of audio playback. Disabling noise cancellation will place the earbuds’ battery life in the double-digit realm — to 10 hours between charges.
Overall, the battery life of the Tour Pro 2 is excellent and longer than the endurance of big-name rivals like the Bose QuietComfort II earbuds and the AirPods Pro. The smart case of the earbuds holds three additional full charges. It has a USB-C connector and compatibility with wireless charging.
OVERALL: 8/10
I’ve been testing true wireless earbuds since these products entered the mainstream in 2017, and the JBL Tour Pro 2 is the first set defined by its charging case. The essential accessory’s onboard touchscreen is handy and quirky in equal measure. After a week of living with it, I found the controls and customizable design of the buds’ case cool and convenient but insufficient to make me drop $250 on a pair.
Thankfully, the product’s customizable sound, solid noise cancellation, spatial audio capabilities, and long battery life make a convincing case for splurging on one. The JBL Tour Pro 2 is a great option if you want a premium set of earbuds not named Apple, Bose, or Sony.
Consider the JBL Live Pro 2 earbuds if you want good sound, noise cancellation, and long battery life for less. The Soundcore Liberty Pro 4 earbuds by Anker are worth a long look if you want quality sound, noise cancellation, and spatial audio on a tighter budget.
Stefan is the senior technology editor for BestProducts.com, where he’s been covering the tech industry and testing the latest gadgets since 2015. He has more than a decade of experience covering consumer tech products, especially smartphones, tablets, laptops, and audio gear. He was previously the US editor for GSMArena.com; his work can also be found on Popular Mechanics and other Hearst publications.In the rare moments when he’s not playing with a new gadget, Stefan likes to watch live Premier League games or hang out with his cat and rabbit. He’s also an espresso snob.
