Announced in the fall and available for a few weeks, JBL’s Tour Pro 2 represent the top of the range true wireless of the manufacturer. They stand out from the competition with the addition of a color LCD screen on the charging case. Does that make it a must-have at the start of the year? To find out, we lived for five weeks with these headphones not quite like the others.
JBL Tour Pro 2 Pricing and Availability
JBL’s high-end headphones are already available in France at a price of 249 euros. They are available in two shades: black and champagne.
An attractive, but underused screen
To integrate an LCD screen and its electronics into the case of the Tour Pro 2, JBL had two options: trim the size of the battery to make room or enlarge the case. Fortunately, the manufacturer has opted for the second possibility, without however exaggerating since its volume is similar to that of the QuietComfort Earbuds II. The weight, on the other hand, takes a small hit since the case alone still weighs 73 grams (compared to 50 grams for that of the Airpods Pro 2).
The full-length LCD screen has a diagonal of 36.8 mm (1.45”) and has a touch-sensitive surface. It is bright enough to be readable in direct sunlight. JBL entrusts it with the display of an impressive set of parameters. Examples include sound control, noise cancellation and equalizer, playing a playlist, displaying smartphone notifications, and more. You go from one parameter to another by sliding your finger on the screen, a locking mechanism preventing any accidental manipulation when the case is in a pocket.
© Marc Mitrani for Presse-Citron
The wow effect of this small screen is indisputable. More discreet than a smartphone, it takes all its interest if you want to take it out of your bag or your pocket in a public place. We also appreciate the access to all the operating parameters when the headphones are connected to a device that does not support the companion application (a television, for example).
If the concept is interesting, it is clear that it is currently under-exploited. Impossible for example to choose a playlist in Deezer or Spotify as one would do from a connected watch. It will also be necessary to dispense with the display of the title of the song being read or any information concerning it. Damage. Small consolation for Youtube Music users: the title of the song is displayed during the first seconds of playback in the form of a… message notification!
Asked about this, JBL France admits not knowing if streaming applications will be supported by the display of the Tour Pro 2. We are entitled to doubt it since no API (programming interface essential for the operation material or functionality) has been made public. In the current state, the Tour Pro 2 screen therefore remains an interesting gadget, but not essential. It will only really help in a few very specific situations.
© JBL
Fortunately, the screen is not the only asset of the Tour Pro 2. Of the in-ear type, the headphones have a mini-stem, unfortunately made popular by Apple’s AirPods. Support is provided by silicone tips. This is not a problem in normal use, but can become more problematic if you practice a sport that is even a little restless. We will therefore take care to choose the tips best suited to our ear canals in order to ensure reliable support.
A well-thought-out companion app
Reading control, taking phone calls and invoking the assistant are done using the touch zones on each earpiece. The JBL Headphones companion app allows you to customize the controls available. This is not its only asset, far from it, since it offers quite an impressive set of possibilities.
For example, it is possible to adapt the audio rendering according to your hearing, to activate the spatial sound, to adjust the audio amplification, to check the correct positioning of the headphones or to adjust the sound equalizer. All using a simple, intuitive and above all very effective interface.
Very honorable noise cancellation and audio quality
The application of course gives access to the setting of the ambient noise cancellation. On this subject, JBL has chosen to focus on reducing low frequencies. In a train, a bus or an airplane, the sound of the engines will be effectively reduced so as to avoid fatigue due to background noise.
On the other hand, the mediums are much less attenuated in order to allow the user to remain in contact with his immediate surroundings. For example, human voices and audio announcements can be heard in an airplane. This is a change from the competition which seeks at all costs to lock the listener into a bubble of silence.
© Marc Mitrani for Presse-Citron
Is this a good thing? After a good month of testing, we continue to think that it would be better to leave the choice to the user. Certainly, it is possible to act on the sound intensity of perception, but we will never reach the level of a Bose or a Sony in terms of isolation.
The sound quality produced by the Tour Pro 2 is satisfactory if we don’t dwell too much on the bass overrepresentation. This flatters the hearing of hip-hop fans, at the expense of overall fidelity and high frequencies. In the end, it’s not too dramatic since you can act effectively on the rendering using the application’s equalizer.
© Marc Mitrani for Presse-Citron
The telephone function shines above all with its ability to erase ambient noise. Whether you’re chatting from a busy street or in a buzzing office, the six built-in mics manage to effectively cancel out the noise environment. This performance has a price: the interlocutor certainly does not perceive any parasitic noise, but the voice he hears turns out to be muffled and sometimes lacks naturalness.
We understood it, the audio reproduction of the JBL Tour Pro 2 is generally correct, if not excellent. They will be of service to users who often use public transport, but will leave audiophiles unsatisfied. Finally, note that they support a multipoint connection and that the use of Bluetooth 5.3 is solid if the audio player also supports this version.
Impressive autonomy
JBL advertises a battery life of 8 hours when the noise cancellation works (10 hours otherwise). During our tests, we were able to observe that the manufacturer errs on the side of modesty. We easily reached 9 hours by activating the noise cancellationwhile regularly using the controls on the box screen (11:30 without).
The case has a battery providing three additional recharges. It therefore provides, depending on the use, between 36 and 46 hours of autonomy before running out of fuel. This performance, which we consider impressiveputs the Tour Pro 2 at the level of the best in terms of autonomy.
Our opinion on the JBL Tour Pro 2
The Tour Pro 2 stand out from the competition with the addition of a display on the headphone case. To do what ? Display a control interface and information without having to handle your smartphone. The idea is good, but underused. For example, we would have liked to be able to navigate through a playlist of services like Deezer or Spotify as we would from a connected watch. This is not the case, unfortunately.
The audio quality is very good, if not perfect, and the active noise cancellation of good quality when it comes to erasing low frequencies (aircraft engine, public transport, etc.). Good point also for the excellent autonomy and for the companion application, very complete and intuitive to use.
