I used to joke that JBLs were perfect for playing Maroon 5 tracks. But now, my age IS the joke.
One thing hasn’t changed though; JBLs were always well-suited for modern tracks, and their two new offerings from the Tour Series collection seem to reinforce the point. The JBL Tour PRO 2 True Wireless Earbuds and the JBL Tour ONE M2 Wireless Over-Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones are packed to the rafters with all the must-have features–and more.
At the heart of the high-tech Tour PRO 2 True Wireless Earbuds lies a groundbreaking feature: the world’s first Smart Case. The housing sports a 1.45″ LED touchscreen that enables you to manage music, calls, and notifications without having to pick up the phone. You can also personalise the display with wallpapers to taste.
The touchscreen is an interesting addition. | JBL
While you might think: OK, I don’t need that–you’d be pleased to know that the Tour PRO 2 has everything else you can expect from a top-of-the-line pair of true wireless earbuds.
The True Adaptive Noise Cancelling tech uses four noise-sensing mics to minimise external background noise, which you can reintroduce with the Smart Ambient tech for spatial awareness. The earbuds use six microphones for calls, which when combined with the algorithmic tech, reduces the pain caused by loud or windy environments during calls. The Tour PRO 2 is also equipped with VoiceAware, which is JBL’s solution for allowing you to hear your own voice so you can speak at a more natural volume.
JBL opted for 10mm dynamic drivers tuned to the JBL sound curve, which I think, refers to the Harman sound curve–or some variation of it (Harman is the parent company). This means boosted bass and treble, which is generally popular.
All the flashy stuff is on the inside. | JBL
Meanwhile, the over-the-ears, 40mm (dynamic driver) Tour ONE M2 shares much in common with its smaller sibling. It’s also tuned to the JBL curve and has a similar True Adaptive Noise Cancelling setup along with Smart Ambient tech and VoiceAware. It differs slightly in the sense that the Tour ONE M2 uses a four-mic array for calls. The Tour ONE M2 also has a Smart Talk feature that reacts to your voice to pause the music and enables TalkThru.
Features to the nines
These headphones also feature Personi-Fi 2.0, which is an interesting feature that uses information about you as well as your preferences to provide the ‘exact sound curve’ to best enhance your listing experience.
Meanwhile, Spatial Sound generates the ambience of a live setting, be it a concert, a cinematic masterpiece, or the intimate confines of an artist’s studio. You also get a handy Personal Sound Amplification feature that lets you boost conversation volume by 15-20dB and adjust the Left/Right balance.
Aside from the usual amenities like Google Fast Pair, handsfree and voice assistant compatibility (Google, Alexa), these headphones also support the new Bluetooth 5.3 standard.
You’d smile too knowing your headphones have all the modern features that you can think of. | JBL
The Tour PRO 2 sports an impressive 40 hours of playtime while a mere 15-minute charge injects 4 hours of playtime. The Tour ONE M2 on the other hand can stretch as far as 50 hours of playtime or 30 hours with ANC thanks to the charging case.
The JBL Tour PRO 2 and the JBL Tour ONE M2 are available in Black and Champagne and are priced at $349 and $399 respectively. They can be purchased at JBL online stores and all JBL-authorised retailers in Singapore.
