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JBL Tour One M2 review

The pro-audio dna is strong in these stylish noise cancelling headphones from jbl.

Louder Verdict

The JBL Tour One M2 can be considered a sensational update on an already winning design. Thanks to those big 40mm drivers, they’re beautifully dynamic and are as at home with nu metal as they are classic rock. Sumptuously finished, and supremely comfortable to wear, they come highly recommended.

Exciting, dynamic audio performance

Insanely comfortable

Bass isn’t subterranean

Takes time to master physical controls

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• The alternatives

The JBL Tour One M2 headphones offer advanced noise cancelling and reassuringly dynamic audio thanks to big 40mm dynamic drivers. Suited to guitar-led indie rock, melodious prog and grinding nu-metal, they’re versatile crowd pleasers.

The black or silver design is understated for JBL and the cups pivot so they’re easy to stow - although it takes a bit of practice to master the body controls. The right has a power/pairing switch and volume control rockers and is touch sensitive for playback or voice control, while the left has a customisable button for Active Noise Cancellation and related modes.

The headphones run Bluetooth 5.3 LE and support two device multipoint connections while battery life is up there with the best at around 30 hours with ANC on and 50 hours when it’s off.

JBL Tour One M2: Design

A second generation iteration of JBL's flagship over-ear headphones, the Tour One M2 are handsome in a minimalist way, with matte ear cups offset by a gloss trim. There’s a choice of two colours: stealthy-black or glam rock silver. The headphones fold and the cups pivot, making them compact enough to stow in a bag or deep pocket. 

The right cup has a power and pairing switch plus volume control rockers and is touch sensitive for simple playback control or voice control; the left offers ANC modes. Like their predecessor, these headphones are supremely comfortable to wear. Tipping the the scales at just 268g, they don’t over clamp and the faux leather padding used in the headband and earmuffs is marshmallow soft.

The JBL Tour One M2 also come with a carry case, 3.5mm cable, USB-C cable and airline adapter.

JBL Tour One M2: Features

The feature roster is the right side of smart on the JBL Tour One M2. The noise cancelling headphones react to your voice, pausing music and enabling Ambient Aware mode, so you can carry on a conversation. An alternative Smart Talk mode lowers the volume of music so that you can hold a quick conversation. 

The JBL Tour One M2 also feature an updated version of the brand’s True Adaptive ANC noise cancelling tech which is generally impressive. In ANC mode they hide intrusive noise, effectively cloaking even high volume distractions. I wore the JBL Tour One M2 on a flight to New York and they made short work of aeroplane engine noise to the point where it was undetectable when using British Airways' inflight entertainment system. A Man Called Otto barely had to raise his voice.

If you want to take advantage of noise cancelling without draining Bluetooth, there’s also a SilentNow feature. This disconnects your smartphone and activates ANC which is good for both short and long commutes.

Thanks to Bluetooth 5.3 LE, the battery life on the JBL Tour One M2 is generous. These headphones run for 30 hours with ANC activated and 50 if you turn ANC off. That’s more than enough for several days ear-wear without worrying about charging.

Helpfully, they’ll also fast charge if you’re caught short. Ten minutes on the juice translates to around five hours of playtime - and there’s also support for Google Assistant and Alexa.

JBL Tour One M2: Sound

I think the JBL Tour One M2 offer an exhilarating listen thanks to the pair of large 40mm dynamic drivers which do the sonic lifting, tuned with JBL pro-sound pixie dust. They sound fast and dynamic, with excellent fine detail.

There’s a variety of sound profiles on the partnering JBL app (Club, Bass, Vocal, Jazz), but Studio is the only one you need. It offers loads of detail and a balanced mid-range which is delivered with a bourbon-sweet musical edge.

This tonality perfectly fits the indie rock of Sydney-based three-piece Middle Kids. The stabby guitar riff of Highlands doesn’t get in the way of the silky euphoric vocals.

These headphones also support JBL Spatial Sound, a novel post-processing mode that creates a more immersive sound stage. There are three presets: Movie, Music and Game but results are variable. The Music setting's spatial treatment works a treat on the live cut of American Beat by the Headcats, effectively putting you stage front and the live atmosphere wraps around you. 

I’m not so convinced it adds much to the studio release of Motorhead's Ace Of Spades though. The standard Studio EQ when cranked up is rewardingly raw and rowdy enough.

Bass delivery can be considered clean and agile and perfectly showcases Roger Waters ' propulsion bass riff on Pink Floyd ’s Money , although I can see some might hanker for more exaggerated weight. 

The crunching opening to Muse ’s Hysteria could perhaps slam harder but this is a minor niggle for such a fine pair of hard rockin’ headphones.

The bottom line is the JBL Tour One M2 sound great. Consider me satisfied.

JBL Tour One M2: The alternatives

There’s no shortage of competing quality noise cancelling headphones. One obvious alternative to the JBL Tour One M2 are the Sony WH-1000XM5 . Similarly minimalistic in style, they come in slightly more expensive but boast slightly better noise cancelling and a host of smart features, including Speak-to-Chat and 360 Reality Audio support. But the drivers are smaller at just 30mm.

A budget big brand alternative would be the Sennheiser HD 450BT over-ear headphones . These also offer Active Noise Cancelling, a 30 hour battery life and lightweight design (238g).

Steve is a home entertainment technology specialist who contributes to a variety of UK websites and mags, including Louder Sound, Yahoo UK, Trusted Reviews, T3, The Luxe Review and Home Cinema Choice. Steve began his career as a music journo, writing for legendary rock weekly Sounds, under the nom de plume Steve Keaton. His coverage of post punk music was cited in the 2015 British Library exhibition Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination, as a seminal influence on the Goth music scene.

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JBL Tour One M2 Review

Over-ear headphones brimming with features

JBL’s flagship wireless over-ears offer an enormous number of features to make the commute more enjoyable, with fine sound, effective noise cancellation and an excellent wireless performance. But the competition they’re up against is tough.

• Lightweight design
• Excellent wireless performance
• Great call quality
• Effective noise cancellation
• Clear, balanced sound
• Unremarkable looks
• Beaten for bass depth and extension
• Tough competition

Availability

• UK RRP: £279.99
• Europe RRP: €299
• Australia TBC

Key Features

• SilentNow Wakes you up from your noise cancelling slumber
• Voice control Supports both Google and Amazon’s voice assistants
• Multi-Point Can be connected to two devices at once

Introduction

JBL makes a gazillion headphones and speakers each year. Just recently it announced it had sold 200 million headphones, making the company the numero uno brand in the overall headphone market.

The JBL Tour One M2 are the company’s latest flagship over-ears, and in its own words, outperforms its previous headphones. Ticking the requisite boxes for a headphone in 2023, there is adaptive noise cancellation, personalized sound, spatial audio support and long battery life provided in a lightweight design.

We’ve come across a few headphones that are jack of many trades but master of only a few. Could that same description apply to the Tour One M2?

• Lightweight and comfy design
• Good controls

There’s a definite lack of flash to the Tour One M2’s appearance, their only real indulgence to style are the glossy highlights on the earcups and headband. Otherwise, these headphones are here to do a job, which is to sit on your head without causing discomfort.

And it’s mission accomplished, as they’re light on the head, causing very little bother. That’s unlike the previous JBL over-ears I tested in the Club One , which had a tight clamping force and bulky size. The Tour One M2 is positively light by comparison.

They’re comfortable in the right places, the padding on the underside of the headband and earcups is nice and supple, the earcups are spacious and the clamping force is nice and snug. I can’t find anything to complain about. I haven’t noticed wind noise to be a factor in disrupting the ANC performance .

Controls are a mixture of physical buttons (power/Bluetooth, noise cancelling and volume) and touch controls (playback). Power button is a slider, a slightly flimsy one that you might accidentally swipe down on it as I did when grabbing the headphones. It can also be a little difficult to turn them off with the headphones on the head; I had to dig my fingernails in to ease the slider up.

Touch controls are well implemented: one tap to pause, another to skip forward and three to skip back. The noise cancelling button is on the left earcup and that allows for toggling between ANC on and pass-through modes. This is another aspect of the headphones I can’t find much to grumble with.

The headphones are also collapsible, which is a change from 2022’s trend of non-foldable headphones, which means you can pack them easily into a bag or put them into the carry case, which also has a pouch for storing cables/accessories (a 3.5mm cable, USB-C charging and airplane adapter). They also come in a more fetching silver finish (at least from the promotional photos).

• Effective rather than resounding ANC
• Pretty faultless call quality
• Features in abundance

JBL does like to pack headphones with as many features as possible, and the Tour One M2 are no different. The adaptive noise cancelling is the highlight, and the performance is respectable, if not quite emphatic.

They do clear out a lot of surrounding noise, from people walking past on a late night in Shoreditch (voices effectively subdued) to cars, buses and vans going by, but there’s still some noise peeking through.

I did notice the level of the adaptive noise cancelling was not always consistent, which you would expect since it’s adaptive , but oftentimes it let through more noise than the ‘standard’ ANC mode.

Compared to the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort 45 , the Tour One M2 can’t match both pair’s eerie sense of calm.

They’re also not too effective at dealing with the noise on the Tube when it starts to get ‘loud’. I’ve used these headphones on the Northern, District and Jubilee lines and as soon as the howl of the wind picks up, music tends to take a background seat until it dies down. You can, obviously, raise the volume to combat it, so it’s not all doom and gloom.

It does, at least, exercise its noise cancelling cleanly, with none of that ‘whooshing’ sound as cars go by or that ANC whine. It also doesn’t noticeably alter the tone of audio being played, so I’d describe the noise cancelling as effective, but you can get better around the £300 mark.

The transparency is another effective feature, amplifying surrounding sounds so I can hear announcements on the train easily. As is the case with JBL headphones, the Tour One M2 has two different versions in Ambient Aware and TalkThru.

The former sounds clearer and adopts a more natural tone – it’s the standard ambient mode that grants greater transparency to sounds around you, the strength of which can be altered in the app. The response sliding from low to high ambience is instant.

TalkThru mutes music and focuses on people’s voices, and it does this very well. Used on the train, the headphones fixed their focus on people’s voices across the carriage, including the rustling of a bag which was amplified so much I felt it was happening right beside me.

For calls the JBL uses a 4-mic set-up with JBL’s Voice Aware technology, and the performance was excellent. The person I called commented they could hear me clearly and that background noise was kept to a minimum. They could hear people nearby but not to the point where he could make out what they were saying. That’s a very effective performance in my book.

Battery life is stated as 30 hours with noise cancelling on and 50 hours with it off. There’s no mention of fast charging but filling up the battery from dead reportedly takes two hours.

Delve into the JBL Headphones app and there’s a choice between enabling Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or accessing a mobile device’s native voice assistant. The Equalizer comes with five presets and the option to make a 10-band custom EQ.

Or you could rely on the Personi-Fi to craft your own personalized audio profile. It achieves this by conducting a test that measures how well you hear a series of receding blips for your left and right ear. The Low Volume Dynamic EQ boosts highs and lows when listening at lower volumes.

There is JBL’s take on Spatial Sound with Movie, Music and Game profiles, and you can modify controls for the Action Button (left earcup) and the touch panel, though that only refers to disabling it.

Smart Talk is like Sony’s Speak to Chat, automatically enabling the TalkThru mode when it senses you’re speaking and lowering music volume. It not only reacts quickly when I start talking but is prompt to return to music. The speed at which music resumes can be set in the app.

The Smart Audio & Video feature presents the best audio quality with music (in what way it doesn’t specify) as well as improving lip-sync performance with video. Switching between them necessitates the JBL headphones re-connecting with the source device, and I must admit that watching videos on Prime Video and YouTube, I couldn’t tell if there was a pronounced difference between the two modes. What I did notice was a couple more dropouts on YouTube with Video mode than I did in the Audio mode.

The SilentNow feature disconnects the Bluetooth connection and turns on the noise cancelling, so you can catch 40 winks and not be disturbed. You can set when it starts, how long it goes for and whether you want a notification to wake you up.

The Personal Sound Amplification seems to achieve a similar objective as the Ambient Aware feature, which makes me ponder why it’s included. At least it offers a different set of customisations by changing the balance from left ear to right.

Elsewhere there’s Auto Power Off, Auto Play & Pause (which is speedy) and a Max Volume Limiter that protects your hearing. All the way at the bottom of the app is the means to update the firmware.

The headphones support Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC and AAC codecs supported. Connectivity has been excellent, there hasn’t been any dropout, significant or otherwise, whether walking through populated areas like Soho or in busy transport hubs such as Victoria train station.

Sound Quality

• Good treble performance
• Not for bass addicts
• Clear, balanced tone to music

In a similar vein to JBL’s Live Pro 2 wireless earbud, the Tour One M2 take a balanced approach to audio that may strike some as bland. On the default volume they do sound reticent, the soundstage is rendered small and its sense of energy lacks ‘fizz’. But just two nudges on the volume control and the JBL gives a much better account of itself.

With GoGoPenguin’s Erased by Sunlight there’s clarity to the headphones’ treble performance and good tonal variation of the piano notes throughout the song. You can sense how much pressure is applied to each piano note, the sound of the trailing edge as it lingers; the brightness of each note is an improvement on the Club One’s dulled performance.

I wouldn’t say the JBL offers the biggest bass performance. There’s weight provided to the drum hits in the Smashing Pumpkins’ Bullet with Butterfly Wings, but a headphone such as Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 Wireless expresses it with more depth and heft.

You get with the JBL a spacious, slightly wider and clearer performance, but the sense of energy and drive half-way through the track in its frenzied guitar section isn’t as intense on the JBL as it is with the Sennheiser or even the Club One.

Dynamically, the headphones feel broad in terms of describing the difference between a track’s highs and lows, a shade less sprightly in conveying the nuances of singers. The stereo image it offers of Tune-Yards’ Hypnotized is also not as vividly realized as on the Sony WH-1000XM4 , I sense more depth to the Sony’s performance than the JBL can offer.

With vocals there’s a clarity that’s possibly better than either the Sennheiser or Sony’s smoother approach takes. The difference with the Spinners’ Could It Be I’m Falling in Love is hard to judge, but I think there’s more character and a smidge more presence to the lead vocals on the Sony.

It matches up to what I think of the JBL’s mid-range performance, which is clear and detailed, but the other headphones dig out more definition of instruments for a more musical performance.

That said, the JBL holds up well to both the Sennheiser and Sony. Its more neutral, perhaps even clinical approach doesn’t have the richness of either the Momentum or WH-1000XM4, but some listeners may prefer that approach.

The JBL also offers spatial sound within the JBL Headphones app and that amounts to a wider soundstage with vocals recessed to create a sense of depth. I’d stick with the default audio as all this really does is make the soundstage bigger rather than the sense of sounds being around you.

The Personi-Fi personalized audio is something that will differ with each person. I preferred to have it off than on, the slight emphasis on the midrange that I heard came across as too processed and giving voices a tone that felt artificial.

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Should you buy it.

If you prefer clear, balanced audio to a richer-sounding headphones Everybody has their preference when it comes to audio. There are many ways to serve a track to your ears, and if you prefer a balanced, more neutral approach to audio that’s what the Tour One M2 offer.

The competition is fierce You’ve got efforts from Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, and Shure, all around the same price and they range from being pretty good to excellent. There’s lots of options to choose from, especially for better noise cancelling.

Final Thoughts

The JBL Tour One M2 are a pair of headphones that score 8/10 in many categories and 9/10 in a few, which made deciding on a score a tad more difficult than expected.

As an overall package, they’re very competitive with regards to the competition. Their wireless performance is pretty faultless, as is their call quality performance. They sound very good but not brilliant, and perhaps the lack of any high-res audio codecs goes against them. But for those who prefer a balanced sound then they’re a pair to seek below the £300 mark.

Their noise cancelling is not class-leading – the Bose QuietComfort 45 are better in this instance – but they’re good for the commute and travel, and the levels of comfort the headphones offer is finely tuned. The list of features is extensive, and some will probably never use half of them, but there’s something for everyone who enjoy music, games or TV on-the-go.

I’ve found the Tour One M2 have been a very reliable pair of headphones in the two weeks I’ve used them, and while they’re short of the very best, for those who want headphones that cover a wide range of features and boast a very good performance (and who wouldn’t want that?), this flagship effort from JBL are well worth checking out. But the competition is decidedly tough.

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We test every set of headphones we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.

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As far as we can tell, the Tour One M2 do not have any fast-charging abilities

The the Tour One M2 does carry support for Bluetooth multi-point, and they’re able to connect to two devices simultaneously.

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JBL Tour One M2 review: Fully featured ANC all-rounders

JBL works its sound-enhancing magic to create a truly feature-packed pair of over-ear noise cancelling headphones

• Comfortable, attractive design
• Effective noise cancellation
• Impressive range of features
• Disappointing spatial music mode

Hot on the heels of JBL’s innovative true wireless Tour Pro 2 earbuds, the Tour One M2 pack an extensive range of features into a larger, over-ear design. Customisable noise cancellation, personalised sound and spatial audio modes are just the tip of the iceberg, and the Tour One M2 perform admirably across the board.

The understated design lacks the wow factor of some rival headphones, but that doesn’t mean you should dismiss the Tour One M2 out of hand: they deliver advanced, sound-optimising features at a price that keeps them in contention with the big-name competition.

JBL Tour One M2 Wireless, Over-Ear Headphones with Noise Cancelling Technology and up to 50 hours Battery Life, in Black

Jbl tour one m2 review: what do you get for the money.

The Tour One M2 have an RRP of £300 and are available from JBL , Argos and Amazon . You can spend a lot less on over-ear headphones , but as far as premium noise-cancelling headphones go, the M2 are competitively priced.

The Technics EAH-A800 and Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless both cost similar money, the Bose QuietComfort 45 typically cost £320, and Sony’s WH-1000XM5 and the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 both command prices in excess of £350. Apple’s Apple AirPods Max remain immensely popular despite rarely dipping from their RRP of £549.

Compared with those rivals, the Tour One M2 stack up well when it comes to specifications and features. They operate wirelessly over Bluetooth 5.3 and support multipoint pairing with two devices, though you’re currently limited to a choice between the SBC and AAC codecs. For high-resolution audio, you’ll need to use a wired connection via the 2.5mm jack located on the right earcup.

The Tour One M2 use both physical buttons and touch controls. A power/pairing slider and volume buttons are located on the right earcup, along with a touch-sensitive panel that allows you to play or pause audio, skip tracks, answer and reject calls, and hail your voice assistant. An Action button on the left earcup switches between noise-cancelling modes or engage TalkThru, while Android users can also set up hands-free Google Assistant access should they wish. Amazon Alexa is built in, too, which is handy if it’s your voice assistant of choice.

Battery life clocks in at up to 30 hours if you’re making use of noise cancellation, a figure that can be extended to around 50 hours if you turn ANC off. That’s a solid figure, and just ten minutes on charge will get you around five hours of audio playback.

A USB-C charging cable is included in the box, along with a 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable and flight plug adapter. There’s also a hard-shell carrying case which is suitably sturdy and has a pouch for safely storing the various cables.

An extensive range of features are accessible via the JBL Headphones app. Ambient Sound Control is JBL’s blanket term covering the Noise Cancelling, Ambient Aware and TalkThru modes, and each feature can be tailored to your preferences via the app.

Other core features include Harman’s hearing test and audio personalisation tool Personi-Fi, a handful of EQ presets, a ten-band graphic equaliser for creating your own EQ, and Low Volume Dynamic EQ, which boosts highs and lows when listening at lower volumes. There are also Movie, Music and Game spatial audio modes and the ability to switch between Audio and Video modes, which prioritise sound quality and lip-sync performance respectively.

You also have a few convenience tools at your disposal. SmartTalk works like Sony’s Speak-to-Chat, automatically lowering the volume of your music and engaging TalkThru mode when your voice is picked up. VoiceAware lets you adjust how loudly you hear yourself on calls, while Max Volume Limiter, Auto Power Off and Auto Play & Pause are self-explanatory. Silent Now is a rather niche feature also found on the Tour Pro 2: it enables the headphones’ ANC while Bluetooth and audio are disabled. This is moderately useful if you want to sleep on a plane or shut out the outside world, but it’s not something I used regularly.

JBL Tour One M2 review: What do we like about them?

The Tour One M2’s design is stylish yet understated. The JBL branding on the outside of the earcups is mercifully subtle and the reflective metal accents where the cups join to the headband look smart.

Where they excel, however, is comfort. The size of the earpads proved just right to sit over my ears without cramping them unduly, and the headband provides enough clamping force to keep them in place without compromising on comfort.

Another boon is the ability to fold the earcups inwards to create a more compact package that can be stashed in a coat pocket. This isn’t a big deal if you plan to use the case religiously, but is a handy option to have nonetheless.

The Tour One M2’s noise cancellation is effective. You can choose to engage adaptive mode, which adjusts attenuation based on the ambient noise level or select one of seven levels yourself in the companion app. At its maximum setting, it effortlessly quieted the hum of an aeroplane’s ventilation system, the rumble of busy roads and the whir of my dishwasher.

It’s nice to be able to tweak the level of attenuation, but the Tour One M2’s adaptive noise cancelling is effective enough that you may not need or want to – I used adaptive mode for most of my testing.

Ambient Aware (JBL’s transparency mode) isn’t adaptive but you can choose how much sound is pumped in, again from one of seven levels. At level seven you’ll be able to hear everything going on around you, so it’s useful to be able to tailor the setting to suit your environment.

I wasn’t particularly fond of how the JBL Tour Pro 2 earbuds sounded, but their over-ear counterparts deliver a much improved audio performance. The 40mm dynamic drivers deliver a far more balanced sound, and there’s none of the treble harshness at higher volumes. Low-end frequencies are dramatically more powerful, too.

Black Church’s “Dimension” features both a high-pitched female vocalist and deep, rolling bassline, testing the M2 at both ends of the frequency spectrum, and they remained composed and confident throughout. The frequency extremes blend harmoniously without either one vying for dominance.

I felt little need to EQ the Tour One M2 as a result, but there is a ten-band graphic equaliser in the JBL Headphones app. If you don’t like the default Club preset or any of the Jazz, Vocal, Bass or Studio modes, you can create and save your own EQs.

I’ve already praised it in recent reviews, but the JBL Headphones app is a gem: it’s a veritable treasure trove of features and the range of adjustments you can make is fantastically useful. The key convenience features – wear detection, max volume limiter, VoiceAware, Smart Talk and SilentNow – work as intended and are thoughtful inclusions rather than just extras thrown in for the sake of it.

Other features such as Low Volume Dynamic EQ, which successfully ensures consistent audio regardless of how quiet or loud your music is, and the separate Audio and Video modes, mean that it’s easy to get the Tour One M2 sounding consistently good.

JBL Tour One M2 review: What could be improved?

There are a few areas in which the Tour One M2 could do better, however.

Much like my experience with the Tour Pro 2, I didn’t find the Person-Fi audio personalisation to be effective. The technology has you listen to a series of tones at gradually decreasing volumes and state when you’re no longer able to hear each, with the results used to create a listening profile that tweaks the frequency response to boost output in areas of perceived auditory weakness. However, I was unable to hear any tangible difference between how music sounded when my Personi-Fi profile was engaged and when it wasn’t, which was disappointing.

I wasn’t particularly impressed by the spatial mode for music, either. This applies spatialisation to music regardless of the source, which is an advantage over the spatial audio support on offer from Apple and Sony, but the results were lacklustre. Toggling the mode on certainly changed how music sounded, but not in a way that added any extra immersion.

The spatial movie mode was more worthwhile, creating a more convincing feeling of being in scenes rather than a passive observer of them. Positional sound cues were more precisely located within a broader soundstage, so it’s definitely worth turning this mode on if you’re watching video content.

Finally, I’d have liked to have seen volume controls available via touch controls. There are discreet volume buttons on the earcups, but given there’s a touch-sensitive panel, it’s a shame swipe gestures weren’t added as an alternative method of increasing and decreasing volume. I also found the panels themselves slightly too sensitive. They’re pleasingly responsive when you want them to be, but I also found commands triggered accidentally when adjusting the headphones on my head.

JBL Tour One M2 review: Should you buy them?

The JBL Tour One M2 are some of the most fully featured over-ear headphones I’ve tested. The level of customisability on offer embarrasses several more expensive rivals, and while their audio personalisation tech and spatial audio music mode failed to wow during my testing, there’s vanishingly little to complain about.

I wouldn’t rate them as a perfect ten in any category, but their all-round performance is impressive. The price undercuts many popular options from Sony, Bose and Apple, and the quality of sound, noise cancellation, aesthetics and comfort more than justify the price.

If you’re looking for a quality pair of over-ear noise-cancelling headphones, you definitely need to consider the Tour One M2.

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JBL Tour One Wireless Headphones Review

The JBL Tour One Wireless are high-end over-ears with active noise cancelling (ANC). These headphones offer a versatile performance with a comfortable fit and well-built design. However, their ANC offers a mediocre overall performance, and they're prone to inconsistencies in audio delivery. Luckily, if you prefer something more neutral than their default bass-heavy sound profile, their companion app offers a parametric EQ and presets to help you adjust them to your liking.

Our Verdict

The JBL Tour One are decent for neutral sound. Out of the box, they have a slightly bass-heavy sound profile. Luckily, you can tweak them to your liking using their companion app's parametric EQ and presets. On the downside, they're very prone to inconsistencies in bass and treble delivery. Their passive soundstage is also poor and feels like it's coming from inside your head.

• Comfortable, well-built design.
• Parametric EQ and presets available.
• Prone to inconsistencies in audio delivery.
• Disappointing passive soundstage.

The JBL Tour One are satisfactory for commute and travel. While they have a comfortable, well-built fit, they're also bulky, which can make them hard to take with you on the go, and their ear cups can trap heat. Their ANC also struggles to block out bus or plane engine noise. On the upside, their over 33 hours of continuous playback time should get you through long days on the road.

• Excellent battery performance.
• Mediocre overall noise isolation.
• Not very breathable.

The JBL Tour One are satisfactory for sports and fitness. They're comfortable and well-built. However, they can fall off your head with moderate head movements, and heat can get trapped inside the ear cups, which may make you sweat more than normal. They also lack an IP rating for water resistance, although we don't currently test for this.

The JBL Tour One are decent for office use. They have a comfortable fit, and you can pair them with up to two devices at a time. They also have over 33 hours of continuous battery life, which is excellent, and their ANC can help block out ambient chatter around you. However, their ear cups can trap heat, which may be uncomfortable during long shifts at the office.

The JBL Tour One aren't recommended for wireless gaming. While you can connect them to a Bluetooth-enabled PC, the latency is likely to be too high for gaming. They also aren't compatible with Xbox or PlayStation consoles.

The JBL Tour One are good for wired gaming. Using their 1/16" to 1/8" TRS cable, you can connect to consoles with an AUX port. However, you can only receive audio and can't use their mic. That said, they have a slightly bass-heavy sound profile that can help bring out the intensity of sound effects in your games. They also have a comfortable fit, although they can trap in heat, which can be uncomfortable.

The JBL Tour One are fair for phone calls. Their microphone can record your voice clearly, although it sounds a bit bass-heavy. However, if you have an important call to take, it's better to do so from a quieter environment since the mic struggles to separate speech from ambient noise. Although the headphones have active noise cancelling, the system does a mediocre job blocking out background sounds.

• 7.4 Neutral Sound
• 7.1 Commute/Travel
• 7.1 Sports/Fitness
• 5.8 Wireless Gaming
• 7.5 Wired Gaming
• 6.8 Phone Calls
• Updated Jul 29, 2021: Review published.
• Updated Jul 26, 2021: Early access published.
• Updated Jul 12, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
• Updated Jun 29, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
• Updated Jun 19, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The JBL Tour One only come in one color variant: 'Black'. You can see our model's label here . If you come across another variant, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.

Compared To Other Headphones

The JBL Tour One are premium over-ear headphones with an adaptive ANC system. However, the ANC does a mediocre job of blocking out ambient noise around you and is especially poor at reducing the low rumble of bus or plane engines. On the upside, just like most JBL headphones like the JBL Tour Pro+ TWS Truly Wireless , they have a customizable sound profile, thanks to their companion app's parametric EQ and presets.

See our recommendations for the best noise cancelling headphones , the best over-ear headphones , and the best wireless Bluetooth headphones .

The  Sony WH-1000XM4  Wireless are better over-ears than the JBL Tour One Wireless. The Sony are more comfortable, are better built, and can deliver audio more consistently. They have a significantly better noise isolation performance.

The JBL Live 660NC Wireless and the JBL Tour One Wireless are similarly performing over-ear headphones. The Tour One are more comfortable and have a better battery performance. However, the Live have a better noise isolation performance and can deliver audio more consistently.

The JBL CLUB ONE Wireless and the JBL Tour One Wireless are somewhat similar headphones, although the CLUB ONE have a slight advantage. The CLUB ONE are better built, and their ANC can block out more ambient noise. However, both headphones are comfortable, and their sound profile is customizable, thanks to their companion app.

The Bose 700 Headphones Wireless are better headphones than the JBL Tour One Wireless. The Bose are more comfortable, feel better-built, and have a significantly better noise isolation performance. They also have a better overall microphone performance. However, the JBL have a longer continuous battery life. 

The Beats Solo Pro Wireless and the JBL Tour One Wireless are similarly performing headphones and depending on your usage, you may prefer either one. The Beats are on-ear headphones that are better-built and have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer. They also have a better noise isolation performance and have an H1 chip, so you can seamlessly pair them with your Apple devices. In contrast, the JBL are over-ears that are more comfortable and have a longer continuous battery life. They also support multi-device pairing, and have a companion app that offers a parametric EQ and presets to help you adjust their sound.

The JBL Tour Pro+ TWS True Wireless are better overall headphones than the JBL Tour One Wireless. The Tour Pro+ are in-ears that are better built, have more consistent audio delivery, and have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer. Their ANC also does a significantly better job of blocking out background noise. However, the Tour One support multi-device pairing and longer continuous battery life.

The  AKG N700NC M2 Wireless  are better over-ears than the JBL Tour One Wireless. While both headphones are equally comfortable and well-built, the AKG have a more neutral default sound profile, which some users may prefer, are less prone to inconsistencies in audio delivery, and have a significantly better noise isolation performance. However, the JBL have much longer continuous battery life.

Test Results

The JBL Tour One have a fairly non-descript look. They have the manufacturer's logo embossed on each ear cup and only come in one color variant: 'Black'.

The JBL Tour One are comfortable over-ears. They're lightweight, and they don't clamp on your head too tightly. The padding on the ear cups and headband also feels nice against the skin. However, if you have larger ears, they may touch the inner padding on the cup. Your ears may also feel hot when you wear the headphones for long periods.

The JBL Tour One have great controls. They have a mix of touch and physical controls. The right ear cup has a power button that you can slide down and hold to enter pairing mode. You can also adjust the volume by using the '+' and '-' buttons, but it can be hard to tell which button is which when you're wearing the headphones. On the center of the right ear cup, you can tap once to play and pause, tap twice to skip a track forward or end a call, and tap three times to skip a track backward. You can also touch and hold while in a call to mute or unmute the microphone and touch and hold for voice assistant.

The touch panel provides feedback for the number of taps you make and is responsive. There are also voice prompts for noise cancelling on/off, 'Ambient Aware', which allows you to hear background sounds around you, and Bluetooth pairing. Although the volume buttons feel a bit mushy, they make a slight clicking sound. Unfortunately, it's easy to accidentally activate a touch command when you're adjusting the headphones on your head.

The JBL Tour One have sub-par breathability. They trap in a lot of heat and don't allow for much airflow. Your ears could feel hot, even if you're not wearing them for long periods. If you're wearing them during physical exercise, you may sweat more than normal.

These headphones have mediocre portability. They're bulky, although they can fold into a slightly more compact shape to fit into their carrying case.

The JBL Tour One have a good carrying case. There's a mesh pocket on the outside, and a clip fabric handle, so it's easy to carry with you. The hard case also has a zipper that completely closes. While it can be tricky to put the headphones into the case, there's a removable cardboard diagram inside to indicate the position the headphones should fold in. There's also fabric to help hold the position of the headphones.

The JBL Tour One Wireless have a good build quality. They have faux leather padding on the ear cups and headband, while the rest of the headphones are mostly plastic. There's a metal strap inside the headband that has lines so that you can evenly adjust them on both sides. Overall, they feel like they could survive some accidental impacts without taking too much damage. However, although we don't currently test for it, they lack an IP rating for dust and water resistance.

These headphones have decent stability. They should stay on your head while you're working at your desk. However, they can fall off your head with more high-intensity head movements, so they're not the best choice for use during physical activity.

• JBL Tour One headphones
• USB-A to USB-C charging cable
• 1/16" TRS to 1/8" TRS audio cable
• Carrying case
• Flight adapter

The JBL Tour One have a bass-heavy sound profile that delivers extra boom and warmth to your mixes. Vocals and lead instruments also reproduce clearly and accurately. If you prefer a different sound, their companion app offers a parametric EQ and presets to help you customize their sound to suit your tastes.

Note: We normally test our headphones with the ANC on. The JBL have an adaptive noise cancelling system, which automatically adjusts its level depending on your environment. During human testing, the ANC seemed like it was switching between being on and 'Ambient Aware' mode, which allows you to hear background noise around you, during the sweep. Without moving the headphones, we received a different audio curve each time we did a sweep. Turning the ANC off seemed to solve the inconsistency issue between sweeps, and the headphones seemed to stop switching to Ambient Aware. As a result, we tested these headphones with their ANC off for all sound tests except for Noise Isolation.

The JBL Tour One have sub-par frequency response consistency. They're very prone to inconsistencies in bass and treble delivery as they perform differently depending on their fit, seal, and positioning. You may especially notice a drop in bass if you have thick hair or glasses.

The JBL Tour One's bass accuracy is very good. It's overemphasized across the range, which some users may prefer. Mixes have a lot more thump, rumble, and boom.

These headphones are very prone to inconsistencies in bass delivery. Our results represent the average response, and your experience may vary.

The mid accuracy is excellent. They have a fairly neutral response, although there's a small bump in the low-mid which can slightly muddy vocals and lead instruments. However, vocals and lead instruments still sound clear, accurate, and detailed.

The JBL Tour One have good treble accuracy. The low-treble is underemphasized, which can slightly veil vocals and lead instruments. The bump in the mid-treble can also make sibilants like S and T sounds piercing.

These headphones are very prone to inconsistencies in treble delivery and are sensitive to fit and positioning. Our results represent the average response, and your experience may vary.

The JBL Tour One's peaks and dips performance is good. A small dip in the low-bass reduces thump and rumble, while an extended peak across the high-bass to low-mid adds a bit of boom and muddiness to your mixes. A dip in the mid-mid nudges vocals and lead instruments to the back of your mixes, while another dip in the low-treble veils the upper harmonics of these sounds. A large peak in the mid-treble makes sibilants like cymbals piercing.

The JBL Tour One's imaging performance is good. The weighted group delay falls mostly below the audibility threshold, resulting fairly tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. However, there are some peaks in the phase response's treble range, and they're audible when listening to real-life content. The peak in the bass range shouldn't be audible for most users, though. While the L/R drivers are well-matched in amplitude, there's also a slight mismatch between the drivers in frequency response, which could result in holes in the stereo image. Imaging is important for the accurate localization of objects like footsteps in the stereo image. Note that our results are only valid for our unit, and yours may perform differently.

The passive soundstage performance is disappointing. While the soundstage seems somewhat wide, it's perceived as a bit unnatural and as if coming from inside your head rather than from speakers placed in the room around you. Since they have a closed-back design, their soundstage also seems closed-off.

The JBL Tour One have a good weighted harmonic distortion performance. There are a few peaks, particularly in the bass and treble range. However, the frequencies fall within good limits at moderate and high volumes, resulting in clear and pure audio reproduction.

These are the settings used to test the JBL Tour One, and our results are only valid using these settings.

Note: All of our sound testing except for Noise Isolation was conducted with the ANC off as the headphones weren't providing accurate and consistent results.

The noise isolation performance is mediocre. Even with their ANC on, they still struggle to block out the low rumble of bus and plane engines and reduce less noise from this range than the AKG N700NC M2 Wireless . They do a better job of cutting ambient chatter, though. However, they're able to passively reduce high-pitched noise like the hum of an AC unit better than with their ANC on.

The JBL Tour One's leakage performance is satisfactory. A wide band of their leakage is across the mid to treble range, which sounds a bit thin. That said, if you're listening to audio at a high volume in a moderately loud environment like an office, people shouldn't be able to hear it.

These headphones have an integrated mic.

Note: We experienced difficulties testing the headphones' mic. We normally test the mic at 95dB. However, the mic could only reach 75dB. As our software requires a minimum level of 85dB, we tried connecting it to our Avantree BT 5.0 audio transmitter to see if we could obtain a higher volume, but the mic could only reach 72dB. We also performed a recording on an iPhone, which was low and sounded similar to our original PC recording.

We experienced issues testing the performance of the JBL Tour One's mic, and we couldn't run the tests necessary to measure its performance. We decided to use a subjective comparison to assess its performance. Due to these unique conditions, we have decided not to score this test.

The mic offers a satisfactory recording quality. Recorded speech sounds similar to the Razer BlackShark V2 , and your voice sounds natural and clear. However, it's a bit more bass-heavy than the Razer. You can hear a recording of the mic from our phone here . We also did an average of five passes for the mic's frequency response, and you can see our graph here . However, keep in mind that we process more data than what's represented in this graph.

The mic's noise handling performance is okay. The mic struggles to separate your voice from moderate ambient noise like a busy street. If you need to make an important call, it's best to do so from a quiet environment.

The JBL Tour One have an excellent battery performance. They're advertised to last 25 hours with their ANC on, but we measured over 33 hours. However, battery performance can vary depending on usage, so your real-world experience may vary. That said, they have an adjustable auto-off timer to help conserve battery life when not in use, and you can use them passively with their audio cable in a pinch.

The JBL Headphones app is great. It offers a parametric EQ and presets so that you can adjust their sound to your liking. You can also customize their controls like swapping the function button to trigger voice assistant or changing touch and hold to toggle between ANC, ambient, and off. You can also adjust the auto-off timer, switch voice assistants, and see the headphones' battery life. You can access 'Smart Audio & Video' mode too, which helps lower latency for movies and songs.

The JBL Tour One have great Bluetooth connectivity. They support multi-device pairing so that you can connect them with up to two devices at a time. They have somewhat high latency on PC and iOS. However, their latency on Android is a bit less, which makes them suitable for streaming video. However, some apps and devices compensate for latency differently, so your experience may vary.

The JBL Tour One come with a 1/16" TRS to 1/8" TRS cable. You can't use the USB-A to USB-C cable to receive audio.

These headphones can connect to Bluetooth-enabled PCs. You can also use their 1/16" to 1/8" TRS cable to connect to PCs, but you can only receive audio and won't be able to use their mic.

The JBL Tour One can only receive audio when using their audio cable on PS4 or PS5 cables.

These headphones can connect to Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S consoles when using their TRS cable. However, you can only receive audio and can't use their mic.

JBL Tour One review

Jbl’s premium wireless noise-cancelling headphones struggle to impress tested at £279 / $299 / au$369.

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

JBL’s classy headphones certainly look the part, they just lack dynamic and rhythmic finesse when compared to the class leaders

Energetic presentation

Reliable touch controls

Classy build and finish

Beaten for dynamics and subtlety

Coarse and unrefined upper mids

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

At first glance, the Tour One over-ears look and feel far too minimalist and monochrome for JBL. Where are bright colours? Where’s the white branding to emphasise the JBL exclamation mark? In JBL’s own words, the Tour One over-ears (and their counterpart, the Tour Pro+ in-ear model) have been “designed for business professionals”, and we can see that. For starters, these wireless noise-cancelling headphones boast up to 50 hours of music playback from a single charge and can access virtual voice assistants from Amazon and Google – all very business-like.

Although JBL’s two-strong Tour headphone series was first unveiled in January 2021, the US audio giant only let them loose on the general public in May. So are they worth the wait? And crucially, can they challenge class-leaders Sony, Bose and Sennheiser in this dog-eat-dog category?

At £279 ($299), JBL’s Tour One headphones aren’t cheap, but they do undercut the Apple AirPods Max (£549) by a considerable margin. 

They’re more in the ballpark of the now regularly discounted, Award-winning Sony WH-1000XM4 (currently around £279/$399/AU$395), also-reduced Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless (roughly £233/$270/AU$380) and Bose’s talented Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 (£250/$379/AU$395) at the time of writing). 

These are among the most popular options at this price level, and that’s before you look at models that sit just below their level. Plenty of competition for JBL, then.

Build and comfort 

Unbox the Tour One and the first thing you see is a premium moulded black travel case with a useful snap-fastener on the zip. Inside, the earcups are rotated 90 degrees to lie flat, with the left one folded up towards the headband for greater portability. The smell of classy faux leather from the padded cups and top portion of the headband puts us in mind of much pricier studio over-ears – and we can’t help but notice the similarities between these cans and the Sony WH-1000XM4, which look almost identical in their travel case.

The rest of the Tour One are finished in black plastic (black is the only colour available), but it covers a durable metal frame. The metal extension strap within the headband features etched lines, so you can extend them evenly on each side. They aren’t the most aesthetically original headphones on the market and there’s no IP rating for water or dust ingress, but the high standard of finish we’d expect from an established and trusted name such as JBL has certainly been met. 

Finishes x1 

Battery life up to 25 hours (ANC on), up to 50 hours (ANC off)

Driver size 40mm

Weight 268g

Bluetooth 5.0

Features TalkThru, Ambient Aware and Adaptive Noise Cancellation/everyday ANC profiles, Wearer-detection

As we don them, the clamping force is practically perfect and also well weighted so that they stay put across the course of our listening sessions. The Tour One features 40mm drivers behind the oval, slightly angled earcups plus a four-mic array for taking calls, which are remarkably clear during our testing. 

On the right earpiece, the power/pairing switch and physical volume controls sit on the back edge of the earcup, closest to your neck. The entire top surface of this earcup is touch-sensitive and reacts quickly with a demure beep to stop playback, start it, skip tracks or scroll through noise-cancelling ambient sound control profiles with a long-press – but this can be customised in the JBL Headphones app. 

The left earcup has just one physical button, also towards the back edge of the earcup, which can be customised either to access Alexa or the Google Assistant, or scroll through ambient sound profiles. It’s a neat solution and it works very well indeed. Having tested countless models that have iffy or unreliable touch controls, it is refreshing to find a reliable solution that means we rarely need to dig out our phone. 

Bluetooth 5.0 is at the helm, and battery life is 25 hours with Bluetooth and noise-cancelling switched on, and around 50 hours using just Bluetooth. Thanks to Speed Charging, a quick 10-minute stint at the power socket (via USB-C on the left earcup) should be enough for two hours of playback. Want to get wired? Fine – there’s a 2.5mm jack on the right earcup and a 2.5mm-to-3.5mm cable supplied. 

To set up the JBL Tour One after initial Bluetooth pairing, the JBL Headphones app first sends us to the Alexa or Google Assistant app to add them as an accessory, then slickly redirects us back to our JBL Headphones in-app control centre. Here, under the Noise Cancelling tab, you can select between True Adaptive ANC (which monitors your environment in real-time and alters the level of noise-cancelling automatically) or ‘everyday mode’, underneath which is written the somewhat blasé explanation “Block out the noise of everyday life” – but essentially it just means that ANC is on.

We find the True Adaptive ANC a little distracting because we can hear the levels of isolation audibly change, occasionally creating a disconcerting wind-tunnel effect when out and about, and while the everyday mode is easier on our ears and perfectly sufficient for cutting low-level noise, it isn’t the most effective performance we’ve ever heard at this level. It’s also worth noting that it is impossible to tweak or customise these profiles further than ‘on’ or ‘off’. 

You’ve also got an Ambient Sound Control tab, to locate Ambient Aware or TalkThru profiles (where Ambient Aware filters external sounds in, and TalkThru mutes playback in addition to this), and lastly, an interesting new tab called Smart Audio and Video. By selecting one of the three profiles under this tab, JBL allows you to optimise the Bluetooth connection for normal listening, switch up the quality in “music mode” or switch to the low-latency “video mode” to get your picture and sound in perfect sync – although we’re still unsure why you can’t watch videos and listen in the best quality, particularly as multi-point connection is supported to a maximum of two devices. We try switching between the two while watching a YouTube video on our phone and are unable to detect notable differences or benefits in either mode, but it’s an interesting idea nonetheless. 

At the bottom of the app’s intuitive home screen is an EQ tab, to select from five presets, or you can create your own unique line on a frequency stave to emphasise certain frequencies or lower others – and it works very well. 

You can also turn wearer-detection off to stop playback automatically pausing when you remove them. 

All in all, the app is easy to navigate and well-designed. Is the feature set good enough to take on the class-leading Sony XM4 when coupled with the sound? Sony’s cans are 14g lighter, which isn’t much, but they are slightly more comfortable and cooler during the course of our listening. So, let’s see how the JBL Tour One fares sonically...

Turning all EQ optimisation off to facilitate a neutral listen, we stream Invisible Touch by Genesis on Apple Music and note the considerable onboard oomph from the Tour One. As the track continues, Phil Collins’ driving drum beat and vocals are delivered with an extra dollop of zeal and energy alongside the separate and distinct canon backing vocals. Throughout Land Of Confusion the vocal is central alongside a grippy bass and treble key progressions as JBL proves the Tour One are at home when handling rock tracks. 

We switch to the challenging progressive rock track Thick As A Brick (Pt. 1) by Jethro Tull. The flute feels three-dimensional and the strummed guitar sounds emotive, in as cohesive a mix as the Blackpool prog outfit could have possibly intended. However, it’s here that we start to notice a few shortfalls: the Tour One doesn’t seem to know when to ease off. Through the Sony WH-1000XM4 we hear more dynamic detail in the quieter nuances of the track as it continues to build; the lyrical guitar passages are more sensitively placed in the soundstage so that the surprise power chords, tambourines and trumpets can crash in with extra edginess and impact.

For hip-hop and grime fans, you might assume that the verve and zeal with which J Hus’ Lean & Bop is delivered would mean a huge tick for the Tour One, but the JBL headphones also suffer from a coarse upper midrange, which can become tiring even during short listening sessions. There’s a lack of refinement and subtlety present in both the vocals and instruments across the board, which really detracts from the whole listening experience. It isn’t terrible, it’s just that when you’re up against the Sony Award-winners (and surrounded by a multitude of capable rivals at the money), the differences quickly reveal themselves. 

JBL’s Tour One headphones certainly look the part and the firm has offered a fresh and compelling feature set in a bid to become a true player in the over-ear noise-cancelling headphones sector. There are some things to like here, but you’ll get extra features and, more importantly, better sound quality if you shop around and look at rival pairs from the likes of Bose, Sennheiser and Sony.

Read our Sony WH-1000XM4 review

Read our Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 review

Read our round up of the best over-ear headphones 2021

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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Home / Reviews / Audio / Headphones / JBL Tour One M2 review: quality and comfort

JBL Tour One M2 review: quality and comfort

These high-end cans come feature-packed

When it comes to noise-cancelling cans, a few big names are usually first to trip off the tongue. But while Sony, Bose and Sennheiser might effectively silence the outside world, they’re also pricey. JBL reckons it can compete on clarity while undercutting on price. The JBL Tour One M2 has everything you’d expect from a pair of top-tier headphones, only they cost £50 less than the stellar Sony XM5 .

Given the firm’s track record, there’s every reason to expect great things. JBL soundbars are some of the best around, and the JBL Reflect Pro earbuds gave the Beats Fit Pro a run for their money in our Stuff Gadget Awards 2022 . Now, we have the JBL Tour ONE M2. Time to find out of that translates to over-ear headphones.

Design and comfort: Snug, but lacking style

Let’s get what may be (to our eyes) the Tour One M2’s biggest flaw out of the way first. These headphones aren’t going to turn many heads, with a choice of monotone black or silver colours and a tiny JBL logo on each earcup being the only real design flourish. But hey, maybe you’re wholeheartedly impressed by glossy plastic, or prefer your tech on the subtle side.

It all feels sturdy, with just the right amount of flex and lots of adjustment in the headband. The ear cups also pivot, so it should suit all head sizes.

The hard shell carry case that comes bundled with the headphones feels secure and well-made. Give it a shake and you won’t near any rattles coming from inside, so you can be confident in chucking it into a backpack. You’ve got to fold the ear cups in a specific way to sit them securely, though – it’s perhaps a little fiddlier than some rivals. There’s also a pouch holding the included USB-C charging cable, 3.5mm cable and air travel adapter.

Where JBL really knocks it out of the park is in the comfort factor. These are light, durable, softly cushioned headphones that won’t become an annoyance during any long distance trips. The padded leatherette cups provide a tight, almost suction-like seal around your ears, which helps provide plenty of passive sound isolation and keeps wind noise from interrupting your music. 

Features: Tap away

A few taps on the right ear cup will control your tunes: once to play and pause, twice to skip a track, three times to go back. A tap and hold will trigger Siri, Alexa or Ok Google, too. It’s all rather sensitive, which can lead to a few accidentally skipped tracks, but still preferable to pulling your phone out each time.

Setup is quick, easy and painless, with a sliding switch on the right earcup both powering on the headphones and entering pairing mode. From there, pretty much every tweak is done through the JBL Headphones app. 

That includes adjusting the Adaptive Noise Cancelling, which uses four mics to react to changes in exterior sound. It’s reasonably quick to adjust, but you can still tell when the isolation levels increase or decrease in real-time. Overall you can expect decent, though not class-leading cancellation, with louder, more sudden noises creeping in. The Ambient Aware transparency mode is effective enough though.

TalkThru lets you have conversations without removing the headphones, which always seems a little rude to us, but works as intended. Taking phone calls is also pretty flawless, with algorithms cutting out most wind noise and a loopback option if you want to hear more or less of your own voice while chatting. We thought the Smart Talk feature, which cuts off your music when it hears your voice, worked a little too well at times. Clearing your throat or gulping down a drink can sometimes make it kick in, and we had to tweak the settings in the app to stop it constantly triggering while out for an afternoon stroll.

You can now pick between two Smart Audio and Video listener profiles, which are meant to fine-tune what you’re listening to, but offered very little noticeable difference to us. It’s also worth pointing out that many in-app features can’t be customised beyond an ‘on/off’ switch.

There are no complaints when it comes to battery life. JBL says the Tour One M2 can last around 50 hours per charge, which is double that of the previous-gen model. Expect 30 hours with ANC enabled, though. That largely bore out in our testing, so we could get through several working days before needing to plug in – as long as you remember to turn on the auto power down function through the app. From our experience, a 30ish minute charge will provide an 80% top-up.

Two device multipoint connectivity is a welcome addition, letting you quickly flip between Spotify on your phone and YouTube on a laptop. It supports Bluetooth 5.3, but makes do with basic SBC and AAC codecs; anyone after hi-res sound will need to hunt down a pair of aptx- or LDAC-equipped cans.

Sound quality: More space, less bass

Like a lot of JBL kit, the Tour One M2 attempts a more balanced sound signature. Bass junkies may be a little disappointed, as the low-end doesn’t resonate with much power. You can tweak the EQ through the companion app, but none of the presets add much oomph in that department.

Otherwise trebles are crisp, the soundstage is wide and immersive once you crank the volume, and everything I listened to was delivered with good precision. Vocals have real impact, and there didn’t seem to be any genre it struggled with.

JBL’s Personi-Fi hearing test creates a personal audio profile, playing a series of chimes that decrease in volume. It’s a little clunky, with short gaps between frequencies. Maybe that’s why the boosted end results offered little improvement.

Spatial audio also makes an appearance, providing a more immersive experience if you like that sort of thing. It certainly expands the soundstage, but doesn’t give the same sense of being encapsulated by sound that you get from rivals like the Apple AirPods Max . While it’s far from a dedicated gaming headset, we did like the effect this had when booting up Battlefield V .

JBL Tour One M2 verdict

With a fantastic listening experience, comfortable fit and competitive battery life, the JBL Tour One M2 is a great pair of over-ear headphones. They’re a worthy alternative to the more expensive models that make up our best noise-cancelling headphones list .

Noise cancelling isn’t the best around, so commuters or frequent travellers may want to extend their budget a little further, and there’s some tweaking to be done through the companion app to get interruption-free playback. But it’s otherwise a very solid all-rounder.

Stuff Says…

Score: 4 /5

Not perfect, but a worthy investment and some of the most comfortable phones around.

Comfort factor

Crisp sound for a range of listening

Top-tier noise cancelling

Lacking in style

Clunky app with some uneccessary features

A writer of seven years and serial FIFA 23 loser, Jack is also Features Editor at Stuff. Jack has written extensively about the world of tech, business, science and online culture. He also covers gaming, but is much better at writing about it than actually playing. Jack keeps the site rolling with extensive features and analysis.

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JBL Tour One Wireless review

Jbl gets a number of things right with these over-ears, except for one important aspect.

TechRadar Verdict

JBL is trying to compete with big players with the Tour One Wireless and their sound, while good, isn’t exceptional. Similarly, while the functionality is fine as well, we’re left thinking these could have hit a higher note.

Punchy bass, with custom EQ

Pretty comfortable fit

Solid battery life

Ambient Aware needs work

Sound quality has its limits

Adaptive NC needs tweaking

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

One-minute review

Over-ear headphones have two jobs: fit comfortably and play audio well enough to truly enjoy the content. Sprinkled within those basic tenets are additional features that are supposed to enhance the experience. You could easily describe any over-ear pair that way, but the JBL Tour One Wireless are an interesting case because they’re designed to cater to a larger audience. 

JBL can be hit or miss on its audio products, and the same could be said about the Tour One: the sound, while good, isn’t exceptional, and while the functionality is fine, we’re left thinking these could have hit a higher note. 

There is potential for JBL to release improvements by way of a firmware update through the app, and had already done so once while we tested them. If the company keeps doing that, it may have enough to push them up the ladder as tougher competitors. For now, however, we'd still recommend a pair of cans from Sony or Bose if you want top-tier noise cancellation.

Price and release date

The JBL Tour One were released in May 2021 and come in at $300 / £279 (around AU$450). The challenge is that ballpark price has plenty of other headphones that can compete or play better, and that’s where things get complicated here. 

For starters, that's just a little bit less money than the stellar Sony WH-1000XM4 , what we consider to be the best noise-cancelling headphones on the market, and the Bose QuietComfort 35 II , which comes in a close second. Because ANC isn't the JBL Tour One's strong suit, both feel like better values despite their higher price.

The Tour One Wireless don’t have any special design treatments to stand out in a crowded field. Look at them straight on and they resemble so many others. Gaze at them from the side and the neutral look also doesn’t particularly stand out. The gunmetal and black color scheme is old hat by now, but it still works, so these will fit right in if you’re not looking for anything too conspicuous. 

The faux leather headband is soft enough to sink in without feeling like it pinches after a while, whereas the earcups have little wiggle room once you put them on. That’s great for stability, but perhaps not so much if you want your ears to breathe a little. JBL may have done this by design to better trap in the bass and avoid leakage that would otherwise dilute it. 

Whatever the case, the fit may be divisive because, unlike the headband, you have little recourse to adjust the earcups. They do swivel, which helps contour to the shape if your head and ears, but if you don’t like the thinner padding or how they sit, there’s not much you can do about it. Plus, they do trap in heat, though we didn’t find it to be stifling enough to take them off for a breather all that often.

JBL did try to allocate controls in a symmetrical way. The right earpiece has a power switch that also doubles as the Bluetooth pairing button. Volume controls sit nearby, including a 2.5mm headphone jack when you want to use the Tour One Wireless in a wired form. The USB-C charging port is on the left cup, along with a solitary button to trigger your native voice assistant.

Interestingly, the right earcup’s entire outer surface is touch-sensitive, housing a number of controls. Play or pause with a simple tap, or double tap to skip a track. Unfortunately, there’s no way to repeat one. We tried triple tapping and got nothing. Tap and hold and you can cycle through active noise cancellation (ANC) and Ambient Aware. JBL’s Headphones app does offer some ways to customize those controls, like allocating voice assistants — Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri or Bixby — to the panel instead. In turn, you could apply the Ambient Aware mode to the button on the left earcup as well.

While we didn’t like not being able to repeat a track, we did appreciate how effective the overall controls were. We rarely made a wrong move, and that’s not always the case with every pair of over-ear headphones.

JBL includes a very nice case to go with the Tour One Wireless, complete with pouches for the cables that come with them. To carry and transport these felt like a pleasure based on how snugly everything fit inside.

It was easy enough to pair the Tour One Wireless, especially with Pixel smartphones because JBL supports Google’s fast pairing protocols. We had already downloaded the JBL Headphones app from previous reviews, so were able to also get that connection going in short order. 

Within the app is a set of options that do come in handy. We liked the auto play/pause when removing or putting the Tour One on, as well as an alarm in case we ever felt like taking a nap while listening to music or spoken word content. And then there’s the equalizer, which is necessary to tinker with because of the way these headphones sound. 

By default, they play with a balanced, though subdued, sound profile. The EQ has a few presets, including one for bass, but we went ahead and created our own to see what we could get. 

Performance

We tried the Tour One Wireless in varying conditions and situations to gauge their sound. For the most part, we left ANC on, especially because JBL designed it to be somewhat adaptive, but also kept Ambient Aware on often to see how well that feature worked.

The gist is that the Tour One Wireless are steady enough not to go over any proverbial audio cliff, but those guardrails also force you to be more aggressive with the EQ. For example, at regular levels, these headphones feel restrained. Unleash the bass, and they punch through with more of a thump that makes them come alive. We noticed that right away when playing Friend by KastomariN and the live version of Maxwell’s Ascension . With current hip hop and EDM tracks, you feel the rumble even more. On the flip side, play rock or jazz and the treble can rip through a track with verve, like Jimi Hendrix’s All Along the Watchtower . Thing is, the treble can sometimes feel piercing, and that’s where the EQ can help level off the worst excesses of the highs in the audio spectrum. It helps, but can’t always stave off the harsher elements, especially when you find that the headphones treat quieter portions of a song the same way they do the louder ones. 

We also had to consider how the noise features applied. JBL’s True Adaptive NC regulates ANC by raising or lowering the effect based on what’s happening around you. The problem with it is that it makes an audible difference, so if you’re walking down the street, it’s adjusting a lot to compensate for the variances in both low and high frequencies. We opted to keep ANC at Everyday mode for a more consistent approach. 

Ambient Aware was a mixed bag, not because we couldn’t hear our surroundings, but because they were sometimes muddled. The mode did better with others’ voices than with various sounds, making the mode something to use when necessary, rather than a reliable feature to trust. 

We found phone calls were generally okay, particularly when ANC was on to block out other sounds. Despite that, we noticed much better results in quieter settings, so these may not be the best for conversations when things are loud around you. 

Battery life

JBL rates the Tour One Wireless at up to 24 hours per charge at the standard default volume. We actually hit that number quite easily going a notch above that level, hitting closer to 28-30 hours. We also took advantage of the auto-off setting to have them turn off after 15 minutes when we left them idle. 

Battery life is solid during wired playback, including with game consoles using the TRS cable. It’s just that you lose out on the microphones, since only audio passes through, meaning you won’t be able to communicate in multiplayer games.

Should you buy the JBL Tour One?

Buy them if...

You're looking for easy, intuitive controls We did appreciate how effective the overall controls were. We rarely made a wrong move, and that’s not always the case with every pair of over-ear headphones.

You want fun, bassy sound JBL is known for having a fun sound signature and these are no different. Unleash the bass, and they punch through with more of a thump that makes your music come alive.

You need extra-long battery life over-ear headphones We easily hit 28-30 hours of battery life on a single charge with these at medium volume, which should make them great travel companions for people who are always on the move.

Don't buy them if...

Your ears run hot If you've felt overheated by over-ear headphones in the past, you might want to avoid the Tour One.

You like to take phone calls on your headphones The JBL Tour One sound great, but they don't make you sound great, unfortunately. They can be useful if you take calls in quieter settings, but we wouldn't recommend them if you take calls in a crowded office space or walking down the street.

You're big on features like Ambient Aware and Adaptive ANC It's nice that the Tour One have active noise cancellation, but the accompanying features like Ambient Aware and Adaptive ANC could use some more work.

• Looking for the ultimate over-ears? Check out our guide to the best over-ear headphones

Ted Kritsonis is the Freelance Tech Journalist. He is a Tech journalist contributing to a dozen publications: Globe and Mail, MobileSyrup, Futurithmic, Android Central, TechRadar, and WhatsYourTech.ca, among others.

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JBL Tour One M2

Quality noise cancellation and robust sound for a premium price.

Bottom Line

• Full-bodied bass and bright highs
• Above-average noise cancellation
• Hands-free Alexa and Google Assistant
• Comfortable fit
• Finicky touch controls
• EQ can dramatically change the volume

For $299.99, JBL’s Tour One M2 headphones produce bold, bass-forward sound in a comfortable over-ear design. They also offer above-average active noise cancellation (ANC), along with support for hands-free Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control. That said, finicky touch controls and unpredictable in-app EQ undercut the otherwise premium experience. Ultimately, we recommend you spend slightly more for the Bose QuietComfort Headphones for even better noise cancellation or the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 for stronger Bluetooth codec support.

Comfortable Fit, Sensitive Controls

Available in black or silver, the circumaural (over-ear) Tour One M2 headphones have an eggshell-like finish on the outer earcups and headband. The headband's interior and earpads both feature a faux leather material with memory foam padding beneath. They feel quite comfortable over long listening sessions.

Behind the grilles, 40mm dynamic drivers deliver a frequency range of 10Hz to 22kHz in active wireless or wired mode or 10Hz to 40kHz in passive wired mode.

The headphones are compatible with Bluetooth 5.3 and work with just the AAC and SBC codecs . For comparison, the Aonic 50 Gen 2 headphones support AptX, AptX Adaptive, AptX HD, and LDAC options for hi-res listening on Android devices. JBL says Google Fast Pair and multipoint connectivity with up to two devices are both available here. Hands-free Alexa and Google Assistant round out the connectivity features.

For controls, there is a capacitive touch panel on the right earcup and a mix of buttons on both sides. Tapping the Action button on the left side once switches between the Noise Canceling and Ambient Aware (transparency) modes. You can add an off option via the app. Double taps of this button toggle the TalkThru feature, a conversation-focused transparency mode that drastically lowers the volume of your music.

Along the edge of the right earcup, an array of buttons handle power/pairing and volume control. The touch panel on the right manages playback (single taps), track navigation (double taps for forward, triple taps for backward), and voice assistant access (long presses). Double taps also answer incoming calls or end ongoing calls, while a tap-and-hold gesture rejects an incoming call or mutes the mic during a call.

The control scheme is intuitive, but the touch surface on the right is far too prone to misfires. I accidentally skipped tracks or paused playback several times when I removed the headphones in testing.

The included USB-A-to-USB-C charging cable connects to a USB-C port at the base of the left earcup, while an included 3.5mm audio cable plugs into a port on the right side. A dual-connection flight adapter is also in the box. The headphones fold down flat to fit inside the included hard-shell zip-up carrying case, which has an internal pocket for all of the accessories.

JBL estimates that the headphones can last roughly 50 hours per charge with ANC off or 30 hours with it active. Your results will further vary based on your typical listening volume levels. The battery takes two hours to fully charge from empty, and 10 minutes of charging should net you about five hours of playback.

JBL Tour One M2 App Experience

The JBL Headphones app (available for Android and iOS) has a seemingly endless list of options on its main page, but that's because it doesn't have a separate settings menu.

At the top, a power button and a battery life readout accompany an image of the headphones. Below that is the Ambient Sound Control section. Here, you can select between ANC, Ambient Aware, and TalkThru modes. You can adjust the level of the Ambient Aware mode directly from the main screen or tap into the ANC section to switch between Adaptive ANC and access a fader for the regular ANC.

Scroll down on the main screen to find the Personi-Fi tile, which builds you a personalized sound signature, and the Equalizer section, which lets you choose between several genre-based presets or create a custom EQ curve with 10 bands between 32Hz and 16kHz. You don't have to use either feature.

Several more tiles are further down, including Spatial Sound (a forgettable implementation with Movie, Music, and Game modes) and Gestures (which lets you see the touch control layout and make minor adjustments).

Beyond this, the tiles cover what you typically expect to see in a settings menu. You can toggle voice prompts and adjust the auto-power-off behavior, for example. The app also helps you set up the hands-free Alexa and Google Assistant integrations. I didn't have any trouble using voice commands to play music, but you can also just use the touch gesture on the earcup instead.

Quality Noise Cancellation

The Tour One M2 headphones performed well in my noise cancellation tests. They noticeably dialed back powerful low-frequency rumble, for instance, though some lows and mids were still audible. When I played a more challenging recording of a busy restaurant, they cut back the lows and mids but didn't diminish the highs as convincingly. Switching between the Adaptive ANC and regular ANC (at the maximum level) modes in the app did little to change the experience. The Bose QuietComfort Headphones are far more effective at mitigating deep low-frequency rumble and deal with the highs appreciably better (though not perfectly).

JBL's Ambient Aware and TalkThru modes both work well to help you monitor your surroundings. The TalkThru mode lowers your music volume to a whisper, whereas the Ambient Aware mode doesn't affect it at all. Some might prefer the former, but the latter was sufficient for me. One additional difference is that the TalkThru mode accentuates conversations.

Full-Bodied Audio

The in-app EQ is somewhat effective for adjusting bass and highs to taste, but raising the bass level noticeably lowers the total output level. Blasting the bass results in a comically low volume level, for example, presumably to prevent distortion. I recommend leaving the EQ alone since the bass depth is already robust without adjustments, though you can tweak the highs without as much consequence. For my tests below, I turned the EQ off.

On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the headphones produce an impressive low-frequency response. The bass depth sounds rich and full at moderate levels. And at top volumes, bass remains robust and distortion-free.

The headphones don't have any trouble reproducing the sub-bass at the 34-second mark of Kendrick Lamar’s “Loyalty.” The deepest note in the progression drops off slightly, but I hear a subwoofer-like rumble throughout. The various vocals sound clear.

The drums on Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass in the mix, are relatively natural. Callahan’s baritone vocals get enough high-mid presence to sound crisp, while the acoustic strums and higher-register percussion are bright.

On orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary , I hear a bit more low-frequency boosting than is realistic, though bass lovers might enjoy this presentation. The higher-register brass, strings, and vocals are still bright and crisp, but there’s noticeable anchoring in the lows.

The voice mic array works well, and I could understand every word from a test recording on my iPhone without trouble thanks to the crisp, loud signal.

Reasonable Performance for the Price

The JBL Tour One M2 headphones deliver bass-forward sound and effective active noise cancellation. We also like the array of quality accessories and the comfortable fit, though we wish the capacitive touch panel wasn't so easy to accidentally trigger and that EQ changes didn't dramatically cut the volume. Those drawbacks may seem small, but they're especially worth noting when you consider the high-end price. If you're willing to spend an additional $50, we more highly recommend the Bose QuietComfort Headphones for top-tier noise cancellation, or the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 for higher-res codec options.

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About Tim Gideon

I've been a contributing editor for PCMag since 2011. Before that, I was PCMag's lead audio analyst from 2006 to 2011. Even though I'm a freelancer now, PCMag has been my home for well over a decade, and audio gear reviews are still my primary focus. Prior to my career in reviewing tech, I worked as an audio engineer—my love of recording audio eventually led me to writing about audio gear.

More From Tim Gideon

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Review: JBL Tour One

Energetic jbl sound.

JBL Tour One is a pair of proper headphones, which after som help from EQ function in the app, brings out a smile on your face.

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The JBL Tour One feels solid in the hands, and sits comfortably on the head. And I like the feeling they give when they are in the hands. Physical buttons for sound level, wireless connection and sound processing such as noise cancellation and ambient sound make them easier to get to know than some others, such as the Sony WF-1000XM4.

The noise cancellation

External noise is reduced well with the active noise cancellation, but the JBL headphones require more fine-tuning of the position on the ears than the others, so that the noise reduction is the same on both ears. You may have to squeeze a little extra when you put them on, to get it completely tight. When they sit, the noise reduction is good, better than Yamaha which lets in a little more noise.

With noise cancellation activated, the bass becomes fuller, but also less firm. The rhythms in the middle bass do not tap as tightly against the eardrum, as with ANC deactivated. The same is experienced with ambient sound activated, the headphones sound a lot better with everything turned off. But of course, if you are sitting on a plane or in a car, the noise must be shut out.

Out of the box, the sound is a bit flat and unengaging, especially the midrange is very thin so voices do not come out properly. Beyoncé’s latest song, Be Alive, does not exactly sound “alive”. But it does not take much. Here I would take to the EQ in the app.

For after a small increase in the midrange around 1 kHz and also slight subtraction around the sharp range at 4 kHz, then pull up again in the treble, and the sound immediately much better. You may want a different setting, and that’s fine. There are many opportunities here, because the EQ is really good.

Sigrid’s voice is now clear and distinct on the Christmas song Home To You (This Christmas) , and the guitar on the previously unreleased Follow Me Around by Radiohead, now finally released on the double re-release Kid A Mnesia, massages the ears. Thom Yorke, who is rudely placed almost to the far left, stands out clearly from the music. This is good.

JBL Tour One: Conclusion

The JBL Tour One sounds decent right out of the box, but also som much better with a small adjustment in the app. They sound best without noise cancellation, with a tighter and tidier bass, but also work with this or ambient sound activated. In situations where it is necessary to remove the noise, the bass becomes fuller but less controlled. They have this in common with many others.

The noise cancellation itself works well, just make sure that the headphones are tight around the ears.

Specifications

• Type: Over-ear, closed, wireless
• Drivers: 40 mm
• Frequency range: 10 Hz – 22 kHz
• Active noise reduction : Yes
• Ambient sound: Yes
• Battery life: 25 h with ANC / 50 h without ANC
• Water resistance: No.
• Voice control: Alexa, Assistant, Siri
• App: JBL Headphones
• Connections: Bluetooth 5.0 (SBC, AAC), 3.5 mm analog
• Weight: 268 g
• Colors: Black
• Web: jbl.com

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Say your opinion

Buy the previous version instead

Lossless at last from bose, good news from bose, listen to your music for the first time, jabra's best by far - but not for everyone, earbuds with a telly.

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JBL Tour One M2 Review

by: Gabby Bloch May 05, 2023   | Press Ctrl+D to bookmark this page Link copied to clipboard https://audio46.com/blogs/headphones/jbl-tour-one-m2-review Email us

The JBL Tour One M2 is competing with heavy hitters, such as the Sennheiser Momentum 4 and higher priced, Sony WH-1000XM5 . Does it come close to the best sellers in terms of resolution and design quality? And what can you expect in terms of sound signature?

What's in the Box?

• JBL Tune One M2
• Hardshell Case
• 3.5mm Headphone Adapter
• USB-C Charging Cable
• User Guide and Warranty

Look and Feel

JBL Tour One M2 looks pretty standard for a wireless headphone in this price range; their sleek and modern design, with a premium matte finish and subtle silver accents give them a sophisticated look. In fact, because this simple design is so popular, some may even find the headphones a bit plain and uninspiring, preferring more vibrant color options like JBL has offered in the past.

In terms of the feel, the headphones fit comfortably, while construction appears durable as well. The ear cups and headband are well-padded and provide a snug fit without causing ear fatigue or discomfort. Some may notice that the headphones are slightly on the heavier side, but I didn’t find this an issue even during extended use.

The Tour One M2 employs a couple of buttons on the side of the ear cups to control functions like ANC and volume. But track navigation and other options are controlled via the touch sensors on the ear cup (in addition to a few controls on the accompanying app, explained below).

Design and Functionality

Battery life.

The Tour One M2 has a battery life of up to 50 hours with Bluetooth and ANC (active noise cancellation) turned off, and up to 30 hours with Bluetooth and ANC turned on. The headphones also feature a quick-charge function that provides up to 5 hours of playback time with just 10 minutes of charging. 30 hours of play is not a huge amount of time when you compare the Tune One M2 to similarly priced headphones like the Sennheiser Momentum 4, which boasts 60 hours of battery life.

Bluetooth and Supported Codecs

The JBL Tour One M2 features Bluetooth version 5.2, which is the latest version of Bluetooth technology. And these cans support practically all the hi-res codecs, including AAC, LDAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive.

ANC (Active Noise Cancellation)

The ANC is not incredibly powerful. It will mainly kill the hum of your surrounding environment, such as a heater. That being said, particularly strong ANC headphones can create an uncomfortable pressure on the ear canal. So, I found that the ANC had just the right amount of power.

Call Clarity

The JBL Tour One M2 headphones uses sensitive 4-mic technology for calls. And voices came out clearly during phone calls, even in noisy environments. The use of ANC technology to reduce background noise, seemed to further improve call clarity. And I experienced no dropouts or interruptions.  

Extra Features

One of the most useful features of the Tour One M2 is the accompanying app that has a fully customizable equalizer. The app also allows you to adjust ambient and ANC modes. In addition, the app features Person-Fi, which conducts a hearing test to optimize the sound specifically for your ears.

Sound Impressions

You'll experience an impressive sense of depth and space for a wireless set of headphones at this price point. Instruments are accurately placed along the vertical space, giving you a sense of being in the center of the action. And although the headphones don't reach soaring heights, the roomy feeling of depth and expansiveness in the stereo field more than compensates for it. Instruments and vocals stretch out beyond the ear cups to create a reasonably panoramic canvas of sound.

The JBL Tour One M2 delivers a powerful and impactful bass response, which is characteristic of JBL's famous sound signature. The sub-bass frequencies rumble too, reaching into the throat with every bass hit. At the same time, unlike some competing models, the mid-bass remains clean. So, you won’t hear any bloat or muddiness. In fact, these cans are balanced with ample depth in the lower frequencies, while also shedding enough weight in the high-bass to produce an authentic sounding acoustic instrument that’s unsaturated and relatively light.

You’ll get a very full-bodied feel in this range. The low-mids are given plenty of stage space and the high-mids avoid protruding out of the mix. As a result, vocals, guitars and percussion sit comfortably within the instrumentation, never causing any harshness or discomfort. The layering is also very clean in the mids, revealing a comprehensive sound especially in busy mixes. Some may prefer a more dynamic balance in this range, but for those who like an easy, fleshy profile, this sound signature is ideal.

The highs are very smooth, avoiding any uncomfortable peakiness in the high treble. Still, it’s not a completely rolled-off sound and you will get some sparkle from instruments in this range. But there is also some weight and color here, bringing a rich and velvety quality to vocals in particular.  

This is a sound signature that will please the masses. A deep and punchy, yet clean bass meets an all encompassing midrange and smooth treble for a highly pleasurable and never offensive sound. The relatively short 30 hours of battery life is perhaps the Tour One M2’s only flaw. Still, at the end of the day, the Tour One M2 is a perfect example of a classic JBL headphone. Solid sound, good build, no surprises.  

You can buy the JBL Tour One M2 Headphones at Audio 46 .

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“And these cans support practically all the hi-res codecs, including AAC, LDAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive” – it’s not true. Tour One M2 support only SBC and AAC standards.

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• Overview Overview
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• Noise-Canceling Headphones
• Non-Noise-Canceling Headphones

JBL Tour One M2 Headphone

Features & Specs

Price & shop.

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Ratings Scorecard

Survey Results

Predicted Reliability

Predicted brand reliability ratings are based on estimated problem rates for newly purchased noise-canceling headphones, by the end of the 2nd year of ownership.

Owner Satisfaction

Brand owner satisfaction ratings are based on the proportion of members who are extremely likely to recommend their noise-canceling headphones to their friends and family.

Test Results

Sound quality

Represents the tonal accuracy, clarity, detail, ambience, and dynamics of the audio reproduced by the headphone.

Noise reduction

Represents how well the headphone reduces ambient noise when the active noise cancellation feature is activated.

Over the ear models completely envelop the ear. On-ear models sit on top of the ears. Insert models are inserted into the ear canal. Earbud models rest in the ear outside of the ear canal and may have a portion that extends into the ear canal.

Closed headphones rest on or around the user's ears and rely on a seal between the user's ears and the headphone for proper bass response, and somewhat isolate the user from outside sounds. Open air models rest on or around the user's ears but do not rely on a seal between the user's ears and headphones for proper bass response and do not isolate the user from outside sounds. Ear insert models are inserted into and are held in place by the ear canal; they rely on a seal between the user's ears and the headphones for proper bass response, and somewhat isolate the user from outside sounds. Earbud models rest in the area outside of the ear canal and may extend into the ear canal but do not rely on the ear canal to be held in place; they do not rely on a seal between the user's ears and headphones for proper bass response and do not isolate the user from outside sounds.

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Detailed Test Results

This Bluetooth wireless noise canceling home/studio-style over-ear model provides very good sound and excellent active noise reduction. Its closed design and electronic noise canceling feature reduce both outside noise and sound leaking out into your environment. The headphones work with or without the noise canceling feature being turned on. You can use the noise-canceling feature without listening to music, and the audio cable can be detached to get it out of the way when the headphones are being used for noise reduction only. The headphones has low sensitivity when powered with or without the noise cancelation feature turned on, so while they can provide satisfying volume levels when used with home audio equipment and higher powered portable audio devices, they may not be a good match for lower-powered portables. When powered off, they have medium high sensitivity, so they can provide satisfying volume levels when used with home audio equipment and all but the lowest-powered portable audio devices.

The Tour One M2 has a volume control plus an integrated microphone and player function controls. Additional features include a Ear cups fold and swivel to flat for ease of carrying and storage. Has ANC with manually adjustable noise cancelation level; also has adaptive ANC feature that automatically adjusts ANC level based on the ambient sound levels. In addition to ambient sound monitoring has TalkThru feature that provides ambient sound monitoring and user voice monitoring. Default setting provides toggling between ANC on, ambient sound monitor, and TalkThru modes using control on left ear cup enabled. Headphone ANC settings and controls can be customized using the JBL Headphones app. Has touch controls for music player transport, call connect/disconnect and digital voice assistant activation, and button controls for Bluetooth volume control, noise cancellation on/off, and Bluetooth pairing. Has Bluetooth pairing alert tones. Automatically pauses audio when headphones are removed from ears and resumes when headphone is placed back on ears; default setting is on and can be turned on or off in JBL Headphones app. Has speed charge feature: 10 min of charging will provide 5 hr. of playtime. Supports Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and BIXBY digital voice assistants when used with Bluetooth devices that have those capabilities and that, if needed, have the appropriate apps installed. Supports voice activation of Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Supports multi-point connection for two Bluetooth devices. Talk sensing feature pauses audio when user starts talking. JBL Headphones app download for Apple and Android mobile devices can be used to show battery level, enable and customize ANC, enable and adjust ambient mode, adjust the earphone's tonal balance, create custom or use pre-made EQ presets, update the earphone's firmware, and adds other features. Supports Google Fast Pair (alternate to traditional Bluetooth pairing method for Android mobile devices). Has low latency mode to provide better audio syncing performance when used with video sources. Bluetooth connected Apple mobile devices using iOS Version 5 and above will show the battery level. The Tour One M2 comes with detachable 50-inch long standard audio cable, mini-plug-to-airplane-jack adapter, USB-A to USB-C connector charging cable, carrying case, Warranty Card, Quick Start Guide.

Comfort: We found that these headphones produce a sense of moderate pressure around the ears. As typical of over-ear models the ear pads might feel hot and/or sticky after prolonged use. Users with larger heads might find that the headband does not have enough adjustment range to allow the ear cups to rest properly over the ears and/or that the headband presses uncomfortably on the top of the head. Users with larger ears might find that the over-the-ear fit of the ear pads feel cramped, or that the ear pads sit on, rather than around their ears; in that case the less-than-ideal fit around the ears might interfere with the ear pad seal and reduce the bass response and/or noise reduction capabilities of the headphone. Some users may find that when they lean far forward the headphones feel unstable and shift forward. Incidental contact with the touch controls on the right ear cup can cause unintentional playing and pausing. When wearing this model while walking the muffled vibrations from each foot step can be heard slightly through the headphones regardless of whether or not the headphones are in noise cancelling mode. When the audio cord is used the sound of it rubbing on clothing may be faintly heard through the headphones.

The JBL Tour One M2 home/studio-style Bluetooth wireless noise canceling headphones have a closed over-ear design.

Works with noise reduction off

Will operate without the noise-canceling circuitry activated.

Ambient sound monitoring

Has a control that amplifies ambient (environmental) sounds so they can be better heard (also turns off the noise cancelling feature of noise cancelling models). Allows the user to hear what's going on around them (like travel announcements when commuting or a car approaching while out running) while still wearing the headphones.

Integrated volume control

This allows you to adjust the volume without having to dig into your pocket or purse for a player.

Integrated player control

This allows you to control some player functions (for example: play, pause, track skip) via a control without having to dig into a pocket or purse for a player.

Integrated microphone

Has an integrated microphone for use with some cell phones or audio players with a recorder function.

Call connect, disconnect control

This allows you to answer or disconnect from a phone call with some cell phones.

Battery life

As claimed by the manufacturer.

Detachable cable

A detachable cable allows the headphones to be used for noise canceling without the cord being connected to a music or video player, or dangling from the headset.

Warranty (mos.): parts/labor

Warranty is for parts and labor, in months.

Additional features

Additional features for this model.

Included accessories

Indicates what accessories are included.

Connections

The type of connection at the end of the audio cord, which will be plugged into the source component. Most have 1/8-inch standard (3-contact) "mini" plugs that can be used with audio devices with standard mini jacks. Models intended for use with cell phones and tables that have integrated microphones, audio player controls, and call connect/disconnect controls use a 1/8-inch 4-conductor mini plug. The audio function of models with 4-conductor mini plugs may not work properly or consistently with devices that use standard audio jacks. Other plug types are Lighting connectors that are intended for use with Apple mobile devices and USB-C connectors that are intended for use with devices that have those kinds of ports.

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JBL Tour One M2 vs Sennheiser Momentum 4 Review

Sony and Sennheiser have been setting the industry standard for flagship wireless headphones, and all major audio brands aim to beat them. The J BL Tour One M2 is one such competitor. Selling at around the same price as the Sennheiser Momentum 4 , can it compete in terms of sound and design?

Look and Feel

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 sports a classy but no-frills, modern appearance, with a sturdy and durable build. The JBL Tour One M2 has a more futuristic and edgy design. But they appear about equal with respect to build quality and durability. In terms of weight, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 is slightly lighter, probably making them more comfortable to wear for extended periods. But to be honest, for the period I wore the headphones, I found both equally comfortable and snug.

Design and Functionality

The Momentum 4 wins hands down here, offering a whopping 60 hours of play with the ANC turned on. In contrast, the Tour One M2 has only 30 hours of playtime with the ANC on and 50 hours of charge with the ANC turned off.

Bluetooth  

The Tour One M2 offers Bluetooth 5.3 LE, which is the latest version, guaranteeing a reliable connection. The Momentum 4 employs Bluetooth version 5.2, which, while not the latest version, still provides a highly reliable connection. And during listening sessions, I never encountered any interruptions.

The Momentum 4, however, supports hi-res codecs, including aptX and aptX Adaptive, while the Tour One M2 only offers AAC and SBC.

ANC (Active Noise Cancellation)

Both headphones emit approximately the same about of ANC power. That is, enough power to kill the hum of a heater or train, but not enough to drown out a nearby conversation.

Call Clarity

About the same level of call clarity here, although the Momentum 4 offers a grander soundstage.

Extra Features

Both headphones come with accompanying apps that, amongst other things, allow you to adjust the equalizer settings. But the Tour One M2 will give you more creative control, allowing you to adjust all parts of he frequency spectrum. In contrast, the Momentum 4 only offers general control over the lows, mids and highs. The Sennheiser app will give you a little more control, such as the ability to adjust the strength of the ANC. But the Tour One M2 gives you a couple of neat tricks too, like Person-Fi, which conducts a hearing test to optimize the sound specifically for your ears to customize the sound.

Sound Impressions

Perhaps because the separation is superior, the Momentum 4 offers a more spaced out soundscape than the Tour One M2. The Momentum 4 also delivers more height, with instrument placement along the vertical axis feeling more accurate. That being said, both headphones present expansive stages. But given how clean it sounds, the Momentum 4 offers a more nuanced and colorful soundstage overall.

While both headphones deliver an up-front bass profile, the bass on the JBL Tour One M2 comes off as a little shinier, while the Momentum 4 takes on a fatter, more muted tone. Still, both headphones offer plenty of warmth. And neither of the headphones’ low-end bleeds into higher frequencies or muddies this range.

Both headphones have a full-bodied feel, but the Tour One M2 has slightly more prominent upper-mids, making vocals and snares come forward in the mix and creating a lively, dynamic feel. But in this range, the Momentum 4 has the cleaner, more transparent and more natural sound of the two headphones. And it presents a slightly thinner and more intricate acoustic instrument.

The Momentum 4 offers a touch more sparkle and crispness in the treble than the comparatively the Tour One. But neither ever feel piercing or fatiguing on the ears. Both headphones show great transparency when listening to acoustic instruments in this range, but the Tour One has a little more color and gloss to it than the comparatively dry and natural Momentum 4.

In terms of sound, the Momentum 4 seems to have the upper hand, as it offers a slightly cleaner and more natural profile. And given the impressive 60 hours of battery life, the Momentum 4 becomes even more enticing. If complete control over your equalizer settings is a priority, then you’re better off with the Tour One M2. But if you’re looking for the best headphone under $300, the Momentum 4 is hard to beat.

You can buy the JBL Tour One M2 at Audio 46 .

You can buy the Sennheiser Momentum 4 at Audio 46 .

Compare the ranking of various headphones, earbuds and in-ear monitors using our tools .

Discuss this, and much more, over on our forum .

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• Casques & écouteurs
• Casque nomade / Bluetooth

Test Casque nomade Tour One M2 : JBL entre dans la cour des grands

• JBL Tour One M2, Casque audio sans fil, Bluetooth 5.3, Jusqu'à 50 heures... 235,90 € Neuf
• JBL Tour One M2, Casque audio sans fil, Bluetooth 5.3, Jusqu'à 50 heures... 365,03 € Neuf

• JBL Tour One M2, Casque audio sans fil, Bluetooth 5.3, Jusqu'à 50 heures... 259,37 € Neuf
• JBL Tour One M2, Casque audio sans fil, Bluetooth 5.3, Jusqu'à 50 heures... 299,99 € Neuf

• JBL Tour ONE M2 - Écouteurs avec micro - circum-aural - Bluetooth - sans... 287,99 € Neuf
• Casque JBL Tour ONE M2 champagne 299,99 € Neuf

• Casque audio JBL à réduction de bruit adaptative Bluetooth Tour One MK2 ... 299,99 € Neuf
• Casque audio JBL à réduction de bruit adaptative Bluetooth Tour One M2 N... 299,99 € Neuf

• TOUR ONE MK2 299,99 € Neuf
• Tour One MK2 Champagne 299,99 € Neuf

• Samsung JBL Tour One MK II 329,99 € Neuf

Produits alternatifs

Historique de la notation

Avis utilisateurs (0)

Rendu sonore équilibré et énergique.

Réduction de bruit active excellente., sensations de confort remarquables., autonomie très généreuse., foisonnant de fonctionnalités., colorations dans les aigus (scène sonore un peu resserrée, voix nasillardes…)., précision tout juste correcte des médiums/hauts médiums., mode d’écoute des sons environnants peu pratique., connectique submini-jack et non mini-jack..

Comparatif / 53 casques nomades testés

Le Tour One M2 est la deuxième itération du casque haut de gamme de JBL. Il embarque toutes les technologies dernier cri du fabricant américain : réduction de bruit adaptative, audio spatial, Smart Talk…

Présentation

Au milieu des innombrables références de casques d’entrée et de milieu de gamme conçus par JBL, le Tour One M2 fait figure d’ovni. Descendant du Tour One, ce casque nomade Bluetooth embarque tout le savoir-faire du fabricant américain en matière de réduction de bruit et de traitement du son.

Le Tour One M2 dispose également d’une myriade de fonctionnalités en tous genres, promet un excellent confort, un kit mains-libres performant, une autonomie maximale de 50 h… Tout pour venir titiller les ténors du marché.

Prix & disponibilité

Disponible en coloris noir ou champagne, le Tour One M2 est sorti en janvier 2023 au prix de 299 €.

Conditions de test

Nous avons effectué le test du casque dans sa version 2.7.0 avec l’app JBL Headphone en version 5.11.4.

Construction & Confort

Une conception classique et un look un peu cheap.

Le Tour One M2 est un casque circum-auriculaire de conception assez classique. Il possède des oreillettes ovales repliables vers l’intérieur du casque et pivotantes à 90° afin que les coussinets viennent se reposer délicatement sur les clavicules lorsque le casque est porté autour du cou. Par ailleurs, le revêtement des coussinets nous paraît un peu fragile et prompt au déchirement. Heureusement, ces derniers sont retirables et donc remplaçables. L’arceau est quant à lui renforcé par une structure en métal très souple et dispose d’un coussinet à son sommet.

Le Tour One M2 est entièrement recouvert de coques en plastique mélangeant finition mate et brillante, pour un look un peu clinquant certes, mais qui a le mérite d’être plutôt remarquable au sein de la gamme des casques de JBL. Quelques traces d’assemblage sont visibles ci et là et certaines parties en plastique donne au casque un aspect un peu cheap, mais dans l’ensemble, il jouit d’une qualité de fabrication très correcte.

Le Tour One M2 est livré avec une housse de transport rigide de bonne facture, un câble de recharge USB-C d'un mètre, un câble mini-jack de 1,2 m et d’un adaptateur avion.

Des sensations de confort de haut vol

Le casque de JBL offre des sensations de confort tout bonnement excellentes. Son poids de 281 g ne se fait pas particulièrement ressentir, car bien réparti le long de l’arceau et autour des oreilles. Le coussinet de l’arceau est quant à lui suffisamment épais pour ne pas provoquer de pression marquée au sommet du crâne, et les coussinets des oreillettes sont particulièrement doux et agréables au toucher.

Sans appliquer d’effet “pince”, le Tour One M2 jouit d’un très bon maintien.

L’espace intérieur des oreillettes est suffisamment spacieux pour accueillir toutes les morphologies d’oreilles. Une fine mousse est placée au fond de chaque oreillette et empêche de ressentir un point de contact entre le cartilage de l’oreille et la grille protégeant les haut-parleurs. Par ailleurs, l’arceau se déploie suffisamment largement pour accueillir n’importe quelle morphologie de tête. Tous ces points font du Tour One M2 un régal à porter, et ce même durant de très longues heures.

Expérience utilisateur

Le Tour One M2 se manie très facilement grâce à ses commandes disposées autour des oreillettes et à des indications vocales disponibles en français. À l’instar d’un célèbre WH-1000XM4 , le Tour One M2 dispose d’une surface tactile sous la coque de son oreillette droite permettant de gérer la lecture, la navigation et le déclenchement de l’assistant vocal. Cette surface tombe facilement sous le doigt et répond parfaitement aux ordres qui lui sont donnés.

La gestion du volume et le changement de mode d’écoute sont quant à eux affectés à des boutons physiques eux aussi parfaitement réactifs. Les boutons de volume auraient toutefois grandement bénéficié de détrompeurs pour les différencier au toucher.

Alexa et Google Assistant peuvent être invoqués à la voix, sans passer par la surface tactile.

Pour finir, un interrupteur, placé à l’arrière de l’oreillette droite s’occupe de la mise sous tension et de l’appairage Bluetooth. Ce dernier s’effectue aisément ; le casque est d’ailleurs compatible avec les protocoles d’appairage rapide Google Fast Pair pour les terminaux Android et Swift Pair pour les PC sous Windows 10.

Connectique et connectivité

Le Tour One M2 communique en sans-fil grâce à sa connectivité Bluetooth 5.3 (compatible avec les codecs SBC et AAC). Le casque est ainsi prêt à recevoir les fonctionnalités apportées par la nouvelle norme LE Audio qui seront déployées plus tard dans l’année grâce à une mise à jour. Il dispose également d’une fonction multipoint lui permettant d’être connecté à deux appareils simultanément.

Avec quelques mois de retard, la norme Bluetooth LE Audio s'apprête à débarquer avec son lot de nouveautés : qualité audio supérieure, pa...

Le casque dispose également d’une connectique filaire au cas où vous tomberiez à court de batterie ou tout simplement si votre appareil ne disposerait pas de connectivité Bluetooth. Dommage que celui-ci soit au format submini-jack et non mini-jack cela dit.

En communication Bluetooth, nous avons mesuré une latence égale à 245 ms, soit un délai suffisamment élevé pour impliquer un fort décalage entre le son et l’image d’une vidéo. Les écouteurs sont cependant capables de compenser automatiquement cette latence sur la majorité des apps vidéo comme Netflix, Apple TV+ ou YouTube. Pour la pratique vidéoludique, il est nécessaire d’activer le mode “Faible latence”, qui fait alors tomber ladite latence à 127 ms. Un délai bien plus supportable, mais qui reste remarquable en jeu. De plus, ce mode implique une franche baisse de la stabilité de connexion : les coupures sont fréquentes, surtout dans les environnements bondés comme dans le métro où dans un bâtiment public. Nous n’avons pas constaté de souci de connexion autrement.

Application

Le casque de JBL donne accès à une foule de fonctionnalités au sein de l’app JBL Headphones. À tel point qu'il est parfois difficile de s’y retrouver tellement elle fourmille d’options en tous genres. Parfaitement stable, l’app donne accès aux réglages de la réduction de bruit active, du mode d’écoute des sons environnants, à un égaliseur, aux modes de son spatial…

La fonction Smart Talk permet de baisser le volume et d'activer le mode TalkThru (voir la partie Isolation) lorsque les micros détectent votre voix. Son fonctionnement est assez hasardeux, nous vous conseillons donc de ne pas l’activer. Le casque est aussi compatible avec la fonction Personi-Fi 2.0 permettant d’adapter le rendu sonore à votre audition, ainsi qu'avec une fonction d’amplification des sons environnants pour les personnes malentendantes. Bref, vous avez de quoi faire joujou avec ce Tour One M2.

JBL semble avoir particulièrement soigné les performances acoustiques de son casque haut de gamme. En effet, le Tour One M2 délivre un rendu sonore maîtrisé et presque parfaitement équilibré et précis.

En liaison filaire et avec le casque éteint, les graves sont gonflés et masquent en partie les médiums. À part cela, le casque se comporte de la même manière que lorsqu'il est allumé.

Le Tour One M2 se démarque de bon nombre de ses concurrents par son rendu du grave tout en retenue. Les basses fréquences sont sages ; le casque n’en fait jamais trop dans ce registre, si bien qu’on aurait parfois aimé un peu plus d’assise. Néanmoins, la reproduction des graves est très bien maitrisée : ils ne débordent jamais sur les fréquences plus hautes ; chaque coup de grosse caisse et chaque pincement de corde de basse sont retranscrits avec précision et punch.

Les médiums font preuve d’une linéarité exemplaire. On reste toutefois un peu sur notre faim concernant la précision dans cette région fréquentielle. Rien de dramatique cependant, les timbres des instruments étant parfaitement respectés.

Les hautes fréquences sont quant à elles assez colorées et manquent un peu d’homogénéité. Une partie des hauts médiums et les aigus sont projetés sur le devant de la scène et donnent au rendu global un aspect un poil trop acéré qui aurait gagné à être légèrement plus doux. Les cymbales, par exemple, sont un peu trop mises au premier plan et sont parfois trop entêtantes. Les voix humaines également peuvent avoir un léger aspect nasillard. Si la scène sonore perd en profondeur à cause de ces colorations et du repli des extrêmes aigus, le Tour One M2 fait cependant preuve d’une excellente séparation stéréo et la scène sonore reste particulièrement large. On louera également la très bonne précision et le niveau de détail très satisfaisant dont font preuve les hautes fréquences.

Le Tour One M2 n'affiche aucune trace de distorsion, même à volume élevé.

Isolation et réduction de bruit

Le Tour One M2 est redoutable sur le plan de la réduction de bruit. JBL a fait un véritable bond en avant et parvient à se hisser au niveau des meilleurs casques en la matière. Tous les bruits graves comme le son des moteurs ou les bruits de ventilation sont complètement effacés. Le casque est aussi particulièrement habile pour réduire les bruits aigus grâce à une excellente isolation passive. Comparé au ténor du marché qu’est le WH-1000XM5 de Sony, le Tour One M2 est légèrement moins bon pour ce qui est de réduire les voix humaines, mais on est là dans l'ordre du chipotage.

Le mode qui ajuste automatiquement le niveau de la réduction de bruit en fonction du niveau de bruit ambiant n’est en revanche pas franchement une réussite. Il met quelques secondes à comprendre ce qui se passe autour de vous et donc à adapter le niveau de la réduction de bruit en conséquence. De plus, assez étrangement, il n’applique jamais le niveau maximal de réduction de bruit, même dans les environnements très bruyants. Nous vous conseillons donc de le désactiver et de gérer vous-même le niveau de réduction de bruit.

Écoute des sons environnants

Le mode d’écoute des sons environnants, appelé Ambient Aware chez JBL, est pratique pour entendre des annonces dans un train ou dans un métro, mais n'espérez pas pouvoir tenir une conversation aisément avec le casque vissé sur les oreilles. En effet, ce mode réduit bien trop les hautes fréquences pour proposer un rendu naturel. Le mode nommé TalkThru fait quant à lui ressortir franchement les médiums, et donc les voix humaines, mais fait encore moins bien que le mode Ambient Aware sur la reproduction des aigus.

Kit mains-libres

La qualité de la captation vocale est correcte en environnement calme. La voix est parfaitement intelligible, même si elle paraît un peu nasillarde et souffre de phénomènes de sibilances sur les syllabes sifflantes notamment. En environnement bruyant, comme à proximité d’un carrefour fréquenté, l’algorithme de réduction des bruits fait des merveilles en parvenant à occulter tous les sons parasites. Néanmoins, dans un excès de zèle, cet algorithme agit également sur le timbre et l’intelligibilité de la voix. Même s’il reste possible de se faire comprendre, la voix n’est plus aussi compréhensible qu’en environnement calme.

Notons qu’une fonctionnalité bien pratique nommée VoiceAware permet d’entendre le retour de sa voix dans le casque.

Avec un volume réglé à 60 % de sa valeur maximale, le Tour One M2 a su tenir environ 42 h et 60 h, avec et sans réduction de bruit active. Il dépasse donc largement les 30 h et 50 h promises par JBL. Le casque est ainsi paré à toute éventualité et peut sans peine être utilisé durant des semaines sans recharge ou bien résister à un vol long-courrier sans sourciller.

Points forts

Points faibles.

Fer de lance de la gamme de casques nomades de JBL, le Tour One M2 se devait d’être exemplaire. Un pari réussi puisque le casque parvient à se hisser au niveau des meilleurs du marché. Réduction de bruit de haut vol, sensations de confort extrêmes, autonomie dantesque, rendu sonore maîtrisé... rien ne manque. Du bon boulot !

JBL Tour One M2

Quality noise cancellation and robust sound for a premium price.

Bottom Line

• Full-bodied bass and bright highs
• Above-average noise cancellation
• Hands-free Alexa and Google Assistant
• Comfortable fit
• Finicky touch controls
• EQ can dramatically change the volume

For $299.99, JBL’s Tour One M2 headphones produce bold, bass-forward sound in a comfortable over-ear design. They also offer above-average active noise cancellation (ANC), along with support for hands-free Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control. That said, finicky touch controls and unpredictable in-app EQ undercut the otherwise premium experience. Ultimately, we recommend you spend slightly more for the Bose QuietComfort Headphones for even better noise cancellation or the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 for stronger Bluetooth codec support.

Comfortable Fit, Sensitive Controls

Available in black or silver, the circumaural (over-ear) Tour One M2 headphones have an eggshell-like finish on the outer earcups and headband. The headband's interior and earpads both feature a faux leather material with memory foam padding beneath. They feel quite comfortable over long listening sessions.

Behind the grilles, 40mm dynamic drivers deliver a frequency range of 10Hz to 22kHz in active wireless or wired mode or 10Hz to 40kHz in passive wired mode.

The headphones are compatible with Bluetooth 5.3 and work with just the AAC and SBC codecs . For comparison, the Aonic 50 Gen 2 headphones support AptX, AptX Adaptive, AptX HD, and LDAC options for hi-res listening on Android devices. JBL says Google Fast Pair and multipoint connectivity with up to two devices are both available here. Hands-free Alexa and Google Assistant round out the connectivity features.

For controls, there is a capacitive touch panel on the right earcup and a mix of buttons on both sides. Tapping the Action button on the left side once switches between the Noise Canceling and Ambient Aware (transparency) modes. You can add an off option via the app. Double taps of this button toggle the TalkThru feature, a conversation-focused transparency mode that drastically lowers the volume of your music.

Along the edge of the right earcup, an array of buttons handle power/pairing and volume control. The touch panel on the right manages playback (single taps), track navigation (double taps for forward, triple taps for backward), and voice assistant access (long presses). Double taps also answer incoming calls or end ongoing calls, while a tap-and-hold gesture rejects an incoming call or mutes the mic during a call.

The control scheme is intuitive, but the touch surface on the right is far too prone to misfires. I accidentally skipped tracks or paused playback several times when I removed the headphones in testing.

The included USB-A-to-USB-C charging cable connects to a USB-C port at the base of the left earcup, while an included 3.5mm audio cable plugs into a port on the right side. A dual-connection flight adapter is also in the box. The headphones fold down flat to fit inside the included hard-shell zip-up carrying case, which has an internal pocket for all of the accessories.

JBL estimates that the headphones can last roughly 50 hours per charge with ANC off or 30 hours with it active. Your results will further vary based on your typical listening volume levels. The battery takes two hours to fully charge from empty, and 10 minutes of charging should net you about five hours of playback.

JBL Tour One M2 App Experience

The JBL Headphones app (available for Android and iOS) has a seemingly endless list of options on its main page, but that's because it doesn't have a separate settings menu.

At the top, a power button and a battery life readout accompany an image of the headphones. Below that is the Ambient Sound Control section. Here, you can select between ANC, Ambient Aware, and TalkThru modes. You can adjust the level of the Ambient Aware mode directly from the main screen or tap into the ANC section to switch between Adaptive ANC and access a fader for the regular ANC.

Scroll down on the main screen to find the Personi-Fi tile, which builds you a personalized sound signature, and the Equalizer section, which lets you choose between several genre-based presets or create a custom EQ curve with 10 bands between 32Hz and 16kHz. You don't have to use either feature.

Several more tiles are further down, including Spatial Sound (a forgettable implementation with Movie, Music, and Game modes) and Gestures (which lets you see the touch control layout and make minor adjustments).

Beyond this, the tiles cover what you typically expect to see in a settings menu. You can toggle voice prompts and adjust the auto-power-off behavior, for example. The app also helps you set up the hands-free Alexa and Google Assistant integrations. I didn't have any trouble using voice commands to play music, but you can also just use the touch gesture on the earcup instead.

Quality Noise Cancellation

The Tour One M2 headphones performed well in my noise cancellation tests. They noticeably dialed back powerful low-frequency rumble, for instance, though some lows and mids were still audible. When I played a more challenging recording of a busy restaurant, they cut back the lows and mids but didn't diminish the highs as convincingly. Switching between the Adaptive ANC and regular ANC (at the maximum level) modes in the app did little to change the experience. The Bose QuietComfort Headphones are far more effective at mitigating deep low-frequency rumble and deal with the highs appreciably better (though not perfectly).

JBL's Ambient Aware and TalkThru modes both work well to help you monitor your surroundings. The TalkThru mode lowers your music volume to a whisper, whereas the Ambient Aware mode doesn't affect it at all. Some might prefer the former, but the latter was sufficient for me. One additional difference is that the TalkThru mode accentuates conversations.

Full-Bodied Audio

The in-app EQ is somewhat effective for adjusting bass and highs to taste, but raising the bass level noticeably lowers the total output level. Blasting the bass results in a comically low volume level, for example, presumably to prevent distortion. I recommend leaving the EQ alone since the bass depth is already robust without adjustments, though you can tweak the highs without as much consequence. For my tests below, I turned the EQ off.

On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the headphones produce an impressive low-frequency response. The bass depth sounds rich and full at moderate levels. And at top volumes, bass remains robust and distortion-free.

The headphones don't have any trouble reproducing the sub-bass at the 34-second mark of Kendrick Lamar’s “Loyalty.” The deepest note in the progression drops off slightly, but I hear a subwoofer-like rumble throughout. The various vocals sound clear.

The drums on Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass in the mix, are relatively natural. Callahan’s baritone vocals get enough high-mid presence to sound crisp, while the acoustic strums and higher-register percussion are bright.

On orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary , I hear a bit more low-frequency boosting than is realistic, though bass lovers might enjoy this presentation. The higher-register brass, strings, and vocals are still bright and crisp, but there’s noticeable anchoring in the lows.

The voice mic array works well, and I could understand every word from a test recording on my iPhone without trouble thanks to the crisp, loud signal.

Reasonable Performance for the Price

The JBL Tour One M2 headphones deliver bass-forward sound and effective active noise cancellation. We also like the array of quality accessories and the comfortable fit, though we wish the capacitive touch panel wasn't so easy to accidentally trigger and that EQ changes didn't dramatically cut the volume. Those drawbacks may seem small, but they're especially worth noting when you consider the high-end price. If you're willing to spend an additional $50, we more highly recommend the Bose QuietComfort Headphones for top-tier noise cancellation, or the Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 for higher-res codec options.

More Inside PCMag.com

• Why You Should Buy Jabra's New Elite 85h Headphones
• The Best Headphones for 2024
• The Best Gaming Headsets for 2024
• The Best Noise-Cancelling True Wireless Earbuds for 2024
• The Best Kids' Headphones for 2024

About Tim Gideon

I've been a contributing editor for PCMag since 2011. Before that, I was PCMag's lead audio analyst from 2006 to 2011. Even though I'm a freelancer now, PCMag has been my home for well over a decade, and audio gear reviews are still my primary focus. Prior to my career in reviewing tech, I worked as an audio engineer—my love of recording audio eventually led me to writing about audio gear.

More From Tim Gideon

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TEST: JBL Tour One M2

Jbl tar bort bruset med tour one m2.

Är JBL Tour One M2 verkligen de bästa brusreducerande hörlurarna på marknaden? Väldigt bra är de i alla fall.

Innehållsförteckning

Tour One M2 är ett par brusreducerande hörlurar som JBL djärvt hävdar är ” de bästa på marknaden ”.

Hörlurarna justerar brusreduceringen i realtid beroende på omgivningen. De har även en smart funktion som märker när du börjar prata. Då dämpas musiken under tiden som Ambient Aware aktiveras, så att du kan höra vad som händer runt omkring dig i stället för att ljudet utifrån släcks ut. Musiken sätts på igen när hörlurarna märker att samtalet är över.

Detta är inte JBL ensamma om, men jag måste säga att det fungerar bättre än hos många andra. Kanske lite väl bra, för så fort man harklat sig lite högt pausas musiken och omgivningen släpps in.

Individuell hörsel

Något som gör JBL-hörlurarna ganska unika är möjligheten att anpassa ljudet efter din egen hörsel. Genom att utföra ett Personi-Fi-hörseltest i JBL-appen skapar hörlurarna en ljudprofil specifikt för dig. Detta ska ge dig ett skräddarsytt ljud som passar dina öron perfekt.

Även om hörseltestet fungerar bra kan det vara lite utmanande att trycka och sedan släppa i precis rätt tid för att markera när du inte längre kan höra ljudet som spelas. Lite oprecis tryckning så kan ljudbilden bli fel. Personligen föredrar jag att justera ljudet med en equalizer (EQ), men för många kommer JBL:s anpassningsfunktion ändå vara ett enkelt sätt att förbättra ljudet.

”Personlig ljudförstärkning” eller omgivningsljud?

Om du inte vill använda dig av brusreducering, utan snarare motsatsen – att släppa in omgivningen – finns det två alternativ. Personal Sound Amplification släpper igenom ljud från den närmaste omgivningen. Något som liknar Ambient Aware, den andra snarlika funktionen. Men det är inte riktigt samma sak.

Med Personal Sound Amplification förstärks vissa ljud, särskilt i diskantregistret, mycket mer. Det ger en lite speciell ljudupplevelse, som att ha hörapparat. Det låter ganska så konstlat, men kan säkert vara praktiskt i vissa situationer. Jag föredrar däremot Ambient Aware, som ger ett mer naturligt omgivningsljud.

Rumsligt ljud

JBL-lurarna har så kallat rumsligt ljud, eller Spatial Sound . Det ska ge ett slags surroundljud, och man kan välja mellan Music, Movie och Game. Jag tycker att musik får bättre rytmer och ett piggare ljud med funktionen avstängd. Om du streamar film och TV fungerar det däremot fint. Game-läget ger störst effekt, fast aningen reducerad dynamik. Personligen föredrar jag Movie-läget när jag tittar på film.

Lång batteritid

När det gäller batteritid imponerar Tour One M2 med upp till 50 timmars speltid utan brusreducering och 30 timmar med. Och om du råkar i trubbel och behöver en snabbladdning kan du få upp till 5 timmars speltid med bara 10 minuters snabbladdning när hörlurarna är urladdade.

Bra samtalskvalitet

Under mobil- och videosamtal hörs användarens röst tydligt hos mottagaren. Så många som sju mikrofoner används för att både dämpa brus och effektivt fånga upp rösten. Rösten blir tydlig, möjligtvis med ett lite hårt mellanregister, men du kan utan problem använda dessa hörlurar när du jobbar hemifrån eller i öppna kontorslandskap.

JBL-kåporna sitter väldigt bekvämt på huvudet. Både kåporna och huvudbygeln har mjuka kuddar som sitter skönt. Lurarna sitter fast stadigt även om du rör huvudet fram och tillbaka när du ”diggar” musiken.

Däremot kan de vingla lite om du skakar på huvudet. Då sitter ärkerivalen Sony WH-1000XM5 ännu lite bättre.

Så låter JBL Tour One M2

När det gäller ljudet så har det en saftig bas. Basregistret är kanske lite avslappnat, utan det ”partytryck” vi förknippar med JBL. Men basen går djupt och ger en fin kontrast och ett solitt fundament till ljudet.

Diskanten är luftig, mer än i rivalen från Sony. Även om JBL bara har AAC-kodeken medan Sony använder den överlägsna LDAC-kodeken.

Ta till exempel låten Party Girls med Victoria Monét. En snygg R&B-låt med medryckande rytmer som JBL återger med mycket energi i basen, och dessutom med bra luftighet utan att bli skarp. Mellanregistret är å andra sidan aningen tillbakadraget och sångrösterna kan verka lite tunna.

Fixa ljudet med EQ

Det finns dock ingen anledning att oroa sig eftersom JBL har en jättebra EQ i appen, som gör att du kan justera ljudet precis som du vill. Jag ställer ner basregistret rejält i basområdet runt 250 Hz, för att få fram mellanregistret. Däremot höjer jag basen runt 64 Hz för att få mer punch, men sänker vid 32 Hz för att göra basen renare.

Samtidigt höjs mellanregistret runt 1 kHz för att betona klarheten i röster och instrument.

Efter den här justeringen försvinner mycket av färgningen, ändå bevaras ”JBL-ljudet” i stort sett. Med andra ord låter det fortfarande underhållande och häftigt, bara klarare.

Mer balanserat än Sony

Jämfört med ovan nämnda Sony WH-1000XM5, som har en mer pumpande mellanbas, upplevs JBL-hörlurarna som mer balanserade. Sony-rivalen har ett ännu mer fest-avstämt ljud, men JBL har bättre upplösning i övertonområdet och diskanten är bättre med mer luftighet.

När jag lyssnar på Pegasus med Arlo Parks har JBL-lurarna en fin balans mellan den djupa synthbasen och Arlo Parks klara röst. Phoebe Bridgers mjukare andrastämma fyller ut ljudbilden, vilket JBL-hörlurarna återger på ett snyggt sätt.

Klassisk musik kommer också fram väl och även jazzinstrument urskiljs väl från varandra, samtidigt som musikens dynamik och temperament lyfts fram. Bra!

Bra brusreducering

Den aktiva brusreduceringen (ANC) är i klass med de bästa. Framför allt eftersom den anpassar sig i realtid efter läckage genom hörlurarna. Sony WH-1000XM5 gör samma sak.

Sony-lurarna är mer effektiva på att dämpa lågfrekvent brus, men JBL dämpar mer jämnt över hela frekvensområdet. När pink noise spelas genom PC-högtalarna återstår i princip bara högfrekvent brus när jag använder Sony-hörlurarna, medan JBL inte ändrar karaktären på bruset i samma utsträckning. Den dämpar jämnare, men mindre effektivt.

Ingen av dem dämpar vind särskilt bra, men de förstärker den inte heller, vilket annars lätt kan hända med så brutala förändringar i ljudtryck som vinden orsakar.

Det bör påpekas att JBL-hörlurarna har ett svagt men distinkt sus i bakgrunden, medan Sony-hörlurarna är helt tysta.

Bara som ljuddämpare

Till sist vill jag nämna funktionen SilentNow, som kopplar ur Bluetooth och bara låter dig njuta av brusreduceringen. Detta är särskilt användbart när du ska sova eller koppla av i bullriga miljöer. Du kan aktivera Bluetooth igen genom att hålla inne knappen på vänster öronkåpa.

JBL har levererat ett par riktigt bra hörlurar i Tour One M2. Redan den första versionen var oerhört bra, men brusreduceringen krävde noggrann placering på öronen. M2 ställer in reduceringen efter passformen och det fungerar väldigt bra.

Hörlurarna har ett snyggt ljud med stabil bas, klar diskant och en möjlighet att anpassa ljudet efter personliga preferenser. Även om den här skribenten inte håller med JBL om att brusreduceringen är ”bäst på marknaden” så är den väldigt bra.

JBL-hörlurarnas fantastiska ljudkvalitet och andra kvaliteter gör dem till ett mycket bra val för musikälskare på språng.

Ljud & Bild tycker

Riktpris: 3000 kr, specifikationer.

• Typ : Over-ear, slutna, trådlösa
• Element : 40 mm
• Frekvensomfång : 10–22 000 Hz
• Aktiv brusreducering : Ja
• Omgivningsljud : Ja
• Batteritid : 30 h med ANC, 50 h utan ANC
• Vattentäta : Nej
• Röststyrning : Google Assistant, Alexa, Siri
• App : JBL Headphones
• Anslutning : Bluetooth 5.3 (SBC, AAC), 3,5 mm till USB-C analog, USB-C till USB digital
• Laddning : USB-C (snabbladdare ger 5 h på 10 min)
• Övrigt : Personi-Fi 2.0 anpassar ljudet efter hörseln
• Vikt : 272 g
• Färg : Svart, Champagne
• Webb : jbl.se

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Välkommen till Ljud & Bilds diskussionsforum. Vi vill gärna veta vad du tycker. Håll dig till ämnet och var saklig.

Yamaha håller inte hela vägen

Bäst ljud för pengarna, köp föregångaren i stället, så enkelt – så mästerligt, äntligen ”lossless” från bose, riktigt bra från bose, hör musiken för första gången, b&w höjer ribban – igen, sagolikt bra för lite pengar, airpods pro är de smartaste öronpropparna, jabras klart bästa – men inte för alla.

TEST: JBL Tour One M2

Jbl fjerner støyen med tour one m2.

Er JBL Tour One M2 virkelig markedets beste støykansellerende hodetelefoner? De er i hvert fall meget bra.

Tour One M2 er et par støykansellerende hodetelefoner, som JBL djervt hevder er « de beste på markedet «.

Hodetelefonene justerer støykanselleringen i sanntid basert på omgivelsene. De har dessuten en smart funksjon som merker når du begynner å prate. Da dempes musikken mens Ambient Aware aktiveres, som lar deg høre lydene rundt deg i stedet for å bli kansellert ut. Musikken blir høy igjen når hodetelefonene registrerer at samtalen er over.

Dette er ikke JBL alene om, men jeg må si det fungerer bedre enn på mange andre. Kanskje litt for bra, for straks man kremter litt høyt, går musikken på pause, og omgivelsene slipper inn.

Individuell hørsel

Noe som gjør JBL-hodetelefonene ganske unike, er mulighet til å tilpasse lyden til din individuelle hørsel. Ved å gjennomføre en Personi-Fi hørselstest i JBL-appen, lager hodetelefonene en lydprofil spesifikt for deg. Dette skal gi deg en skreddersydd lydopplevelse som passer din hørsel perfekt.

Selv om hørselstesten fungerer bra, kan det være litt utfordrende når man skal trykke og deretter slippe til helt riktig tid for å markere når du ikke lenger hører lyden som spilles. Litt unøyaktighet i trykkingen, og lydbildet kan bli feil. Personlig foretrekker jeg å justere lyden med equalizer (EQ), men for mange vil nok JBLs tilpasningsfunksjon likevel være en enkel måte å forbedre lyden på.

«Personlig lydforsterkning» eller omgivelseslyd?

Dersom du ikke vil bruke støykansellering, men heller det motsatte – å slippe omgivelsene inn, finnes to muligheter. Personal Sound Amplification slipper lyder fra de nærmeste omgivelsene gjennom. Noe som virker veldig som Ambient Aware, den andre lignende funksjonen. Men det er ikke helt det samme.

Med Personal Sound Amplification blir visse lyder, spesielt i diskantområdet, forsterket mye mer. Det kan gi en litt spesiell lydopplevelse, som å ha på seg høreapparat. På den annen side låter det ganske kunstig, men det kan sikkert være kjekt i visse situasjoner. Jeg foretrekker derimot Ambient Aware, som gir mer naturlig omgivelseslyd.

JBL-klokkene har såkalt romlig lyd, eller Spatial Sound. Denne skal gi en slags surroundlyd, og man kan velge mellom Music, Movie eller Game. Jeg synes musikk får bedre rytmer og sprekere lyd med funksjonen avslått. Strømmer du film og TV, funker det derimot fint. Game-modusen gir den største effekten, men med noe redusert dynamikk. Personlig foretrekker jeg Movie-modusen når jeg ser på film.

Lang batteritid

Når det gjelder batteritiden, imponerer Tour One M2 med opptil 50 timers spilletid uten støykansellering og 30 timer med. Og hvis du er i en knipe og trenger rask lading, kan du få opptil 5 timers spilletid med bare 10 minutters hurtiglading når hodetelefonene er utladet.

God samtalekvalitet

Under mobil- og videosamtaler kommer brukerens stemme tydelig gjennom til mottakeren. Hele sju mikrofoner tas i bruk, til å både demper støy og effektivt plukke opp stemmen. Stemmen blir tydelig, kanskje med en litt hard mellomtone, men du kan trygt bruke disse hodetelefonene på hjemmekontoret eller i åpne kontorlokaler.

JBL-klokkene sitter meget behagelig på hodet. Både klokkene og hodebøylen har myke puter, som sitter bra. Hodetelefonene sitter samtidig fast selv når man beveger hodet frem og tilbake mens man «digger til» musikken.

De kan derimot vingle litt om du rister på hodet. Da sitter erkerivalen Sony WH-1000XM5 enda litt bedre.

Lyden av JBL Tour One M2

Når det kommer til lyden, vartes det opp med en saftig bass. Bassområdet er kanskje litt avslappet, uten det «partysmekket» vi forbinder med JBL. Men bassen går dypt, og gir en fin kontrast og et solid fundament til lyden.

Diskanten er luftig, mer enn på rivalen fra Sony. Selv om JBL kun har AAC-kodek, mens Sony bruker den overlegne LDAC-kodeken.

Ta låten Party Girls av Victoria Monét. En flott club/RnB-låt med fengende rytmer, som JBL gjengir med mye energi i bassen, og dessuten bra med luft uten å bli skarp i lyden. Mellomtonen er derimot noe tilbakeholden, og vokalene kan virke litt tynne.

Fiks lyden med EQ

Det er likevel ingen grunn til bekymring, for JBL har en flott EQ i appen, som lar deg justere lyden akkurat som du ønsker. Jeg justerer kraftig ned bassområdet rundt 250 Hz, for å få frem mellomtonen. Derimot hever jeg bassen rundt 64 Hz for å få mer punch , men trekker ned ved 32 Hz for å få gjøre bassen klarere.

Samtidig heves mellomtonen rundt 1 kHz for å fremheve klarheten i stemmer og instrumenter.

Etter denne justeringen fjernes mye av fargingen, likevel bevares «JBL-lyden» i stor grad. Med andre ord låter det fortsatt underholdende og heftig, bare klarere.

Mer balansert enn Sony

Sammenlignet med nevnte Sony WH-1000XM5, som har en mer pumpende mellombass, oppleves JBL-hodetelefonene som mer balanserte. Sony-rivalen gir en enda mer feststemt lyd, men JBL har bedre oppløsning i overtoneområdet, og diskanten er bedre med mer luft.

Når jeg lytter til låten Pegasus av Arlo Parks, har JBL-klokkene en fin balanse mellom den dype synthbassen og Arlo Parks’ klare stemme. Phoebe Bridgers’ mykere andrestemme fyller ut lydbildet, noe JBL-hodetelefonene gjengir på en flott måte.

Også klassisk musikk kommer godt ut av det, og også jazz-instrumenter skilles godt fra hverandre samtidig som klokkene får frem dynamikken og temperamentet i musikken. Bra!

God støykansellering

Den aktive støykanselleringen (ANC) er i klasse med de beste. Spesielt fordi den tilpasses i sanntid til lekkasje gjennom hodetelefonene. Det samme gjør Sony-hodetelefonene.

Sonyene er mer effektive i å dempe lavfrekvent støy, men JBL demper jevnere over hele frekvensområdet. Når pink noise spilles gjennom PC-høyttalerne, er det omtrent kun høyfrekvent støy som er igjen når jeg bruker Sony-hodetelefonene, hvor JBL ikke endrer støyens karakter i samme grad. Den demper jevnere, men mindre effektivt.

Ingen av dem demper vind spesielt godt, men forsterker den heller ikke, som fort kan skje med såpass brutale forandringer i lydtrykk som vind skaper.

Det skal bemerkes at JBL-hodetelefonene har en svak men tydelig suselyd i bakgrunnen, mens Sony-hodetelefonene er helt stille.

Bruk kun som lyddempere

Til slutt vil jeg nevne funksjonen SilentNow, som kobler ut Bluetooth og lar deg nyte bare støykanselleringen. Dette er spesielt nyttig når du skal sove eller slappe av i støyende omgivelser. Du kan aktivere Bluetooth igjen ved å holde inne knappen på venstre øreklokke.

JBL har levert et par meget gode hodetelefoner i Tour One M2. Den første versjonen var allerede meget god, men støykanselleringen krevde nitid plassering på ørene. M2 stiller kanselleringen etter passformen, og det funker meget godt.

Hodetelefoner har en flott lydopplevelse med en solid bass, klar diskant og muligheten til å tilpasse lyden etter dine preferanser. Selv om journalisten er uenig med JBL i at støykanselleringen er «best på markedet», er den likevel meget god.

JBL-hodetelefonenes flotte klangkarakter og øvrige kvaliteter gjør dem til et meget godt valg for musikkelskere på farten.

Lyd & Bilde mener

Veil. pris 2990 kr, spesifikasjoner.

• Type: On-ear, lukkede, trådløse
• Elementer/drivere: 40 mm
• Frekvensområde: 10 Hz – 22 kHz
• Aktiv støyreduksjon: Ja
• Omgivelseslyd: Ja
• Batteritid: 30 t m/ ANC, 50 t u/ ANC
• Vanntetthet: Nei
• Stemmestyring: Google Assistant, Alexa, Siri
• App: JBL Headphones
• Tilkoblinger: Bluetooth 5.3 (SBC, AAC), 3,5 mm til USB-C analog, USB-C til USB digital
• Lading: USB-C (hurtiglader 5 t på 10 min)
• Annet: Personi-Fi 2.0 tilpasser lyden til hørselen
• Vekt: 272 g
• Farger: Svart, Champagne
• Web: no.jbl.com / jbl.se / dk.jbl.com / fi.jbl.com

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Velkommen til Lyd & Bildes kommentarfelt. Vi vil gjerne vite hva du mener. Hold deg til temaet og vær saklig.

Yamaha faller igjennom

Best lyd for pengene, kjøp heller forgjengeren, så enkelt – så mesterlig, endelig "lossless" fra bose, lyden av gull, veldig bra fra bose, hør musikken din for første gang, b&w legger lista - igjen, fabelaktig bra til lite penger, airpods pro er de smarteste øreproppene, jabras klart beste - men ikke for alle.