JBL Tour Pro 2 and JBL Tour One M2 - Well This is New

Just when you think we've reached "peak product" the boffins always figure out a way to make what you currently own obsolete.

Earbuds are a classic example. From wired, to wireless, to Active Noise Cancelling, somehow something small enough to fit in your ears has managed to keep evolving - sometimes in obvious, physical ways, sometimes in more subtle, under-the-hood ones.

The same can be said for over-ear headsets. Often these larger devices are the groundbreakers - once features like ANC are perfected on a headset then work can begin miniturising that tech to fit in a pair of buds.

It's always interesting to see which manufacturer will come up with the next clever trick for others to mimic. This time it's JBL.

The Tour range is JBL's flagship line so it goes without saying premium sound quality should be your minimum expectation from both the Tour Pro 2 true wireless earbuds and the Tour One M2 wireless over-ear headphones. To be sure, you're unlikely to be disappointed with what you hear from either device. Occasionally JBL is criticised for a tendency to screw things a little towards a bass-heavy, crowd-pleasing EQ. To that I say, go ahead, please the crowds. I happen to enjoy the rich, warm, phat soundscape I've come to expect from most JBL devices and besides, there's nothing you can't tweak away using the Headphones app if you're not happy with the default mix.

I've always said the true test of any piece of audio gear is not how loud it can get but how quietly can you play it and still get the full musical picture. A classic case in point is Matchbox Twenty's old hit, "Push." The guitars - acoustic at first then merging into a more jangly electric jumble - are mixed with an ear-catching stereo separation that comes across both effectively and pleasingly on the Tour One M2 headset, without having to wind the volume up much past 50%.

Likewise, with Spatial Audio dialed up on the Tour Pro 2 buds, Madonna's double-tracked lead vocals on "Vogue" are mixed left and right while the booming bass beat positively thumps along, even when heard on drivers merely 10mm in diameter.

These aren't just listening devices either, there are obviously mics built in for phone calls or online meetings too - a lot of them - seven in the headset and somehow there are six mics in the earbuds. Needless to say, the call quality is great.

Both Tour devices look and feel extremely classy. The headphones are solid, with no alarming creaking or cracking when adjusting to fit my massive skull. There's just enough shiney bling on the upper half of each earcup to draw the eye - but not in a showy-offy sort of way and the padding on the headband and earcups is like laying your head on a luxury hotel pillow. In saying that, there's almost a tacky quality to the surface of the earpads and while this helps achieve excellent passive noise cancellation, I've found things can get slightly sweaty and warm after prolonged use.

The Active Noise Cancellation is switched on via a button on the left earcup and this works well, although unfortunately there's a very slight delay in the processing which means I can't use the Tour One M2 to monitor live audio using the supplied AUX cable. In other words, they're not for use on my breakfast radio show, so I'll have to use them at home instead. What a shame. (These are very nice headphones indeed).

Then we come to the Tour Pro 2 true wireless earbuds. In exactly the same way the headphones made me say, "Oh yeah" when I first put them on, the Tour Pro 2 buds feel just as luxurious the moment you put them in - the difference being they're so comfy I could happily wear them all day. And I actually could wear them all day because the battery lasts up to eight hours with ANC on - with a headphone-like forty hours of charge including the case.

Oh yeah... the case.

This is the "whole new thing" I was alluding to earlier. The Tour Pro 2 charging case is compact enough, charges quickly, offers my now-compulsory feature - wireless charging and did I mention the smart screen?

Okay, if you're into tech you've probably already heard about this; it's quite the innovation. Out of nowhere JBL suddenly decided to include a 1.45-inch LED touch display on the front of the case. What's more, it works really well.

Much like the small external displays on the folding phones we've seen enter the market lately, the screen on the case lets you swipe through a host of widgets to control and customise your earbuds and perhaps most usefully of all, clearly displays exactly how much charge is remaining in each bud and the case itself.

As well implemented as this new feature is, at first I couldn't help asking myself, "Why?"

What problem is having a smart screen like this on the charging case solving? Personally, when I'm wearing earbuds I usually have my phone in my pocket and my smartwatch on my wrist - both of these offering significantly more functionality than I can access swiping through the small collection of widgets available on the Tour Pro 2 case.

Then I realised I was thinking in terms of how I usually use earbuds; either while doing chores around the house or out exercising (me or the dog). In both cases I have my phone with me and it's no issue grabbing it to do things like skipping tracks or changing settings on my earbuds. But more and more I find myself reaching for my earbuds while using my laptop, for video calls or gaming. Then there's watching TV - thanks to the latest bluetooth 5.3 codec, audio lag is negligible and I've found I actually really enjoy watching my favourite sci-fi shoot-em-ups in my own little wireless world.

When connected to devices like these, you don't necessarily have easy access to the settings you might want to change, like ANC, EQ or AMBIENT SOUND. Now, as long as your case is nearby, you do.

There's even a very useful FIND MY BUDS widget should you lose one of your buds down the side of the couch.

Until now I hadn't necessarily considered JBL to be a major innovator or trailblazer in tech - more a supplier of reliable, reasonably-priced products that deliver what they promise on the box. Now they've put a smart screen on the outside of that box and the rest of the audio world is sitting up and taking notice.

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL Tour Pro 2.

Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL Tour One M2.