JBL’s touchscreen-equipped earbuds are headed stateside this spring
CES 2023is in progress, and we are seeing everything fromgreat smart home productstointruiging smartwatchesand TVs. Developments are also afoot in the consumer audio space — JBL has a few additions to its Tour product range. At CES, JBL announced an over-ear wireless headphone called the Tour One M2 alongside a true-wireless model, the Tour Pro 2.
JBL is a popular name in the consumer audio market, making everything from affordable wired earphones to blow-your-ears-out bass tubes and home theater systems, and everything in between. This isn’t the first time we are seeing the new Tour models, though. The companyannounced them in August 2022for consumers in Europe, promising retail availability in January this year. Now, the new Tour models aremaking their way stateside, with retail availability set to begin in March or April.
JBL’s true-wireless model, the Tour Pro 2, churns audio through 10mm dynamic drivers, offering 10 hours on a single charge with ANC off. The case can recharge the buds thrice over — a handy feature since they last just 8 hours with ANC switched on. The diminutive buds miraculously pack six mics and Bluetooth v5.3, much like the Tour One M2. If you throw the swanky case with a digital display in the mix, we could have a solid contender forbest true-wireless earbudshere. The 1.5-inch LED display allows playback control, receiving notifications, ANC control, and a handful of other options.
The over-ear Tour One M2 boasts adaptive ANC, four mics for calling, Spatial Sound Support, Bluetooth v5.3 for connectivity, and a battery delivering 30 hours of playback with ANC and 50 hours without. These could become one ofthe best wireless headphoneson the market because of their 268g weight and fantastic battery life which make it great for traveling.
At CES, JBL also took a moment to announce the new eco edition of its Go 3 and Clip 4 portable Bluetooth speakers. Compared to their vanilla counterparts, both the eco models supposedly use 90% post-consumer recycled plastic for the construction and 100% recycled fabric for the speaker mesh. Understandably, packaging for these new models is eco-friendly too, comprising biodegradable soy ink and paper, without a trace of plastic.
Circling back to the Tour models, the Tour Pro 2 will retail for $250 and the Tour One M2 will cost you $300 in the US. Although JBL is a recognized brand in the audio industry, it could be a little pricey. However, there are several options even if you seekwireless earbuds on a budget. You may have to wait a few months for JBL’s new products to hit store shelves, but there are plenty of other options to choose from.
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