jbl tour one noise cancelling

Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker

• Reviews TV REVIEWS   v1.11 HEADPHONES REVIEWS   v1.7 MONITOR REVIEWS   v2.0 SOUNDBAR REVIEWS   v1.3 MOUSE REVIEWS   v1.5 KEYBOARD REVIEWS   v1.3.1 PRINTER REVIEWS   v1.2 VACUUM REVIEWS   v1.3 PROJECTOR REVIEWS   v0.9 TOASTER REVIEWS   v1.0 BLENDER REVIEWS   v1.0 AIR PURIFIER REVIEWS   v1.0 KEYBOARD SWITCH REVIEWS   v1.0 SPEAKER REVIEWS   v0.8 CAMERA REVIEWS   v0.12.1 LAPTOP REVIEWS   v0.8.2
• 71 In Progress
• Newsletters
• Tour One Wireless

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 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  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.

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 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 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.

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.

• Stranger Things Season 5
• Deadpool and Wolverine
• The Batman 2
• Spider-Man 4
• Yellowstone Season 6
• Fallout Season 2
• The Last of Us Season 2
• Audio / Video

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

JBL Tour One review: Noise-canceling cans for frequent callers

“A big battery and sweet call quality make these cans ideal for work or travel.”

• Effective ANC
• Good sound quality
• Excellent call quality
• Great battery life
• No sidetone for calls
• No aptX/aptX HD/LDAC codecs

Right now, Sony’s $350 WH-1000XM4 are the best noise-canceling headphones you can buy. We like them so much, they also top our lists of best wireless headphones and best headphones overall. Sony’s success hasn’t gone unnoticed by its competitors, which has led to several attempts to mimic the XM4, including JBL’s $300 Tour One.

What’s in the box?

Comfort, controls, and connections, sound quality, noise cancellation and transparency, call quality, battery life.

The Tour One aren’t just a little like the XM4. From their size, weight, shape, and materials to their controls and features, it’s almost as if JBL used the XM4 as its blueprint for the Tour One and then figured out how to sell it for $50 less.

The question you’re probably asking yourself is, should I go ahead and buy the Tour One and save that $50, or did JBL cut too many features in its attempt to slide in under the XM4’s price? I think the Sony headphones are still the ones to buy, but JBL has still managed to make the Tour One worth your consideration thanks to a few things it does really well. Let’s get into it.

JBL still has a thing or two to learn about sustainable packaging. The Tour One box contains lots of foam padding and coated cardboard, making it tricky to recycle.

Open up the box and you’ll find the Tour One nestled in their own semi-hardshell, zippered carrying case. This is your first clue that JBL took its inspiration from Sony. Not only is the case almost exactly the same size and shape as the one Sony uses for both the WH-1000XM3 and XM4, but it also has the same mesh pocket sewn to one side, which can be used for small accessories or perhaps a credit card and ID if you took it to the gym.

Inside the case, the Tour One are folded into exactly the same position as the Sony cans and there’s a paper insert with a diagram to remind you how to insert the headphones so they fit, again, just like Sony does.

If you find Sony’s designs too conservative, the Tour One add just enough bling to avoid looking boring.

The similarities continue right down to the small compartment that houses the included accessories: A USB-A to USB-C charging cable, a 3.5mm to 2.5mm analog cable, and a double-prong flight adapter.

Unlike Sony, JBL’s charging cable is actually a usable length (40 inches versus Sony’s ludicrously short 9 inches). The USB-A side is reversible for guess-free usage — a nice touch.

Given how closely the Tour One resemble the WH-1000XM4, it’s hard to quibble with their overall design. It’s a compact shape that keeps the earcups and headband close to your head, so you don’t look like you just walked off the set of a Daft Punk video.

The earcups smoothly pivot, fold, and articulate themselves to match the shape of your head. The headband is well-padded and the sliders move with a precise “notchiness” that is both easy to adjust and secure once adjusted.

The Tour One are still very light and very comfortable.

JBL has graced the Tour One with a slightly satin finish on the plastics and added some black chrome accents that give the cans a decidedly premium look. If you find Sony’s designs too conservative, the Tour One add just enough bling to avoid looking boring.

Controls-wise, JBL actually improves on Sony’s design. JBL keeps things simple by ditching Sony’s swipe gestures for a combination of simple taps on the right earcup for playback control and a dedicated set of buttons for volume.  A combo power/Bluetooth pairing switch on the right earcup and a single multifunction button on the left earcup round out the Tour One’s controls.

Though not quite as light as the WH-1000XM4 (9.45 ounces vs. 8.95 ounces), the Tour One are still very light and very comfortable. There’s generous padding on the ear cushions and headband, and I was able to wear them for three hours continuously without any fatigue, even while wearing glasses. One thing that did start to bother me toward the end of that time was the depth of the earcups. My ears stick out quite a bit — maybe a little more than average — and their outer edges make contact with the inside lining. Eventually, that pressure point needed some relief.

If your ears are like mine, both the Sony WH-1000XM4 and Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 offer deeper earcups.

The fold-flat hinges on the Tour One are great for when you want to wear them around your neck, and they fold the right way, meaning that the earcups point down, with the ear cushions against your collar bones. Sony does this too, but Bose makes the peculiar decision to rest the far-less cushy headband sliders against your clavicles.

Despite their comfy fit, the Tour One have a greater tendency to shift around on your head than either the Bose or the Sony. It’s not a deal-breaker by any means, but if you want a set of full-size cans for the gym as well as the office or airplane cabin, you should keep this in mind.

The Tour One’s controls are very easy to use. The single, double-, and triple-tap touches on the right earcup register every time (as long as you tap in the center) and I like having a power switch that instantly powers the headphones on. The Bose 700 power on instantly as well, but the Sony XM4s require more patience, with a press-and-hold gesture on the power button.

Using the JBL Headphones app provides some control customizations. Both the multifunction button as well as the tap-and-hold gesture on the touch panel can be set to control the active noise cancellation (ANC)/TalkThru modes or to trigger your voice assistant.

Bluetooth connectivity is excellent.

The auto-pause option works really well. Pulling the earcups away from your head instantly halts the tunes, then resumes them just as quickly when they are snapped back into place. You can disable the feature in the Headphones app if you want.

Bluetooth connectivity is excellent. Though not considered a class 1 Bluetooth device like the Beats Studio 3 headphones , I was still able to leave my phone at my desk and walk all the way to my garage (about 60 feet, one story, and several walls in terms of distance) and the signal stayed strong. You can also connect the Tour One to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously, though on one occasion this created a static sound that was resolved by disconnecting my phone and reconnecting it.

Out of the box, the Tour One have a relatively neutral EQ. There’s nice definition across frequencies, and excellent clarity in the upper midranges and highs. Bass response is snappy and not overbearing. You can tell that JBL has tuned these cans to be as genre-agnostic as possible, which stands in contrast to headphones that lean toward the low-end.

When compared to the Sony XM4, the Tour One don’t exhibit as much warmth or as wide a soundstage, but the difference isn’t huge. Curiously, just like JBL’s other flagship wireless cans, the Club One , the Tour One aren’t equipped with any high-quality Bluetooth codecs like aptX, aptX HD, or LDAC. So despite being capable of reproducing frequencies from 20Hz to 40kHz (and thus being considered hi-res audio compatible), you’ll never come close to experiencing this when using the headphones wirelessly. The XM4 give you LDAC, which won’t do much for iPhone owners, but will provide better sound quality for those with Android phones.

Listening via Bluetooth lets you appreciate the song’s bones, but going wired lets you hear its soul.

And that’s a shame because when you plug the Tour One into a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with the included analog cable, they deliver much better depth and resonance.

One of my favorite test tracks is Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy . Not only does it have incredibly deep bass, but it also layers Eilish’s whispery voice on top, creating a torture chamber for audio devices. It’s also a deceptively complex recording. Listening via Bluetooth lets you appreciate the song’s bones, but going wired lets you hear its soul. Suddenly, Eilish isn’t just whispering her way through the lyrics, she’s whispering directly into your ears — it’s a goosebumps-inducing ASMR-level experience .

I don’t want to dump on the wireless performance too much as it’s actually very good, and I really like the fact you can access EQ presets and manual EQ adjustments within the app. Doing so can radically alter the Tour One’s sound signature, so if you’re not a fan of the so-called flat EQ, you don’t have to put up with it.

The Tour One does a decent job of canceling external sounds, but its performance can be a bit uneven. Unlike the Sony XM4 and Bose 700, the Tour One seems to struggle to create a nice, even cancellation effect. I have a fan under my desk that produces both consistent sound and consistent wind. JBL’s ANC blocks it well enough but it can’t quite decide which of the fan’s frequencies to block, so you can actually hear it hunting around and the result can be a bit unpleasant.

This mostly happens when you use JBL’s True Adaptive ANC mode, which attempts to respond to your listening conditions in real time. Turning that feature off helped a lot. In fairness, my desk fan situation is a bit of an anomaly — I wasn’t aware of the problem at all at other times — but both the Sony XM4 and Bose 700 handled it flawlessly, with the Bose being easily the best of the three.

The Silent Now mode is handy for when you just want quiet: It activates ANC but keeps Bluetooth communication turned off, saving the battery for when you need it.

In short, I’ve never tested a set of wireless headphones with better call quality than the Tour One.

JBL gives you two distinct transparency modes to choose from, and both have their advantages. For better general awareness of your surroundings, you can pick Ambient Aware — which lets in a lot of external sounds without altering your music. Or, if you need to actually speak to someone, you can engage TalkThru mode, which is just like Ambient Aware, but it also drops the volume of your audio to the point where it’s barely detectable.

Strangely, you can flip back and forth between full ANC mode and TalkThru by double-clicking the multifunction button, but if you want to switch between ANC and Ambient Aware, you’re forced to switch between three modes: ANC >,  Ambient Aware >, Ambient Aware off  > ANC .

So far, most of the JBL Tour One’s qualities put them more or less where you’d expect in comparing them to the Sony WH-1000XM4 and Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. But one area where the Tour One blow these other headphones away is their call quality.

I was able to walk down a very busy street, with varying kinds of traffic noise including loud buses and some construction machinery, and yet when you listen to the recording I made, you’d swear I was sitting in a quiet park by myself — that’s how little external noise was picked up by the Tour One’s mics.

Not only is your voice uninterrupted by these competing sounds, but it sounds really good too. The Tour One capture and preserve your voice’s deeper tones, the ones that give it depth and resonance, which stands in sharp contrast to most other headphones and earbuds.

The only caveat here is that JBL has dedicated all of the Tour One’s mics to canceling noise and optimizing voice quality, which means there’s no sidetone, and no way to stay in Ambient Aware mode or TalkThru mode while on a call. So while your callers will love the way you sound, you won’t be able to hear your own voice as clearly.

JBL claims you’ll get 50 hours of battery life from the Tour One if you disable ANC, and about half that amount if you keep it on. I did not run them for a full charge/discharge cycle, but after about 10 hours of playing music at 50% volume with ANC on, the JBL Headphones app gave me a battery reading of 55% which seems pretty close to JBL’s claims.

These are great numbers. Better than Sony, better than Bose, and even a tiny bit better than the Marshall Monitor ANC II , our previous best premium cans for battery life.

It takes two hours to charge them fully from empty, but you can get three hours of play time from a 10-minute quick charge.

JBL’s Tour series which includes the Tour One headphones and the Tour Pro+ true wireless earbuds , are one of the few on the market that offer hands-free access to your choice of Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.

Once you pick your assistant, you can say “Hey Google,” or “Alexa” and then ask for whatever you need — including controlling playback, call answer, and volume. Using this option frees up one of the Multifunction button’s gestures, giving you more control over other headphone functions.

I only tested Amazon’s Alexa, but it worked flawlessly. JBL hasn’t indicated if using hands-free access reduces battery life (and I wasn’t able to determine if it does), but it’s highly likely that it will.

You also get JBL’s My Alarm feature, which lets you select from a variety of soothing sounds, combined with a customizable sleep timer.

For those who want a premium set of noise-canceling headphones, the JBL Tour One offer an excellent (and cheaper) alternative to Sony and Bose, with very few sacrifices made for their more affordable price. And they’re killer for phone calls.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes, overall, the Sony WH-1000XM4 are still a better set of noise-canceling headphones, beating the Tour One in sound quality, ANC, comfort, and wireless hi-res audio. But unless you can find them on sale, they’re a good bit more expensive than the JBL Tour One. If you don’t mind the trade-offs, I see no reason not to buy the Tour One instead of the Sonys.

How long will they last?

From what I can tell, the build quality and materials on the Tour One are both excellent, and I suspect they will fare about the same as models from Sony and Bose in terms of longevity. They may even have an edge thanks to their bigger battery life, as batteries are usually the first part to degrade in a set of wireless headphones.

JBL backs the Tour One with a one-year warranty.

Should you buy them?

Yes. They’re a solid option for those looking for comfortable noise-canceling headphones with good sound quality, great battery life, and excellent call quality

Editors’ Recommendations

• Best noise-canceling earbuds for 2024: from Sony, Soundcore, Jabra, and more
• The 11 best noise-canceling headphones for 2024
• JBL’s $200 Live 3 earbuds get the Tour Pro 2’s touchscreen charging case
• Your next noise-canceling earbuds may use Navy sonar tech
• Entertainment
• Headphone Reviews

Marshall's second-gen Motif ANC wireless earbuds -- appropriately called the Marshall Motif II ANC -- look exactly like the first-gen Motif, but under the hood are some welcome enhancements like better battery life, better active noise cancellation (ANC) performance, and support for Bluetooth LE Audio. The price, on the other hand, remains the same: you can buy them staring August 29 for $199 on Marshall's website. The company expects them to ship on September 12.

Marshall has a talent for understatement. Its press release for the Marshall Motif II ANC talks about the improved battery life twice -- the new earbuds now get six hours of ANC playtime on a charge and a total of 30 hours with the case (versus 4.5 and 20 on the first-gen) -- but never mentions that the new Motif now have Bluetooth Multipoint for connecting two devices simultaneously.

While most of the attention these days is on true wireless earbuds, it's easy to forget that some folks much prefer the older neckband style for its simple convenience and longer battery life. Beyerdynamic clearly hasn't forgotten. Despite launching its first true wireless earbuds in 2022 -- the Free Byrd -- the company is continuing to develop its original Blue Byrd neckband-style buds with the introduction of the second-gen Blue Byrd ANC ($149).

As the name suggests, the new earbuds have active noise cancellation (ANC), a feature that remains fairly rare in the neckband earbuds category. You can buy them now from Beyerdynamic or Amazon.

A new set of headphones can be just the right way to go about breaking in a new TV, laptop, phone, or other device. If you’re looking for some specific headphone brands you should check out all of the best Beats headphone deals, best AirPods deals, best Bose headphone deals, and best Sony headphone deals. But if you want the best headphone deals of all kinds you’ve come to the right place, as we’ve scoured the internet and rounded them all up below. One of the best AirPods Max deals we’ve seen is going on right now, and there are ample savings available on models from brands like JBL, Sennheiser, Sony, and Bose. Reading onward you’ll find some serious discounts on popular headphone models, and if you’re looking for some cool devices to pair them with you can also shop TV deals, gaming console deals, phone deals, and tablet deals. Apple AirPods 2 -- $89, was $129

Apple has long been known for making premium tech products that please the eye aesthetically and produce a simple yet impactful user experience. This is true of the Apple AirPods 2, which, despite being a few years removed from their original release, still hold up as a great set of wireless earbuds. Just like their newer iteration, the Apple AirPods 3, the AirPods 2 produce high quality audio that pack a punch whether you’re playing games, listening to music, watching movies, or relaxing with a podcast. It has an H1 chip that delivers a stable wireless connection, and manages to produce high-quality sound far better than many other wireless headphones. Battery life is about as good as it gets, with the AirPods 2 offering up to five hours of listening time on one charge, and more than 24 hours with the included charging case.

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

You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.

• 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.

"There aren’t a lot of new rock acts to choose from." Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis says she'd like to book more rock bands for the festival, shares her hope that the genre "will emerge again" one day

Watch this world record attempt at creating the biggest 'wall of death' ever

Blackie Lawless tells fans who think W.A.S.P. don't play live at all to stay away from their shows

Most Popular

Trusted Reviews is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

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.

Latest deals

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.

Sign up for the Trusted Reviews Newsletter

How we test.

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.

Find out more about how we test in our  ethics policy .

Tested across two weeks

Tested with real world use

You might like…

Beats Solo 4 Review

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Review

Final x Dragon Ball Z Review

Edifier Comfo Run Review

Soundcore AeroFit Review

Philips Fidelio L4 Review

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.

Jargon buster

Kob began his career at What Hi-Fi?, starting in the dusty stockroom before rising up the ranks to join the editorial and production team as the Buyer’s Guide editor. Experienced in both magazine and …

Why trust our journalism?

Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.

Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.

Editorial independence

Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.

Professional conduct

We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.

Sign up to our newsletter

Get the best of Trusted Reviews delivered right to your inbox.

JBL Tour One M2 Over-ear Headphones Review

Jbl's flagship tour one m2 headphones have the juice and jams to go the distance.

Updated June 18, 2024

Products are chosen independently by our editors. Purchases made through our links may earn us a commission.

About the JBL Tour One M2 Over-ear Headphones

What we like, what we don’t like, should you buy the jbl tour one m2 over-ear headphones, related content.

Comfortable

Features galore with intuitive controls

Sweet sound

Spatial audio oddities

No weather resistance

Along with the headphones themselves, JBL tucks a 3.5mm audio cable, flight adaptor, USB Type-C charging cable, and quick start guide into a sleek, handy carrying case. It would have been nice to have a different color choice than black, but that’s a small issue since most competitors in this range also come in black.

JBL Tour One M2 specs

• Price: $299.95
• Battery life: Up to 30 hours with ANC (up to 50 without)
• Drivers: 40 mm
• Colors: Black
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3
• Audio codecs: AAC, SBC
• Weight: 278 grams

With active noise cancellation, smart assistance and a fairly lightweight build, the JBL Tour One M2s is an impressive set of headphones.

They’re lightweight and comfortable

The first note I made about the Tour One M2 was how light they felt when removing them from their included carrying case. The note that followed was how pleasantly comfortable the headphones’ ear cups felt resting on my ears. There are headphones out there built with higher quality materials, but for my preference, the Tour One M2 felt great and didn’t irritate my ears after long periods of listening.

While the Tour One M2 is light, the Sony WH-1000XM5s are nearly 30 grams lighter and considered some of the most comfortable headphones we’ve tested to date. The slightly older Sony WH-1000XM4 is a little lighter than JBL’s new headphones, at 272 grams.

They’re easy to control

Physically, the Tour One M2 has all the controls you could ever think to ask for. The left ear cup has an “action button” that is dedicated to changing ambient sound controls as needed. The right earcup has an entire touch panel that allows you to play and pause, skip tracks, or play a previous track depending on how many times you tap it. A tap and hold can call up Amazon Alexa (or a smart assistant of your choosing), and the right cup has a dedicated button for adjusting volume.

JBL’s accompanying app lets you customize ANC settings, try JBL’s personalized sound feature, adjust an equalizer, enable spatial audio, and explore other features of varying degrees of coolness. There’s a small case to be made that JBL got slightly carried away in the controls category, but it beats the heck out of headphones that don’t have the controls you need or the settings available to customize them to your liking.

They’re chock full of features

Active noise cancellation is the headlining act here, and the Tour One M2 is just as exceptional at blocking out unwanted noise as the original Tour One. We could dissect how JBL’s True Adaptive Noise Canceling technology utilizes four microphones to adapt to your environment in real-time, but I’d rather tell you that it effectively blocked out the low sounds of a simulated plane engine and also took to the real world especially well. Throughout a series of neighborhood walks, the Tour One M2 knocked down annoying noise pollution normally caused by windy afternoons while simultaneously dampening the rumble of car engines as they accelerated past.

ANC might be the hearty scoops of ice cream and the cherry on top all at once, but the Tour One M2 still has room for plenty of sprinkles. Smart Talk is a toggle-able feature that detects voices of any kind and automatically pauses playback to allow space for a conversation. There’s a VoiceAware feature that lets you control how much of your voice you hear when you make a call (also called sidetone). Elsewhere, a Smart Audio and Video feature lets you tailor the headphone’s sound to the entertainment medium of your choice. There’s even a SilentNow option that will turn off Bluetooth and crank up the ANC to give you a quiet space to focus for as long as you need.

I do mean “as long as you need.” The Tour One M2 will get you about 30 hours of playback with ANC on, but that number jumps to 50 if you don’t need to actively block out sound. Those numbers trump Sony specs (30 hours), giving the Tour One M2 a small, but significant head-to-head win against the XM5s.

They come stocked with rock-solid sound

At its core, the most impressive aspect of the Tour One M2’s sound to me was how I could easily identify the different instruments in a given track, as opposed to hearing a singular, molded-together sound that you might find in cheaper headphones. It’s a testament to the Tour One’s proficiency across the frequency range, as well as its ability to keep those frequencies working together instead of fighting each other for attention.

Suffice it to say, I was (and still am) thoroughly impressed by the level of sound quality of the Tour One M2. That said, they don’t knock off the leaders of the audio pack like the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 4 or the Sony WH-1000XM5. The detail and precision of those headphones are part of what makes them so sought after. In one corner, the Sonys deliver sensationally punchy, but not overwhelming bass that acts as a foundational pillar for its soundstage. In another, the Sennheisers are masters of midrange and imaging, producing a stereo sound that effortlessly finds its way into audiophiles’ hearts.

For all its efforts, the Tour One M2 comparatively misses the mark, though somewhat narrowly. Their bass, while impressive overall, doesn’t have the low-frequency prowess that Sony has to nail nearly every deep note that gets sent its way. And while I am certainly a fan of the Tour One M2’s well-balanced midrange, it’s hard to compete with the flat, unflinchingly consistent midrange frequencies of those excellent Sennheiser cans.

One additional note: JBL’s headphones only support AAC and SBC audio codecs, while Sennheiser and Sony boast options like DSEE Extreme, LDAC, and aptX, respectively.

The difference with the Spatial Sound option was obvious and the lack of full-bodied sound was disappointing.

Spatial and personalized audio take a turn for the funky

My word of advice (or caution, depending on perspective) is to not stray far off the beaten path when it comes to the Tour One M2’s audio settings. For instance, with JBL’s Personi-Fi feature and the Spatial Sound option, things take a turn.

I’m a spatial audio naysayer, so take this with as many grains of salt as necessary, but toggling on spatial audio with the Tour One M2 specifically seemed to deprive my music of the balanced sound that I had become so enamored with in the first place. The headphones were too hung up on trying to throw sound around my head to bother with maintaining the exceptional bass and stellar midrange that I had come to admire in the headphones. .

The “Personi-Fi” feature, meanwhile, produced quite a mixed bag. Enabling this feature will enroll you in an audio test that tries to determine which frequencies resonate within your specific ears, and then create an audio profile that matches your listening strengths and weaknesses. The first track I auditioned after the test - Led Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You,” made me temporarily a Personi-Fi believer with a noticeable boost in treble to make up for what it thinks my ears lack naturally. Other favorites were less consistent, so I swapped back to JBL’s stock sound.

They aren’t even a little weatherproof

JBL is not alone in this missed opportunity. Sony, Sennheiser, and others are in the same boat. And to be clear, I’m not asking these high-end headphones to be the bulletproof workout over-ears of our dreams. That’s simply not the purpose they serve. What I would like, though, is some kind of minimal assurance that if I get caught in a rain shower while out on a walk with these, they won’t pull a Wicked Witch of the West on me. OK, odds are they won’t melt when they meet a little precipitation, but it sure would help if they had some kind of protection that we could use as a piece of mind.

Yes, but it’s a numbers game

With nods to the value and quality, the JBL Tour One M2 headphones are the next best thing to Sony's WH-1000XM5.

Sony is still Mario, setting the bar in most areas when it comes to mainstream over-ear headphones. If the headphones are within a reasonable distance of each other price-wise, you will still be better off opting for the Sonys.

When the timing is right, however, Luigi does deserve a lot of love. JBL followed up its original flagship headphones with a product that continues to elevate the brand, with great sound, tremendous comfort, and a specs sheet overflowing with features, though a few aren’t great.

With that in mind, there’s a tangible scenario where clicking on Luigi is the move. When the Tour One M2 is on sale, putting a little more distance between the WH-1000XM5’s $400 price tag, they transition from an underdog contender to the headphones of choice. The quality is there. With proper patience, the value can be too.

With a variety of smart features to choose from, excellent sound quality and an affordable price tag attached, the JBL Tour One M2s are worth it.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

Meet the tester

Nick Woodard

Contributor

Nick Woodard is a tech journalist specializing in all things related to home theater and A/V. His background includes a solid foundation as a sports writer for multiple daily newspapers, and he enjoys hiking and mountain biking in his spare time.

Checking our work.

Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.

Sign up for our newsletter.

Enter your email:

Thanks for signing up.

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.

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Monday, July 1 (game #120)

Quordle today – hints and answers for Monday, July 1 (game #889)

NYT Connections today — hints and answers for Monday, July 1 (game #386)

Most Popular

• Musical Instruments, Stage & Studio
• Studio Recording Equipment
• Headphones & In-Ear Monitors

No featured offers available

• Quality Price,
• Reliable delivery option, and
• Seller who offers good customer service

Image Unavailable

• To view this video, download Flash Player

JBL Tour One Wireless Over-Ear Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones - Black, 40mm dynamic driver

Tour One M2

About this item

• True Adaptive Noise Cancelling: Create your ideal environment with JBL Tour One True Adaptive Noise Cancelling. Immerse yourself in music, block out unwanted noises and focus on your goals. Bluetooth profiles: HFP V1.7, A2DP V1.3, AVRCP V1.6
• JBL Pro Sound, Hi-Res certified: From rich, punchy bass to thrilling top notes, your music will always sound amazing thanks to the dynamic 40mm dynamic drivers. JBL Tour One headphones are Hi-Res audio certified, supporting frequencies up to 40kHz, to ensure that your music always sounds the best that it possibly can.
• 4-mic Technology for Accurate and clear voice call: The JBL Tour One is equipped with 4 mics on the earcups to offer superior call quality. 2 adaptive beamforming mics ensure that the voice reproduction is clear and accurate; acoustic echo cancellation technology suppresses any echoes and cancels noises.
• Ambient Aware & TalkThru: Stay alert to the sounds of the world around you while enjoying your music with Smart Ambient technology. Or have a quick chat with a friend or colleague without having to turn off your tunes with TalkThru.
• Up to 50 Hours of Music Playback: Your JBL Tour One headphones keep you connected all day long, boasting 25 hours of playback with Noise Cancelling technology engaged and a whopping 50 hours with Bluetooth only.

What do customers buy after viewing this item?

From the brand

For over 75 years, JBL has helped people own their sound with Headphones, speakers and audio gear designed around expression. From the history-making stages of Woodstock to the thrilling sports stadiums, music venues and movie theaters you visit today, JBL amplifies truly unforgettable experiences.

Booming bass, rich detail and the freedom to feel the moment, wherever you are.

Visit the store

JBL Tour Pro Series

True Adaptive Noise Cancelling Technology That Tunes Out Distractions So You Can Enjoy Your Favorite Audio.

JBL Tune Series

On-Ear & Over-Ear Stereo Headphones With Wireless Bluetooth Technology. Built In Microphones For IOS And Android Devices.

JBL Vibe Series

Bring Your Sound Everywhere. With JBL Pure Bass, You Can Feel Up To 32 Total Hours of Battery Life, And A Secure Comfortable Design.

JBL Endurance Series

Enjoy JBL Pure Bass Sound While You Work Out. Stay Focused On The Task At Hand With Music That Starts And Stops When You Do.

From the manufacturer

• JBL has brought music to life in a way people can feel for over 70 years.
• From iconic concerts to thesporting events, our sound has powered the world's musicians, athletes and venues.
• We unleash the power of music so you can live life to the fullest wherever and whenever.
• JBL speaker components deliver powerful sound.

Compare with similar items

Looking for specific info, product description.

Take control of your environment and power your productivity with incredible JBL Pro Sound. Boasting a smart, intuitive interface, superior performance, and sleek design, JBL Tour One headphones seamlessly eliminate distractions in real time with True Adaptive Noise Cancelling, so you can focus on your works or immerse yourself in music. Tune in or tune out surrounding noises and voices with Smart Ambient, and make crystal clear calls, even in noisy and windy environments all with the touch of a button. Hi-Res audio certification, supporting frequencies up to 40kHz, ensures an ideal listening experience all day with a whopping 50 hours of maximum playback. Make the most out of the JBL Tour One features with the free App.

Product information

Technical details, additional information, customer reviews, reviews with images.

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from Canada

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

Top reviews from other countries

• Amazon and Our Planet
• Modern Slavery Statement
• Investor Relations
• Press Releases
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Become an Affiliate
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Sell on Amazon Handmade
• Advertise Your Products
• Independently Publish with Us
• Host an Amazon Hub
• Amazon.ca Rewards Mastercard
• Shop with Points
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Amazon Cash
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns Are Easy
• Manage your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Customer Service
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Interest-Based Ads
• Amazon.com.ca ULC | 40 King Street W 47th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5H 3Y2 |1-877-586-3230

Your browser's Javascript functionality is turned off. Please turn it on so that you can experience the full capabilities of this site.

• Buy Authentic

JBL Tour One

Wireless over-ear noise cancelling headphones

True Adaptive Noise Cancelling

Struggle to find "your" space? Create your ideal environment with JBL Tour One True Adaptive Noise Cancelling. Immerse yourself in music, block out unwanted noises and focus on your goals. The Noise Cancelling level adjusts to the change of environment in real time, should you decide to go for a walk.

JBL Pro Sound, hi-res certified

From rich, punchy bass to thrilling top notes, your music will always sound amazing thanks to the dynamic 40mm dynamic drivers. JBL Tour One headphones are hi-res audio certified, supporting frequencies up to 40kHz, to ensure that your music always sounds the best that it possibly can.

4-mic Technology for Accurate and clear voice call

Enhance your voice, eliminate the noise. The JBL Tour One is equipped with 4 mics on the earcups to offer superior call quality. 2 adaptive beamforming mics ensure that the voice reproduction is clear and accurate; acoustic echo cancellation technology suppresses any echoes and cancels noises. Feel the pleasure of a face-to-face conversation, in every meeting or call. With VoiceAware you can control the amount of mic input routed back into your earbuds and choose how much to hear of your own voice.

Ambient Aware & TalkThru

Stay alert to the sounds of the world around you while enjoying your music with Smart Ambient technology. Or have a quick chat with a friend or colleague without having to turn off your tunes with TalkThru. Control these features with a simple touch of a button and fine-tune them via the App.

Boost your productivity

JBL Tour One can help you create an ideal world where you can fully focus on your tasks. In need of a quiet space? Create a silence bubble with SilentNow where NC is activated but music is off. This also helps you saving battery time, as does Auto Off, that switches off your headphones after a period of time set by you. Or get help in waking up with My Alarm, fine-tune the sound output with Smart Audio & Video and automatically pause your headphones when taking them off with Auto-Pause. All these features are controlled via the My JBL Headphones App.

Up to 50 Hours of Music Playback

Your JBL Tour One headphones keep you connected all day long, boasting 25 hours of playback with Noise Cancelling technology engaged and a whopping 50 hours with Bluetooth only.

Hands-free Voice Control

Activate Hey Google (*) or Alexa (**) with just a simple tap or hotword for easy access to your digital world as accurate voice call technology ensures your commands are crystal clear. Voice prompts are available in multiple languages. (*) Only supported on Android (**) Android 6.0 or higher is required for full access to Alexa features when using this device.

Make the most out of your headphones with the free JBL App

My JBL Headphones App personalizes the soundtrack of your life: set up custom EQ, switch on your Adaptive Noise Cancelling or adjust your Ambient Sound Control settings. Download the App for free on your App store.

Personalize How You Listen

With the JBL Headphones App

Specs & Downloads

Item# JBLTOURONEBLK

Product Description

Control your environment, power your productivity., general specifications, audio specifications, control and connection specifications, what's in the box.

• 1 x JBL Tour One headphones
• 1 x Type-C USB charging cable
• 1 x Audio Cable
• 1 x Flight Adaptor
• 1 x Carrying case
• 1 x Quick Start Guide
• 1 x Google Assistant set up guide
• 1 x Amazon Alexa set up guide
• 1 x Warranty / Warning (W / !)
• 1 x Safety Sheet (S / i)

Documents & Downloads

The latest owner's manuals, quick start guides, and documents.

Declaration of Conformity

Quick start guide (multilingual), jbl headphones app, jbl global warranty card, spec sheet (english).

We noticed that you already have products in your cart. In order to add spare parts we have to empty your current cart.

Do you wish to continue?

We noticed that you already have spare parts in your cart. In order to add new products we have to empty your current cart.

• © 2024 Harman International Industries, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Warning Your browser version is unsupported. Please update for best experience. Dismiss

Seen it cheaper? Ask for a JB Deal. Live chat with us or call 13 52 44 .

• Headphones, Speakers & Audio
• Over-ear headphones
• Over-ear wireless headphones
• JBL Tour One M2 Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones (Black)

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links.

6 Best JBL Earbuds For Every Type of Person

Whether you're a gamer, runner, or on your ninth work call of the day, we've found the best JBL buds for you.

JBL makes earbuds for every type of person, from the fitness guru whose never sat still to the hardcore gamer that's barely getting out of their gaming chair . Luckily, I'm a bit of a jack-of-all-trades myself. (Read, a gamer who needs to get in shape.) So, I've tested these buds out in every scenario you might find yourself in, from running to running to catch a train whilst commuting. I know which ones are the best for everyday use and which you should only bring out for a special occasion. JBL fans rejoice, you are eating well with these six awesome choices for earbuds.

Best Overall JBL Earbuds

Jbl live free 2.

Best Noise-Cancelling JBL Earbuds

Jbl tour pro 2.

Best JBL Earbuds on a Budget

Jbl vibe beam.

Live free or die hard, am I right? With these JBL you can do the former without having to worry about your earbuds doing the latter. The fast-charge Qi wireless charging compatible case ensures that these buds last for well over 30 hours without needing to be tied down. They look nice and I think they fit just as nice, making it easy to crown the Live Free 2's our best in show.

Whether I'm listening to music or on a call, these earbuds give me all the options I need. This full adaptive noise cancelling is some of the most reliable I've used, and the smart ambient sound mode lets me enjoy the quality of these earbuds while still being fully aware of my surroundings. Nothing is worth getting struck down in the street by a van, not even these earbuds.

This is the high-end of JBL earbuds, a virtue of luxury encapsulated in the touchscreen that graces the front of the charging case. It's a mash-up of epic proportions, bringing the best of JBL's hardware and software into harmony. For starters, every feature that made the Live Free 2's our favorite JBL headphones are present here too. It's still great for calls, and does immersive spatial audio, including ANC and ambient sound options.

You're paying nearly double the price for the Tour Pro 2 for it's smart case, which doesn't just let you adjust the mode your headphones are on without an app—something we wish we'd say more often in 2024. I found its call manager and notifications nominally useful, but a couple features really have me jazzed. Built-in Find my Buds mode has helped me locate fallen soldiers more than a few times and Activate Auto Play and Pause is a great switch to flip in order to passively preserve battery life.

If you want to strip a pair of Bluetooth earbuds all the way back to the bare essentials, I find the JBL Vibe Beam an easy recommendation to make. These comfortable stylish earbuds come with a few extra eartips and a charging case that keeps them full of juice for hours. That's all that most people need, and that's why I loved them.

You'll find that modern music with deep, dynamic bass sounds especially great on the Vibe Beams. Like all other JBL buds I'm highlighting here these are also fairly waterproof and sweat-proof— a good companion for sweaty activities, but not underwater ones.

JBL Reflect Aero

These ultra waterproof earbuds are some of the absolute best you can buy for working out in. From the swimming pool to the track, the Reflect Aero's from JBL are built for rain, sweat, and even a dip here and there. One Amazon reviewer loved how they much they stay in your ears, even when running, saying, "If you plan to use your earbuds during exercise, the JBLs are the best."

Like the other JBL earbuds in its price range, you also get crystal clear sound quality on calls, booming bass on music, and crisp clarity for podcasts and TV. No matter how you make the time pass on the treadmill, the Reflect Aero's will make sure it sounds the best it can while not causing lasting pain to your ear canal.

JBL Quantum TWS

If you're a PC gamer or otherwise just like to relax with a game of Fortnite with buds, well, we've found your new best buds. The JBL Quantum TWS gaming earbuds are a miracle for gamers, like me, who aren't always able to cut outside noise off at the source. I live in a city and when it's not traffic, or motorcycles, it's my A/C blaring. These earbuds will let me game in peace.

The highlight of these JBL buds are the wireless connection dongle that comes neatly slotted into the charging case. It makes for a lightning fast connection that's way more reliable than Bluetooth. They also support QuantumSURROUND if you're on a PC. That 3D audio makes a difference when combined with an ultrawide curved monitor to really immerse yourself in the experience.

JBL SoundGear Sense

If open-ear headphones provide you the comfort you've been desperately searching for since earbuds took off, you can't go wrong with the JBL SoundGear Sense. They rest comfortably on-ear while still letting all that good, bass-y JBL sound straight into your eardrums. One Amazon reviewer was especially impressed when they took a call, saying their voice was "clear without distortion, wind noise or other normal volume environmental sounds."

The only consistent downside we see customers complain about here is the battery life. It is noticeably worse than most of the other elite JBL options, only lasting 5 or 6 hours before needing another plunge into the charging case.

What to Look For

When shopping for JBL earbuds, you know you can't really go wrong. That can actually make it more difficult to chose from the brand's selection of over two dozen earbuds (and yes, that's just earbuds). Here are some factors I looked at and thought about most when determining my list.

Battery Life: Long battery life can be important. Or, if you're always plugged in and near a charger, it might not matter as much. If you plan on taking them on hikes or long bike rides, well that's another story.

Style & Comfort: What sounds more comfortable to you: a snug earbud or a flat-laying open-ear speaker? Determine if you want an earbud or open-ear JBL earbud is the first step to figuring out which ones will be the most comfortable in your ears.

Noise Cancellation: Most of these JBL earbuds have Adaptive Noise Cancellation, but a couple are lacking. I personally love the option to switch ANC on and off, but if you find yourself not caring, you can probably save some money.

Water Resistance: IP rating determines how sweat, dust, and water resistant a device is. These headphones range from sweat-proof to rain resistant to full-on submergible.

Why Trust Esquire?

Here at Esquire, we've been testing and reviewing the latest and greatest products, gadgets , and tech for years, scratch that, decades.

From Amazon Echo speakers to portable monitors to gaming laptops , I've personal tried, reviewed, and compared some of the best consumer tech for your home. When it comes to headphones and earbuds, I've tested the best of the best —and some of the worst of the mediocre for good measure. If I wouldn't recommend it to a friend or loved one, I wouldn't even let you think about recommending it to our discerning (and vocal) readers.

@media(max-width: 73.75rem){.css-1ktbcds:before{margin-right:0.4375rem;color:#FF3A30;content:'_';display:inline-block;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1ktbcds:before{margin-right:0.5625rem;color:#FF3A30;content:'_';display:inline-block;}} What We're Buying

The Best Personal Item Bags for Easy Travel

Prime Day 2024—Dates and the Best Early Deals

REI 4th of July Sale—Save on YETI Coolers and Gear

The Best Swimsuits for All Your Aquatic Adventures

Our Editor-Favorite Pre–Prime Day 2024 Book Sales

The 30 Best Pre–Prime Day Tech Deals 2024

The 8 Best Slim Wallets to Last the Long Haul

The 10 Best Gifts You Can Get on Amazon Prime

The 6 Best Back Massagers, Tested and Reviewed

The 12 Best Pre–Prime Day Mattress Deals 2024

The Best Mobile Gaming Controllers

Condé Nast Traveler

7 Noise-Canceling Headphones Our Editors Never Travel Without

Posted: June 27, 2024 | Last updated: June 27, 2024

Long commutes and even longer flights with constant noise can be pretty rough. From endless side chatter to fussy babies on board , it can be hard to focus or catch some shut eye. This is where the best noise-canceling headphones come in handy. Noise-canceling headphones can be used for a multitude of reasons: better sound quality in meetings; to help focus while studying in the library; to record voiceovers for your Instagram reels; or just to create a calm atmosphere when you need an escape from your roommates. The audio landscape is ever-evolving, meaning there are plenty of great noise-canceling headphones on the market that exceed standard sound quality and average battery life. With the help of our editors, we've narrowed down our list of the best noise-canceling headphones to accompany you on your next long-haul flight.

This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.

Sign up to receive the latest news, expert tips, and inspiration on all things travel

Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S2e noise-canceling headphones

Apple AirPods Pro

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX headphones

JBL Tour One M2 Noise Cancelling Headphones

Bose QuietComfort headphones

Technics EAH-AZ80 Hi-Fi True Wireless Earbuds

Marshall Monitor II A.N.C headphones

More for you.

Gretchen Whitmer's Chances of Beating Donald Trump: Poll

Tech company unveils tiny spheres that outperform solar panels using both sun and artificial light — and the company says they could hit 60 times the current capacity

Brittney Griner's WNBA Welcome to Caitlin Clark Has Fans in Tears

‘It Still Boggles My Mind'- Electric 18-Wheelers are Here and Even More Ridiculous Than the Cars

What to know about 6 important blood tests for your health

Clint Eastwood, 94, and 8 children reunite in photos for daughter Morgan's wedding at 22-acre ranch

Scientists discover strange 'mathematical pattern' in the human body

Donald Trump Issues Supreme Court Warning

100 of Grandma’s All-Time Best Recipes

A retired boomer moved from Florida to Panama to start life anew after her husband and son died. Everything is cheaper, she said, and life has been much calmer.

13 of the oldest archaeological sites in the Americas

Best Vincent Price Films, Ranked

3 New Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Rules Everyone Needs to Know About in 2024

Five Guys customers say chain's prices are 'out of control' after 'outrageous' eceipt

Two major pickup trucks recalled due to safety issues

Moment Woman Realizes She Was 'Accidentally Poisoning' Herself for Months

VA Disability Conditions List: What are the 23 presumptive conditions when applying for VA benefits?

Inside the Quest to Confirm A Strange 60-Year-Old Theory About Stonehenge

Easy Peanut Butter Pie

A New Aluminum Alloy Is About to Drive the Evolution of Engines

• Electronics
• Headphones, Earbuds & Accessories
• Headphones & Earbuds
• Over-Ear Headphones

Add to your order

• No Additional Cost: You pay nothing for repairs – parts, labor, and shipping included.
• Coverage: Plan starts on the date of purchase. Drops, spills and cracked screens due to normal use are covered from day one. Malfunctions are covered after the manufacturer's warranty. Real experts are available 24/7 to help with set-up, connectivity issues, troubleshooting and much more.
• Easy Claims Process: File a claim anytime online or by phone. Most claims approved within minutes. We will send you an e-gift card for the purchase price of your covered product. In some instances, we will replace or repair it.
• Product Eligibility: Plan must be purchased with a product or within 30 days of the product purchase. Pre-existing conditions are not covered.
• Terms & Details: More information about this protection plan is available within the “Product guides and documents” section. Simply click “User Guide” for more info. Terms & Conditions will be available in Your Orders on Amazon. Asurion will also email your plan confirmation with Terms & Conditions to the address associated with your Amazon account within 24 hours of purchase.
• Buy a lot of stuff on Amazon? Tons of items eligible for coverage, from the latest tech like laptops, game consoles, and TVs, to major appliances, sporting goods, tools, toys, mattresses, personal care, furniture, and more.
• Accidents happen. That’s why for your portable products we cover accidental damage from handling such as drops, spills and cracked screens. We also cover electrical and mechanical malfunctions, power surges, and wear and tear.
• Past and future purchases covered. 30 days after you are enrolled, all eligible past purchases (up to 1 year prior to enrollment) and future eligible purchases made on Amazon will be covered by your plan as long as you are enrolled.
• Fast, easy claims. Frustration-free claims, with most filed in minutes. We will fix it, replace it, or reimburse you with an Amazon e-gift card for the purchase price of your product (excluding tax). File at Asurion.com/amazon.
• No hidden fees. For just $16.99 a month + tax you’re covered for up to $5,000 in claims per 12-month period. *THIS PROGRAM IS MONTH-TO-MONTH AND WILL CONTINUE UNTIL CANCELED* Coverage for all products ends 30 days after the plan is canceled. Cancel any time.

Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Amazon Prime includes:

Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.

• Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
• Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
• Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
• A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
• Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
• Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access

Important:  Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.

Return this item for free

We offer easy, convenient returns with at least one free return option: no shipping charges. All returns must comply with our returns policy.

• Go to your orders and start the return
• Select your preferred free shipping option
• Drop off and leave!

Return instructions

2 year headphones protection plan, 3 year headphones protection plan, asurion complete protect: one plan covers all eligible past and future purchases on amazon.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

JBL LIVE 770NC - Wireless Over-Ear Headphones with True Adaptive Noise Cancelling with Smart Ambient, Up to 65 hours of battery life, Comfort-fit fabric headband & carrying pouch (Black)

Purchase options and add-ons

About this item.

• JBL Signature Sound and surround sound: Along with powerful JBL Signature Sound, the 40mm drivers offer immersive JBL Spatial Sound that turns any stereo content from any device into virtual surround sound.
• Bluetooth 5.3 with LE audio supported*: Wirelessly stream high-quality sound even at lower bit rates with Bluetooth 5.3. Audio Mode gives the best available sound while Video Mode ensures the sound and visuals are always in sync. *Available via OTA update
• True Adaptive Noise Cancelling with Smart Ambient: With four noise-sensing mics, True Adaptive Noise Cancelling means zero distractions whether you’re focusing on studying or getting lost in the music. Or turn on Smart Ambient to hear your surroundings.
• Up to 65 hours* of battery life and speed charge: Listen wirelessly for up to 50 hours and recharge the battery in as little as 2 hours with the convenient Type-C USB cable. In a hurry? A quick 5 min charge gives you 4 hours of music. *BT on/ANC off
• Auto play and pause: Take the headphones off, the music stops. Put it back on, the music starts again. It genuinely couldn't be simpler.

Consider a similar item

Frequently bought together

Similar items that may ship from close to you

From the brand

For over 75 years, JBL has helped people own their sound with Headphones, speakers and audio gear designed around expression. From the history-making stages of Woodstock to the thrilling sports stadiums, music venues and movie theaters you visit today, JBL amplifies truly unforgettable experiences.

Booming bass, rich detail and the freedom to feel the moment, wherever you are.

Visit the Store

JBL Tour Pro Series

True Adaptive Noise Cancelling Technology That Tunes Out Distractions So You Can Enjoy Your Favorite Audio.

JBL Tune Series

On-Ear & Over-Ear Stereo Headphones With Wireless Bluetooth Technology. Built In Microphones For IOS And Android Devices.

JBL Quantum Series

Hear every detail of the environment around you with the superior sound of JBL Quantum. Take on new challenges. Dare to level up.

JBL Endurance Series

Enjoy JBL Pure Bass Sound While You Work Out. Stay Focused On The Task At Hand With Music That Starts And Stops When You Do.

Compare with similar items

From the manufacturer, jbl live 770nc.

JBL Live 770NC headphones deliver powerful JBL Signature Sound in a comfortable over-ear headband style. True Adaptive Noise Cancelling with Smart Ambient technology lets you decide which sounds to keep out and let in. Access your preferred voice assistant with either a hotword or an easy tap on the earcup. You’ll enjoy 65 hours (50 hours with BT+ANC on) of music streaming, and a quick 5-minute speed charge gives you another four hours.

JBL Signature Sound and surround sound

Along with powerful JBL Signature Sound, the 40mm drivers offer immersive JBL Spatial Sound that turns any stereo content from any device into virtual surround sound.

Wireless Bluetooth 5.3 technology

Wirelessly stream high-quality sound even at lower bit rates with the help of the latest Bluetooth technology. Audio Mode gets you the best available sound, while Video Mode makes sure the sound and visuals of your movies and games are always in sync.

True Adaptive Noise Cancelling with Smart Ambient

With four noise-sensing mics, True Adaptive Noise Cancelling means zero distractions, whether it's time to focus on your studies—or get your groove on. And if you want to hear the world around you without removing your headphones, Smart Ambient sharpens the sounds of your surroundings.

JBL Over-Ear Banded Headphones

What's in the box.

• 1 x JBL Live 770NC headphones
• 1 x USB-C Charging Cable
• 1 x Detachable audio cable
• 1 x Warranty/Warning

Looking for specific info?

Videos for this product.

Click to play video

Customer Review: Awesome bass for headphones!

My honest, concise opinion on this

Nick Tziolis

JBL Live 77ONC Product Video

Harman Kardon

Product information

Warranty & support, product description.

JBL Live 770NC headphones deliver powerful JBL Signature Sound in a comfortable over-ear headband style. When you're deep in your flow, True Adaptive Noise Cancelling with Smart Ambient technology keeps you free from distractions. Or, if you want to keep an ear open to the world around you, you can even have a conversation without taking the headphones off. Easily access your preferred voice assistant with either a hotword or a tap on the earcup to play your favorite playlist, text your friend, check the weather, and much more. You’ll enjoy 65 hours (50 hours with BT+ANC on) of music streaming. Need even more? A 5-minute speed charge gets you another four hours. The JBL Live 770NC can connect with two Bluetooth® devices simultaneously, so you’ll never have to miss a call even if you’re watching a movie on your tablet.

Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers like the long battery life and value of the headphones. However, some customers have mixed opinions on fit, sound quality, and quality.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers are mixed about the sound quality of the headphones. Some mention that the music and noise cancelling sound good, the audio is crisp, and the noise canceling is supreme. However, others say that the sound canceling could be better, the headphones have bad sound, and amplifies outside sound in poor quality.

"...than nothing, and with the over the ear design is pretty effective at cutting the ambient noise at the atrocious “open office” environment I work in..." Read more

"...they didn't get quite as loud as I was hoping for but very good sound quality and a bunch of features I'm still working on figuring out but." Read more

"...Definitely worth the money. Love that it has really good bass. Like normal bass . Like this is how bass sounds bass. I just really like these." Read more

"...The cable it comes with doesn't help as it is cloth so it makes more noise . I tested a regular rubber cable and it had the same issue.-..." Read more

Customers like the battery life of the headphones. They mention that it's easy to walk on and has a long battery life.

"...THE BATTERY LIFE !- They sound great!Cons:..." Read more

"...I love that i can adjust them to fit how i like. I love how Long the battery life lasts . One thing i do dislike is that sometimes...." Read more

"...They are easy to set up and pretty to look at! Long battery life also easy to walk on treadmill with or light workout." Read more

"Like the long battery life , great headset" Read more

Customers appreciate the value of the headphones.

"...The talk thru is very nice as well. Great sound. Definitely worth the money . Love that it has really good bass. Like normal bass...." Read more

"...Adjustable in many ways via the iPhone app. Great value !" Read more

"It’s just okay but acceptable for the sale price . Sound canceling could be better but with a little volume you can’t hear any outside noise...." Read more

"...JBL has a decent name, price was cheaper than the Bose - give em a shot.Received, put them on and my jaw dropped...." Read more

Customers find the headphones easy to set up and pair up.

"...Probably a stupid thing to say. They did pair up easily enough . I thought these could multi pair but that didn’t happen the one time i tried." Read more

"Love these over ear headphones. They are easy to set up and pretty to look at!..." Read more

"Very comfortable headphones that has great sound. Easy to set up and use ." Read more

Customers have mixed opinions about the fit of the headphones. Some find them comfortable to wear and snug, while others say they didn't fit well and slid off their head when moving.

"...These ones fit snuggly and do not feel like they will fall off- Optional tap gestures- BUTTONS, this company is smart...." Read more

"...Build quality seems good. The over the ear earmuffs style is comfortable and mutes a lot of background noise by itself. The noise cancelling? Eh...." Read more

" But didn't fit well slid off my head when moving, and the hinges creaked a lot...." Read more

"... Comfortable to wear and not too heavy." Read more

Customers are mixed about the quality of the headphones. Some mention it's excellent, great, and has a long battery life. They also say the material feels robust. However, some customers feel it'd be a very bad product for such a high price, and others say it has some design flaws.

"... Material although is plastic feels robust and quality, I imagine these headphones would survive an average drop and since I am american, it's weight..." Read more

"It is not a good article because it does not comply with the description . They have bad sound and it does not work at all...." Read more

"The sound quality is good. Build quality seems good . The over the ear earmuffs style is comfortable and mutes a lot of background noise by itself...." Read more

"Like the long battery life, great headset " Read more

Reviews with images

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Become an Amazon Hub Partner
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices