JBL is maybe finest identified in India for its wi-fi audio system and automobile audio programs, however the firm’s headphones and earphones are common as nicely. With a wide range of merchandise ranging from under Rs. 1,000 and going as much as Rs. 25,000, overlaying varied capabilities and type elements, JBL has one thing on provide for patrons with nearly any price range and requirement. At this time, I am reviewing the flagship product in JBL’s private audio lineup, the Tour One over-ear wi-fi headphones with lively noise cancellation.
Priced at Rs. 24,999, the JBL Tour One affords loads, together with good design, helpful options resembling lively noise cancellation, contact controls, and app assist. It guarantees good sound high quality in addition to battery life. Is the JBL Tour One an ready challenger to the present champion on this house, the Sony WH-1000XM4? Discover out on this overview.
At its worth, the JBL Tour One goes up towards competitors from manufacturers resembling Sony and Bose
Bodily buttons and contact controls on the JBL Tour One
Premium over-ear headphones are usually fairly massive, with a view to fully cowl the wearer’s ears and create a comfortable match with correct noise isolation. Nevertheless, it helps for headphones to not be unnecessarily cumbersome, in order that carrying them continues to be comfy and handy over lengthy stretches. The JBL Tour One does handle that steadiness, with a significantly sleeker type issue than the corporate’s earlier flagship Club One headphones.
Out there solely in black, the JBL Tour One appears to be like and feels very refined. The ear cups and headband are principally matte black, with reflective black strips accenting the perimeters of the ear cups and the realm just below the headscarf. JBL and ‘Tour One’ logos can be seen in distinct locations on the headphones, and the underside of the leatherette headband is padded for consolation. The headset is gentle and was very comfy to put on over lengthy listening classes, however I did want to regulate my glasses to make sure the noise isolating seal was maintained.
The ability and pairing capabilities are managed with a sliding swap on the suitable earcup of the JBL Tour One; flicking this to the center turns the headphones on, and holding it in place for a few seconds within the lowest place places it in pairing mode. There are additionally devoted buttons for quantity adjustment on the suitable earcup, and a customisable button on the left. There’s a 2.5mm socket to attach the included stereo cable for wired listening, and a USB Kind-C port for charging.
The JBL Tour One makes use of a four-microphone system for voice pickup and lively noise cancellation, with two going through ahead, the third going through to one facet, and the fourth inside one ear cup. The surface of the suitable earcup is touch-sensitive. You possibly can faucet it to regulate playback and reply or disconnect calls.
I discovered the contact controls to be a bit fiddly. They have been simple to set off by accident, and sometimes didn’t register double or triple faucets. There’s additionally put on detection which robotically pauses or resumes your music when the Tour One headphones are taken off or placed on, and this labored nicely for me.
The JBL Tour One works with the JBL Headphones app, obtainable for iOS and Android. This app shows the estimated battery degree of the headphones and allows you to customise and regulate varied capabilities and settings resembling lively noise cancellation, ambient sound mode, and talk-through mode. There’s additionally a ‘sensible audio mode’ for audio high quality, stability and latency enhancements, equaliser settings, contact controls, customisable button controls, and voice assistant settings, amongst different issues.
The programmable button on the JBL Tour One can be utilized to regulate ANC and transparency modes, or invoke the voice assistant in your smartphone
The programmable button on the JBL Tour One may be set to both cycle between ANC and ambient sound modes, or invoke the voice assistant in your smartphone by an extended press. Along with Siri on iOS and Google Assistant on Android, Amazon Alexa can be supported. A protracted press on the touch-sensitive zone can be set to regulate ANC and transparency modes, or activate the talk-through perform which rapidly lowers the audio quantity and lets you have conversations.
It is a very purposeful app, permitting you to set the JBL Tour One up precisely as you need, and likewise replace its firmware as and when wanted. One factor price noting is the power to set the lively noise cancellation and transparency modes as rapidly in accordance with the atmosphere, and I typically discovered myself additionally tweaking the equaliser to search out the suitable settings for the actual style of music that I used to be listening to.
The JBL Tour One has 40mm dynamic drivers, and makes use of Bluetooth 5 for connectivity with assist for the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs. The shortage of assist for superior Bluetooth codecs is a bit disappointing at this worth. The frequency response vary is 10-40,000Hz (when utilized in passive mode with the stereo cable) and 10-22,000Hz when used with Bluetooth. The gross sales bundle features a laborious carry case, a stereo cable for wired connectivity, an airplane adapter, and a charging cable.
Battery life on the JBL Tour One was glorious. It ran for round 30 hours on a single cost with lively noise cancellation on and the quantity at reasonable ranges, however this may fluctuate a bit relying in your utilization. Charging was additionally moderately fast, with the headset attending to a full cost in round two hours when utilizing the included cable and a 10W energy adapter.
Clear, balanced sound on the JBL Tour One
Excessive-end headphones include the expectation of fine sound high quality, and the JBL Tour One largely delivers on this, with a refreshingly impartial and adaptable sound. That mentioned, the dearth of assist for superior Bluetooth codecs did maintain these headphones again a bit when it got here to element and definition within the sound, relying on the supply system.
I used the JBL Tour One for music, calls, and video content material with an iPhone 13 as my main supply, however I additionally paired these headphones with an Android smartphone and a MacBook Air occasionally for reference. It is potential to optimise the sound for particular capabilities resembling listening to music or watching movies, utilizing the app, and this did appear to assist make every use case a bit higher.
My earliest impressions of the sound high quality of the JBL Tour One have been pretty impartial, however over time, and by listening to music throughout a variety of genres, I grew to fairly like its balanced sound. Listening to Wherever You Go by The Avalanches, I loved the headphones’ skill to adapt to its various tempo. The gradual vocal-based buildup of this monitor sounded mild and refined, and the headphones nonetheless tailored virtually seamlessly to its quicker, rhythmic sections.
The clear and balanced sound is refreshing and pleasurable, however the lack of superior Bluetooth codecs holds the JBL Tour One again a bit
Lows sounded relaxed, but had simply sufficient assault and drive to not get misplaced within the way more succesful mid-range and highs. This adaptable and versatile strategy to sound was evident even in quicker tracks resembling Yeke Yeke by Stylo and Area Movement, giving the quick beat simply sufficient power to be heard alongside the catchy conventional African vocals of Guinean singer Mory Kante.
It undoubtedly helped to maintain lively noise cancellation on, and the quantity on the upper facet – across the 80 p.c mark – to get the most effective nuance and character out of those headphones.
The extent of element on provide, and a scarcity of all-out drive and assault maintain the JBL Tour One again a bit, when in comparison with equally priced competitors such because the Sony WH-1000XM4. The Tour One tries laborious to convey some enjoyable to the desk, and listeners searching for steadiness and a scarcity of ‘adulteration’ within the sound will admire the JBL Tour One’s sonic signature, however there’s only a bit lacking on the prime.
Lively noise cancellation on the JBL Tour One was good, as you must anticipate from a high-end headset. It is extra geared to the everyday noise of the outside, and did not fairly carry out as impressively indoors. That mentioned, there was nonetheless a noticeable discount in typical family noises such because the hum of a ceiling fan, however the Tour One did not silence these sounds as successfully as some competing merchandise can. Voices and the sounds of exercise have been a touch softer.
Open air, notably when strolling on the road, the JBL Tour One did job of decreasing noise, making certain that I may take heed to music and audiobooks clearly. I used to be additionally capable of conduct correct conversations on cellphone calls. The ambient sound and talk-through modes enable you to listen to your environment with out having to take off the headphones, however the sound felt a bit synthetic and unnecessarily amplified in noisy environments. Bluetooth connectivity on the headset was steady at distances of as much as 4m for me.
Verdict
The premium wi-fi headphones phase is basically dominated by a handful of manufacturers resembling Sony, Apple, and Bose. As a longtime identify within the headphones business, this worth phase was sorely lacking a succesful choice from JBL, till now. The JBL Tour One is, in my view, a succesful pair of wi-fi lively noise canceling headphones for Rs. 25,000. It affords a clear, balanced sonic signature, good lively noise cancellation outside, glorious battery life, and excellent options, together with a wonderful and detailed companion app that allows you to tweak the headphones to your liking.
It is also a really handsome and cozy pair of headphones, however is held again in just a few notable methods, together with the dearth of assist for superior Bluetooth codecs, barely fiddly controls, and a sure lack of element and assault within the sound. Lively noise cancellation, whereas respectable, is not fairly class-leading on these headphones. It formally prices round Rs. 5,000 lower than the Sony WH-1000XM4, and with that distinction in costs, it would nonetheless be price contemplating the JBL Tour One.
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