Hands-on Review: JBL Tune Beam 2

In a market that's saturated with almost infinite choices, JBL's new Tune Beam 2 wireless earphones deliver an impressive combination of sound quality, robustness and comfort at a super competitive price-point. 

Whether you're using the Tune Beam 2 to commute, exercise, or just chill out, the earphones perform exceptionally well thanks to features like Adaptive Noise Cancelling and JBL's Pure Bass Sound with Spatial Sound.

First impressions and setup

The Tune Beam 2 has two simple colour options in New Zealand – Black and White – and we reviewed the latter of the two. 

The case looks very much like many products on the market in terms of its shape, though there are three LED lights on the front to indicate how must charge it has. At the bottom of the case sits the USB-C input for charging. The case is finished in a matt plastic, which tends to mark easily but can be wiped clean without any issue.

Connecting to your device is simple. Upon opening the case for the first time, the blue LEDs on the two earbuds will flash and automatically enter pairing mode, then you follow the usual Bluetooth connection process on your device to hook up to the Tune Beam 2 earphones.

Once connected, downloading the JBL Headphones app is highly recommended to finetune your experience. Within the app, you can do things like customise the gesture controls for each earbud, flick between the different modes of Ambient Sound Control, and customise your listening experience. You can also toggle through to 'Relax Mode', which lets you to listen to a variety of ambient sounds for up to 60 minutes – perfect to help you sleep!

The Tune Beam 2 earphones come pre-installed with medium-sized ear tips, but smaller and larger ones come in the box to tailor the fit to your ear. Once you have the right size, the fit snug and remain comfortable even after hours of wear.

Performance

The Tune Beam 2 have a RRP of under $170 NZD, but they perform like devices that cost significantly more. After several weeks with the earphones, listening to various genres of music, they've become my listening device of choice.

One notable feature which helps elevate performance is JBL's Personi-Fi 3.0, which gives you an in-app hearing test to provide the exact sound curve that suits you best. The app then allows you to toggle between having this enabled or not so you can hear the difference.

Both the Adaptive Noise Cancelling and Ambient Aware features, which you can set up to flick between via a simple tap of the left earbud, work almost flawlessly, as does 'TalkThru', which can be activated by a double tap – this allows you to easily hold a conversation when you're wearing both buds.

Auckland's wet and windy winter weather tried (and failed) to ruin my listening experience, which is testament to the Tune Beam 2's IP54 dust and water resistance. 

Another standout feature of the Tune Beam 2 earphones is battery life. The earbuds can last up to 12 hours between charges, and the case holds up to 36 hours of battery life, equalling a total of 48 hours of battery life, though this reduces if you have features like the Adaptive Noise Cancelling enabled. The app allows you to activate Auto Standby and Auto Power Off to help you get the most out of the battery. 

The Tune Beam 2 sports six microphones to ensure any phone calls made are crystal clear for both you and the person at the other end. The technology within the earphones reduces almost all background noise, which we tried and tested in numerous conditions. 

Verdict

JBL products seem to always deliver, and the Tune Beam 2 earphones are no different. It's hard to believe how much technology has been crammed into these considering the price point. 

The sound customisation via the JBL Headphones app allows you to truly tailor these earphones to suit your ears and music taste. This ensures that they deliver, no matter the task at hand.