JBL is a name most of us are familiar with, and it is known for its audio products spanning different sub-categories and price segments. The Tune Beam 2 is one of its latest TWS offerings, coming in as a mid-priced contender that seems to pack quite a bit in terms of features and capabilities. Here’s how it fares in real life.
Table of Contents
Design and comfort
The JBL Tune Beam 2 comes in a solidly built case that features a smooth matte finish. The case is flat on the back but sports a rounded shape on the front and sides. The front carries a JBL logo and three LEDs that indicate battery status, the hinge on the back carries the words “Tune Beam 2”, and the bottom is home to a Type-C port. While the design might not turn heads, the case is compact and can slide easily inside pockets. While my review unit came in black, you can choose to have it in white or blue if you wish.
Opening the lid reveals the buds placed inside, held in place by magnets that don’t let them slide out accidentally. The buds themselves feature the conventional rounded shape with rubber tips on one end and stems at the bottom. The only niggle is that due to their smooth round shape, the buds tend to slip out of my fingers when I pull them out of the case. It could be a case of butterfingers, but it did happen to me more than once, and one time I spent an anxious few minutes trying to locate an earbud that had slipped on the side of an airplane seat. So, just something to be mindful of. The package includes a small charging cable and differently sized rubber tips to help attain the best fit.
Speaking of, the fit is quite comfortable. The buds are lightweight and can be worn for prolonged periods without hassle. They pass the shake test, too, since vigorous shaking of the head fails to dislodge them from the ears, and therefore, should work well for running and working out in the gym. They’re IP54 rated, which means that sweat and light rain shouldn’t pose any issues.
Features and app
The JBL Tune Beam 2 uses Bluetooth 5.3, supports SBC and AAC codes, and offers a bunch of handy features like Google Fast Pair, Spatial Audio, multi-point audio, Adaptive Noise Cancellation, Ambient Aware and TalkThru modes. Ambient Aware, as the name suggests, refers to the transparency mode, while TalkThru allows the user to converse with others around them without removing the buds. A feature called Personi-Fi 3.0 is said to tune and personalise the audio to suit the user.
The JBL Headphones app, available on both Android and iOS, is one of the highlights of the overall user experience these buds provide. Not only is it neatly laid out, the level of customisation it offers is quite unmatched. Apart from being able to view the battery levels remaining in each earbud and the case, switch sound modes, customise the gesture controls, update firmware etc, there are quite a few other options available. You can access options like Personi-Fi and Spatial Audio, adjust the level of ANC, transparency and VoiceAware modes via sliders, and change the language for the voice prompts the buds provide. Not just that, you can choose between Smart Audio and Video modes, optimising the sound for music and improving lip sync for videos, respectively.
For tweaking audio, you get a bunch of EQ presets, and also have the option of creating your own. You can also adjust the sound balance between the left and right earbuds and turn on the max volume limiter. For calls, you can adjust the tone of the voice of the person at the other end, and also set how your voice sounds to them. Not stopping there, JBL has also integrated options like Find My Earbuds and various power-saving modes that help prolong battery life.
One more really cool option in the app is labelled Relax Mode, using which you can listen to calming sounds, which turn off after a specified period of time. The options available include the sound of waves, forest, fire, chirping birds, and lapping water, and you can even create your own personal mix using a combination of these options. Very nifty indeed.
Audio quality and ANC
The JBL Tune Beam 2 uses 10mm dynamic drivers and offers great sound for their price. The high level of customisability via the companion app and the various sound tuning options at your disposal mean these buds are well suited to different genres. The default Studio EQ mode offers good bass, but it doesn’t overwhelm or otherwise sound jarring, and you always have the option of choosing the Bass or even the Extreme Bass EQ modes if you want more thump. Overall, the sound is well balanced, with enough detail and separation to please most listeners. The ANC, while not being flagship-grade, is very good too. The Tune Beam 2 is able to drown out a lot of ambient noise. Again, with the customisation options available, you can tweak the ANC as per your liking. Call quality is quite good too, and again, the customisation options help. The Spatial Mode didn’t do much for me, but given everything else the buds offer, I’m not complaining.
Battery life
The JBL Tune Beam 2 promises up to 10 hours of battery life with ANC on, plus another 30 hours via the charging case. With ANC turned off, this increases to 12 hours plus another 36 hours through the case. In my mixed usage, I estimate I got about 11 hours or so comfortably, so the battery life does live up to the claims. There’s no wireless charging, but thanks to fast charging, a 15-minute charge helps deliver up to 4 hours of music playback. Full charge takes a couple of hours.Verdict
For its asking price of Rs 5,499, the JBL Tune Beam 2 ticks most of the boxes. Delivering on most aspects, the buds score high in terms of audio quality, ANC, battery life, and features. As far as I’m concerned, the plethora of options that are included in the app add quite a bit to the overall experience and make these TWS buds stands out among the sea of options available. Speaking of, if a lower-priced option is what you’re interested in, the new CMF Buds 2 (review), priced at Rs 2,699, and the Realme Buds Air 7 (review), priced at Rs 3,299, could be worth considering. But if you can spare a little over Rs 5k, the JBL Tune Beam 2 is well worth checking out.
Editor’s rating: 8 / 10
Pros:
- Good sound quality & ANC
- Personalisation options
- Useful app
- Good battery life
Cons:
- Lacks in-ear detection
- Slippery buds
