Sony and JBL are two instantly recognizable brands that have a variety of products to choose from. JBL’s Tour Pro 2 is quite new and exciting, being a new true wireless earbud that’s put in a significant part of the market. That part of the true wireless market is occupied by heavy hitters like the AirPods, Sennheiser Momentum 3, and the Sony WF-1000XM4. The XM4 is one of the most popular next to the AirPods, so let’s see how the Tour Pro 2 stands up to it.
What You Get
| JBL Tour Pro 2Â | Sont WF-1000XM4 |
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Look & Feel
The Tour 2 and XM4 have completely different styles. With the Tour 2, you have a stemmed design, and with the XM4, you have a bigger, in-ear shell. Both earbuds are pretty stylish, but I can see the XM4 causing more discomfort because of how cumbersome they can be.
Design & Functionality
One of the biggest interactive differences between these two earbuds is the touchscreen charging case of the Tour 2. It is one of the most heavily advertised features of the Tour Pro 2, and it makes these earbuds very unique. You can use this screen to sort through the Tour Pro 2’s many features, which can be handy as just another way to interact with your earbuds. The XM4 doesn’t offer this feature, as it’s quite a new venture for true wireless earbuds, but it outdoes the Tour Pro 2 in terms of what is offered. Sony products will always have a leg up here because of just how many different features they offer. Not only do you have industry-leading ANC technology, but you also have DSEE, Clear Bass, and 360 Reality Audio to name a few. The Tour Pro 2 makes a solid effort by also offering solid ANC, 3D mode, and Personi-Fi personalization.
Bluetooth
For Bluetooth, the XM4 offers version 5.2, while the Tour Pro 2 gives you version 5.3 LE. Pairing is incredibly quick on the Tour Pro 2, but the XM4 has the advantage of offering better resolution through LDAC.
Battery Life
In terms of playtime, the XM4 will offer about two more hours of charge over the Tour Pro 2. Both earbuds still have a good battery in the grand scheme of things, with the Tour Pro 2 supplying 10 hours from a single charge and the XM4 giving you 12 hours with ANC off.
Soundstage
These earbuds have a similar way of displaying soundstage, and they both have 3D features. With Sony earbuds, the spatial audio features make up for their usual imaging issues. It’s mostly closed in, and a bit congested in the middle. However, 360 Reality Audio makes the soundstage and imaging way more enjoyable, as the 1000XM4 opens up and presents more individualized elements. The Tour Pro 2 does a better job of granting you a more spread-out and organized stereo field. Both earbuds aren’t very wide in their standard form, but the Tour Pro 2 does a better job of giving the sound elements space. However, the Tour Pro 2 doesn’t have the strongest 3D audio mode. It sounds more like a weird filter than it does immersive audio, but thankfully it is optional.
Low End
Sony and JBL are both known for having a lot of bass in their sound signatures. JBL’s bass is a bit more fun, and it has more of a consistent shape to it, while the XM4 is warmer and resonant. Both earbuds have a good impact, and their timbres can be modified with EQ. Sony earbuds have their Clear Bass option that will make a more significant change in tone than the Tour Pro’s EQ can.
Mids
Neither the Tour Pro 2 nor the XM4 will offer the most elegant midrange, but they both have their strengths. Nothing about the XM4 or Tour Pro 2 will grant you the greatest detail, but there is still a clear display of tone throughout. Articulation is the best on the XM4, as vocals have more drive and character than on the Tour Pro 2. However, the Tour Pro 2 is smoother with instruments, providing more room for performances to take on a better form.
Highs
The Tour Pro 2 has a lot more to show in its highs than the XM4. It’s the starkest difference in sound between the two earbuds. With the Tour Pro 2, you get a lot more expression in the highs, but only when I activated the Personi-Fi feature. This gave the treble more height and shine, giving it an edge over the dryer XM4.
Summary
The JBL Tour Pro 2 is a hot new item that has a lot going for it, especially in bringing touchscreen charging cases to the mainstream market. However, the Sony WF-1000XM4 will continue to be an industry leader just due to the fact that it is a Sony product. Both earbuds pack a ton of features, but the XM4 masters more of them than the Tour Pro 2. If I was paying more attention to sound over everything, I would choose the Tour Pro 2 mostly because of the Personi-Fi mode.
The JBL Tour Pro 2 and Sony WF-1000XM4 are available at Audio46.
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