Sometimes people say, “They don’t make things like they used to!” I’m wont to respond, “Thank goodness!”. It has a 2,000mAh, 3.7 volt Lithium-ion polymer battery built in that gives up to eight hours operation. Included is a distinctive orange-coloured 5-volt 1-amp power adaptor and cable to charge up the unit. It’s a thoughtful inclusion on this one since I could imagine it also operating as a compact home radio, permanently plugged in.
The Quick Start manual also says that “other USB adapters can cause poor radio performance”. At the left hand end of the intersection between top and front is a bevelled edge containing the display.
This shows the source – Bluetooth, DAB+, FM, AUX – station information and volume level when you’re adjusting that. It also pipes up with useful information when you’re doing things like scanning the frequency bands for stations and so on.
Setting up just requires plugging in the power, switching it on, choosing a radio band and pressing Auto Scan.
Hold down a pre-set for a few seconds to memorise up to five stations for ready access.
No one is going to use the JBL Tuner as a party speaker, but for decent sounding background music it was fine. I also played a fair bit of music using the unit via Bluetooth, and again it performed in a manner belying its size.
There are a couple of rather large hills between my office and the DAB+ transmitter, which is perhaps fifteen kilometres away. The battery is rated at 8 hours but, of course, it all depends on how hard you have the unit working. As for idle time, I charged up the unit and used it for a little while, and then left it aside for a couple of months while working on other stuff.
When I came back to the unit and plugged it in to recharge, its meter indicated it still retained 90% charge.
So, I plugged into the Auxiliary input on the back a Chromecast Audio device. Instead, the JBL Tuner had just sent a pairing request to the Samsung tablet I’d be using to feed it music.
I would have liked the unit to have an output – wired or Bluetooth, I wouldn’t care – so that I could connect it to better speakers when at home.
JBL Tuner 2 Review: Great FM Radio, Not So Good Bluetooth Speaker
JBL is a big name when it comes to audio accessories, especially in the portable Bluetooth segment market. Back in 2018, the company tried to do something new by incorporating FM radio into its portable speaker. The JBL Tuner 2 FM has a cylindrical body that is to be placed horizontally on a flat surface. On the bottom, we have rubber padding on either side that provides some height to the speaker. However, these paddings are slim and thus, won’t make that much of a difference unless it’s placed on a completely flat surface. JBL Tuner 2’s body is made up of plastic that feels smooth when touched but has been given a rubberized look.
The left side also houses the power button that has a tiny red decal. The button is tiny and non-glowing but I had no problem finding it as it is pressed into the surface.
On the opposite side, the JBL logo has been carved out of the smooth surface. Alongside the grill, JBL has included a greyscale screen at the front of the device.
It may not sound like a big issue but I would have liked it if the battery level would have been indicated by series of bars just like the volume. If you want to connect it to a different device, just press the button again and the speaker will enter into pairing mode.
A long press on any of them when under FM mode will assign the button for the given frequency. Similarly, the scan button on the bottom row will return the next strong frequency.
Except for the volume buttons, others don’t serve any purpose in the Bluetooth mode. Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), FM Radio
One of the highlights of the JBL Tuner 2 is that it supports Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB). Unlike FM and AM, frequencies in DAB are transmitted using digital signals.
As I’ve discussed throughout this review, JBL has prioritized the FM side of things over the Bluetooth speaker in Tuner 2. Vocals are loud and clear but you notice some distortion at the highest volume. It’s nothing of a deal breaker but the situation would have been much better if JBL had opted for a newer version instead of the Bluetooth. After all, it’s not that hard to get speakers with the newer Bluetooth protocol in this price range. To wrap up this review, JBL Tuner 2 should make a good companion if you are looking for an FM radio on a Bluetooth speaker. However, if you don’t want FM radio features and are looking for a Bluetooth speaker, you should get a better option in the market like the JBL Flip 5.
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JBL Tuner
Slightly larger than a can of fizzy drink, this two-in-one gadget lets you listen to hundreds of DAB radio stations and music stored on your smartphone or tablet. Admittedly, we did find the buttons a little fiddly to use as they’re relatively small and unlike many other DAB radios there are no alarms or sleep times. The DAB radio offers up to eight hours of listening time from one full charge
It’s simple to use and picks up hundreds of DAB radio stations depending on where you’re based
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JBL Tuner Zwart – Draagbare DAB+ radio met bluetooth
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