JBL TUNE 220TWS Truly Wireless Headphones [Review]

The JBL TUNE 220 are really wireless earphones that disappoint. While their earbud design may appeal to those who find in-ears uncomfortable, they are constructed of hard plastic, which may cause pain and weariness in the ears for certain people while listening for long periods of time. Unfortunately, they don’t have a dedicated companion app for EQ settings, and their sound profile is nearly entirely devoid of bass. Their battery life is underwhelming at 2.3 hours, and charging in their charging case takes over 1.5 hours.

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Style

The JBL TUNE 220 have a similar design to the Apple AirPods, but with a matte finish that is less expensive. While the type we purchased is grey, they are also available in a variety of other colours. They sport a JBL branding on the right earbud and are quite unremarkable in appearance. They also have a blue dot on the left earbud and a red dot on the right earpiece that correlate to dots on the casing, making placement easy.

Comfort

The level of comfort is satisfactory. They have an earbud design that doesn’t go all the way into the ear canal like the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless, but they have somewhat smaller earbuds that may fit better for some people. Unfortunately, these headphones are entirely comprised of hard plastic, which may cause some users to endure ear pain and tiredness after long durations of use.

Controls

The JBL TUNE 220TWS’ controls aren’t up to grade. Their physical buttons provide excellent feedback, with practically every instruction being accompanied by a beep, and their control system is simple to use. Unfortunately, they lack volume control, which means you’ll have to remove your phone to adjust the volume, which might be inconvenient.

Portability

The TUNE 220TWS, like most truly wireless headphones, is extremely portable. The charging case, as well as the earbuds themselves, are both relatively compact and should fit into most pockets.

Case

The JBL TUNE 220’s enclosure is adequate. Overall, it has a cheap feel to it and is composed of cheap-feeling plastic. The interior of the casing has red and blue dots that correlate to the dots on the earbuds, making it easy to determine which way to put them in.

Build Quality

The JBL TUNE 220TWS’ build quality is decent. The case and the earbuds themselves are made entirely out of plastic that feels decently solid and dense. Unfortunately, the interior of the case is a glossy plastic that makes it look and feel quite cheap, though this may vary between the different color options. They also don’t have any IP rating for dust or water resistance, so you’ll want to avoid getting them wet.

Stability

Despite the lack of stability fins, these headphones are quite stable in the ears. Unfortunately, they do not come in a variety of tip sizes, so some people may discover that they fit better than others.

Sound Profile

The sound profile of the JBL TUNE 220TWS is quite bright and lacks bass, which is likely due to its earbud configuration. Overall, they aren’t the ideal fit for genres like hip-hop, EDM, or pop, and will be better suited to content or genres with a strong vocal component.

Bass Accuracy

These headphones have awful bass accuracy. Bass is poor and practically non-existent, most likely due to their earphone design’s difficulty in maintaining a proper seal. It’s worth noting that, due to their one-size-fits-all design, different users will hear bass in different ways based on the size and shape of their ear canal. If your experience differs from our test results, please let us know in the comments.

Mid Accuracy

These headphones have excellent mid-accuracy. Almost the whole spectrum is well-balanced and precise, allowing singers and instruments to stand out. The peak in the high-mids, on the other hand, may make some vocalists and instruments seem honky and harsh.

Treble Accuracy

The JBL 220TWS has excellent treble precision. There will be vocals and high-frequency instruments, but they shouldn’t be too harsh.

Peaks/Dips

The JBL TUNE 220TWS has a good peaks and dips performance. When compared to the remainder of the range, the peak in the high-mids makes vocals and instruments sound quite strong. There’s also a mid-treble peak that can make some higher-pitched frequencies a little harsh, though it’s not too noticeable overall.

Imaging

These headphones have superb stereo imaging. For the whole spectrum, the group delay is below the audibility threshold, ensuring a tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. Our unit’s L/R drivers were likewise quite well-matched, albeit these results apply solely to our unit; yours may operate differently.

Passive Soundstage

The soundstage of these headphones is terrible, as it is with most in-ears. This is mostly due to their lack of interaction with the pinna, which is a critical component in creating the impression of a vast, in-front soundstage. They do, however, have a more open soundstage than closed-back in-ears due to their earbud design, which does not travel deep into the ear canal.

Noise Isolation

These headphones have a poor isolation capability and block nearly little background noise. While this is useful for staying aware of your surroundings, it will not help you shut out noisy employees or the low rumbling of bus engines.

Leakage

These headphones have a good leakage performance. Folks a few feet away may be able to hear your music if you play it at very loud volumes, but people a few feet away are unlikely to hear much, especially in a moderately busy area.

Recording Quality

The microphone on these headphones has a good recording quality. Your speech will sound muffled, as it does with most Bluetooth headphones, but it should still be clear and understandable.

Noise Handling

This microphone’s noise handling is subpar. It will be tough for the person on the other end of the line to hear you even in relatively loud situations.

Battery

The JBL TUNE 220TWS’s overall battery performance is mediocre. Their 2.3-hour battery life on a single charge is one of the smallest we’ve ever seen, and charging takes more than 1.5 hours. Fortunately, their case should provide up to five further charges, however, the lengthy charging time means you won’t be able to charge them during your lunch break. The Microsoft Surface Earbuds Truly Wireless or the TaoTronics SoundLiberty 92 Truly Wireless are earbud-style truly wireless headphones that last longer on a single charge.

Bluetooth

The JBL TUNE 220 headphones are Bluetooth-only. They do not, however, offer multi-device pairing, unlike many other JBL headphones. Also, their latency is high on both PC and iOS, so you’ll probably feel some lag. On Android, however, we saw a decreased latency, albeit it may still be too high for gaming or video watching. It’s worth mentioning that certain apps appear to adjust for this, so real-world results may vary.

Verdict

The JBL TUNE 220 are underwhelming headphones for a variety of uses. Their sound is light and lacks bass, and their single-charge battery life is only 2.3 hours. People who find in-ears uncomfortable may like their earbud style, however they’re composed of hard plastic and might cause ear pain if used for long periods of time. On the plus side, they’re rather stable in the ear and don’t block out a lot of background noise, making them a decent choice for folks who run outside and want to be aware of their surroundings.