JBL Tune 215TWS Review: Great Wireless Earbuds on a Budget

JBL Tune 215TWS bring Apple’s AirPod-inspired style, but at a fraction of the cost. Less expensive does result in trade-offs, such as Apple’s unique features, an IP rating, and active noise cancelation (ANC), but these earbuds offer great sounds and a good user experience.

What we like

I was skeptical about the ear dangles associated with Apple AirPods. But since I regularly receive great true wireless earbuds for review, I have not invested in a pair of Apple’s earbuds. JBL’s $69.95 Tune 215TWS proved a pleasant surprise as they fit lightly, felt balanced, and offered all expected features at a price that will fit most pocketbooks.

Power and charging

Like most true wireless headsets, the JBL Tune 215TWSs run about 5 hours on a single charge, with the included charging case adding another 20 hours of top-off. The case charges via USB-C. Indicator lights on the earbuds indicate low battery and charging status. Front-facing lights on the case announce its charge state. The case and earbuds will charge to full in about 2 hours.

The charging case is larger than that of some competitors, but it isn’t too large for a pocket. Magnetic latching secures the earbuds to the charging port. Unlike some earbuds, the finish makes it easy to extract the 215TWSs from the case.

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Sound

JBL promised bass on the package, and they deliver it. But the highs and mid-ranges still come through clearly. If you know the JBL sound profile, then you know what to expect from these earbuds.

JBL specs state 20-20,000Hz for frequency response from the 6mm drivers. Unlike some other JBL headphones, the TWSs don’t get support from the JBL Connect app, which is OK. App customization often leads to more confusion and complexity than it does to a better listening experience. I would rather see headphones tuned to take queues from the mobile OS.

I recently downloaded the Steely Dan Remastered A Decade of Steely Dan from Apple Music and found the experience very pleasurable. I felt surrounded. Much better than the sound coming out of my old BMW as I drove the freeways of LA with this album cranked up 20 years ago. The tracks were clean, the instruments easy to separate, and the stage open enough to invite me in.

The 215 TWSs don’t include ANC, which I would not expect at this point in time for this price point. In my home office, without multiple video conferencing going on around me, the passive isolation blocked enough sound to put me in a good musical headspace. The sound profile remains consistent at high and low volumes.

And BTW, phone calls work well for listening and talking.

Controls

I felt a bit silly before reading the manual as I tried to touch and stroke the earbuds to make them perform. When nothing happened, I went back and read the manual.

The JBL Tune 215TWSs eschew gesture sensors for actual buttons. The right button answers calls and pauses music, and the left skips to the next song. A double tap on the right evokes the primary voice assistant. A 2-second hold mutes or unmutes. A 5-second hold brings up Bluetooth connection mode, and a triple tap sends the pair of earbuds in search of each other should the stereo get lost.

Although that may sound complicated, my experience once paired involves powering the earbuds on by lifting them from the case and answering the phone with a tap—or just putting them in my ears and hitting play.

Additional observations

Unlike many wireless earbuds, the JBL Tune 215TWS feature dual connect, which means either earbud acts as master. It doesn’t matter which you stick in your ear to pickup a call. Either will work, and continue to work should the other be removed.

Bluetooth 5 support brings with it improved sound and more distance from the host device.

And I like the springy sound that meets the ear as the headphones connect to a device.

3 sizes of silicon ear tips and a USB-C cable round out the package.

What can be improved

Budget headphones should not be judged against their more expensive counterparts. While the JBL Tune 215TWS don’t include ANC or a bevy of gesture sensors—those features drive up the cost, and therefore the price. Affordable earbuds bring with them affordable features.

That said, I would like to see JBL offer an IP rating. Any device as exposed as earbuds needs to be able to deal with the exposure, especially for those of us in places like Seattle that run pretty damp most of the year.

JBL Tune 215TWS: The Bottom Line

The JBL Tune 215TWS will travel with me often. I trade-off my headphones to put review units through longer studies—and I update reviews when I experience new pleasures, or encounter previously undocumented problems. What I like most about the JBL Tune 215TWS is that I can just put them in my ears and go. Anyone seeking a good true wireless earbud experience on a budget should put the 215TWSs on their short list.

JBL provided the product for review. Images courtesy of JBL.

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