There are countless manufacturers and models of Bluetooth speakers with rechargeable batteries and just as many manufacturers of DAB radios.
However, only a few manufacturers offer a combination of both with a powerful battery.
JBL fills this gap with the Tuner 2: In my opinion, a very good DAB+ radio with integrated Bluetooth function – and not the other way around. More on this below.
JBL Tuner: Use cases
Why do you even need a DAB radio with Bluetooth speaker and rechargeable battery?
Bluetooth radio for kitchen & bathroom
The classic application will probably be the good old kitchen radio – or bathroom radio.
Many households in Germany still have an old FM radio with poor reception and very thin sound in these rooms.
This is where the JBL Tuner 2 is a significant upgrade: in addition to the integrated rechargeable battery, it can also be powered by a mains adapter (USB-C) and thus be permanently supplied with power.
Unfortunately, the scope of delivery only includes the USB-C cable and no power adapter.
However, a standard power adapter is sufficient, as was often supplied with cell phones or other devices in the past. Charging on a laptop is also possible.
Multifunctional device for camping & outdoor
The JBL Tuner 2 is also ideal for outdoor activities such as camping, traveling or the garden.
Not only because of the battery life of twelve hours but also because of the protection against water.
According to the manufacturer, the Tuner 2 is protected against water and dust in accordance with the IPX7 standard. The IPX7 code means: protection against damage after brief immersion in a maximum depth of 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
Emergency radio with rechargeable battery
In these troubled times, it is advisable to always have a functioning, battery-operated radio in the house. This is even recommended by the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Preparedness in Germany.
In emergencies such as storms, floods or heavy snowfall, the power can often fail.
As televisions and often the Internet are powered by electricity, the radio is the last resort for important emergency announcements.
The small JBL Tuner 2 is a good option as an emergency precaution. However, you should ensure that the device is permanently charged and has a full battery in an emergency.
This should then run for up to twelve hours – depending on the volume setting.
DAB+ Radio JBL Tuner in test
In the past, there was only FM radio with one annoying side effect: static. With the introduction of digital radio, static is a thing of the past.
You either receive a radio station – or you don’t. There is nothing in between with DAB radio.
FM & DAB in tuner 2
Nevertheless, both technologies are built into the JBL Tuner 2: The old FM (FM) and the new DAB+. As FM has a slightly greater range, this function can be useful as a backup.
Compared to FM, DAB radio offers a significantly larger selection of stations.
There are not only the well-known mainstream channels but also, depending on the federal state, specialty channels for different music genres such as rock, classical or pop.
Large channel selection, small display
The station name is shown on a small display on the JBL Tuner 2. This is nice, but unfortunately the possibilities are not fully utilized.
Digital radio can now even transmit images and show them on displays, e.g. the cover of the current song.
JBL Tuner 2 as Bluetooth speaker
If you are already familiar with other Bluetooth speakers from JBL, you will love the quick and easy connection.
After a short press on the pairing or Bluetooth button, the cell phone pairs with the speaker.
Of course, other devices such as laptops or tablets can also be connected to the speaker.
Unfortunately, the title and artist of the current song are not shown on the display. During playback, it simply says “Connected”.
This is a shame, as almost all Bluetooth speakers with a display now have this function.
Sound quality JBL Tuner 2
While the Bluetooth connection works just as easily as with other JBL speakers, you have to make compromises when it comes to sound.
In contrast to pure speakers such as the Flip 5 or the Flip 6, the Tuner 2 clearly lacks bass.
The maximum volume is also lower than with other speakers from the manufacturer. The focus here is clearly on the radio program: speech sounds very good and crystal clear via tuner 2, which ensures good intelligibility.
The thin bass is not noticeable here, as speech is mainly in a medium frequency spectrum.
JBL Tuner 2 features
The technical features of the JBL Tuner 2 are very good: in addition to the integrated rechargeable battery, the easy-to-read display and the integrated digital radio, there is even an AUX connection, which can be used to connect external audio sources via cable using a 3.5mm jack plug.
Simple display in the JBL tuner
The display is easy to read and very simple. In radio mode, the name of the current station is displayed.
You can also see the respective function type (DAB, FM, Bluetooth, etc.) and the battery status. If you change the volume, the corresponding value is displayed here in figures.
JBL Tuner buttons
With the exception of the on/off switch, the buttons on the JBL Tuner are all located on the top. Five preset radio stations can be called up at the touch of a button.
The volume is controlled via large plus and minus buttons, there is a switch for station search, a switch between DAB and FM (FM), the button for the Bluetooth connection and two buttons for forward and back (radio stations).
Headphones on the JBL Tuner 2
Even though the device has a jack input and Bluetooth, headphones cannot be connected to it. Neither via Bluetooth nor via cable.
This simple function would have been technically easy to integrate, but in my opinion JBL has cut corners here.
What is DAB+ radio?
Digital radio DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting) has been available in Germany since 2011 and is becoming increasingly popular.
In contrast to analog FM radio, DAB+ enables the reception of digital radio stations with a higher sound quality and more functions.
DAB+ is a digital radio system that enables the transmission of audio content in a higher quality than with analog transmission.
The system uses digital transmission to display higher sound quality and additional information such as station and program names, song titles and artists as well as traffic information.
DAB+ also offers a greater variety of radio stations, as several stations can be transmitted on one channel, which optimizes the frequency spectrum. This also results in better reception quality.
Lars Grudzinski has been working as a sound and lighting technician since the 90s, was a DJ for electronic music, has a large collection of vintage speakers, and has been working for various radio stations in Germany for 20 years. At home, he enjoys high-quality home theater products such as soundbars and projectors and has installed an extensive Sonos system in his own home.