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It’s secure to say JBL has at all times performed it a bit secure with its headphones. By no means pricing them tremendous excessive, the model chooses to compete with premium fashions by punching up at them as a substitute of making an attempt a degree enjoying discipline. The Tour One M3 clearly buck that pattern.
These over-ear headphones aren’t low cost, and the worth proposition has as a lot to do with the Sensible Tx module that comes with them. It’s a daring transfer that requires an entire lot of convincing, particularly contemplating what these cans are up in opposition to while going through off with the perfect.
JBL Tour One M3: Value and availability
JBL launched the Tour One M3 in April 2025, and also you’ll discover them accessible at quite a lot of retail shops and on-line distributors. They value $400 bundled with the Sensible Tx transmitter, or $350 if you wish to go away it out. Each ought to see worth drops inside 12 months, and JBL typically leaves sure legacy merchandise in its stock for longer intervals. They arrive in black, blue, and mocha.
JBL Tour One M3: What’s good
Headphones beginning at $350-$400 have to be good at a number of issues: sound, noise cancellation, consolation, personalization, and battery life, amongst others. The JBL Tour One M3 have the consolation half down pat. Carrying them for hours on a number of flights, I might by no means really feel constrained or like I needed to give my ears some air. The comfortable cushioning on each the ear cups and headband is JBL’s staple at this level, however I’m pleased to report they’ve been thoughtfully put collectively right here.
The included case can be properly designed with a big pouch on the opposite internal aspect to make room for the cables, although I had extra success laying the Sensible Tx transmitter in an open house subsequent to the headphones (and retaining from dropping it). The Tour One M3 fold flat to accommodate this, with the general profit being that they take up much less room when touring or commuting with them. That’s positively one factor I can attest to on my travels.
There’s additionally an adaptability issue right here that I believe you may respect as properly. The Sensible Tx transmitter performs a number of roles and may be very a lot a carryover from JBL’s premium wi-fi earbuds, just like the Tour Professional 3, whose instances have built-in LCD screens. As a transmitter, the Sensible Tx is straightforward to plug into an airliner’s leisure display screen to take pleasure in wi-fi playback.
Utilizing the included USB-C-to-3.5mm cable, I simply plug the Sensible Tx into the system, and it passes by way of all audio to the Tour One M3 headphones. I truly sort of laughed after I walked over to a close-by restroom and will nonetheless hear the present I used to be watching. The one draw back is that I needed to go away the transmitter dangling from the Aux-In port on the display screen. It may well additionally work with TVs and older stereo techniques that don’t have Bluetooth connectivity, solely with out the good thing about having it inside arm’s attain.
Earlier Tour One fashions have 3.5mm inputs, besides JBL eliminated it from the M3. That makes the transmitter extra helpful in instances the place Bluetooth isn’t a built-in choice. It additionally means, nevertheless, which you can’t use a DAC (digital-to-analog converter) with a 3.5mm enter in case you wish to give audio a lift that method — although you actually can through USB-C, so it’s not a complete loss.
As a substitute, JBL approaches sound in a couple of alternative ways. By any commonplace, JBL’s Headphones app is without doubt one of the most complete I’ve seen, largely as a result of degree of customization it presents. I like to recommend going by way of these choices first as a result of the Tour One M3 hit a special sonic stride whenever you do. The equalizer presents first rate presets, together with the power to create your individual.
Personi-Fi is a listening to check that adjusts the general sound profile to reinforce the highs, mids, and lows primarily based on the outcomes, resulting in what needs to be a noticeable distinction. The catch is that it is advisable to pay shut consideration in a quiet house whereas taking the check, as you could press and maintain, releasing solely whenever you cease listening to the beep. In the event you’re off an excessive amount of on this, it could actually throw off the sound a good bit.
My first go spherical boosted treble method too excessive to my proper ear, so I did it once more and acquired a corrected consequence that sounds nice. The great thing about that is that it’s so subjective; these with listening to loss may profit from customized sound that fits them fairly than a uniform sound signature all should settle for.
The ensuing sound profile applies no matter what you’re listening to or the mode you employ, whether or not it is an equalizer preset or Spatial Sound (fastened or head monitoring). The one exception is the LDAC hi-res Bluetooth codec. Flip that on, and it disables each Personi-Fi and Spatial Sound. It additionally annoyingly forces the headphones to reboot.
An extra enhance to the audio expertise is surprisingly strong and efficient lively noise cancellation (ANC). It’s not that JBL has a nasty popularity for snuffing out background noise; it’s simply that the Tour One M3 really feel like a serious step ahead in consistency. Carrying them on an extended flight, I couldn’t hear a lot of something round me, save for the light cries of a close-by child. The one time I knew the crew made an announcement was when my display screen mentioned so. Even in a busy avenue atmosphere or at work, the ANC shines.
JBL additionally presents some customized decisions, letting you resolve the noise cancellation degree and whether or not you need the onboard microphones to make the decision primarily based on surrounding noise by way of Adaptive ANC. Whereas they gained’t unseat Sony or Bose’s greatest, the Tour One M3 all of a sudden appear like upstarts worthy of being within the dialog amongst them. One other important cause is the comfy match and passive isolation that the cups present.
Sensible Discuss allows you to decide how lengthy audio quantity lowers when you begin speaking.
This makes it simpler to immerse your self in a present or film as properly. Video mode reduces the Bluetooth latency to an appropriate degree for audio-video sync. It’s not excellent, thoughts you, however I didn’t actually really feel prefer it was off all that a lot, and stopped noticing after some time. Even Spatial Sound provides you the selection to modify between music, films, and gaming to reap the benefits of the digital encompass impact.
Ambient Conscious can be very efficient, however I significantly like TalkThru as a method to maintain a number of the background noise down whereas nonetheless conversing with somebody. Sensible Discuss allows you to decide how lengthy the audio quantity lowers when you begin speaking. This fashion, you’ll be able to briefly chat with somebody with out having to pause first. Put on sensors will robotically pause playback whenever you take them off (though with a slight delay), resuming once more whenever you put them again on. Multipoint help additionally means you’ll be able to preserve them paired with two units concurrently.
There are quite a few modes and options that may immerse you or preserve you engaged in a dialog.
Telephone calls are additionally stable — and once more — what seems like an enormous step ahead as properly. Callers didn’t understand I used to be speaking to them hands-free by way of headphones. In case you discover it’s not sufficient, JBL presents a few boosting choices for that, too.
Onboard controls are a hybrid of bodily and contact buttons. Urgent the motion button cycles between ANC and Ambient Conscious (or each off, should you choose), whereas a double-click toggles TalkThru on and off. Contact controls are on the proper earcup, the place a easy faucet performs/pauses, a double faucet skips a observe, a triple faucet repeats one, and holding prompts your cellphone’s voice help. For calls, double faucets reply incoming calls and finish ongoing calls, whereas holding rejects an incoming name or toggles mute on or off. All of them work fairly seamlessly, although you don’t have any approach to customise them as you need.
Battery life is nice, lasting over 50 hours with out situation. Quantity ranges will have an effect on that quantity, however that’s just about the over/underneath for these cans. All advised, it’s a number of the greatest battery life you’ll discover at this worth, beating out Sony and Bose by an enormous margin.
JBL Tour One M3: Sensible Tx transmitter
Earlier than I transfer on, I’ve to revisit the Sensible Tx transmitter once more due to what it represents. Very similar to the app, the system provides you loads of management over the Tour One M3 and their options, immediately from the touchscreen. Nevertheless, its most important worth proposition is help for Auracast. Whereas hardly a typical characteristic on Bluetooth audio units at the moment, it seems to be within the close to future.
When lively, it could actually transmit the sign to another pair of headphones or earbuds supporting Auracast. You may have the choice to arrange a four-digit passcode to thrust back undesirable listeners, however the benefits are fairly quite a few.
For example, you and a liked one can watch the identical content material from the identical single system wirelessly on a aircraft, and even make the most of the superb onboard microphones to talk with somebody on a video name. Plugging right into a TV presents an identical situation, particularly should you every choose to pay attention at completely different volumes.
The catch stays broader compatibility for Auracast amongst on a regular basis units and in public areas, but it surely’s one thing these headphones have over many others for now. It can positively come in useful when Auracast rolls out in more places and on extra units.
JBL Tour One M3: What’s not good
This isn’t a lot a criticism as it’s a realization that JBL all however forces you to tinker with the sound profile straight away. Your ears might really feel completely different out of the field, although I’d guess that almost all will really feel like one thing’s lacking. Discovering what the Tour One M3 are really able to nearly seems like unpacking a special pair after the actual fact.
That’s a saving grace as a result of it will be an actual disgrace if these, after doing a lot proper, faltered badly on that entrance. You could really feel just like the app is “busy” with all of the settings and modes, however belief me, the customization is value exploring. JBL clearly intends for these costly cans to be versatile, so that you may as properly get your cash’s value by making them really feel like they’re particularly working for you.
Regardless of its usefulness, the Sensible Tx transmitter could be a divisive element to all this.
That’s why the Sensible Tx transmitter could be a divisive element to all this. It’s positively nifty and funky to make use of, but additionally small and probably simple to misplace or lose. Moreover, it has its personal battery, so that you should be aware of charging it as properly. Sadly, it doesn’t have app help or storage, which might be nice for storing offline music and retaining your cellphone away throughout a exercise or run, for example.
Auracast might also really feel like one thing you don’t want, however I think you’ll really feel in a different way when you expertise it. Even with out Auracast enabled, the transmitter is a helpful instrument to have for these conditions. It’s simply that you just’re paying further (cash and a focus) for the comfort.
JBL Tour One M3: Competitors
I’ll readily admit I didn’t anticipate the JBL Tour One M3 to be this good. At the least not in comparison with the opposite noise-canceling headphones, and but, right here we’re. The Sony WH-1000XM5 (and newer XM6) are nonetheless the toast of the class, together with the very good ANC that the Bose QuietComfort Ultra commonly ship.
You can additionally actually argue that the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless sound higher, however JBL edges them out on canceling noise.
JBL Tour One M3: Must you purchase them?
You can purchase these if…
- You need glorious ANC.
- You need balanced sound.
- You just like the Sensible Tx transmitter.
- You need unbelievable battery life.
You should not purchase these if…
- You don’t like all of the tinkering.
- You like to pay much less.
- You lose issues simply.
JBL scores an enormous hit with the Tour One M3, a pair I can confidently say will stand out as one of many best noise-cancelling headphones to return out in 2025. It’s sensible for the corporate to supply two methods to get them — with or with out the Sensible Tx transmitter — making certain the companion system doesn’t maintain the headphones hostage.
Whereas tinkering with the sound is basically a necessity, noise cancellation is the star that places these cans excessive. The extras are nice, and doing so lots of them properly makes the upper price ticket simpler to digest.
Taking up the perfect
The JBL Tour One M3 want some tinkering to drag out their greatest sound, however with top-class ANC and bevy of options, they’re among the many greatest pairs accessible.
