Wireless headphones are a dime a dozen, so manufacturers must give us something new and innovative to keep our attention beyond improving noise cancellation and sound quality. In January, JBL announced the latest generation of its flagship headphones, the Tour One M3
The bass and funk of Justin Timberlake’s “Let the Groove Get In”were bumping, while the vocals and harmonies were smooth and present without any sizzle or piercing. The M3 did Tate McRae’s “bloodonmyhands” much justice, showcasing the best parts of the sultry pop ballad while keeping the bass punchy and tight enough to make you want to groove.
JBL implemented its proprietary spatial audio format into the M3, allowing you to listen to anything in spatial audio. The Spatial Sound opens up the M3’s soundstage, and like all songs in spatial audio, some sound better than others. Still, the feature offers head tracking, so your audio can move with you. It’s a neat effect that works reliably and with the right media, can be highly enjoyable.
Four beamforming microphones are responsible for keeping your voice clear when participating in phone and video calls while wearing the M3. During my testing, I took plenty of phone and video calls and didn’t get any complaints about my voice clarity. Compared to headphones like the Sonos Ace with more luxury marketing, the M3 outperformed in this category.
Design-wise, the Tour One M3’s $400 price tag may confuse you. The M3’s design is almost identical to its predecessor, except the volume buttons moved to the left earcup, and there is no 3.5mm headphone jack. Additionally, the M3 are entirely plastic, omitting any heavier and more luxurious-looking metals to elevate the design or add stylish flare.
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Still, the M3’s plastic build keeps them light and comfortable on your head for hours. The faux leather ear pads are thick and plushy, offering enough padding to curb ear fatigue. Although there’s no 3.5mm jack, JBL asserts you won’t need one when you have the Smart Tx transmitter. Connect the transmitter to your M3 headphones, plug the transmitter into your 3.5mm jack-equipped audio source, and you’re rocking and rolling.
If your headphones are due for an upgrade and you want a pair of high-performing headphones, I recommend the Tour One M3. However, paying a premium for the Smart Tx when its most innovative use cases with Auracast are still in their infancy seems like a miss. Hopefully, JBL will offer consumers an option to purchase the M3 separately from the Smart Tx.
Many JBL headphones offer effective noise cancellation, audio personalization, and intuitive software features. If you want access to those features for hundreds less than the Tour One M3, consider the JBL Tour One M2.