JBL Tour One M3 Review: Premium Headphones with Auracast Technology

From the moment you unbox the JBL Tour One M3, its premium ambitions are clear. Gone are the glossy plastics of lower-tier models; this headset features a refined matte finish that's soft to the touch and effectively resists fingerprints. The headband and earcups are covered in quality faux leather, providing a reassuring sense of comfort and durability.

Visually, the Tour One M3 opts for understated elegance. There are no extravagant flourishes or luxury touches, just clean, discreet, almost understated styling. Some might find this approach a touch conservative, but you certainly can't fault JBL for lacking seriousness in the design department.

Another welcome feature: the headset is foldable, making it easier to transport in the included case, which is fairly compact and pleasingly rigid. That said, the use of relatively thin plastics does produce a slightly hollow sound when handled, which feels incongruous at this price point.

On the head, the Tour One M3 proves comfortable to wear, even during extended listening sessions. Weighing in at 278 grammes, the weight remains manageable, and the headband pressure is well distributed. The cushions are plush, though the interior space within the earcups may feel slightly snug for those with larger ears.

For controls, the Tour One M3 offers a blend of physical buttons and touch-sensitive surfaces. The right earcup features a touch zone for managing playback, calls, and volume via familiar gestures. The left earcup houses a button for switching between noise cancellation and transparency modes. Nothing groundbreaking, but everything functions smoothly with satisfying responsiveness.

A notable inclusion is the Smart TX USB dongle. This accessory allows you to connect the headset to non-Bluetooth sources, such as in-flight entertainment systems, whilst still benefiting from active noise cancellation. It can also broadcast audio via the Auracast protocol available on certain Bluetooth 5.3 devices. In this mode, no pairing is required; any compatible device can connect to the audio stream, as demonstrated with a compatible speaker.

To unlock the Tour One M3's full potential, you'll need the JBL Headphones app, available for both iOS and Android. The application is feature-rich: equaliser adjustments, touch control customisation, ANC/transparency mode management, headset fit testing, and more. Everything's here, and then some.

Particularly noteworthy is the Personi-Fi function, which creates sound profiles tailored to your hearing, and the SilentNow mode, which activates noise cancellation without music for peaceful isolation. The Smart Audio & Video mode optimises latency for video watching.

The only drawback: the interface feels somewhat dense and occasionally confusing for newcomers. You'll need to spend time navigating the menus to master all the options. It's also unfortunate that mandatory registration is required to access certain features.

JBL promises adaptive noise reduction with the Tour One M3. In practice, the headset performs admirably, though it doesn't quite dethrone the champions from Sony, Bose, or Apple. In noisy environments like the Tube or trains, it very effectively attenuates low and mid-range sounds—typically rumbles and distant voices. High-pitched sounds, such as rattles or tannoy announcements, are slightly less well filtered, but the overall result remains highly satisfactory.

The transparency mode, called Ambient Aware here, is equally convincing. It faithfully reproduces ambient sounds, allowing you to stay aware of your surroundings without removing the headset. There's also a TalkThru mode that lowers the volume and amplifies voices to facilitate conversation without taking off the headphones. In this case, voices do sound considerably less natural, verging on robotic.

As a hands-free device, the Tour One M3 acquits itself honourably. The microphones capture voices well, even in moderately noisy settings. Whilst it falls a notch below reference models like the AirPods Max or Bose QC Ultra for outdoor calls, it's more than adequate for indoor conversations.

But where the JBL Tour One M3 truly impresses is in audio quality, thanks in part to its 40mm drivers. The headset represents a genuine leap forward from its predecessor, with a more balanced and refined sound signature. JBL offers a more neutral reproduction here, whilst retaining a subtle bass emphasis that adds punch to the overall sound.

The bass is powerful yet well controlled, never encroaching on the midrange. The mids themselves are accurately rendered, delivering excellent presence to vocals and instruments. The treble extends high without harshness, lending a pleasing airiness to the overall presentation.

The Tour One M3 thus proves comfortable across all musical genres: pop, rock, electronic, as well as jazz and classical. It delivers rich, dynamic sound with a soundstage that's quite expansive for a closed-back headphone.

Finally, on the endurance front, the Tour One M3 holds its own. Real-world testing yielded approximately 50 hours with noise cancellation enabled and volume at 50%. An excellent result.

This falls slightly short of the Marshall Monitor III ANC, which reaches 70 hours, but that model has become the category champion since its release. Worth noting is the headset's quick-charge function: 10 minutes plugged in recovers 5 hours of listening time, handy for emergencies.