There is something about flagship headphones that JBL wants to do differently. The basics of the course don’t change, including a sound signature that is all about details, as well as noise cancellation that doesn’t compromise on blocking the din around you. For the JBL Tour ONE M3, the Smart Tx audio transmitter accessory may or may not add value, depending on how you view its capabilities. You can choose the JBL Tour ONE M3 ( ₹26,999) as headphones, or pay a slight premium at ₹32,999 for the JBL Tour ONE M3 with SMART Tx.
Let us assess the SMART Tx accessory first, as it is not only a unique proposition but also optional. Some of you may remember the pager, or beeper, from a few decades ago — it’s almost the same size. There is some element of recreating that screen on the charging case we’ve seen with the JBL Tour 3 Pro true wireless earbuds — this is good to control music playback and playlists, but there’s more functionality, such as wired connectivity with various audio sources (such as in-flight entertainment systems). This then brings the JBL Tour ONE M3 into play for audio playback. It also does Auracast streaming, but chances are you’d have to look really, really hard to find an Auracast-ready device anywhere around you.
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It must be said that despite not doing much wrong in terms of the design, one could perhaps complain that the JBL Tour ONE M3 seems to err too much on the side of caution. The Mocha colour, photographed here, looks sophisticated but perhaps would not have the sort of immediacy with visual appeal as a Sennheiser Momentum 4 ( ₹25,990; the Denim version is particularly neat) or even the Nothing Headphone (1), which costs less (around ₹17,999). That said, the polished look does hold up rather well against scratches, dust doesn’t show up easily and the JBL Tour ONE M3 are very comfortable to wear. The only observation being that the ear cup foam may be prone to damage if you take too many liberties with rough usage, because it’s incredibly soft.
These have to be, in a space that includes the aforementioned flagship headphones from Sennheiser and Nothing, as well as anything from the houses of Bose, Sonos, Apple and Dyson, one of the most (if not the most — that judgement I leave to you) comfortable travel headphones. These can be worn for hours on a stretch, and the lightweight build as well as the soft foam, ensure they sit lightly on your ears. There is no neck or ear pain, something I tend to struggle with, on most headphones. What also helps is the long battery life — an extremely impressive range between 40 hours to 70 hours on a single charge, depending on how much noise cancellation you use. You’ll be able to do a flight to the US West Coast and back, and still have enough charge for perhaps another day at work.
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Audio is pristine, as you’d expect from the JBL sound signature, which has been replicated here as well. It is peppy, lively and works really well with uptempo music and flexibility keeps it in good stead even for content with spoken voice leading the way. There are 40-mm mica dome drivers in each ear. If you’re taking the wireless route, LDAC format delivers Hi-Res Audio whereas for the wired route, either with the USB-C cable or the 3.5mm one, the built-in Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) delivers lossless audio. In my book, the JBL Tour ONE M3 comes very close to the versatility and detailing brilliance of the Sennheiser Momentum 4, and the lower frequencies are delivered with a fair punch that doesn’t feel sculpted or unnaturally boosted.
The different elements of the soundstage, and this was best experienced with the higher quality tracks on Apple Music paired with an iPhone, are very well distinguished and that adds a sense of dynamism and width to the overall experience. For JBL to deliver this sort of versatility with the sound signature, and I’ll be very honest here, wasn’t something I was expecting. Powerful bass that doesn’t come across as jarring, beautifully tuned mid-range frequencies and the lower treble band, and enough crispness to the spoken word without any hint of uncomfortable sharpness. That said, certain lower-quality recordings will betray some level of muffling at higher volumes, and that’s a factor of this really high-quality audio hardware that is being let down by lower-bitrate content at that point in time.
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The companion app is very slick, and you have various tuning options there as well — including how powerful you want the ANC to be, in blocking out the ambient noise. The JBL Tour ONE M3 was successful in blocking out the typical din of an aircraft cabin at cruising altitude, and for most users, that’s a job well done. JBL has paid particular attention to the number, and quality of mics, that determine the ANC effectiveness — there are 8 mics in total, that is four on each ear cup, which is why it is readily aware of your surroundings and that data is decoded by well-optimised algorithms. I am not a fan of head tracking when listening to music or wearing headphones while playing a video game, so the value of that feature will depend on how much you like it. JBL adding it to the JBL Tour ONE M3, is par for the course.
If you are to spend ₹26,999 onwards for a JBL Tour ONE M3, there is little chance you’d feel shortchanged later. The utility of the SMART Tx transmitter accessory can be debated, but the headphones themselves have just the right balance for different music-listening environments and content. Design may, in my opinion, still need some sprucing up to give it the sort of premium personality that flagship headphones deserve. But in terms of what really matters —sound and battery stamina —the JBL Tour ONE M3 hits it out of the park.