The JBL Tour One M3 Smart Tx combines good sound, travel-friendly comfort, and next-gen Auracast tech for a truly versatile package
It’s fair to say we were more than a little impressed with JBL’s use of Auracast in their flagship earbuds, the Tour Pro 3, back in 2024. Naturally, our ears perked up when we heard the audio house was adding the same technology to their latest premium headphones, the Tour One M3 Smart Tx.
For those unfamiliar with Auracast, the technology is an ingenious feature built on the Bluetooth LE Audio standard. Unlike traditional Bluetooth connections, which pair one device to another, Auracast allows a single source to broadcast audio to multiple receivers simultaneously. Put simply, it lets you share your music, movie, or podcast stream wirelessly with anyone nearby who has compatible devices, with little to no latency. Couple that with its ability to connect to a technically unlimited number of devices at once, and you have a feature with both recreational and practical appeal.
The JBL Tour One M3 Smart Tx appears to be fully championing this vision. Not only are these JBL’s first over-ear headphones with built-in Auracast receiving capabilities, but they also come bundled with the brand’s new Smart Tx transmitter—a compact, touchscreen-equipped device that plugs into almost any USB-C audio source.
At its core, the Smart Tx allows you to wirelessly stream audio from virtually any device—a seatback inflight entertainment system, a PlayStation controller, a laptop’s USB-C port—to your Tour One M3 headphones without relying on standard Bluetooth pairing. Once plugged in, it automatically establishes a low-latency wireless link, and begins streaming almost instantly.
This might seem counterintuitive at first. Why use an additional device when you could just connect directly to the headphones via Bluetooth or the included USB-C to 3.5mm cable? While avoiding wires or sidestepping finicky Bluetooth pairing—especially with hotel smart TVs—are valid reasons, the real advantage here is, of course, Auracast.
Thanks to its broadcasting capability, the Smart Tx can share audio with multiple Auracast-enabled receivers at once, including JBL’s own Tour Pro 3 earbuds. In our tests, setting up a quick “watch party” with a couple of friends on a smart TV was simple and seamless.
Operationally, the Smart Tx feels familiar. If you’ve used the Tour Pro 3’s charging case (which doubles as a transmitter), this is essentially its sleeker cousin, sharing the same pill-shaped footprint, touchscreen UI, and similar media and EQ controls. Yes, it’s another gadget to keep track of, but its compact size and intuitive design make it easy to toss in a bag and forget about until you need it.
Warm and controlled
Of course, all the smart tech in the world wouldn’t mean much if the headphones didn’t sound good. Thankfully, the Tour One M3 delivers a pleasant listening experience. Rendered by JBL’s 40mm Mica Dome drivers, the audio is tuned for a sound profile that’s surprisingly warm and easy to listen to over long sessions. The bass, while not head-rattlingly booming, lays a smooth foundation that never muddies the mix. There’s an element of restraint here: the low end feels grounded, if slightly conservative, which works well for vocal-centric music and podcasts.
Where the Tour One M3 really starts to shine is in the mid-to-high range. Vocals are articulate and forward without being sharp, and instruments, especially strings, acoustic guitars, and pianos, come through with a pleasant clarity. The soundstage is reasonably open, and there’s good stereo separation.
For those who want more control, JBL’s Personi-Fi 3.0 allows for deep personalisation through a quick in-app hearing test, with adjustments down to a 12-band EQ and left/right balance. That said, for the purposes of this review, we tested the Tour One M3 primarily using LDAC, Sony’s high-resolution Bluetooth codec. This disables Personi-Fi (and spatial audio), but we wanted to assess the headphones in a configuration that reflects practical, everyday use. In that configuration, the Tour One M3 proved to be a reliable performer.
For wired purists, JBL also includes a USB-C to 3.5mm cable to work with the headphones’ built-in DAC, enabling true lossless audio. It’s a small touch, but one that is sure to be appreciated by audio enthusiasts.
Travel-Ready
Aesthetically, the JBL Tour One M3 Smart Tx is shaped with travel and portability in mind, sporting a folding, closed-back, over-ear design that prioritises comfort without unnecessary complexity. The construction is lightweight yet solid, with smooth surfaces and a compact footprint that makes it especially well-suited to life on the move.
Comfort-wise, the headphones perform well. The ear cushions and headband padding strike a good balance between softness and support, and the fit is secure without being too tight. It’s an easy pair to wear for hours at a time.
That said, the outer surfaces—particularly the touch-sensitive earcups —are prone to visible smudging, which may bother some users over time. Built almost entirely from plastic, the materials aren’t the epitome of premium, but they’re clearly chosen for durability and everyday practicality.
Between solid sound quality, reliable adaptive noise cancellation, Auracast broadcasting, and an impressive 70-hour battery life, JBL has created a headset that’s as much about shared experiences as it is about private listening.
But don’t just take our word for it. From now until 17 July 2025, you can try the Tour One M3 Smart Tx for yourself at JBL’s Sip & Sound café takeover at PPP Coffee, New Bahru. Over a cup of coffee, you’ll have the chance to get hands-on with Auracast, test the Smart Tx in action, and hear exactly what these headphones are capable of.
