JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX Review; Personal Audio with a Modern Twist

INTRODUCTION:

JBL keeps reinventing the listening experience, moving beyond just sound to smarter, more convenient features. The Tour One M3 Smart TX continues this push, pairing flagship audio with a clever smart transmitter that makes everyday listening effortless. Let's take a close look at its features.

JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX

DESIGN and ERGONOMICS:

The JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX is designed for ergonomic listening, a major indicator that it's a pair of flagship headphones. Upon opening its box, you'll be greeted by a large hard case shaped like a guitar pick.

Headphone case

There's a small pouch in the headphone case for the smart transmitter.

The headphone case can be attached to bags through a sturdy carabiner.

The plastic build of the JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX leans more toward benefits than compromises. It keeps the headphones lightweight without sacrificing durability, making them comfortable for long use while still feeling solid in hand. Our review unit came in the sleek black variant, perfect for those who prefer a minimalist look. For a bit more personality, JBL also offers the headphones in mocha and blue.

Related: You've Never Heard Noise Cancellation Like the JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX's

JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX in black

Many over-the-head headphones can feel like they’re squeezing your face between the earcups. That’s not the case with the JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX, which features soft, faux leather-covered padding that feels cozy on both sides. A foam strip under the headband adds extra comfort, ensuring a snug yet gentle fit.

The JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX headband with padding for comfort.

Faux leather-covered soft foams on the JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX

The JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX doesn’t demand delicate handling; folding, unfolding, and wearing it feels worry-free thanks to its sturdy build that’s clearly made for everyday use. The only trade-off is its semi-matte finish, which tends to attract fingerprints, so you’ll likely give it a quick wipe now and then.

Read: JBL Tour One M3 Series; Redefining High-Performance Headphones

JBL equipped the Tour One M3 Smart TX with a mix of physical and touch-sensitive controls, which, to be honest, took us a lot of getting used to. 

Unlike other headphones that automatically power on and connect to a device the moment you put them on, the JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX requires using an actual power slider. It's located on the right earcup, next to a physical ANC action button, which, on the other hand, instantly switches from noise canceling and Ambient Aware modes.

Some users may appreciate the dedicated power button, which ensures the JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX is fully switched off when not in use.

The power slider next to the action button.

Gestures settings on the JBL App

The touch buttons are also housed on the right earcup. They're extra sensitive, so much so that we often trigger them by accident when using the power slider or the ANC button. They're responsive, but sometimes, a little too responsive.

JBL chose to keep the touch controls fixed rather than customizable. They handle the basics—play, pause, skip tracks, and manage calls. Meanwhile, a tap on the left earcup lets you summon your voice assistant. The JBL Tour One M3 also has physical volume buttons accessible on the left earcup.

Volume buttons on the JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX

AUDIO QUALITY and BATTERY:

The JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX delivers high-res audio at 10Hz to 40kHz through powerful 40mm Mica dome drivers, with stable connectivity up to 30 feet via Bluetooth 5.3. It’s a delight listening to Santana’s "Smooth" on these headphones, with crisp guitar riffs, rich vocals, and a full-bodied bassline that highlight the headset’s ability to balance clarity with warmth.

Meanwhile, playing Oliva Dean's "Man I Need" showcases the JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX's clarity in the mids, with clear vocal delivery and well-separated backing instruments.

JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX

With BTS's "Blood Sweat & Tears," the JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX paraded its capability of handling complex production, balancing deep bass with clear mids and highs, on top of an impressive soundstage.

Everything sounded even better with noise cancellation switched on. It felt like it was just us and our favorite music, even in a crowded room. That speaks volumes about how effective the ANC is on the JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX—it’s among the best we’ve experienced.

There’s a slight dip in audio quality when using Ambient Aware or TalkThru, but both features work exactly as intended and remain useful in the right situations.

The JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX provides a wired connection option through a USB-C cable. As expected, audio is even more immersive, delivering lossless clarity and cleaner detail, a clear step up from its lready impressive wireless performance.

The JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX comes with a free USB-C to USB-C cable.

The JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX delivers outstanding battery life that effortlessly powers through extended workdays and lengthy journeys. With up to 50 hours of playback when ANC is off, or 30 hours with noise cancellation active, you'll enjoy exceptional listening time between charges.

The rapid-charging capability stands out as particularly useful—just 10 minutes of charging provides approximately 5 hours of playback, making it ideal for those rushed moments when you need a quick power boost. The consistent battery performance remains reliable whether you're using the Smart TX transmitter or standard Bluetooth connection, ensuring your music never cuts out during travel.

THE 'Smart TX':

More than just an extra accessory, the touchscreen smart transmitter brings added flexibility to the JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX. Its standout feature is Auracast, which enables a multi-listener broadcast system—letting you share music, movies, or even calls with others using Auracast-ready headphones.

Smart transmitter

The smart transmitter also turns audio from non-Bluetooth sources into a wireless signal for the JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX. Just connect it to a device via USB-C or 3.5 mm, and you can enjoy a cable-free listening experience even with gear that doesn’t support Bluetooth, including in-flight entertainment systems, older laptops, or TVs.

Auracast on the smart transmitter

Additionally, the smart transmitter acts as an on-the-go control center where users can adjust ANC, Ambient Aware, TalkThru, EQ, and playback settings without going to the JBL App.

THE JBL APP:

All the customizable settings of the JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX are accessible via the JBL App. These include noise cancelation modes, Ambient Aware and TalkThru levels, EQ presets, touch controls, voice assistant setup, and firmware updates.

JBL app

An interesting feature that caught our attention is SilentNow. On the JBL App, users can activate noise cancelation without connecting to any device, letting them enjoy quiet time for rest, focus, or travel without playing music.

SilentNow on the JBL App

The JBL App also offers SmartTalk, which automatically pauses your music and switches to TalkThru mode the moment the Tour One M3 Smart TX detects your voice. It’s a convenient feature that makes conversations effortless without the need to remove your headphones.

SmartTalk on the JBL App

Another thoughtful feature on the JBL App is Relax Mode. Rather than playing your own music, it streams calming soundscapes—like ocean waves or rainfall—directly through the headphones. Combined with active noise cancellation, it creates a soothing backdrop of white noise that’s ideal for focus or relaxation.

Relax Mode on the JBL App

The JBL App also features Personi-Fi, which tailors audio to your individual hearing profile. Through a brief hearing test, it measures how you perceive different frequencies and automatically fine-tunes the sound to match.

CONCLUSION:

The JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX excels by seamlessly blending professional-quality audio, powerful noise cancellation, and exceptional versatility into a user-friendly daily companion.

The Smart TX transmitter is what truly sets these headphones apart—transforming them into a flexible listening solution that effortlessly bridges modern wireless convenience with legacy wired audio systems, while maintaining the excellent ANC, impressive battery life, and superior sound quality that make the Tour One M3 already outstanding.

JBL Philippines sells the Tour One M3 Smart TX for P26,999 and P19,999 without the smart transmitter.