JBL’s new flagship over-ear headphones come with a Smart Transmitter for connection to older devices
JBL just debuted the new Tour ONE M3 at CES 2025 in Las Vegas. An included SMART Tx touch screen transmits audio and allows quick control.
American audio brand owned by HARMAN, JBL just showed off their latest pair of flagship over-ear headphones. The Tour ONE M3 follow on from their M2 headphones.
The JBL Tour ONE M3 represents a groundbreaking step forward in audio innovation. With the introduction of JBL’s first integrated Smart Tx Audio Transmitter in over-ear headphones, this release sets a new industry benchmark. It’s a testament to JBL’s unwavering commitment to advancing sound technology and redefining what’s possible in the listening experience.
Carsten Olesen, President, Consumer Audio, HARMAN
The star of the show and the big new feature compared to the previous pair is the new Smart Transmitter. JBL SMART Tx is a small, touch screen wireless audio transmitter and a JBL-first in over-ear headphones. We’ve seen a similar feature on JBL’s existing true wireless earbuds the Tour Pro 3, which come with an included Smart Charging Case for playback controls and transmitting analog devices.
The SMART Tx device can be hooked up to any audio source via USB-C or an analog audio source via 3.5mm headphone jack, useful for inflight entertainment systems, PCs and televisions. The headphones connect to the transmitter directly using a proprietary wireless connection, which improves latency, stability and call quality over Bluetooth. The touch screen enables full control over the headphones’ features, including music playback, call management and EQ settings. The transmitter also enables broadcasting to an unlimited amount of Auracast enabled devices.
The headphones feature soft ear cushions filled with special foam, which improves passive noise cancellation, a secure fit, comfort, acoustic performance and a lightweight frame. On the inside, there are 40mm Mica Dome drivers. The JBL Tour ONE M3 support Bluetooth 5.3, Hi-Res Bluetooth and lossless audio via USB-C.
Sound can be personalized with JBL Personi-Fi 3.0 in the JBL Headphones app. You can take a heading test to get a customized heading profile. There’s also a 12-band EQ and separate L/R balance optimization, for truely personal listening.
The Tour ONE M3 headphones feature JBL True Adaptive Noise Cancelling 2.0, which uses an advance 8-microphone system to block out unwanted noises. There’s also Ambient Aware and TalkThru when you need to stay aware of your surroundings. These settings can be customized in the JBL Headphones app.
With adaptive beamforming technology, 4 microphones built in, JBL’s AI algorithm and advance call features, JBL promises voice clarity during calls even in noisy environments. The headphones are Zoom-certified when using a wired connection.
Support for JBL Spatial 360 with integrated head tracking gives an immersive cinematic experience, with sounds locked in 3D space around you, even as you move your head.
The headphones claim an impressive 70 hours of playback, while a 5-minute charge will provide an addition 5 hours of listening.
JBL Tour ONE M3 will be available in three colors, Black, Mocha and Blue. They go on sale April 15 in select retailers and on JBL.com. You can purchase them with the JBL SMART Tx for €399.99 or without for €349.99. Get last generations Tour ONE M2 for $239.46 on sale on Amazon.