JBL Tour One M3 Headphones Changed My View of Audio Quality

The JBL Tour One M3 headphones changed my mind about audio quality

I never cared about owning a good pair of headphones until I tried the JBL Tour One M3. Using them for the past few weeks has completely shifted my perspective on what good sound can be.

Our resident audio expert, Daniel Oropeza, has a detailed review of these headphones. But as someone who always opted for "cheap and loud," this is my conversion story.

Music reveals hidden details

Listening through these headphones exposed layers in songs I’ve heard a thousand times. I can finally decipher the party chatter in Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” and hear the intricate chaos in The Dead Boys’ “Sonic Reducer.”

The spatial audio is transformative, placing instruments in a three-dimensional space. It has me obsessing over stereo separation, tweaking the EQ, and seeking out lossless formats. I’m even listening to jazz now.

Active noise cancellation is a revelation

I never saw the point of cancelling noise until I experienced true silence. The active noise cancellation eliminates all ambient sound in my home office.

• The hum of the refrigerator
• Road noise from cars outside
• The constant rush of wind

It’s perfect for travel or just creating a silent bubble. All that’s left is the music—and my tinnitus from years of punk rock.

The Smart Tx transmitter is genius

The package includes a Smart Tx Audio Transmitter, which I initially dismissed as a gimmick. I was wrong. It wirelessly streams 24-bit audio from almost any source.

You plug its AUX-to-USB-C cable into old jacks at the gym or on an airplane. Suddenly, you have full noise cancellation and high-quality audio from otherwise low-fi sources. It also acts as a touch-screen controller for on-the-fly EQ adjustments.

Thoughtful design includes a travel case

These are premium headphones, and they come with the accessories to match. The included hard travel case has dedicated spots for all the cables and the transmitter.

This is crucial because once you experience audio at this level, you never want to be without it. The case ensures everything has a place, so nothing gets lost.

The JBL Tour One M3 headphones retail for $449.95. For a former skeptic, they’ve proven that superior sound isn’t just a luxury—it fundamentally changes how you hear the world.