New JBL Tour ONE M3 Headphones with Smart Transmitter Herald the Dawn of Consumer Awareness for Auracast

Unveiled at CES 2025 and discreetly launched into the market in April 2025, the new JBL Tour ONE M3 headphones are touted as the most feature-rich, high-performance noise-cancelling model from the brand. But what truly sets it apart is the inclusion of the Smart Audio Transmitter, which effectively becomes a smart way for Harman to generate consumer awareness for the possibilities of Auracast wireless audio sharing.
There's a lot to praise on JBL's latest Tour ONE M3 headphones, both in terms of design and blend of innovative audio technology, combining the latest in wireless audio and advanced True Adaptive Noise Cancelling 2.0. But effectively the JBL Tour ONE M3 headphones are the first product commercially available in the market that is a dual model Bluetooth Classic and LE Audio - not pending an elusive "future firmware update". These are shipping now with Bluetooth 5.3 with LE audio and Auracast, supporting streaming over SBC, AAC, LDAC... and naturally LC3.

Harman was effectively the first large consumer electronics company to widely implement LE Audio and Auracast support in its products launched in 2024. But given that consumers are still not aware of what exactly is Auracast and why they would want it, the only way to promote the available features consists in pushing simple ideas such as "party mode" with an infinite number of Bluetooth speakers, or sharing your music wirelessly with others. Simple use cases that help sell products, but don't necessarily match all the potential that Auracast enables. After having successfully experimented with an Auracast transmitter embedded in a charging case with its 2024 range of true wireless earbuds, JBL now expanded the concept to the over-ear headphones category - but in this case, the feature becomes much more obvious since there is an extra item included, in the form of an Auracast transmitter. Harman called it a "Smart Audio Transmitter" and the promotional materials detail the benefits of LE Audio as "sync independent audio streams while keeping power consumption low," and the possibility to receive content from any other Auracast-enabled sources, such as gym entertainment, airport announcements, TV or gaming consoles, through the JBL App.

This Smart wireless audio transmitter also becomes obviously useful by enabling users to connect directly to any analog audio source or USB-C port, such as an inflight entertainment system, PC, tablet or television - and broadcast that audio source to an unlimited amount of Auracast-enabled devices. For the direct connection between the transmitter and the JBL Tour One M3 headphones, Harman still says that it leverages a "direct proprietary wireless connection" to enable direct remote control of the headphones’ features, but also to improve latency and stability - which is something we are seeing in the industry and clearly indicates the limitations of current Bluetooth specifications. But the reality is that this Smart transmitter device can become a real Auracast broadcast source, compatible with any existing Auracast-enabled devices.
 
As JBL describes it, this audio transmitter enables the JBL Tour One M3 headphones to be fully device, source, and content agnostic, breaking the barrier of what wireless headphones can connect to and playback from. Carsten Olesen, President, Consumer Audio at Harman, adds: "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."
  Otherwise, as the JBL Tour One M3 headphones started shipping and reviews are out, the design is praised for its newly developed 40mm Mica Dome drivers (JBL says these are a mineral-based formula), balanced response tuning, and precision in sound reproduction. The fact that the USB-C connection enables users to enjoy lossless high-resolution audio in wired mode is also a possibility that is increasingly exciting for many potential buyers that until now would hesitate to fully commit to wireless headphones. As smartphones are now standardizing fast around USB-C, consumers are noticing the possibility.

Harman also added its next-generation JBL Spatial 360 technology with integrated head tracking, JBL Personi-Fi 3.0 hearing profiles, and a hearing test for personalization with the JBL Headphones app, now with a 12-band EQ and separate L/R balance optimization. And the JBL Tour One M3 headphones will also sell for its True Adaptive Noise Cancelling 2.0 implementation, using an advanced 8-microphone system, also enabling Ambient Aware and TalkThru. Both features can be customized in the JBL Headphones app to control what and how much is heard.
 
Adaptive beamforming technology ensures crystal-clear voice clarity during calls, even in noisy environments, with four of the built-in microphones benefiting from AI processing for advanced call features. The JBL Tour One M3 headphones are also Zoom-certified via wired connection in case anyone cares about that or to justify it as a "work expense."

The headphones come with super-soft ear cushions filled with special foam that improve passive noise cancellation, and a lightweight frame that helps intensive and prolonged daily use cases. Talking about that, the JBL Tour One M3 headphones offer up to 70 hours of playback, with a 5-minute charge delivering an additional 5 hours of listening power.

The JBL Tour One M3 headphones and matching JBL Smart transmitter are available in Black, Mocha, and Blue, retailing for US $399.95. After launch, JBL confirmed that the JBL Tour One M3 headphones are also available without the Smart transmitter for US $349.95, which is not only a terrible deal, it also indicates that someone inside Harman is not confident that consumers will understand the concept... for now.
www.harman.com | www.jbl.com