JBL Philippines treated us to a mini “silent concert” with the new Tour One M3 that showcases Auracast technology
Although I’ve had the new Tour One M3 cans for more than two weeks (you can see the review below), I only got to do some theorycrafting as to the probable use cases for Auracast, a new technology that can be simplified as “WiFi for audio.”
Using the Smart Tx module, I can connect it to a single audio source and then have Auracast compatible devices connect to that source for high quality audio streaming. The use case I thought about was a concert — so everyone could enjoy the same audio quality despite seating arrangement. And I was right! JBL Philippines showcased two sets from Clara Benin and Janine Teñoso.
I think you can really tell how talented an artist is when you can clearly hear all the music and vocal tracks separately at a live performance. It felt like I was at the studio, enjoying a recording session.
We were roughly more than 50 pax in the room. Auracast as a service really brings to light new opportunities in sound. Imagine a global delegation of countries and each Auracast receiver connects to a different language translator. Wild!
There’s a portion in Taylor Dane’s ‘Love Will Lead You Back’ pre-chorus where she pleads,
I won’t try to stop you now from leaving
Cause in my heart I know,
And then she belts out this ballad’s thesis statement:
Love will lead you back!
Someday I just know that
Love will lead you back to my arms
In the same way that you can truly feel Taylor Dane’s melancholy as she ignites her power ballad with the chorus, the Tour One M3 will definitely lead you back to love with your most cherished playlists.
I’ve been revisiting my playlists with the JBL Tour One M3 for the past two weeks. The configuration I have comes with the actual set of cans and a wireless Tx module that can connect to external audio sources through USB C to C and USB C to a 3.5mm jack. This makes the headset compatible with more legacy technology such as in-flight entertainment systems and older phones that have a headphone jack.
The ‘Tour’ series is JBL’s premium line of audio devices. In fact, the M3 does have a smaller sibling, the Tour One Pro 3, which is a TWS version of the cans. Both products have their merits but at the end of the day, your personal preferences define your product choice. For instance, on my end, I enjoy sleeping on the plane, especially during long haul flights. A TWS solution is great but I can count the number of times the earbuds have fallen out from pressure of my hands, or accidentally pressing the touch controls with my hands on my face. The M3 turns these anxieties void.
Back to the plane example. The Tour M3 is indeed a brilliant audio device. There’s no denying that JBL has once again released a winner in our book as audiophiles. But the experience is heightened with the bundled software that you can access either with the wireless Tx module or the JBL app on your phone.
On the plane, I tend to keep my headphones on my ears the whole time to drown out the plane engine noise. I can easily adjust the noise cancelling setting on the app, but also on the wireless receiver which I keep in my jacket pocket. It also gives me access to volume and playlist controls, and the equalizer. When I want to nap, I switch to Relax Mode, an ambient mode that lets you loop the sounds of campfire, the woods, and more. You can even combine these sounds to create a perfect white noise sleeping environment.
The JBL app comes with a bunch of other tricks such as LDAC high-resolution audio mode for clearer tracks and spatial sound mode that enables head tracking, allowing you to experience music as if you were really at a live concert.
I mentioned earlier that the model I am using comes with the wireless Tx module. The Tour One M3 comes in two variants – with or without the Tx. Do you need the wireless smart Tx in your daily life? From personal experience as I review a lot of gadgets, I don’t want to always be pairing my set of headphones via bluetooth to the dozen or so laptops, tablets, phones, and entertainment modules I evaluate. The Smart Tx (yes that is what it’s officially called) is useful for me as no pairing is needed. I simply connect the devices via USB cable (it comes with two sets of USB C cables, one with a 3.5mm ending) and I can immediately listen to music. If you’re the type who doesn’t want to manipulate your phone when you’re out on a walk or traveling on the go, the Tx variant is the way to go. Otherwise you can get pretty much the same experience with both versions.
As Whitney Houston cried in the chorus of her hit, ‘I Have Nothing,’ she prefaces this by stating that:
I don’t really need to look much further
I don’t wanna have to go where you don’t follow
And she finishes by telling her lover,
I have nothing, nothing, nothing
If I don’t have you
In that same light, you can truly feel her plea for a love forlorn, just like how you cannot go back to any other set of headphones after listening to this song on the JBL Tour M3.
The JBL Tour One M3 is available in two variants: The version with Smart Tx sells for P26,999 while the headphones-only unit sells for P19,999. You can visit the JBL website for details.
JBL Philippines will be holding a roadshow from July 24 to 30 at the 2F Activity Center, SM City North EDSA, The Block if you want to get your ears to experience the sound for yourself.
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