It is a little pot named Smart Tx

Have you ever happened to you try something and think “but are we going to see, how is it possible that this has not arrived much earlier?” For sure yes. To me, in fact, it has recently happened to me after trying the JBL Tour One M3. I know that the function is not new and that it was already available in some LG headphones and even in the JBL Tour Pro 3but the implementation that JBL has made in its new headphones of headband is so good, but so good, that now I cannot be without it.

But a second, what are we talking about? Of the audio transmitter Smart Txof course. It is a small device that acts as a wireless transmitter and allows us to use headphones with any support. It has its limitations, but it is so useful that the only thing I hope and I wish is that other brands adopt it and improve in future iterations.

Technical sheet of the JBL Tour One M3

Never such a small pot was so useful

Context. One of the things we lost with Headphone jack disappearance It is, on the one hand, the ease of enjoying music in high definition and, on the other hand, versatility. Before it was enough to take your headphones with cable, plug them to any Jack taking and to work. Not now. You now need a Jack to USB Type C adapter or dedicate a little while to connect the Bluetooth devices.

If that is possible, because it may not be, see the infotainment system of the airplanes. Or without going any further, my PC, which does not have Bluetooth; wave PlayStation 5that for some reason does not admit Audio Bluetooth without an external adapter. Wouldn’t it be easier if there was an agnostic device to the support you connect to every imaginable pot and emit the audio directly to the headphones?

Good idea. With the Tone Free DFP9 LG had a very good idea: to turn the case into a Bluetooth transmitter. In fact, we comment on the analysis of the LG Xboom Buds That it was a shame not to have that technology present again. JBL took this idea and led it to the next level with the JBL Tour Pro 3. The idea was the same, but having a screen with a screen opens a whole world of possibilities. With the JBL Tour One M3, what JBL has done has been to refine the proposal in an outstanding way with the smart Tx.

Smart Tx. This device is a Bluetooth transmitter with screen. It has a Usb type C port for load and another that supports Bluetooth connection. By connecting it to any audio output, whether USB or Jack, the transmitter will emit the sound to the headphones. It is infinitely easier, more versatile and more comfortable than having to connect the headphones to each new device we need. Moreover, a single Smart Tx connector is used to emit several devices, provided they are compatible with aircast.

It works fast and the connection is very stable. It is not perfect, as we will comment immediately, but the shortcomings that have them compensates for how practical it is not to have to connect and reconnect the headphones all the time. I’ve been using it for a few weeks and, being totally honest, I never thought that such a small device was going to be so extremely useful.

The problem. That is not made to enjoy the best sound. JBL Tour One M3 are compatible with LDACbut the transmitter only admits the LC3 codec. That is, a Bluetooth compatible codec is equivalent to SBC in Bluetooth. Technicalisms and words apart, this means that the transmitter consumes less energy in exchange for issuing a lower quality audio. This, however, will not care too much if:

1. We are going to use it with the infotainment system of a plane or train.
2. We will listen to music in streaming on conventional platforms such as Spotify or YouTube Music.

I have noticed an improvable performance when using it in PlayStation 5 (I would get better quality using a Jack-Use C cable and connecting the headphones in charge, or connecting them by Bluetooth to the TV), but on the computer it has been a discovery. And for the work trips we usually do is, simply, fantastic. The only thing, eye, is sold separately, but then we return to this.

And how about the headphones? They are high -end headphones and are up to expectations. The foam stuffed pads are very comfortable (although they do not hug my ear with the same softness as the Logitech Astro A50 X And I still prefer the fabric of the Airpods Max) And they isolate well from abroad, something important for the cancellation of active noise.

Speaking of cancellation … To give life to the True Adaptive Noise Cancelling 2.0 system, JBL has opted for a matrix of eight microphones capable of blocking the sound of the work of a bathroom on the second floor. I speak from experience. Adaptive cancellation adapts (worth the redundancy) with ease to external changes, but earns whole when we have it to the fullest. Without being the best noise cancellation system, it is more than solvent canceling the typical noises of a train, a plane or the aforementioned pneumatic hammer. Very happy in this aspect.

How they sound. As expected from high -end headphones (focused on mass consumption, of course). 40 mm drivers are able to represent the medium and acute frequencies with precision, offering sharpness and a clear differentiation of the voices and background instruments. The serious ones notice them something more pronounced than usual. JBL tends to stick to Harman’s curve, but on this occasion, and as standard, I get the impression that the Graves highlight one more tad. If you like the “brrrrm” typical of urban music, great. If you prefer a more faithful sound, it will be enough to open the equalizer and adjust to taste.

In that sense, it should be noted that the headphones admit the LDAC codec and that they are compatible with hi-res. Now, to take advantage of these benefits, you will have to listen to music in a quality much higher than the one offered by Spotify and YouTube Music (for example, in Tidal or Qobuz …) and using them having connected by cable.

Battery. Inside the headphones we have an 850 mAh battery capable of offering around 35 hours of autonomy with the cancellation of active noise and connected by Bluetooth. Come on, we must not worry in the least and less knowing that they are loaded in two hours, more or less. The transmitter endures about 18 hours, so there is no human form of spending the battery of a sitting.

JBL Tour One M3, Xataka’s opinion

The jbl Tour One M3 have loved. They are comfortable, they have good sound, good noise cancellation and, above all, they are very versatile thanks to the connection with the smart Tx. It should be noted that this accessory is not included by default, but we have to buy it apart. The difference is 50 euros (349.99 euros without the transmitter, 399.99 euros with it) and it is worth making that additional disbursement.

You may not use it every day, not every week, but when you want to use it you surely appreciate having it by hand. It is not a low disbursement, not much less, but it is worth it if we are looking for good sound, good noise and comfort cancellation.

Images | Xataka

This device has been assigned to test by JBL. You can consult How do we do the reviews in Xataka and Our business relations policy.