Apple AirPods Max 2 vs JBL Tour One M3: ANC titans fight for your ears
The Apple AirPods Max 2 and JBL Tour One M3 both target the premium ANC headphone space, but they take very different approaches. Apple leans into ecosystem integration and refined noise canceling, while JBL pushes versatility with its SMART Tx transmitter and broad connectivity. After spending time testing both, the choice comes down to whether you value seamless Apple features or maximum flexibility and battery life.
What’s it like to use the Apple AirPods Max 2 compared to the JBL Tour One M3?
Adaptive Audio is useful when you want to control how much of the outside world you hear.
Using the Apple AirPods Max 2 feels almost identical to the original. The aluminum ear cups, mesh canopy, and magnetic ear pads feel premium, and I find the deep ear cups comfortable. However, at 386g, they feel heavy on my head, and the strong clamping force can become fatiguing over long listening sessions. Apple has seemingly learned nothing from its earlier iteration, too, as the lack of a power button and the awkward Smart Case remain frustrating design quirks.
The JBL Tour One M3 go in a different direction, with a comparatively lightweight 275g plastic build and faux-leather ear pads. I find them comfortable for extended listening, and the padded headband helps distribute weight better than Apple’s design. The fit may be tricky for smaller heads, but overall, they feel less fatiguing. Controls are a mix of physical buttons and a touch surface, which I find intuitive enough.
However, the standout usability difference is JBL’s SMART Tx remote. I can control playback and features without touching my phone, and even use it as a transmitter. It’s incredibly versatile, though it does add another device to keep track of.
Do the Apple AirPods Max 2 or JBL Tour One M3 have more features?
The Tour One M3’s SMART Tx lets you transmit audio to any Auracast-compatible headset.
The Apple AirPods Max 2 place a heavy focus on software features tied to Apple devices. The H2 chip enables tools like Live Translation, Personalized Volume, Conversation Awareness, and Adaptive Mode. In my testing, Personalized Volume works well to maintain consistent loudness across environments, but Live Translation introduces noticeable delay, making conversations feel awkward. Features like spatial audio and audio sharing are useful, but the lack of an EQ makes the AirPods Max 2 less customizable.
The JBL Tour One M3 offer a much broader feature set across platforms. Through the app and SMART Tx remote, I can access a 12-band EQ, Personi-Fi personalization, spatial audio, customizable passthrough, and even relaxation tracks. The inclusion of personal sound amplification (PSAP) is particularly forward-thinking. Auracast support and the ability to share audio with multiple devices give JBL a clear edge for future-facing listeners.
How do the Apple AirPods Max 2 and JBL Tour One M3 connect?
USB-C wired listening enables Lossless audio playback.
The Apple AirPods Max 2 use Bluetooth 5.3 with the SBC and AAC codecs. Connectivity is seamless within the Apple ecosystem, providing quick pairing, stable connections, and automatic device switching. The cans also support Multipoint and firmware updates, but only for those sporting an iOS device. Wired listening over USB-C is available for those seeking lossless audio, but it limits access to other headphone settings while connected.
The JBL Tour One M3 also use Bluetooth 5.3 but support SBC, AAC, LDAC, and LC3. This gives them far more flexibility for high-quality or low-latency listening. I can also use analog or USB-C connections thanks to the onboard DAC. The SMART Tx transmitter takes things further by enabling wireless audio from virtually any source, making compatibility concerns irrelevant in daily use.
Is battery life better on the Apple AirPods Max 2 or the JBL Tour One M3?
The USB-C port can handle audio passthrough. So, you can listen to lossless files decoded in the headphones themselves.
Battery life is a clear divide, with Apple claiming up to just 20 hours with ANC. In practice, that means charging every couple of days if you use the headphones regularly. While that’s serviceable, it’s very underwhelming for a flagship in 2026. It also means the battery will degrade faster than rival brands, which is worse for the environment.
The JBL Tour One M3 deliver a staggering 55 hours and 37 minutes of playtime with ANC enabled during tests. That’s enough to last through a full workweek or endure several long commutes without needing a top-up. The SMART Tx also manages power efficiently, though heavy use of its transmitter function will reduce battery longevity. Overall, the JBL Tour One M3 are almost entirely in a league of their own here.
Do the Apple AirPods Max 2 or JBL Tour One M3 block noise better?
The Apple AirPods Max 2 improve on their predecessor, attenuating the perceived loudness of most external noises by about 89.4%. I notice better performance in the mids, which helps reduce everyday distractions like voices and office keystrokes. Adaptive Mode and Transparency Mode work well, with voices sounding clear and natural. Be under no illusion — the AirPods Max 2 have some of the best noise canceling we have ever tested.
The JBL Tour One M3 are still impressive, canceling most noise under 1kHz by around 75-87.5%. However, they are particularly adept at isolating higher frequencies, even outperforming Apple’s flagship. This cements their place among the best ANC performers available. The Apple AirPods Max 2 have marginally superior overall noise cancellation, but both headphones are excellent companions in loud environments.
Do the Apple AirPods Max 2 sound better than the JBL Tour One M3?
The Apple AirPods Max 2 sound a lot like their predecessor.
The Apple AirPods Max 2 deliver a familiar tuning, with increased bass and more pronounced treble. I notice that bass-heavy tracks have a lot of “oomph”, while higher-frequency elements retain detail. However, the Loudness-Dependent Equalization (LDEQ) feature introduces variability. For example, at lower volumes, both bass and treble become significantly more emphasized, which can quickly become fatiguing. The only way to mitigate this is to set the headphone volume to full, but this risks causing noise-induced hearing loss. Overall, the sound is clear, but the lack of an EQ means you can’t customize the tuning to your liking.
The JBL Tour One M3 have a more neutral sound, but they underemphasize the upper midrange between 3-7kHz, which affects instrumental clarity and certain attack cues. With EQ adjustments, especially using the Jazz preset, I find the sound becomes much more engaging, with improved bass and treble response. The ability to tailor the default tuning makes a big difference in daily listening.
Objective Measurements
Looking at our frequency response chart without LDEQ enabled, the Apple AirPods Max 2 accentuate sub-bass and treble, with significant underemphasis at 5 kHz. JBL tracks close to our target preference curve between 150Hz and 3kHz, but over-emphasises the sub-bass and upper mids.
How do the Apple AirPods Max 2 sound with LDEQ enabled?
[sg_audio_chart product_id=”7074″ measurement_set=”LDEQ notch 8″ chart_type=”frcomp” comparison_id=”7074″ comparison_measurement_set=”LDEQ notch Max” target_id=”3″ limit=”false” /]
Here’s the problem: If you reduce the volume of the Apple AirPods Max 2 to 50%, you’ll hear a lot more bass and treble. If you turn the volume down further, you can expect even more bass and treble. That’s going to become increasingly fatiguing, regardless of your listening environment.
Do the Apple AirPods Max 2 sound different with ANC disabled?
[adp_audio model_id=”538″ measure_id=”185″ style=”comparison” comparison_model_id=”538″ comparison_measurement_id=”406″ target_id=”1″ alt=”A chart comparing the Apple AirPods Max 2’s tested ANC off frequency response to Apple AirPods Max 2 Default, as compared to the SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve.” limit=”false” /]
Unlike other headphones that typically add noise when ANC is enabled, the AirPods Max 2 display some noise below 100Hz with ANC switched off. There’s also increased crosstalk among these frequencies, which shows something is making the headphones operate oddly without ANC. Most listeners are unlikely to notice this in practise, but it’s a strange reading nonetheless.
How would most people rate the sound from 1 to 5?
Remarkably similar scores to the original AirPods Max with a good fit.
What do the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores mean?
- Timbre (MOS-T) represents how faithfully the headphones reproduce the frequency spectrum and temporal resolution (timing information).
- Distortion (MOS-D) represents non-linearities and added noise: higher scores mean cleaner reproduction.
- Immersiveness (MOS-I) represents perceived source width and positioning: how well virtual sound sources are defined in three-dimensional space.
Looking at our Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS), the Apple AirPods Max 2 receive a “good” result overall, with only small changes, such as a slightly improved Distortion result, compared to their predecessor.
You shouldn’t notice much distortion while listening to the JBL Tour One M3.
The JBL Tour One M3 score lower overall out of the box, but they can be significantly improved with an EQ. Timbre remains an issue regardless of EQ presets, but overall performance becomes more competitive once adjusted.
How does the JBL Tour One M3 Jazz EQ preset sound?
As you can see, enabling the Jazz EQ preset on the JBL Tour One M3 significantly improves all of the MDAQS scores. For example, Timbre improves to 2.9, Distortion to 4.7, Immersiveness to 4.2, and Overall to 3.9. That elevates the product and demonstrates greater versatility than the AirPods Max 2.
Do the Apple AirPods Max 2 or the JBL Tour One M3 have a better microphone?
Though ANC isn’t necessary in the woods, it’s still nice to have to kill neighbor noise.
The JBL Tour One M3 perform consistently in most environments. Their microphone array handles wind noise and echoes well, and I find it reliable for calls in offices or on the go. While the Apple AirPods Max 2 offer acceptable call quality, they perform better when paired with an iPhone with Apple’s Voice Isolation feature enabled.
Apple AirPods Max 2 microphone demo (Ideal conditions, default mode):
JBL Tour One M3 microphone demo (Ideal conditions):
Apple AirPods Max 2 microphone demo (Windy conditions, default mode):
JBL Tour One M3 microphone demo (Windy conditions):
By default, Apple’s AirPods Max 2 do not appear to reject a ton of noise in different environments. However, switching to Voice Isolation significantly improves performance, making calls clearer overall except in highly reverberant spaces.
What does the Apple AirPods Max 2 sound like with Voice Isolation enabled?
Apple AirPods Max 2 microphone demo (Ideal conditions, voice isolation mode):
Apple AirPods Max 2 microphone demo (Windy conditions, voice isolation mode):
Apple AirPods Max 2 microphone demo (Reverberant space, voice isolation mode):
As you can hear, the Apple AirPods Max 2 sound significantly clearer with the Voice Isolation feature enabled. This raises questions as to why Voice Isolation isn’t Apple’s default microphone mode.
Loading poll
Apple AirPods Max 2 vs JBL Tour One M3: Price and availability
The design of the Apple AirPods Max 2 remains unchanged from its predecessor.
The Apple AirPods Max 2 retail for $549, placing them firmly at the higher end of the market. They’re widely available, but best suited for Apple users who can take advantage of the company’s most advanced iOS-exclusive features.
The JBL Tour One M3 come in under $400, making them more affordable while still competing in the flagship space. They’re positioned as a high-value alternative with fewer ecosystem restrictions.
Should you get the Apple AirPods Max 2 or JBL Tour One M3?
The JBL Tour One M3 are a better companion for Android fans.
If you’re deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem, the AirPods Max 2 makes sense. I find their seamless integration, strong ANC, and polished feature set hard to beat on iPhone, iPad, or Mac, even if the design feels dated and the battery life lags behind rivals.
For most other people, the JBL Tour One M3 are the more practical choice. They offer better battery life, broader connectivity, and a feature set that feels genuinely forward-looking. I especially appreciate the SMART Tx remote and EQ flexibility, which make them adaptable to almost any situation. In the end, Apple delivers refinement within its ecosystem, while JBL delivers freedom and versatility. Your priorities will determine which matters more.
Loading poll
