Is the JBL Tour One M3 worth the upgrade from the Audeze Maxwell 2?
Verdict
Downgrade
The JBL Tour One M3 actually scores 6.9 points below the Audeze Maxwell 2, so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. The gains are concentrated in value (7.5 to 9.6). You do give up ground on sound (9.5 to 8.0) and calls (9.0 to 8.1). On paper: weight 560 g to 278 g, battery life (anc on) 35 h to 70 h and microphones 2 to 8. Worth checking: battery life goes 80 h to 70 h and codecs goes SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC to LDAC. And it costs $71 more for a lower score, which is hard to justify on the data alone. Only worth it if a specific feature above matters more to you than overall quality does.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound9.58.0
- Battery9.59.6
- Calls9.08.1
- Value7.59.6
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Maxwell 2 | Tour One M3 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 80 h | 70 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC | LDAC | |
| Weight | 560 g | 278 g | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 35 h | 70 h | |
| Driver size | 90 mm | 40 mm | |
| Microphones | 2 | 8 | |
| Wear detection | No | Yes | |
| Controls | buttons | touch | |
| Driver | 90 mm planar magnetic | 40 mm dynamic | |
| Frequency response | 10 Hz - 50 kHz | 10 Hz - 40 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Maxwell 2 to Tour One M3". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across over-ear and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.