THE SONY WH-1000XM3

DOES THE SONY WH-1000XM3 STILL GOT IT!

By all means, i know you would agree with me that earphones are among the best innovations within the music industry. Every other day there are new innovations that make the music experience even better and exhilarating. I seem to be even more allured with the SONY WH-1000XM3. It’s a breathtaking sight to have on your gadget collection.

Headphones have become an essential item for me to listen to music, podcasts, audiobooks, gaming, and take work calls, and the SONY WH-1000XM3 gets the work done perfectly.

Need I say, its sleek feel and the soft cushion feels as though there’s almost no weight resting on the top of your head. With wider ear-pads that surround the ear, these are one of the most comfortable pairs of on-ears we’ve tested. Given that these headphones can deliver 35 hours of use on a full charge. No matter where you go, you can be alone with your music by using the WH-1000XM3 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones from Sony.

Sony’s WH-1000XM3 headphones are less jam-packed with cutting-edge technology but are still ideal for casual listening. According to Sony, these headphones are best for everyday use, as they’re comfortable, on-ear headphones. On-ear headphones rest on your ears and have smaller ear-cups than over-ear headphones. Therefore, more ambient noise can be heard with on-ear headphones, which is best for people who still want to listen to their surroundings.

Technical Specifications

• Driver: 40mm, polymer
• Stated Frequency Response: 4–40 000Hz
• Connectivity: Bluetooth (AptX, LDAC, SBC, AAC), 3.5mm jack, USB-C charging
• Weight: 0.56lbs (254g)
• Cable: 1.2m, 3.5mm TRS terminations at both ends
• Battery: rated at 30h of listening, full charge in 2h with a fast charger

Packaging

The WH-1000XM3 come in a cardboard box that slides out of a glossy sleeve. In the box, one finds the carrying case which has both the headphones and all of the accessories inside, a semi-hard carrying case, a 3.5mm to 3.5mm stereo cable, a USB-C to USB-C cable, an Old-style two jack airline adaptor, lastly the manual.

FEATURES

• DIGITAL NOISE CANCELLING: Industry leading ANC lends a personalised, virtually soundproof experience. Its noise cancellation is accomplished with the Sony’s dedicated HD Noise-Canceling processor and Sense Engine. Sense Engine is designed to automatically adjust the level of ambient sound based on your environment.
• SOUND YOU CAN BELIEVE IN: A built-in amplifier integrated in HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 realises the best-in-class signal-to-noise ratio and low distortion for portable devices, and delivers exceptional sound quality. They offer lively mids and highs but are mostly characterised by their pronounced bass. I think most people will enjoy their powerful rumbling sound. It’s especially great for watching movies or videos but is also perfectly suited for bass-heavy music. Music that is very vocal or instrumental also sounds great in a vacuum on the 1000XM3, but will strike you as a bass connoisseur if you’re accustomed to more natural sounding cans.
• PHONE CALL: A built-in mic enables you to take hands-free calls. With a simple double tap of the earcup, you can answer incoming calls when paired with your phone. Multiple microphones are built in to help give you clear call quality.
• VOICE ASSISTANT: Alexa enabled for voice access to music, information and more. Activate with a simple touch. When the WH-1000XM3 headphones are paired with your smartphone, you can use them to access the phone’s voice assistant. Ask it questions and have it perform tasks just like you would normally do.
• QUICK ATTENTION MODE: Cover the right ear cup to turn down your music for instant, easy conversation. Regardless of the level of noise-cancelation, the Quick Attention features lets you quickly hear your environment, whether it’s to hear an emergency announcement or have a quick conversation. Simply place your hand over the housing of the right ear-cup to quiet things down so you can hear.
• PERSONAL NOISE CANCELLING: Adjusts ambient sound to your activity for the best noise cancellation. This is where the new headphones offer the most improvement over the previous generations. Sony put a dedicated noise-cancelling chip inside the WH-1000XM3 to monitor external sound and promise four times better noise-cancellation.
• TOUCH CONTROLS: Control music tracks and volume, activate your voice assistant and take phone calls. Intuitive tap and swipe gestures on the outside of the right ear-cup let you adjust volume, play/pause audio, change tracks, and answer calls.
• LONG BATTERY LIFE: A single charge provides up to 30 hrs of playtime for reliable all day listening. With a huge 30 hours of battery life, you’ll have enough power for even long trips away. And if you need to charge in a hurry, you can get 5 hours’ worth of charge after just 10 minutes with the optional AC adapter.
• COMFORTABLE TO WEAR: Ergonomically redesigned foldable earphones for easy travel / listening comfort. Super soft, pressure-relieving ear-pads in foamed urethane evenly distribute pressure and increase ear pad contact for a stable fit. Comfort is further enhanced by a larger and deeper ergonomic ear space structure. And with a lighter weight design, your music is the only thing you’ll notice all day.

PROS

• Great active noise cancelling
• Good sound quality
• Comfort
• Portability
• USB-C charge port
• SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, and wired playback

CONS

• Will expose poor recordings
• Touch controls feel fiddly at first
• It’s expensive

FREQUENT QUESTIONS ASKED ABOUT SONY WH-1000XM3

1. Does it have a mic?

Yes, it has built in microphones. The microphones are there for a couple reasons. Phone call, Alexa, Siri, also Ambient Sound. Ambient Sound is a feature to listen on what’s going on around you using the microphones. I love this feature.

2. Can you turn off ANC with a control on the headset? Apparently, the previous version didn’t have this option on device.

Answer:

That option is in fact available. You can cycle through active noise cancelling, ambient sound, and having just the music by pressing the ambient sound button above the power button (although you have to turn the volume up more with the last setting). In addition, if you have the app, you can actually adjust the balance between noise cancelling and ambient sound. They did a firmware/software update to the previous model recently and changed the app, so the previous model should have the same functionality as this one. The only difference should be the hardware and design.

3. Can these be charged while being used?

Answer:

Yes, You can use the headset by connecting the supplied headphone cable, even while charging the headset.

4. Do these fit smaller heads well or do the cups sit low with the ear being high inside the cup?

Answer:

They are adjustable and my son (I purchased for him) loves them. They fit OVER the ears and would likely fit a smaller head. He is 26 and average size. He had to adjust them — making them longer — in order for them to fit. He absolutely loves them — he is a film editor and they are working really great for his projects. I hope this helps.

5. Are these comfortable working out in?

Answer:

Yes, they are comfortable. However, your ears can get very hot and you can get sweat on the leather cups. I imagine that is not good for the leather!

CONCLUSION

It’s safe to say that there has been even better versions of the SONY SERIES WH1000, and since this is a review of a versions that may have been outdone by the new versions, If found heavily discounted under the USD$200 mark, the Sony WH-1000XM3 are a great buy for commuter and office use. Ergonomics-wise, they’re very hard to fault, perhaps except for the touch controls, which can be annoying.

In terms of sound quality, the WH-1000XM3 balances “fun” and “safe.” Hand a SONY WH1000XM3 to someone experiencing it for the first time, they will probably be wowed by the superb ANC more than the musical spectacle.