Sony WH-1000XM3 review

Sony WH-1000XM3 – The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones Of The Moment?

Sony WH-1000XM3 review

Informinc’s Review of the Sony WH-1000XM3 Noise-Canceling Headphones

When you’re not willing to settle when it comes to wireless headphones, you’re not going to have to search high and low. Everyone in the business got the idea: the new customer isn’t interested in just any pair of wireless headphones; he/she makes no compromise whatsoever about the noise cancellation part either.

Why go with Sony WH-1000XM3?

It’s no surprise to anybody that the new model from Sony is loaded with features, standing out as premium wireless headphones. The comfortable design and pad along the bridge, the lighter build and the good price turn the SONY WH-1000XM3 into the best option in the category of wireless noise-cancellation headphones.

Truth be told, the new headphones don’t come cheap, but the hardware inside the headphones sure explains the price tag. In addition, they come with four microphones placed inside and on the outer ear cups. You cannot get performant noise-cancellation without a reliable software running, so the new headphones do come with a processing chip inside. This chip runs calculations in real time (NC1). Let’s not forget the touch-capacitive ear cup that is going to react to human touch – all of these details stay behind the price tag.

Do we like the design?

  • The weight and padding

The new SONY WH-1000XM3 come with a lightweight design and a more form-fitting build too. They’re lighter than the previous model, which is only going to increase your comfort, especially when wearing them for a long time.

  • The fit

We also notice the fit and the new bridge that comes a bit more padding. This not only helps with the comfort, but also with their entire looks (you do lose the geeky vibe when not wearing them). The ear cup is deeper and the copper tone details on the side make a nice impression too.

  • The USB Type-C port

Another change we notice is the USB Type-C port on the right ear cup, which is going to reduce/increase the number of cables you’re going to travel with.

In a nutshell, the new headphones are pretty minimalist and may satisfy many out there.

  • The colors

One downside is that the SONY WH-1000XM3 come only in all-black or grey-silver and the only thing that informs you on the brand is the engraved Sony logo above each ear cup.

You’re also going to find two buttons around the left ear cup; one is for the Power/Bluetooth and the other one is for cycling the noise cancellation.

The playback controls are hidden on the right ear cup and you’re going to have to take a good reading of the manual to learn about the settings.

What’s to say about their performance?

The headphones do present several features so we do need to talk about their performances on various levels:

  • The noise-cancellation

When you’re getting noise-cancellation headphones for their ability to block out noise, it’s only natural that you expect the best performance from the SONY WH-1000XM3. This is one part when they really do deliver. It seems that SONY WH-1000XM3 are 4 times more efficient at cancelling noise than the previous 1000XM2.

The performance stands with both low-frequencies and in workplace environments with higher frequency noises. Truth be told, the SONY WH-1000XM3 didn’t let us down in any scenario and may even eliminate exterior noise completely.

  • The audio-quality

If the noise-cancellation performance is way better than in the previous models, we cannot say the same about the audio quality. As a matter of fact, the audio quality is similar to the 1000XM2.

The SONY WH-1000XM3 sound great when using an Android device that takes the aptX HD standard, but they’re going to do well on iPhone too. The highs do come crystal clear and the mids are straightforward. As for the bass, we think it’s quite weighty. However, they’re going to impress on a device that takes LDAC codec (a Sony Walkman).

It seems that the SONY WH-1000XM3 are also going to receive Google Assistant in the proximal future (even sooner than expected).

  • The call-quality

As for the call quality, we have no complaints to make either. The sound is clear and the extra microphones into the headphones definitely have something to do with it.

You may use the SONY WH-1000XM3 for the occasional calls, but you’re not going to use them on a regular basis. You can find better business-ready headsets, especially designed for that purpose.

Sony WH-1000XM3 in the carrying caseWhat about the battery life?

The SONY WH-1000XM3 are going to run for 30 hours, give or take. They give enough juice for crossing the Atlantic and back and this isn’t bad at all.

If you’re running low, the “Quick Charge” feature is going to let you use them for 5 hours of playback with just 10 minutes of charging.  However, you may want to use the Sony Headphones Connect app for making them last longer. The default is 15 minutes, but you can cut it down to 5 if you want to get the best out of them.

What are the pros and cons?

Loaded with plenty of features, the SONY WH-1000XM3 make it really hard for one to highlight only the pros:

  • They’re lighter than the previous model
  • They feature new padding along the bridge
  • The come with divisive touch controls
  • The noise-cancellation performance is impressive
  • They feature a Quick Attention Mode
  • The come with USB Type-C port for charging
  • The battery life is great
  • They come with Google Assistant integration

Far from being major, the inherent flaws are going to help you get the real picture on the SONY WH-1000XM3:

  • The call quality isn’t amazing
  • The audio performance is similar to previous models

The final thought?

If you’re looking for amazing noise-cancellation headphones, the SONY WH-1000XM3 are always a sure thing. Even if they’re not entirely different from the previous model, they still make a statement with their performance. The increased comfort, the lightweight build and the smart design add on the list of good things and you shouldn’t skip them for your next trans-continental flight.

An in-depth review by JimsReviewRoom:

RESOURCES

We found the info down below really helpful for completing our point of view:

Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless Headphones review | TechRadar

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