5 years ago

If you want the best of the best in ANC headsets currently, you buy the Sony WH-1000XM3 hands down.

Well where do I begin.

When my last in-ear headsets broke (cable was the culprit as is usually the case with non-braided cables) I decided to not only future-proof myself with Bluetooth (since headphone jacks are becoming a rarity in phones) but also get Noise Cancelling to make my commutes more bearable and just generally enjoy my music / audiobooks more intensely by shutting out the real world to a greater extent than ever before ;)

I read probably every major review and costumer complaint on multiple different ANC headphones out there and ultimately decided to take a leap of faith and get the Sony WH-1000XM3 at 350.- CHF

I cross-tested the Sony myself against some other major players (like Bose QCII, Sennheiser, B&O, XM2 Sony and more) in different locations (Media Markt, Interdiscount, M-Electronics, Digitec Showrooms) and the only thing I could reliably say after all the in-shop testing was that Sony's ANC technology is CURRENTLY superior to all the others.

Comfort wise I rate the Sony on par with the Bose although now that I own the Sony and use them for extended periods of time I have to agree with other testers that they have a tendency to get a wee bit hot in the left ear cup somehow. It's not problematic, they're still super comfy but it is a thing so bear that in mind in case you NEVER want to take them off. Personally I have 0 issues with it and can just "air" my ears every couple hours to counteract this issue.

I used Flac samples of Dire Straits and Beatles + some oldschool Hip Hop to test the sound and I personally prefer Sony's soundscape to all the other contenders. I like the punchy bass and it rarely feels out of place or overbearing.

When I tested calling someone with the headphones I found out that older versions of the XM3 are just horrid at it. (Other person gets an echo of themselves and you're barely audible as a caller with the headset, just plain unusable) Bose's QCII won out hard during in-shop testing but now that I own the XM3 I can safely assure anyone that read about this issue that it has been solved in newer versions of the headset (I dunno if it's a software or hardware related issue, if you have the problem you can send your headset in for a replacement apparently).

Another issue people reported is that the headsets touch controls act up in cold weather which I personally haven't encountered as of yet (I tried everything, going from inside ~24 Celsius to sub 0 temperatures, staying outside for longer in cold temperatures, from train / bus to outside -- I never had any issues with the touch controls going rogue or just fritzing out on me)

So all in all I can really recommend the Sony WH-1000XM3 to anyone in the market for great sounding, comfortable and futureproof ANC headphones. You will not be disappointed by any of the features and once you start using them you won't want to put them down ever again. Huge thumbs up from me :)

Pro

Great sound with strong bass...
Best noise cancelling on the market currently
Comfy headsets that you can wear for a long time...
Google voice assistant integration is gimmicky but fun and useful at times
Touch controls that work flawlessly in any condition (during my testing)
Quick setup
LDAC if you got an Android Phone with 8.0 or higher
Great battery life and fast charging (USB-C)...
Using headset for voice calls works well...

Contra

...said bass can be a bit overbearing to some
...wearing headset for extended periods of time can at times heat up left earcup
Sometimes you have to do a bit of a disconnect / reconnect dance until all features work correctly
...charging does not work with my quick charger from OnePlus, only standard ones + usb C cable
The charging cable you get with the headset is ridiculously short (unusable really)
...apparently earlier "versions" of the headset are flawed -> voice calls are unbearable

Anonymous

6 years ago •
purchased this product

Sound in a completely different league to Bose

Very powerful noise reduction. I literally flinched when my headphones slipped slightly when I took off my jacket on the apron of the plane at the airport and a passing plane could suddenly be heard unfiltered.
The sound is a bit too bass-heavy, but that can be controlled with the equaliser in the Sony app.
Compared to these headphones, my Bose QC35 sound very flat and not at all three-dimensional.

gesi79

6 years ago •
purchased this product

Top

Sony's new flagship headphones are characterised by high wearing comfort and excellent sound quality. The price of almost 400 Stutz is absolutely justified.

Pro

Sound quality
Fast charging function (USB C)
Wearing comfort

Contra

he costs a little what.....

Product ratings

691 reviews

If you want the best of the best in ANC headsets currently, you buy the Sony WH-1000XM3 hands down.

Sound in a completely different league to Bose

Top