Sony WH-1000XM3 Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones with Mic, 30 Hours Battery Life, Quick Charge, Gesture Control, Ambient Sound Mode, with Alexa Built-in – Black

Product Information

Much like their predecessors, the Sony WH-1000XM3 are premium wireless over-the-ear headphones. They have active noise cancellation (ANC), Bluetooth and near-field communication (NFC) connectivity. By default the NC is turned up to maximum, but you can tweak this in the app. Even better, the headphones work with the motion sensors in your phone, and can offer different levels of NC depending on whether you’re sitting still, walking, running or commuting. Once you’ve spent enough time in one place, it becomes available to register in the app and, from there, you can create bespoke settings that are applied every time you visit that location. You can even tie different EQs to various locations and the result is a level of customisability no other earbuds I’ve tested can match; it’s truly ingenious. Battery life and charging may be more important factors. Unfortunately, even the best wireless models require charging and are vulnerable to losing charge at inconvenient moments. That's something wired headphones don't suffer from, which means they tend to be preferable for using at desks or around the home. Then again, wireless models are superior for active audio fans who prize mobility and flexibility. If that sounds like you, investing in headphones with industry-leading charging and battery times is a no-brainer. So Sony will be a good brand to choose. It works consistently well and can be customised to suit your needs. Out of the box, voice detection sensitivity adjusts automatically based on your environment, but you can choose low or high sensitivity if you find this doesn’t work for you.

There are some features that follow over from the 1000XM2 and the original 1000X. These continue to be used because they’re just great ideas – and well implemented too. Arguably the biggest changes to the Sony WH-1000XM3 compared to the XM2 are found in the design of the headphones: they’re lighter than the previous model and more form-fitting as well. Bluetooth – Most upscale Sony headphone designs will include the latest version of this wireless audio standard. This means that they will be capable of linking seamlessly with other audio devices (provided they are also Bluetooth-enabled). So, you can sync your headphones up with stereos, gaming consoles, and digital audio players with ease. Historically, this has been associated with longer charge times, but this isn't necessarily the case any more. More recent Sony devices can balance wireless connectivity with easy charging and battery times – but this definitely falls off with cheaper models. So if you do want hassle-free wireless audio, it's often worth exploring high-end designs. The over-ear design and the integrated noise-canceling shields external noise sufficiently for my taste. The sound is very balanced, copes with different music styles and can also be customized via app. The wearing comfort is also convincing: I tested several models from other manufacturers in advance and found the perfect fitting headphones for me in the WH-1000XM3 - the pads in the earpiece are incredibly soft and I never had a disturbing feeling even when wearing them for a long time. Only the Sony are not waterproof, but this is not a real disadvantage for me personally, because I use my in-ears out. Conclusion: I would buy the Sony WH-1000XM3 again and again!Customisation – The Sony Headphone App makes the XM3 fully customisable when it comes to sound. But the Bose comes in more colours. I have owned the Sony headphones for over 3 years now and am extremely satisfied. I originally bought them for the home office to have more quiet while working and to be heard better in meetings. Meanwhile, I also use it to watch TV or gamble when my partner wants some peace and quiet from me :)

The WH-1000XM3’s noise cancellation is so good it feels a little supernatural. Whatever magic Sony has put into the QN1 chip, it absolutely works. There is no exaggeration in Sony’s claims of improved mid to high frequency handling. I have had the WH-1000XM3 for over a year now. Was initially disappointed with the sound - it felt muffled - but have got used to it or maybe I have managed to tweak the equaliser settings to find ones I like more. The overall shape and look of the Sony WH-1000XM3 clearly mirror the WH-1000XM2 and the 1000X before them. Any why not? The original was an elegant yet ergonomic design that looked and felt good. But there are a multitude of tweaks that you’ll miss at a glance.

High Quality at a High Price

dB/mW (1 kHz) (when connecting via the headphone cable with the unit turned on) / 101 dB/mW (1 kHz) (when connecting via the headphone cable with the unit turned off) I had a similar experience with it while using the WF-1000XM4 as I did with the WH-1000XM4. Some songs benefit from the improved positioning of audio cues but it’s rather hit-and-miss and can feel a bit forced. Finally, I put on the Sony WH-1000XM3 and stood by a busy roundabout, teeming with noisy London buses and taxis. Not one vehicle managed to interrupt my music, which I didn’t even have to set to loud. Oh, and wind noise – bane of every pair of NC headphones I’ve ever tested – is much less of an issue.

Very comfortable, can wear for hours, and the noise cancelling is good. Can't compare with Bose etc as these are the first high quality NC ones I have owned.When Sony created the XM3, it got the recipe spot on. At the time, they were as close to a perfect pair of noise-cancellers as one could find. Today, they're still great all-rounders and a superb buy for the money. The Sony WH-1000XM3 were one of the finest noise-cancelling headphones around when they first launched, and heading in 2023 they still offer an excellent performance at a terrific price. Design Finally, the Sony also swapped out the microUSB port on the right earcup for a more modern USB Type-C charging port. Should you choose to use volume controls instead of one of the above options, a single tap raises your volume while long-pressing decreases it. Due to the way the WF-1000XM4 handle noise cancellation, I didn’t mind sacrificing ambient sound control in favour of volume control. It would be nice to access all three sets of controls simultaneously, however.

Same when trying to get it to connect via Bluetooth with my Sony TV - just never appears on the TV in the list of available devices. The WH1000XM3 also adapts noise cancellation automatically for your current activity, cleverly, and this is genuinely useful – it lets in a little bit of nearby traffic noise when you’re walking in town, or chatter directed at you when in an office. You can tweak each one for preference, or turn it off. Following in the footsteps of two previous 1000X models, the Sony WH-1000XM3 were the company's flagship headphones before the XM4 came onto the scene. They're feature-rich, as noted in the section above, and will sound like a premium pair of headphones should.Neither model is ridiculously expensive, either. So far, there's not much to choose between them. But there are some differences. Firstly, the build quality of the QC35 is better than on the WH-1000XM3. The QC35 comes with leather pads and extra headband padding, and will generally resist scuffing more effectively.