To wit, they’re a dominant noise-cancelling pair of headphones that can beat out anything Bose has with both arms behind its back.
That’s because, while Bose has done a tremendous job working out its noise-cancellation algorithm over the years, Sony has spent that time perfecting audio playback while simultaneously creating an adaptability algorithm that doesn’t just create a single sterile sound barrier, but multiple kinds that can adapt to whatever situation you’re in.
That excellent combination from last year, compounded with subtle tweaks like a more comfortable pad along the bridge of the headphone, lighter design and a comparable price, make these Sony headphones the new king of noise-cancellation ... even if they’re a bit too close to last year for comfort.
That excellent combination from last year, compounded with subtle tweaks like a more comfortable pad along the bridge of the headphone, lighter design and a comparable price, make these Sony headphones the new king of noise-cancellation ... even if they’re a bit too close to last year for comfort.
One of the best investments you can make if you enjoy both music and tranquility is a pair of seriously good noise-cancelling headphones and none are better than Sony WH1000XM3. As we try to resolve our software issues with the spanking new Bose NC700 – another excellent (when they're working) pair of ANC ('active' noise cancelling) headphones, it's well worth revisiting the current holder of the Best noise cancelling headphones crown. WH1000XM3 are the third version of Sony's over-ear, wireless, flagship noise cancellers, as are the Bose NC700, so it's a fair fight.
Available in black or a grey putty colour that reminds me of the Behringer, they’re perhaps not the prettiest headphones in the world, but the WH-1000XM3 look (and are) well made and serious, without being boring. The WH-1000XM3 is no style statement in the way that the Bowers & Wilkins PX or Beats Studio 3 or even the Bose 700 are, but they don’t look bad in any way, either. They also happen to keep a profile fairly close to the head, so if you don’t like things ostentatious, they’ll suit.
More importantly, though, they’re supremely comfortable. At 255g, they’re around 25% lighter than the B&W PX (my previous favourite), and you can feel it. It means less pressure on the super-soft headband and earcup padding, so they feel pleasant for a long time, though your ears will get warm, as with most over-ear gear.
We tested them on someone who finds a lot of headphones too uncomfortable to wear for long periods, these they could actually live with. They also fold up very neatly (unlike the new Bose NC700) , and come with a smart fabric case for travelling.
Like the Bose 700, the WH1000XM3 uses touch panels on the earcups to control play, pause, skip and volume. Buttons and sliders would be an easier means of control, perhaps, but less elegant design-wise. Take a bit of time to get used to the touch controls and you'll probably end up liking them, despite the occasional missed or misinterpreted tap.
Your choice of voice assistant (Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, Google) is activated with a long press on the earcup. Being able to place a hand over the earcup to let in outside sounds (for a quick conversation in a coffee shop, for example) is handy.
Better than the smart design, and more significant, is that the WH-1000XM3 both sound excellent, and kill noise brilliantly. The noise cancellation was best-in-class at launch, easily, and even the new Bose doesn't seem significantly better. Even with no music playing, the moment you put them on, it’s like entering another world.
We walked past a road cleaning crew with a loud pump, spray going, and traffic everywhere around – you couldn’t even have a conversation, but it totally cut it out. It was enchantment.
The WH1000XM3 also adapts noise cancellation automatically for your current activity, 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.
Their audio skills are hugely impressive, too. These Sonys are wonderfully rich, thanks to bass performance that's full, but not overwhelming by any means, along with meticulous attention to sonic detail. There is an EQ available in Sony's app if you want to tweak things, but I am not sure it's needed.
By comparison, the B&W PX produce thinner bass, though they do offer a slightly punchier top-end while the Bose noise cancellers have a sound that's 'smoother' for want of a better word, and so perhaps more suitable for long-term listening, but less involving at key moments. Which you prefer will be more about preference than a difference in quality, to be honest. You could also throw Beats Studio 3 in to the mix if you don't mind their styling – they are an excellent and sadly underrated pair of ANC headphones.
For the third year in a row, the 1000X are Sony’s flagship headphone. They're feature-rich, as noted in the section above, and will sound like a premium pair of headphones should.
That’s not cheap by any means, but it is comparable to the Sony WH-1000XM2 that was released last year.
Why, exactly, are they so darn costly? A few things to point out.
Sony put a lot of hardware inside these headphones, not to mention the four microphones that are located inside the headphone and on the outer earcups. Noise cancellation of this caliber also requires a lot of software running, which means the WH-1000XM2 has a processing chip inside that's running calculations in real time called the NC1. Add to that a touch-capacitive earcup that reacts to your touch and the price begins make a bit of sense.
Arguably the biggest changes to the 1000X are found in the design of the headphones: they’re lighter than last year and more form-fitting as well.
Weight-wise, the headphones shed about 1 ounce (22 grams) off last year’s design. That might not seem like a big deal, but considering you’ll be wearing these for an extended period of time like, say, a transcontinental flight, every ounce matters.
The other design change is the new flush fit that changes out the old padding on the bridge for something a bit more cushiony. This makes the headphones more comfortable but also significantly less dorky when they’re on your head. Sony’s also deepened the earcup and changed out the silver accents on the side of the headphones for a copper tone to make it subtle.
Finally, the last change Sony made is swapping out the microUSB port on the right earcup for a USB Type-C that could either reduce or increase the amount of cables you need to carry around with you depending on which other gadgets you carry around in your sachet.
Outside of the minor tweaks, these are still relatively minimalist headphones – which really appeals to the business-class customer Sony is targeting.
Around the left earcup, you’ll find the only two buttons on the headset. There’s one for Power/Bluetooth and another to cycle the noise cancellation between its three settings: On, Ambient Mode and Off. Down below the buttons you’ll find an auxiliary jack, which is mirrored on the other earcup by a USB Type-C port that’s used to charge the headphones. (You’ll find a USB-to-USB Type-C cable inside the box, alongside a 3.5mm aux cable, two-pronged aux adapter and a hard carrying case.)
What’s missing here, obviously, is playback controls. Sony’s just hidden them on the right earcup in the form of a touch-capacitive covering. To skip forward, you’ll need to swipe right on the right earcup or swipe left to go back. Pausing is done by double-tapping, and resuming is then done the same way. Similarly, turning the volume down requires you to swipe down on the right earcup, and turning it up is done by swiping up.
To put the WH-1000XM3 to the test, I took it and my MDR-1000X on a 20-plus hour flight from Singapore to New York via Frankfurt - which gave me ample time to properly evaluate the WH-1000XM3. The difference was startling and it's amazing to hear how much better the WH-1000XM3 was at neutralizing the incessant rumble of the plane’s engines compared to the MDR-1000X. I should also mention at this point that battery life is really good. It easily lasted my trip from Singapore to my hotel in New York. However, it did take a long time to charge so make sure you remember to juice them up before a flight.
The WH-1000XM3 isn’t just good in the skies. It’s equally awesome in the office and out and about around town. Noise-canceling headphones are typically good only at canceling out low frequencies noises, but I found the WH-1000XM3 to be quite proficient at nullifying voices. With the WH-1000XM3, I could hear less of the office chatter around me.
The WH-1000XM3 features what Sony refers to as Adaptive Sound Control, which uses the Sense Engine to detect your activity and adjust the noise-canceling functions of the headphones. This feature can be accessed and activated using the Headphones Connect app (more on this later). There are four modes: Staying, Walking, Running, and Transport. In each mode, you can even adjust the aggressiveness of the QN1 chip to allow you to hear more or less of your surroundings. There are 20 levels to choose from and you can even choose to focus on voices so that you don’t miss hearing your name being called - particularly useful if you are waiting for your drink at Starbucks. Finally, there’s Quick Attention, which is activated by placing your hands over the right ear cup. This instantly dims the music and lets you hear what’s around you.
In practice, that claim definitely held true when confronted with both low-frequencies, like the kind you’d find while riding a train or flying in a plane and in workplace environments where there’s higher frequency noises like people talking or music playing. In nearly every scenario the WH-1000XM3 performed admirably, often reducing noise from a disturbingly loud hum to a more manageable buzz – and sometimes eliminating exterior noise entirely.
Like last year, the 1000XM3 are able to selectively allow some noises into the headphones as well. With Ambient Noise mode selected, announcements made over train station PA systems can be heard, while Quick Attention Mode allows you to quickly pipe in external audio without taking off the headphones by reducing the volume of the music and using the microphones located on the outside of each earcup. It’s a feature you won’t find on a Bose-branded pair of headphones and one that sets Sony apart from the crowd.
While noise-cancellation has enjoyed some solid improvements, audio quality remains similar to what we heard on the 1000XM2 … which might have been more of a disappointment if the XM2 weren’t such an impressive pair of headphones in their own right.
These headphones will sound a bit better while using an Android device that supports the aptX HD standard, but even on an iPhone they’re surprisingly great. Mids are straightforward, highs come through crystal clear and bass is weighty and can have some real slam to it. They really shine on a device that supports the LDAC codec – like, for instance, a Sony Walkman – but they’re by no means limited to those devices.
