Sony - WH-1000XM3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones with Google Assistant - Black

Having owned the already-excellent WH-1000XM2 headphones for almost a year, I was curious to see just how Sony could improve what were arguably the best headphones on the market. Long story short: they took the minor shortcomings of last year's model and went above-and-beyond to fix them, making the WH-1000XM3 headphones lighter, sleeker, and even better at noise cancellation. These seemingly minor changes add up to a significant upgrade. DESIGN AND COMFORT (5 Stars): - The 1000XM3 look similar to the 1000XM2, but don't be fooled. On the 1000XM3, the profile is more subtle and the ear cups don't seem to protrude out from your head as far. The headband has a closer fit, reducing the gap between the headband and your head. All told, the design is sleeker and much more refined. - The 1000XM3 are certainly more comfortable than last year's model, and they are much easier to wear for longer periods of time. This is due to adjustments in padding and weight. The padding around the ear cups and headband seems to be much more plush. Meanwhile, the weight of the 1000XM3 has dropped by 20 grams -- from 275 grams to 255 grams. It may seem small, but this weight difference is the first thing I noticed when putting on the 1000XM3 for the first time. - On the black model, the addition of bronze accents around the microphones and Sony logos is a nice touch and adds to the premium look of the 1000XM3. The included carrying case has also been given a more premium look and a sturdy nylon finish. - Summary: These are among the most comfortable and well-designed headphones I've used. I've worn them for hours on end over the past week and never once felt the need to remove them. The design is premium, sturdy, and utilitarian. Absolutely no complaints here. NOISE CANCELLATION (5 Stars): - Sony has added a new chip called the "HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1" to this year's model, claiming it has four times the signal processing power over the 1000XM2. This improvement is said to provide you more situational awareness when wearing these headphones in busy places. - So far, I've used the headphones in two very different situations: on a plane and at my desk in a busy office. On the plane, I set the noise cancelling to maximum in Sony's Connect app for iPhone and turned off ambient sound. It worked brilliantly -- perhaps the best noise cancellation I've ever experienced on a plane. At my office, I turned on ambient sound and chose the option to "focus on voice." When co-workers approach my desk from behind me, I can hear their voice when they get within a few feet of me and they don't have to tap on my shoulder. It's an excellent feature and works better than I expected. - The Sony Connect app also has a feature that can detect when you are walking, sitting still, running, or commuting. It then automatically adjusts the noise cancellation level to allow in certain sounds such as car horns or voices if necessary. If you wear your headphones around the city or while running, this could be an invaluable feature. - Summary: The 1000XM3 offer by far the best noise cancellation I've ever experienced from any headphones. The amount of customization and control offered is astounding and brings noise cancellation to a whole new level. FEATURES (5 Stars): - Like previous models, the 1000XM3 have a feature called Quick Attention, which is probably my favorite part of these headphones. If someone starts talking to you and you want to hear what they're saying without pausing your music or taking the headphones off, you can simply cover the touch pad of the right ear cup. The headphones will automatically lower the volume, reduce noise cancellation, and allow you to hear the voices and sounds around you. I love it and it's great for being able to talk with a flight attendant or seatmate on the plane. - The entire right ear cup is a touch pad that is intuitive and easy to use. You swipe up or down for volume control, left or right for track control, double-tap to play or pause, and a long press to activate Siri/Google Assistant. - Sony has taken a step toward the future by including USB-C on the 1000XM3. The connector on the charging cable is more compact and is reversible, so it's easier to plug in. - Battery life on the 1000XM3 remains at 30 hours, but the Quick Charging feature has been dramatically improved. Just 10 minutes of charging will give you five hours of playback. And it works as advertised -- I depleted the battery, charged it for 10 minutes, and then proceeded to use the headphones for almost an entire work day. - Summary: The feature set of the 1000XM3 is largely similar to its predecessor, but small changes like USB-C and improved Quick Charging are very welcome. SOUND QUALITY (5 Stars): - On the QN1 chip, Sony has also included an analogue amplifier which supposedly results in less distortion during audio playback. I'm no expert on audio quality, but to me, the 1000XM3 sound excellent -- even better than the 1000XM2. Highs are present but not overbearing. Vocals and mid-range are crisp and clear. There's plenty of bass and it's not overpowering. - There are some neat sound adjustments in the Sony Connect app, too: Sound Position Control lets you adjust the sense of sound field around you, as though you're listening to a band from the side or behind you. - Summary: You'll want to feed the 1000XM3 some high-quality audio tracks. Out of the box, these are the best-sounding headphones I've ever used. OVERALL: Sony has hit an absolute home run. Better design. More comfortable. Better noise cancellation. Better sound quality. I didn't think any of these things could get much better compared to last year's model, but I was wrong. If you want the best noise cancelling headphones on the market, stop looking. You're on the right page. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

The Sony WH-1000XM3 wireless noise canceling headphones are the most incredible headphones I have ever used! Not only are they supremely comfortable to wear, but the sound quality and active noise canceling are far superior to any other premium headsets that I have used. Sound Quality: Sound quality is a critical aspect for headphones, and fortunately they do not disappoint. The sound is very detailed and full range. If you have been using lesser headphones, you will really hear what you have been missing. The bass is tight and defined which is perfect for my tastes, because I don’t like bass that is bloated and muddy The active noise cancellation is phenomenal! When activated it seems like the whole outside world is turned off and that I was in a perfect bubble of silence. I really like that the noise cancellation effect is adjustable so that you can chose to not use it, or partially use it depending on your circumstances. This is a very nice touch because there may be times when you can’t be sonically cut off from the outside world. Another important feature is that it is compatible with high bit rate Bluetooth versions such as aptX HD and AAC. This is important because these standards provide a signal that will sound better because it is less compressed than the previous Bluetooth standard. Design and Comfort It is immediately apparent that these headphones are designed with an emphasis on visual appeal. They are a pleasure to hold and wear, with an attention to detail that showcases the premium design. This is without a doubt the most comfortable headset that I have ever worn. It is so comfortable and lightweight that you can even forget you are even wearing it. So not only do they feel good on your head, but you will love how you look wearing them. I especially like the hard carrying case which is an included accessory. It matches the build quality of the headphones, which will be well protected will traveling. Usage and Controls The right ear pad is a cleverly designed touch pad that allows you to control the headphones intuitively without even looking. It makes raising/lowering the volume, skipping forward/back, answering/ending calls, as simple as flicking a finger. You can also temporarily deactivate the noise canceling by holding your hand on the control panel, so you don’t have to take the headphones completely off to hear something. When you remove your hand the noise cancellation reengages. This is an amazing feature that I will be using frequently. These headphones use a USB Type C connector for charging. USB C is the most recent USB standard, and it is the second device that I have owned that uses it. It is the latest USB standard and it is superior to the older version due to improved charging time and data transfer capability. In fact, a quick 10 minute charge can power these headphones for an incredible 5 hours. Verdict If it were possible to give these outstanding headphones more than 5 stars I would. Yes, the price is high, but they are certainly worth it. If you want the best noise canceling wireless headphones on the market, then the Sony WH-1000XM3 are the ones to get. Once you use them, it will be very hard to use anything else. In fact, my wife loves them so much I am going to get another pair so we each have our own.

So I have had many different types of headphones over the years, and this is by far, the best set I have ever had. So many are "sound canceling," but these are sound eliminating completely. I compared my other sound canceling ‘over-the-ear’ headphones and a set of earbuds, to see what the main differences were, and the difference is completely shocking. I wore all 3, while mowing the lawn, and these were the only ones that I could use to drown out the sound of the mower, so much that I could have the headphones on a low volume. My other pairs, even though they are sound canceling, are more like muffling outside sounds. These Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless Noise Canceling Over-the-Ear Headphones with Google Assistant are so advanced, I can tell it what sounds to cancel out. When it comes to the quality of the sound, it is super bass, and crisp clear sounds, and great high and mid ranges. There is NO DOWNSIDE to the sound quality at all. I have not heard a better sounding set of headphones, and I have had MANY different top name brands, and was able to directly compare them to this. This is industry leading bass, and noise cancelling. No others can compare to this, when it comes to sound cancelling. The app is what makes them so powerful. Most apps are just a way to connect the Google Assist to the headphones, and maybe some equalizer content, but this is like an experience changer. I can make the sound go from all around, to hearing it in front, like I am at a concert. Now, to pair that fun thing to a sound equalizer to make it sound like I am at an outdoor concert, it changes things to fit the experience. It also has a “Sound Position Control” setting to move the sound to a certain direction. So if you wanted to pretend you were listening to an outdoor concert, and the stage is in front of you, rather than all around you, you can mock that with these headphones. It changed the experience from listening to an MP3 to being at an outdoor concert, but free. “Surround (VPT)” settings allow you to change from Off/Arena/Club/Outdoor Stage/Concert Hall. You can also pair that with Equalizer settings: Off/Bright/Excited/Mellow/Relaxed/Vocal/Treble Boost/Bass Boost/Speech/Manual/Custom 1/Custom 2. In the app, you can see the song playing, and adjust the following: pause/play/skip/rewind/volume Connecting was super easy. If you have NFC, then tap the left earpiece, and it will activate, and connect to the Bluetooth. You can’t get any easier than that. Smart Listening/Ambient Mode is something that detects what type of activity you are doing. So I can be sitting in an airplane, or walking down the street, or sitting at my house, and it detects the environment I am in, and uses the settings that best suit that activity. For example, there are 4 different common activities that it recognizes: staying (still), walking, running, bus. You can adjust the type of ambient sound cancellation, based on the activity. So if I am running, I don’t want ALL sounds gone, for safety. But if I am on the bus or airplane, I want it all gone. There is a slider to choose how much of what type of sounds to cancel out. It shows 2 people and a car. Based on the position of the slider, it shows the car fade out and eventually disappear and the people as well, depending on how much and what I want to cancel out. I thought that was super cool. A picture matching the number settings. There is also a checkmark to pick to "Focus on Voice" that allows the user to allow speaking to be uncanceled, so you can have a conversation still, but cancel out the car and other noises. I am quite amazed. One of the most innovative technologies used here is the “Finger-touch operation.” If I am on a flight, and the airline attendant asks if I want something, I can place/cup my hand over the right ear, and it turns on a different setting, so that I can hear things, as if I had bionic hearing. I can hear the person talk, and even whisper across the room, in my house. When I do that, it lowers the volume of the music, and I can hear them speaking. I am AMAZED at this feature. With the app, I can get it to analyze the atmospheric pressure and how my wearing-style is. So if I have a hat on, and it sits higher or differently, it will adjust to that wearing style and optimize the sound to the current situation. Basically, I think it is recalibrating. The app also shows the battery level of the headset, which is great. There is a DXEE HX: Auto setting that is not described anywhere, that I can find. I can’t tell a difference when it is on/off. But I’m sure it is something, so I left it on “AUTO.” Battery life: Up to 30 hours. The nice thing is, after only 10 minutes of charge, it gives me an amazing 5 hours of play time. That is SUPER awesome, especially if I am going on an airplane or car trip. How many times do you get the headset or speakers out and you realized they were never charged. No worries. 10 minutes is all it needs. There is also Google Assist integrated into the headphones. There is a button on the left ear piece that can be for either the Google Assistant or ambient sound control. I prefer to have that set for Google, since the ambient settings can be used/modified in the app. But if I want to use the Google Assistant, I want it right away, which the button would be beneficial in that aspect. There is another button on the bottom of the left earpiece that is for on/off. It announces what it is doing, so I can tell exactly what happened. The right earpiece has no buttons, but instead it is like a touchpad, where you can skip to the ‘Next’ song, by swiping back to front (left/right). Then volume up/down by swiping up/down. Double tap to pause. Swipe left to replay or rewind. When my phone rings, I can double-tap the right ear, and it answers the call. There is an “Automatic Power Off” setting that you can adjust, so when it is disconnected from a Bluetooth device, it will shut off after 5 min/30 min/1 hour/3 hours. I can tell that these are comfortable to wear. After a few hours, I noticed when I took them off, that there is a little more pressure on my ears, than my other set. I feel that after a while, the bend in the headset will be a little less pressure, as they are brand new, and eventually it will flex more after use. The ONLY downside I could possibly find, was when I took them to work, I was only able to connect 1 device at a time to it. My other pair I had previously could connect to more than 1, so I could hear my email and computer sounds, but when I got a phone call, I could use the answer feature, and it would connect to the phone. This Sony pair, however, does not allow that. It is only able to connect to 1 device at a time. So if it is connected to my computer, it will not swap it out to my phone, without me disconnecting from the computer (turning Bluetooth off), then connecting to my phone. I could never do that in time to answer the phone call. I get that this specific scenario is not common, because most people would be connected to their phone only, but still, for me, it was a difference I noticed. I would ABSOLUTELY recommend these headphones to anyone and everyone. In fact, I already got several coworkers interested, and bragged about how awesome they are. I let them try them, and they too, were amazed at the technology and sound quality.

Sony has done it, they've developed the BEST noise cancelling wireless headphones available! The WH-1000XM3 Wireless Noise Canceling Over-the-Ear Headphones are the newly released version from Sony and they are exactly what I've been looking for for the last few years. The headphones ship with a great carrying case, a USB-C fast charging cable, an audio cable for wired connection and instructions/paperwork. The headphones fold up perfectly to fit in the case which is a good size for traveling. The came fully charged and ready to go, so all you need to do is (optional really, as they headphones will connect to your bluetooth device anyway) download the Sony Connect app and set up the earphones. First let's talk about the Connect App - it's a great tool for taking advantage of the many settings these headphones provide like Adaptive Sound Control, Noise Canceling Optimizer, Surround, Equalizer, Sound Quality Mode, etc. Open the app, turn on the headphones and hold them close to connect and you're off and adjusting. Some of the functions are automatic like the Adaptive Sound Control - this will detect your surroundings and adjust the headphones accordingly. You can also select the Noise Canceling levels. Super easy to use and a great tool. Onto the headphones, the first thing I noticed when putting them on was the plush feel of the ear pads and the headband. They are super comfortable and easy to adjust to your head size. I've been wearing them almost non-stop for the last couple of days and there are zero hotspots or uncomfortable rubbing. Hold the power button for a couple of seconds and then the magic starts, the noise canceling technology is fantastic, literally cutting out all the background noise as I walked around crowded streets. I'm not an audiophile by any stretch, but the sound quality is the BEST I've ever heard from a BT headphone. The music is so rich and you can hear all the different levels from the bass lows up to the crips highs. The sound out of the box was pretty amazing, and I've also adjusted it using the Connect App. There are a number of preset equalizer settings for every type of music lover. Not only do these headphones rock, they are loaded with super cool and totally useful Touch Features so you can adjust the music level, FF, Pause, answer phone calls, etc. just by touching the right ear cup. And if that isn't enough, if you place your palm over the entire ear cup, Sony's Quick Attention mode kicks in...the sound level is automatically turned down, along with the noise canceling level so you can hear the outside world and talk to someone or listen to a flight change announcement....all without having to take the headphones off! It really works! As mentioned, they came fully charged and after multiple days of use, they are still at 90%...this absolutely crushes the battery performance of my other NC headphones. Pros: - Fit and comfort is outstanding, even after hours of wearing them - Noise Canceling and Sound Quality are second to none - Nice Carry Case for traveling - Touch Controls - control your music or call without ever touching your phone - Sony Connect App is a great control app for individual setup - Taking Phone Calls - crisp and clear even in a crowded store Cons: - Haven't found any yet!!! The Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless Noise Canceling Over-the-Ear Headphones are by far one of my new favorite devices and would 100% recommend them to anyone looking for the BEST noise canceling headphones available.

The first day I bought these headphones right as I got in the car I took them out the box and they had alot of battery for me to test them! You can manage the bass however you want! The quality in the music does not fade at all with these headphones!!! Sadly I got alot of stuff stolen and my headphones were in my bag which I was going to make a video review to show people exactly what I was speaking on. Point is DO NOT SLEEP ON THESE HEADPHONES! Drop the thoughts on any other headphones *Seriously* I do not have an actual picture of them but I do of my receipt in case Best Buy can cover me.

I bought these headphone because they came highly recommended and I’ve loved them since day one. My curiosity still got the better of me and I ended up getting the Bose QC 35 ii on sale to compare with the Sony XM3 and of course the XM3 beat the QC 35 ii hands down. The Sony XM3 has the best Noise Cancellation and Best battery life of the 2, the only advantage the Bose QC 35 ii had was the ability to pair 2 devices at a time

[Short] Super lightweight and excellent sound from these Sony over the ear headphones. All day battery life and comfort. Ears stayed cool during full day use while connected to my windows 10 desktop. Pros: -Finally usb-c charging (fast charges) -Finish doesn’t show any finger smudges -very lightweight and ear pads comfortable -when I headband does not squeeze head -Sound is excellent and equalizer can adjust sound to your satisfaction -Phone call sounded clear -Gears of war 4 sounded great -Google Assistant Cons: -For some reason my car charger wouldn’t charge the headphones and the cord in my car had bad fit to the charging port (fits my nexus 6p fine) -Out of the box the sound was flat while streaming Pandora -Earphone software update slow over Bluetooth -Ear pads don’t look as well constructed as those found on Bose QC 35ii -No wall power adapter included [Long] Sony includes a carrying case, 3.5mm dual headphone jack splitter, usb-c cable, and some instructional paperwork. The headphones are neatly secured in the case. Once removed from the carrying case I inspected the headphones and everything looked great. The sound however was initially flat while streaming Hip-Hop through Pandora. I immediately downloaded the Android app called “Sony Headphones Connect” and was greeted with a firmware update for the headphones. Update over Bluetooth took roughly 15 minutes. I proceeded to connect the headphones via Bluetooth to my windows 10 desktop. Initially connected as unknown device then updated to the proper Sony name. Fired up Gears of War 4 and played a couple of rounds. The sound was amazing. To top it off, I could no longer hear the room ceiling fan whooshing sound above my head. I was immersed with just the sound of the game. The outside world sound cut off! Switched over to the THX theme and these headphones just continued to amaze. Watched a couple of movie trailers by the good folks at Dolby and the voice reproduction was better than the theater sound experience. After that I had some shopping to do so I took these with me to Costco and Sam’s Club. The noise cancelling was amazing. It was like watching a movie without the soundtrack on. It was 106 degrees F outside and the pads did trap in some sweat while outside. Being I am in a low humidity area the sweat quickly evaporated once I adjusted the set. Ears did not feel hot while using them outside or inside. At times I would forget I had these on. They are lightweight and the ear pad softness and comfort challenges the Bose QC 35ii. I would say the material is softer than and almost as comfortable as the Bose. I would give the Bose ear cups a slight win (like 0.000001% better). On smaller heads (kids) these fit a little too loosely but the kids enjoyed the sound and the noise cancelling. For 40mm drivers, these do a great job reproducing the sound with all the music I listened too. The better the quality of music, the better these sounded (of course). Since I will be mainly using these with my phone, I tried a T-mobile to T-mobile call over WiFi (bad signal in my house). Other end caller said I came in clear and loud. That's good. I also did some voice recording on the computer. I read a couple of paragraphs of text. The playback was crystal clear and the dual mics did a great job of not picking up the ceiling fan noise. I haven't tried using the mic as an in game mic. Very easy to put away in the case for extra protection.

Had these for almost a month now and here’s what I think: BUILD QUALITY: both sturdy and flexible; feels premium as you would expect from Sony. 10/10. SOUND QUALITY: these are no joke. Highs, mids, and lows are all well balanced. Hip-hop will be very slightly on the bass side but it’s not over powering.10/10. ACTIVE NOISE CANCELING: best ANC I’ve ever experienced hands down.10/10. DESIGN: they are comfortable, convenient, and they look great. Comes with a hard case and a lot of accessories. 10/10. PRICE: it’s a steep price sure, but it’s worth it. $349.99 full price and $299.99 when they’re on sale. You get what you pay for though. Sony did a phenomenal job with this product. 10/10. If you can afford these, get them. You won’t regret it!