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Sony WH1000XM3 Noise Cancelling Headphones, Wireless Bluetooth Over the Ear Headset – Black (2018 Version)

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 21,719 ratings

Black
Ask to play music, get directions, control smart home devices, and more with this device.
Alexa Built-in Learn more

Alexa Built-in

This device has been certified by Amazon. With Alexa built-in, just ask to play music, get directions, control smart home devices, and more.

Brand Sony
Color Black
Ear Placement Over Ear
Form Factor Over Ear
Noise Control Active Noise Cancellation

About this item

  • DIGITAL NOISE CANCELING: Industry leading ANC lends a personalized, virtually soundproof experience
  • PHONE CALL: A built-in mic enables you to take hands-free calls.
  • VOICE ASSISTANT: Alexa enabled for voice access to music, information and more. Activate with a simple touch
  • QUICK ATTENTION MODE: Cover the right ear cup to turn down your music for instant, easy conversation
  • PERSONAL NOISE CANCELLING: Adjusts ambient sound to your activity for the best noise cancellation
  • TOUCH CONTROLS: Control music tracks and volume, activate your voice assistant and take phone calls
  • LONG BATTERY LIFE: A single charge provides up to 30 hrs of playtime for reliable all day listening

Important information

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Price-8% $254.99
New Price:$278.00
-43% $198.00
List:$348.00
$284.99-36% $128.00
List:$199.99
-30% $278.00
List:$399.99
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From the manufacturer

1000xm3
WH1000XM3

ONLY MUSIC. NOTHING ELSE.

Industry-leading noise canceling headphones with mic and Alexa voice control.

work from home
30 hr

Extra-long battery life with quick charging

Up to 30 hours of battery life on a single charge keeps you listening instead of charging. Low on battery? No problem – 10 minutes of charge time gives you an amazing 5 hours of playback.

Sony Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones

WH-1000XM3

WH-1000XM3

WH1000XM4

WH-1000XM4

xb910n

WH-XB910N

ch710

WH-CH710N

Customer Reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
21,719
4.6 out of 5 stars
58,557
4.5 out of 5 stars
10,460
4.4 out of 5 stars
23,842
Price
$198.00 $248.00 $122.66
Type
Over-ear Over-ear Over-ear Over-ear
Noise Cancelling
Premium Noise Canceling Industry-leading NC Digital Noise Cancellation Digital Noise Cancellation
Battery Life
30 Hrs 30 Hrs 30 Hrs 35 Hrs
Quick Charge Battery
10 Min charge 5 Hrs playback 10 Min charge 5 Hrs playback 10 Min charge 4.5 Hr playback 10 Min charge 60 Min playback
DSEE Extreme with Edge-AI
Hands-free calling
Yes Yes, with 5 microphones Yes Yes
Touch control
Ambient Sound Mode
Customize Sound with app
Multi Device Connection
Wearing Detection
Foldable design
The video showcases the product in use.The video guides you through product setup.The video compares multiple products.The video shows the product being unpacked.

What's in the box

  • Carrying Case, Plug Adaptor for In-flight Use, Headphone cable (approx. 47 1/4"), USB cable: Type-C™ (approx. 7 7/8")
  • Product guides and documents

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    Product information

    Warranty & Support

    Product Warranty: For warranty information about this product, please click here. [PDF ]

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    Sony WH1000XM3 Noise Cancelling Headphones, Wireless Bluetooth Over the Ear Headset – Black (2018 Version)


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    Product Description

    Sony industry-leading noise cancellation evolves to further immerse you in your music. The addition of Sony proprietary HD noise canceling processor Qn1 masterfully eliminates the noise around you. Listen all day with up to 30 hours of battery life. Quick charging gives five hours of playback with just a 10-minute charge. Cord Length: Headphone cable (approx. 3.94 ft, OFC strands, gold-plated stereo mini plug); Frequency Response: 4 Hz-40,000 Hz; NFC: Yes; Cord Type: Single-sided (detachable); Volume Sensor: Touch Sensor. Diaphragm - Aluminium-coated LCP.

    Customer reviews

    4.6 out of 5 stars
    21,719 global ratings

    Review this product

    Share your thoughts with other customers

    Customers say

    Customers appreciate the headphones' sound quality, build quality, comfort, and battery life. They find the surround sound, soundstage localization, and ability to temporarily pause noise cancellation to be superior. Many customers find the over-the-ear design and plush ear cups comfortable for extended wear. The battery lasts for well over 20 hours. While some are satisfied with functionality and ease of use, others have issues with Bluetooth connectivity. There are mixed opinions on value for money.

    AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

    3,434 customers mention "Sound quality"2,592 positive842 negative

    Customers like the sound quality of the headphones. They appreciate the surround sound and soundstage localization. The headphones are described as a great pair of Bluetooth over-ear noise-canceling headphones with the ability to temporarily pause the noise cancellation by touching the right ear cup.

    "...For use at home or in the office, bluetooth headsets with better noise cancellation and better sound and with the ability to make calls are the way..." Read more

    "...Open headphones are good for audiophile uses. It will yield the most fidelity to the sound but these headphones are generally meant for quiet rooms,..." Read more

    "...With the Sony, I feel like I can hear each individual sound clearly, whereas with the Bose everything is a little more muddled together...." Read more

    "...Noise cancelling: Instead of allowing you to control the strength of ANC like Bose (High/Low setting), Sony allows you to choose on the scale from 1..." Read more

    1,878 customers mention "Build quality"1,532 positive346 negative

    Customers like the build quality of the headphones. They say it's identical to other good quality headphones with similar performance. The headphones support high-quality codecs, unlike Bose. They have fantastic sound, solid EQ, and mic quality. However, some customers mention that the highs may be the least impressive.

    "...The headset is made in Malaysia. Bose, I must say, can make great quality headsets (A20, with 5 years warranty, is an evidence to that), but..." Read more

    "...The mids are very good too… The highs may be the least impressive but the sound is overall excellent. - Fair price...." Read more

    "...The Bose look like an ordinary pair of headphones. Build quality is identical though CONCLUSION..." Read more

    "...was the most reasonable compromise to comfort, sound quality, and mic quality. I can wear Bose QC35ii all day and not feel any discomfort...." Read more

    1,037 customers mention "Comfort"877 positive160 negative

    Customers appreciate the headphones' comfort. They find the over-the-ear design and plush ear cups comfortable for extended wear. The leatherette on top is soft and provides good cushioning. The headphones hug the head in a more streamlined fashion, eliminating the Micky mouse effect. They report no fatigue or discomfort after a 2.5-hour flight without any major discomfort.

    "...People cannot tell I am wearing a headset. Comfort is purely subjective and depends on one's head size and shape...." Read more

    "...-Headphones are generally comfortable. My ears do not get hot or sweat at all when I wear these indoors...." Read more

    "...me try his pair at my request and I was favorably impressed by the comfort and noise isolation so I decided to indulge...." Read more

    "...They're really comfortable to wear all day long, if I get a call from a co-worker I don't need to take them off, and I'm just listening to music as..." Read more

    663 customers mention "Battery life"585 positive78 negative

    Customers appreciate the headphones' battery life. They say it lasts for hours after a quick charge, and they appear to hold up well over years of daily use. The battery life is well above 20 hours, whereas other brands like Shure and Bose have a maximum of 20 hours. The headphones are solid and you can easily check the battery level by touching the power button.

    "...My battery life has been fine...." Read more

    "...Best stability of LDAC connection - Long battery life: well above 20 hours, whereas both Shure and Bose max out around 20 hours. -..." Read more

    "...Not that I really need it. These headphones last FOREVER. The longest I have continuously used them was about 8 hours (with ANC on)...." Read more

    "...Build Quality/Materials - Initial thoughts upon unboxing - these are solid. The soft touch plastics used feels durable and of good quality...." Read more

    627 customers mention "Functionality"455 positive172 negative

    Customers like the headphones' functionality. They say it works smoothly, has no issues, and is effective on all fronts. The touchpad works great and the ANC effectiveness is effective. Some mention the sound quality is good, the battery life is outstanding, and the EQ is not a gimmick.

    "...The touchpad has worked great (but again, I've only tested it in warm conditions)...." Read more

    "...pair of headphones is somewhat subjective... but I can say these work really well, bearing a few things in mind and that we've not quite reached the..." Read more

    "...This is fairly slick and works better than I expected. It only took a couple attempts to get the hang of it and it is responsive...." Read more

    "...to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously, but it is confusing how the preference works (the one connected last has the higher preference for audio),..." Read more

    370 customers mention "Ease of use"275 positive95 negative

    Customers find the headphones easy to use and control. The controls are straightforward, and the user interface is well-done. They mention that the case is stiff but not really hard, and the NFC pairing is quick and painless. The buttons and finger/hand gestures are intuitive.

    "...where someone complains about that (lol), because it is honestly a very easy and quick setting to change, and is not hidden at all...." Read more

    "...The case is stiff, but not really hard. The inside is the same as the QCs with a soft microfiber feel to it...." Read more

    "...is excellent, the Sony Connect app is feature rich and gives the user full control, the carrying case is sufficient/in line with other headphones..." Read more

    "A bit disappointed it came in a white, unmarked box with no instruction...." Read more

    686 customers mention "Value for money"478 positive208 negative

    Customers have different views on the headphones' value for money. Some find them reasonably priced for their quality and sound, describing them as premium. Others consider them relatively expensive, which may be a barrier for budgets.

    "...Their price is generally low. - On-ears are headphones where the cans are going on your ear...." Read more

    "...NO! They are absolutely worth the money if you have it. Generally, I find that I wear the Bose throughout the day as I'm working from home...." Read more

    "...Small price to pay for better ANC and musical sound." Read more

    "...I would not use XM3 to work with power tools, though. They are too expensive and possibly too fragile for a workshop, and the benefit is not large..." Read more

    344 customers mention "Bluetooth connectivity"97 positive247 negative

    Customers are unhappy with the Bluetooth connectivity of the headphones. They mention that the connection options are not as good as the Bose, they cannot connect to several devices at once, and they have app and connectivity issues. Some say that the headphones only connect automatically if you turn them on. Others struggled with connecting to their desktop PC for audio and gave up attempts to set up the audio.

    "...I think Bose is the same way. I also struggled with connecting to my desktop PC for audio and gave up attempts to set up the audio preference..." Read more

    "...My only complaint is that they do not support multiple simultaneous Bluetooth connections, that is, I cannot connect my laptop and phone at the same..." Read more

    "...Bose can connect to two devices simultaneously, but Sony can connect to only 1 device at a time...." Read more

    "...The moment you plug the USB-C charging cable into these, you lose all Bluetooth and ANC, and the sound shuts off until you stick the physical corded..." Read more

    Great Performer with Few Shortcomings
    4 out of 5 stars
    Great Performer with Few Shortcomings
    Quick Summary: (4/5)The Sony WH-1000XM3 is a great pair of headphones that hold their own against the tenured Bose. The Sony's provide a fun and full listening experience to a wide array of music genres that will make most perfectly content with their purchase. Bose's QC headphones will provde a more refined and pleasent listening experience especially for the discerning listener and will provide a stronger noise cancelling performance in a home or office setting. The stronger sound signature of the Sony will hold out better in a lounder atmosphere such as a plane, train, or automobile with its stronger bass performance. The Sony's lack the grace and balance of the QCs, but will provide a more familiar experience to the majority of listeners and will appeal more to someone who likes the sound of Apple's Beats, but is looking for a more professional or subtle design.Full Review:For the Sony WH-1000XM3 ($350), I will primarily compare it to the Bose Quiet Comfort (QC)($350) since even though they are all in the same relative price range, they are technically closer in price and age. I will also provide a little comparison to Bose's NC700 ($400) and Sennheiser's Momentum ($400) in the summary. Also, I will primarily discuss the pair of headphones in question and how it relates feature-wise to the Bose's Quiet Comfort (not QCII) headphones while refraining from giving too many details about the others, since you can read more specifically about those pairs individually in the review posted under their respective products. The reason for that is mainly to keep the review from becoming a master's thesis in subjective preferences. :)Initial Impression:Starting with the packaging. Simple and straight forward. The outer shell has a nice texture to it, but sliding out the insert with the headphones in it reveals a very simple package structure made up of just the case holding the headphones inside a box. However, the case itself feels really nice and has a sleek color palette. Very appealing to feel and look at in my opinion. Although the case is a touch bigger than the one for Bose's QC, it does a better job of holding its headphones. The QC's case always feels uncomfortably tight when putting them away. Sony's case neatly holds everything comfortably (without having to squish them in to zip it closed). The case is stiff, but not really hard. The inside is the same as the QCs with a soft microfiber feel to it. The headphones fold up inside with three little slots to the right for (inside to outside) the airplane adapter, 3.5mm aux cord, and USB Type-C charger cable.The Headphones:When I first picked them up out of the case, they felt nice. Soft plastic with a good feel to them. The plastic has a sparkle to it with a matte finish that resists fingerprinting decently. The band of leatherette on top is soft and has good cushion. Similarly around the ear cups. Very soft and nice to the touch. Not as stiff as the QCs. The click of the band when expanding it is satisfyingly stiff. At the top of both ear cups, you can see one of the microphones in a rose gold finish. Some other smaller holes are hidden around more subtly for the NC array. I feel this is a minor plus for the Sonys. The QC's microphones are a little more prominent and pick up wind a lot more outside. The USB Type-C port is at the bottom of the right cup with an indicator light. The left cup has the power button along the bottom back with the button for toggling the noise cancelling level just above it. Inside the ear cups, there is microfiber layer covering the drivers over a layer of foam. Overall the Sony's feel a little lighter than the QC's but also feel just slightly more flimsy when handling them. But the design is also more appealing and fluid and frankly more premium.When comparing the headphones while putting them on, the QC again feel more snug and naturally isolating before turning them on. The cups feel like they form a better seal given the stiffer covers and the QC also have angled drivers that leave natural room for your ears inside the cup, making the headphones not feel like they are sitting on your ears, but rather around them. The Sony are by no means uncomfortable, but may tend to be less comfortable for longer wear times and might make your ears prone to getting hotter.Sound Quality:For starters in this section, I will compare the noise cancelling. Upon turning the Sonys on, you are greeted by a woman's voice that sounds like it is in a tin can or cave when she speaks. When the NC kicks in, it does a darn good job of removing ambient sound and muffling people talking somewhat. It feels very close to the NC of the QCs, but I would still give them a leg up because the Sonys have a much more noticeable white noise factor playing whereas the QC feel more like they just sucked the sound out of the atmosphere around you. For the traveling folk (I primarily wear them in a typical office setting which any of these work plenty well for), I would say given the more aggressive, forward, pronounced sound stage with the Sonys, you will find them blocking sound better in a car or plane without the sound (especially on the lower, bass end) being washed out. The QCs have better NC, but the sound is softer in general so the sound still gets overwhelmed in a car/plane. I am not saying the NC is not doing its job, just that what you are left with is weaker with the QCs because the sound itself is subtler and more refined so you have to turn them up louder to make up for this.Now, it is difficult to judge sound since it is so subjective, but I will try to give my own impression of what each headphone may be better for. I listen to a wide range of genres, so I can appreciate many styles of music and how they are represented by different types of headphones and speakers. First, the Sonys bring a more forward sound. The sound stage isn't as wide as the QCs. Instruments get mixed together and lost in the fray. The sound of the Sonys feels more akin to that of Beats Studio. The bass is more pronounced and punchy which may be more appealing to some. If you prefer a balanced and clean representation, the QCs will serve you better. As you turn the volume up, the Sonys also lose more of their balance and can become muddy. The QCs give more of an impression that the music is playing around you, while the Sonys just feel like they're playing music. (if you really want to feel like you are on stage with the music, Sennheiser's HD800S is king. The HD700 or HD660S do a good job too at a better price, but these are all studio headphones, so totally different use case to begin with.)Where I really felt more of the performance shining through came in the Rap, R&B, or even some EDM/House area. I can definitely appreciate Sony more for some 2pac, Destiny's Child, Infected Mushroom, or Daft Punk. They are little too aggressive for music you may want a finer touch with such as jazz or opera. When listening to some Kenny G, David Benoit, or Keiko Matsui, you get that groove, but the fine details and intricacies of the instruments are sacrificed. Also, the sharp trills of the piano keys and saxophone are a bit much at higher volumes. The visceral in-your-face nature of the sound also makes them pretty fun for bands in the vein of Disturbed, Five Finger Death Punch, Pantera, and Metallica. Going a bit further that direction, with the likes of Eluveitie and Slayer it will be more likely to give you a headache from the unsubdued highs and thrashing sounds. Taking a couple steps back and going for some more classic rock like the Eagles, Journey, Gerry Rafferty, etc., the QC will perform better, but they are fine with Sony's headphones. Finally, when listening to music with a gentler atmosphere like Norah Jones, Ray LaMontagne, Ludovico Einaudi, or Celtic Woman, I would have to give it to Bose's QCs again but the Sony did liven them up a bit in a way.Features:Both Sony and QC have three levels of NC. High, Ambient sounds, and off. The QC handle this a lot better. The mid level for the Sony feels worthless and clumsy without audio playing. It almost sounds better being turned off. On the QC, the mid level provides a good balance and allows you to wear them outside on a windy day with reduced noise from the wind in the NC microphone. However, in the case of the QC (instead of the QCII), you need the app to change the NC level.The QC claim 20 hours of battery, which I have thoroughly proven to be true in the years I have owned them. Sony's claim 30 hours, which I have also found to be true, but I haven't had them nearly as long to see how they hold up over time. Also having had the QCs for longer, I have had to replace the ear pads after about 2 years. This process was easy and made them feel and sound new again with the better seal of fresh pads. The process for both headphones appears to be the same.Call quality is great for both headphones. I also use them for Skype calls from my laptop at work where they work great. However, this is one of those places the Sony completely dropped the ball. Bose's QCs allow two devices connected at the same time, and you can switch seamlessly between them which makes them great for the office. I have them on the laptop and my phone at the same time. I can listen to music while working. When its meeting time, I just join the Skype call and it immediately picks up. If I get a call on my phone, it switches back over. When I am done, music is ready to go. I don't have to touch anything. Next time I turn them on, it picks backup to the laptop and my phone immediately.Both charge fast. Just a few minutes will give me a couple hours of use in a pinch. Both also have apps. The Bose app is laid out better and more useful, but neither are really great or even necessary except in the case of the Bose being able to sync two pairs of Bose headphones to play the same music or audio through both. This may be a good deal for a couple seeking to both watch a movie on a plane or something. I have done this a couple times and it works well once setup. It is a nice feature in favor of Bose, but I haven't really found a lot of use for it in reality.For the Sonys, you have the features with the right cup having touch controls. This is fairly slick and works better than I expected. It only took a couple attempts to get the hang of it and it is responsive. Swipe up and down for volume. Swipe left and right for skipping tracks. Double tap to play and pause. And finally, if you hold your fingers on the right ear cup, it will turn the volume down and turn on the external microphone to catch ambient sound if you need to talk to someone really quick without stopping your music. A nice feature, but I personally haven't found much use for it. Might be useful for people in a bigger city like NYC walking around with the headphones constantly and you don't want to take them off every time you need to listen for a moment.Conclusion:Sony's WH-1000XM3 are no slouch and stand up for themselves at this price range. For someone looking for a pair of headphones with solid noise cancelling, flexible and diverse performance across genres and premium features, you won't go wrong with these. I dock them to 4/5 stars simply because in my own opinion, they fall short of Bose's QC series at the same price range in the overall quality and balance of the sound, noise cancellation ability, and the ability to connect to two devices at once and seamlessly hand off between them which is extremely handy for business people in today's multi-device world. Now, for my brief mention of the slightly more expensive options in the Bose NC700 and Sennheiser Momentum. If you are willing to step just a bit further up to the $400 mark, you will get even better quality, better noise cancelation, more premium feel and just overall better devices. However, I will propose that with the Sony or Bose QCs, you would not go wrong. For the majority of people, I would not say the extra money is worth it for the marginal increase over these headphones. It will mostly come down to your preference in sound.I will try to keep these reviews updated as time goes on and if anything comes up. Feel free to ask any questions and I will give a response when I can.
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    Top reviews from the United States

    • Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2020
      Color: BlackVerified Purchase
      I had Bose headsets for travel for over 20 years. I had Bose QC-1, QC-2; I still have QC-20 wired earbuds and aviation headset A20. Recently, I had a challenge of finding headset which not only works to cancel noise in an airplane, but which also works better than earplugs at home, especially to reduce noise of piano played in a different room. I compared Sony 1000XM3 with Bose QC35 and 700 at a store, bought two pairs of Sony, and compared them with Bose QC-20 and A20. On top of that, I did tons of research.

      To begin with, Bose used to be "the king of noise cancellation" for many years. This reign is coming to an end: the competition is fierce. In pro aviation world, Lightspeed created a strong competition to Bose, while in the consumer world, Sony came up with a product widely superior in noise cancellation. Bose tried to answer Sony with Bose 700, but it is still inferior in noise cancellation and usability and features of the phone app.

      According to independent testing data available on the internet, Sony's noise cancellation is up to 6 dB better than Bose. If you are not familiar with dB scale, it is a log scale, and 6 dB is a little more than a factor of 2. Noise cancellation efficiency is frequency dependent, so it is hard to compare apples to apples. Power spectrum across all frequency gives an about 2 dB advantage to Sony (29 dB compared to 27 dB of Bose 700), in low frequency range Sony beats Bose with a high margin (about 6 dB), in high frequency range Bose appears to be better. Yet, when you put Sony on your head, followed by Bose, and switch back and forth, Sony is impressively better. Like, way better. Tons better. So much better that you sometimes wonder if Bose is turned on at all.

      Comparing Sony XM3 with Bose QC20, Sony is better in all respects other than small size and weight of QC20. Noise cancellation is better, and sound quality is better. Comparison with aviation headset A20 shows that A20 is slightly superior in terms of noise cancellation (and, surprisingly, even in sound quality), probably due to a passive noise cancellation component - but A20 is a $1100 headset with a massive wire and console, and connectors are not compatible with consumer electronics. You would never consider it unless you fly an airplane as a pilot. High frequency hissing, which existed up to QC15 and still present in A20 (introduced in 2015) is almost gone in both newer Bose and in Sony. Difference in noise cancellation quality between Bose A20 and Sony XM3 is worth maybe $50, but not $800. I think we are talking about several dB, nothing major.

      Sound quality is subjective. Neither Sony nor Bose 700 are audiophile grade. One cannot tell the difference while playing music via Bluetooth from a phone, but plug them with a cable into a headphone amplifier and play 24/96 music, compare with Hi-Fi headphones (I have good old Sennheiser HD-620 which used to be in the top 10 best some 20 years ago; not anymore, but they are still great sounding high end headphones) - and you can tell immediately that these are not Hi-Fi headphones. Not even close. With a good sound source, they sound dull and sound stage is not there. But they sound well enough for daily use, for playing music from the phone, certainly better than most earbuds. Sony sounds a little better than Bose 700 to my taste, but it is close, very close, there are small difference in color of the sound which are very subjective. I rated the sound five stars because this is not a Hi-Fi headset, it is a noise cancelling headset, and the price is determined primarily by its noise cancellation abilities. As long as you can listen to music and enjoy it, as long as it does not sound like cheap earbuds, it is OK. For really high quality of sound without noise cancellation, there are much better options in the same price range.

      App is not required with Sony and Bose (despite misleading information on the web, either headset can be used without the app), but Sony app is much better. It does not require registration and has many more features, including adjustment of noise cancellation to ambient pressure.

      Sony, to my surprise, works very well for phone calls in the office environment. There were many reports that Bose was vastly superior, perhaps this is the case when one needs aggressive noise cancellation, like on the street among cars and people. Or maybe Sony made updates to firmware which fixed the issues which they had. When answering calls at home, the sound quality on the other end of the line is excellent. People cannot tell I am wearing a headset.

      Comfort is purely subjective and depends on one's head size and shape. I have a big head, so most headphones exert some pressure. Sony is no exception, but I am fine with that. I must say, the most comfortable headset for my head is Bose QC 35 II, followed by Sony XM3 and followed by Bose 700. Bose 700 feels a tad cooler on the ears. A20 creates too much pressure on my ears.

      For travel (e.g., vacation) QC20 is hard to beat, due to their very small size. They are inferior to XM3 or latest Bose, but do their job well enough. For use at home or in the office, bluetooth headsets with better noise cancellation and better sound and with the ability to make calls are the way to go.

      Finally, cancellation of piano sounds. My wife teaches piano full time from home. Sound is a problem in our home. When I am in the same room as our grand piano, I can hear it loud and clear, although much less loud than without the headset. However, when I go to my office and close the door (which is a glass door which only partially blocks the sounds), I can barely hear it and can focus on whatever I am doing without distraction from the sounds. I tried QC20 for this purpose, and they were not quite up to the task. I got the 33 NRR rated 3M earplugs, and they also were not perfect either. I can tell that Sony XM3 works better. I would not use XM3 to work with power tools, though. They are too expensive and possibly too fragile for a workshop, and the benefit is not large enough to warrant the difference in price.

      Build quality of Sony seems to be better than Bose (and less expensive, too). The headset is made in Malaysia. Bose, I must say, can make great quality headsets (A20, with 5 years warranty, is an evidence to that), but consumer grade headsets always had an almost marginal quality. Bose, by the way, does not repair them once they are out of warranty. They make you buy new ones with a discount. Two of my old Bose headphones broke and I had to replace them because repair option was not offered, and lifetime of synthetic leather ear pads was too short for a quality product. It is too early to say how well Sony would last - we will see.

      After buying the first headset on Amazon, I got another one for my son. My son absolutely wanted Bose, but after comparing them side by side in a store, and listening to mine, he said, I still like Bose, but I recognize that Sony is better in all respects... So we got him Sony from a local store.

      The only frustrating part is that Amazon has dropped the price by $50 after I bought both pairs! What a bummer - but now, Bose is completely not competitive.

      The only downside which I found so far... Sony can connect to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously, but it is confusing how the preference works (the one connected last has the higher preference for audio), and there is no easy way to change the preference or even disconnect a specific sound source. You cannot do it in the app. I think Bose is the same way. I also struggled with connecting to my desktop PC for audio and gave up attempts to set up the audio preference correctly. Either I did not figure out how to do it correctly, or something can be improved in the next releases of the App and firmware. I am sure it will be done, eventually.

      For what it is worth, competition between suppliers is good - it drives features and quality up and prices down. I hope, Bose will catch up eventually - they missed the opportunity to do it with the 700. Sony 1000XM3 remains the best product in this class for second year in a row.
      9 people found this helpful
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    • Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2020
      Color: BlackVerified Purchase
      I was in the market for a pair of headphones, and looking at the Bose QCII and XM3s (which I honestly found from googling and seeing which reviewers recommended, I'm in no way an expert on headphones).

      Most reviews led me to believe the XM3s were the way to go, but I saw a ton of reviews on Amazon that called out really awful features/issues. Some commentary on things I was worried about:

      "Headphones beep and turn off after 5 minutes of not using" - This is a setting you can easily disable in the app. Like super easy. You should probably ignore any review where someone complains about that (lol), because it is honestly a very easy and quick setting to change, and is not hidden at all. I have not had any issues with my headphones beeping.

      "The microphone is awful." - I don't use these often on calls, but I've been told my sound was good on the few calls I have used these on.

      "Battery life is bad." - I haven't intentionally tried to run these down to a 0 battery to see how long they last, but I used these constantly in the first week I got them, and didn't charge them all week. My battery life has been fine.

      "The touchpad is bad." It sounds like there are some legitimate concerns with using it in cold weather, but it's May so I haven't had a chance to test that. In general, the touchpad on the right here has been great. It took me a little getting used to on the first day, but since then I haven't accidentally paused it or changed tracks while trying to change the volume, or vice versa. The touchpad has worked great (but again, I've only tested it in warm conditions). I listen to a lot of audiobooks around the house so I pause a lot when my wife talks to me, and the doubletap to pause is very handy. The "hold the ear" feature to enhance the mic works well.

      Google assistant - haven't used it yet, will update if I do.

      "These were very difficult to get to sync". I've only linked these to my Pixel 2, but the process was quick and easy. I have not tr

      "Sound quality is bad with X." Sound quality has been great music, audiobooks, and podcasts so far. I like to leave the headphones on the "Bright" EQ for everything I listen to. The surround sound mode is awesome for music, but is very weird for podcasts/videos, so I generally only use surround sound for music.

      "Build quality is bad". I haven't owned many pairs of headphones like this, but the build quality seems at least as good as previous pairs of Beats or Sennheiser headphones I've owned. Nevertheless, I went ahead and paid $30 for the 3 year Azurion warranty with Amazon, and plan to use that if there is ever an issue.

      Other thoughts:
      -Headphone range is good. I have not disconnected due to range a single time, and I've walked around my entire house (~1000 sqft) with these connected to my phone via bluetooth and my phone charging in another room.
      -USB-C is great. So glad I don't have to use some janky old cable.
      -Sound quality is good over bluetooth. I am definitely not an expert on sound quality, but I've primarily used these over bluetooth and have been consistently pleased with the sound quality.
      -Headphones are generally comfortable. My ears do not get hot or sweat at all when I wear these indoors. I've worn them on a couple walks outdoors in the Texas heat, and as you'd expect, they get a bit warmer and sweatier, but I would be shocked if they didn't. I think i have a medium to large sized head, and I don't get tired of wearing them.
      -Using ANC took some getting used to. I've never had a noise cancelling headphones before, so it did take a few days to adjust and feel like there wasn't pressure on my ears.
      -The "optimizer" in the app. I'm not sure how much this actually optimized the noise cancelling for my ears, but it seemed like a cool feature if it did work.

      Overall, I've had a great experience with these headphones so far. If you're like me and you read all the 1 star reviews before purchasing, take some of them with a grain of salt because a lot people clearly didn't even try to learn how to use their headphones, and complain about things they can change.
      7 people found this helpful
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    • Anderson
      5.0 out of 5 stars Headphone Wh-1000Xm3
      Reviewed in Brazil on July 20, 2024
      Color: BlackVerified Purchase
      Produto muito bom com ele você pode fazer varias coisas sem receio de cair da sua cabeça o som dele é muito bom e o cancelamento de ruido funciona como esperado ate mesmo em lugar barulhento com de metro de SP.
    • Joshua
      5.0 out of 5 stars excellent for the current price
      Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 13, 2022
      Color: BlackVerified Purchase
      noise cancellation is good for low constant noises, like a train or a fan, not great for high pitched or sudden noises- but better than nothing. sound quality is excellent as a non-audiophile, much better than any earphones/headphones i’ve tried before (bar airpod maxs , but price lol). comfort is excellent, apart from when working out and walking, which has a slight issue with sweat buildup. they’re okay for walking but for heavy cardio i don’t recommend these (try some earbuds). great carry case too. battery is also very good, i charge it like once a week.
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      Joshua
      5.0 out of 5 stars excellent for the current price
      Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 13, 2022
      noise cancellation is good for low constant noises, like a train or a fan, not great for high pitched or sudden noises- but better than nothing. sound quality is excellent as a non-audiophile, much better than any earphones/headphones i’ve tried before (bar airpod maxs , but price lol). comfort is excellent, apart from when working out and walking, which has a slight issue with sweat buildup. they’re okay for walking but for heavy cardio i don’t recommend these (try some earbuds). great carry case too. battery is also very good, i charge it like once a week.
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    • Willyman
      5.0 out of 5 stars LOS MEJORES AUDIFONOS PORTATILES EN EL MERCADO
      Reviewed in Mexico on April 23, 2020
      Color: BlackVerified Purchase
      No es un artículo promocional, pero debo de decir que estos audífonos superaron mis expectativas.Cumplen con todas las especificaciones y características anunciadas en la pagina de Sony. En comparación con el Bose Q35, el V-Moda Croosfade 2 CODEC, Sony los supera ampliamente ya que cuenta muchos atributos que la competencia no posee:
      La estructura esta bien hecha con materiales plásticos de alta calidad que le permiten un peso menor contra la competencia. Los grados de ajuste de la diadema son estupendos y lo mas importante con referencia a este rubro es que las almohadillas son más que cómodas; puedes usar estos audífonos por horas.
      En cuanto a los componentes, la función de reducción de Ruido es sobresaliente, existe una calibración en los audífonos que puedes poner diferentes opciones y en la aplicación puedes añadir el grado según tus actividades. Además hay un optimizador que te regula la reducción de Ruido de acuerdo a la altura atmosférica por ejemplo en un avión.
      En cuanto al sonido, este es excelente. El Grave es potente sin generar un sobresaturación y los medios y agudos están bien balanceados. En conjunto el sonido es excepcional para todo tipo de música.
      Lo mas impresionante es la aplicación donde puedes regular diferentes ecualizaciones de acuerdo a tu gusto. Es muy fácil de instalar sin menospreciar que la conectividad inalámbrica es sobresaliente.
      En cuanto a las llamadas, es donde queda a deber un poco. Las llamadas se oyen con eco y no permite una reducción de Ruido. Por lo tanto no aísla el exterior y se escucha desde el viento, hasta voces y trafico. Sin embargo si se logra una comunicación adecuada, no tan bien lograda cono en los audífonos Bose.
      En conclusion puedo decir que estos audífonos son ideales para todo tipo de música, logrando un sonido excepcional digo de audiófilos exigentes. Tienen excelente conectividad, sobresaliendo la Reducción de Ruido, son muy cómodos, no cansan y con una aplicación más que excelente.
      Si piensas gastar más en cualquier otra marca y buscas unos audífonos cómodos, con alta fidelidad y reducción de Ruidos y cuentas con el presupuesto, esta es la mejor opción.
    • CheekyMonkey
      5.0 out of 5 stars Love them and live in them
      Reviewed in Canada on July 6, 2020
      Color: SilverVerified Purchase
      I've never had an "expensive" pair of headphones before. These are amazing. Since the day I got them, I've been practically living in them. I have a lot of online meetings for work, so they get used all day for that. Then at night I use them for watching shows, podcasts, music, audiobooks, etc. They connect easily to both my laptop and phone. The noise cancelling feature works really well, so now even when I'm doing the dishes or vacuuming, I can listen to music. I like the fact that you can put your palm on the side of them to mute them when talking to someone in person. Or double-tap to pause. The swipe controls work really well. The mic is very clear and just as good as my old headset that had a mic extension in front of my face.

      These are so comfortable and light that I often forget I'm wearing them (like I will look for them and then realize I'm wearing them). With other headsets, I've had weird pressure points on or behind my ears, so wearing them for extended periods wasn't possible. I can literally wear these from morning to night without issue.

      The battery lasts a looong time. If I have a full charge in the morning, I can get a full day with them, plus the next day until the end of my work day. So almost 2 fulls days with heavy use. And they don't take long to charge, either. Like an hour or two, max? I like that they will tell you how much batter is left.

      The case is well made and easy to use. I take them to work every day, so that's important to me. I wish the included usb-c cable was a few cms longer, but it's not a deal-breaker.

      The only thing that I would really wish for would be the ability to mute the microphone during calls. Seems like a weird oversight on Sony's part.

      I've had them for about 8 months now. Recently I've noticed that about a minute after turning them on, they turn themselves off. Once I've turned them back on, they stay on for good. This doesn't happen every time (maybe one in 3 or 4 times?), but it's worrying. I hope this isn't indicating a problem that's going to get worse.
    • Puji
      1.0 out of 5 stars Calidad precio,muy muy malos
      Reviewed in Spain on August 7, 2020
      Color: BlackVerified Purchase
      Esperaba mucho más,por unos auriculares tan caros