A Consumer’s Review
I am just an average consumer, reviewing the Sony WH1000XM3 headphones. I have owned these headphones for a little while now and I am really pleased with my purchase.
My preferences for headphones are very simple. Comfort, Sound, Battery Life and Noise Cancellation. Basic requirements for a lot of people. We will look at 3 major parts of this technology - design, performance & battery life. Let’s have a look!
Sony WH1000XM3: Design
The Sony WH1000XM3 headphones are incredibly light. At approximately 255 grams, this pair of headphones will not weigh your head down. The overall look is nothing crazy, which is what I prefer.
I chose the black design over the grey because black goes with a lot of colours. So it wouldn't look out of place. Having the ability to fold them into the provided compact case to free up space in your backpack or bag is a bonus.
The comfort level of these headphones is great for a medium amount of time. After the 4 hour mark, it starts to get a little agitating. Otherwise, they are comfy enough.
Sony WH1000XM3: Performance
To start with, I will start with the only downfall. When connecting to devices, the first initial connection process is smooth. But, once trying to connect to another device, you need to disconnect and then connect to the new device.
Also, when you want to connect to a specific device but the headphones are already connected to another device. Even when you choose to connect through the new device, it won’t connect unless you disconnect the other device.
It’s a minor issue but it can get annoying when it keeps occurring. Anyway, let’s get into the pros of these noise-cancelling headphones.
Noise Cancelling
The Sony WH1000XM3 has two sounds modes, Noise Cancelling and Ambient Mode. The noise-cancelling is really effective. There are still some points of noise that comes through, but overall the quality of the noise cancelling is top-notch.
The Sony Headphones Connect Application, allows the user to decide the level of noise cancellation they prefer. From noise cancelling to Ambient level 20. There are some other features on this app like:
- Sound Mixer
- Focus on Voice
- Sound Position Control
- Noise Cancelling Optimiser
- and More!
Ambient Mode
The Ambient Mode works as expected. This allows the listener to listen to audio and hear their surroundings too. This is great for an office space or in public transport. But for those that want to cancel out all their surroundings, holding the “NC/Ambient” button until a voice appears.
Touch Controls
The Sony WH1000XM3 touch controls are on the right ear cup, which is an awesome feature. There is a diagram of the gestures on the carry case provided . The gestures are quite self-explanatory. Swipe up and down for volume controls, left and right to go back or skip next. Double dap in the centre to pause/play or answer calls.
Finally, these headphones have a Google Assistant integration feature and can be activated by speaking, “Hey Google.” Although this is a great addition, I have never used the voice assistant since I purchased the headphones.
Quick Attention Mode
In addition to the touch controls, the Quick Attention Mode is an innovative way to hear any external sound without taking the headphones off. With a simple hand over the right earcup, the Quick Attention Mode kicks in.
Using the outside microphones, it will intake all sounds and play it back through the headphones. A standout feature compared to other headphones.
Sony WH1000XM3: Battery Life
The Sony WH1000XM3 lives up to the 30-hour battery life. The headphones can go through 3-4 workdays without having the low-battery warning.
When purchasing devices, I like to look for USB-C ports, and this device didn't disappoint. With the quick-charge compatibility, charging only takes about 10 minutes to regain up to 3 hours of life. So the Sony WH1000XM3 has awesome battery life.
Bonus feature: Using Sony’s Headphones Connect app, users can decide to activate an auto-off mode to automatically turn off the headphones when they are inactive for a set time.
The Decision
Overall, for the $449 AUD price tag, I personally think the Sony WH1000XM3 is worth the purchase. For an average consumer, they perform to the highest standards and the battery life lasts.
