When I bought these, I was half expecting that I wouldn't like what I was getting for the (admittedly, very) high price point of $300 CAD and I would just return them and buy the $100 cheaper Samsung Galaxy Buds.
To my surprise (and pleasure!), I found I really enjoyed using these right out of the box and after a couple weeks of intensive use at home (I've forced myself to use these instead of my typical over-ear headphones), work/school and to and from work/school and home, I'm not enjoying them any less. The greatest contributing factor, as it should be with any audio device, is the quality of audio that comes out of them, in which these surely do not disappoint.However, when using these earbuds, I think there are multiple factors that contribute to why I like them so much, so I will elaborate on each factor below.
In terms of build quality, I have no complaints. Everything feels well built and premium (which is what you should be getting at the price point). I can't comment on long term durability at this point, but impressions after two weeks of pretty heavy use is good. Comfort is also good, but not perfect (probably around a 4/5). In the first few days of using them, my ears would start to feel a little sore after a few hours of continuous use, but it would only feel so if I took them out (not while I was wearing them). After a week or so, this went away and I can use these for hours at a time without feeling any discomfort. Your mileage may vary, depending on personal factors like ear shape.
Speaking of using for hours on end, battery life is excellent. I haven't used them for 6 hours straight, so I've never drained them, but I have used them for 2-3 hours at a time and in that time, the battery rarely ever goes below 70% (as indicated on the companion app). If you couple this with the fast charging case, if you just pop these back in for a few minutes at a time every couple hours, it's very easy to keep the battery topped up. Overall, considering that I always keep active noise cancelling on, the battery life is excellent.
Connectivity is solid, but not perfect. Pairing is easy with NFC and connecting occurs relatively quickly once you pull the headphones out of the case. During use, I have had a few occasions where sound will drop for a very brief moment (typically where there is more interference). I have had a few issues where the earbuds will randomly drop the volume super low. I'm not sure if this is due to my phone, music player or the earbuds themselves, but simply reconnecting resolves the issue. The companion app works well enough and is a convenient place to update firmware and tweak settings (like EQ and setting the level of ambient sound). Touch controls on the earbuds themselves are a bit finicky but fine once you get used to them. Sony also recently updated the firmware on these, allowing for volume control from touch controls (a feature that some other reviews might be missing).
The noise cancelling, for being found on such a small piece of hardware, is surprisingly good. I think it's important to remember that noise cancelling is never perfect and will always struggle with things like voices and random, higher frequency noises. Having said that, if you have find the tips that fit correctly, the passive noise isolation is pretty good, and if you layer on top of that, music at a reasonable volume and the active noise cancelling, you will have trouble hearing outside noises (including voices etc.). I've used these in a few different contexts (on the bus/train, in the office, in a research lab with considerable background noise, at home). In each case, the noise cancelling performed admirably. The typically noisy hum of the bus and train is quite effectively blocked out by the ANC. The ANC on a small pair of earbuds like these is not going to be as effective as the ANC on higher end, over ear headphones (like the Sony WH1000XM3 or Bose QC35II), but considering what these are, I would say the ANC is more than good enough. However, I haven't flown with these yet, so the verdict is still out for that scenario.
Now, for the most important part: the sound. No matter how great everything I just talked about was, if I did not like the way these sounded, I would have returned these in a heartbeat. After all, what's the point of having an expensive pair of earbuds (that might otherwise be great) if you don't like listening to music on them? Fortunately, I was not let down by the sound quality. These are a pleasure to listen to. The sound is nice and clear, and doesn't sound congested as some in-ear earphones can. The sound is surprisingly balanced. I expected these to be much bassier, but I did not find the bass muddy or overwhelming. The bass sounds full and clear with good sub-bass. Mids sound nice and clear, not overly recessed. Treble is also clear and sparkly but not harsh and fatiguing. Vocals sound great, although I will say there is slightly more sibilance on these than I would prefer. They sound great across a variety of genres. If you like EDM, the great bass and sparkly treble make these very give your tracks a lot of impact. But they also sound fantastic if you like more instrumental music (I listen to a lot of JPop/anime music). I don't use any EQ, as I prefer the stock sound compared to the different EQ profiles that Sony has on their app. I have seen people recommend the "excited" preset, but for my tastes, it makes the earbuds sound a little too V-shaped (treble becomes too sparkly, a bit too harsh, and the bass is boomier).
Overall, I think the best way to describe what I think of the sound on these is I like them. They sound good. Are these going to give you the same level of audio quality as a same priced wired IEMs or headphones? Probably not. Do I care? Not really. I don't have high end audio ear, but I do have a couple pairs of more expensive (entry level audiophile) headphones (my go to being Sennheiser HD58X Jubilees) and I enjoy listening to these as much as I like listening to those. Plus, those aren't true wireless or noise cancelling. It's harder use them in the office or the lab. And for the convenience and features that these earbuds afford you, the sound is darn impressive. In the end, sound quality is subjective and can depend on other factors, like ear canal shape or age, and so the best way to tell if you'll like how these sound (if you are really up to spending the $300 these cost) is just buy these and try them out (you can always return later).
In conclusion, these are a fantastic pair of earbuds. The convenience of true wireless, great battery life, good connectivity and comfort and great sound quality make for a great product that I don't hesitate to recommend. (If you're ok with spending $300 on a pair of earbuds that is...)
| Brand | Sony |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Sony |
| Place of Business | SAN DIEGO, CA, 92127 US |
| Model | WF-1000XM3/B |
| Model Name | WF-1000XM3/B |
| Model year | 2019 |
| Part Number | WF-1000XM3/B |
| Compatible Devices | Compatible with bluetooth supporting device |
| Special features | Noise Cancellation |
| Mounting Hardware | Charging Case, Triple Comfort Earbuds (S, M, L × 2) Long Hybrid silicone rubber earbuds (SS, S, M, L × 2), Warranty Card, Operating Instruction, Reference Guide, USB Type-C™ cable (Approx.20cm) |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Microphone format | Built-In |
| Headphones Form Factor | In Ear |
| Voltage | 1 Volts |
| Power source type | Battery |
| Charging Time | 6 Hours |
| Batteries included | Yes |
| Batteries Required | Yes |
| Battery Cell Composition | Lithium Ion |
| Cable Feature | Without Cable |
| Connector Type | Bluetooth, NFC |
| Human Interface Input | Microphone |
| Material Type | Rubber |
| Does it contain liquid? | No |
| Includes rechargable battery | Yes |
| Manufacturer | Sony |
| Item model number | WF-1000XM3/B |
| Product Dimensions | 14.22 x 11.99 x 6.35 cm; 100 Grams |
| ASIN | B07T81554H |
