The Sony XM3s are probably the best cheap alternative noise cancelling headphones on the market!!! These headphones are basically the XM4s but cheaper and still preform the same! The headphones come with an app that allows you to customize your listening experience. These things get LOUD so be careful but I enjoy the loudness personally. The headphones come with everything you need, and airplane adapter if you use it on a flight, headphone jack cord, and a usb type c cord that in only 10 minutes charge equals 5 hours of playback! One of the coolest features are that the headphones detect what setting your in and changes the ambient sound setting so if your on a subway train it turns on noise canceling by itself!!! Another cool feature is if you place the palm of ... MoreThe Sony XM3s are probably the best cheap alternative noise cancelling headphones on the market!!! These headphones are basically the XM4s but cheaper and still preform the same! The headphones come with an app that allows you to customize your listening experience. These things get LOUD so be careful but I enjoy the loudness personally. The headphones come with everything you need, and airplane adapter if you use it on a flight, headphone jack cord, and a usb type c cord that in only 10 minutes charge equals 5 hours of playback! One of the coolest features are that the headphones detect what setting your in and changes the ambient sound setting so if your on a subway train it turns on noise canceling by itself!!! Another cool feature is if you place the palm of your hand on the right ear cup you’ll be able to hear your surroundings! Overall I think this is the to go cheap headphones!

As good as they say!

I’ve recently purchased the WH-1000XM3 when looking to use a department store gift voucher. So, I’ve not paid retail for these by any stretch but they are totally worth the £159 I would have paid for them as an on sale superseded model.The noise cancelling is incredibly effective, and the touch pad is such a fantastic feature, my favourite part of it being the touch to dip program and pass outside audio through. Brilliant!They sound very good, and as a professional sound engineer I’m happy to use these recreationally and while travelling. The sound is mostly well balanced, and slightly boosted in the low end - not enough to be distracting as some competitor’s products are. There is an EQ available in the app, but I found the bands are so broad that it’s hard to ... MoreI’ve recently purchased the WH-1000XM3 when looking to use a department store gift voucher. So, I’ve not paid retail for these by any stretch but they are totally worth the £159 I would have paid for them as an on sale superseded model.The noise cancelling is incredibly effective, and the touch pad is such a fantastic feature, my favourite part of it being the touch to dip program and pass outside audio through. Brilliant!They sound very good, and as a professional sound engineer I’m happy to use these recreationally and while travelling. The sound is mostly well balanced, and slightly boosted in the low end - not enough to be distracting as some competitor’s products are. There is an EQ available in the app, but I found the bands are so broad that it’s hard to really dial in a fully flat response. But in reality, they’re designed for entertainment, and that’s what they do well.The iOS app broadly strikes me as a bit of a gimmick, and a potential point of obsoleteness, but is useful in some instances. The app’s automatic switching to different modes (walking/running etc.) while a nice idea, I found it switching modes too easily. Things like just leaning forward to pick something up or walk across the room to do a small task before sitting down again would trigger different modes, and became frustrating, so I’ve turned the feature off.Not sure what the special placement feature is supposed to achieve in the app. Maybe to showcase their virtual surround 360° feature? I can’t see making the music appear to be coming from behind you to the right (for example) to be useful for normal listening in my opinion.The Bluetooth connects easily to my iPhone 12 ProMax and Samsung TV and the range is reasonable enough that I can be in the next room without a dropout. There is a delay with the Bluetooth when watching TV/Films so can appear a bit disconnected. The ability to delay your video without affecting the audio would be advantageous on your playback device, but that is not a fault of the Sonys and more an issue with Bluetooth technology broadly.Charge wise, they seem to last quite a while, but in reality I’ve mostly used sporadically around home so far, and the real test in battery life will be some real travelling, that is somewhat difficult in late 2020/early 2021.The fit is comfortable and as a larger man (6’4”) I find they enclose my ears well and don’t seem too tight. Over time I find they feel a little tight but usually adjusting them relieves the sensation. It may be that I’m not positioning them correctly when I put them on, but I suspect that it’s the nature of what required to seal correctly. I can imagine using these more than 3-4 hours without needing a break.Charging seems easy enough-plug in to a laptop or phone charger’s usb A to charge with the included usb A-C cable. It’s quite a short cable, and I guess it’s mostly to fit it in the case, which I appreciate, but was difficult to position for charging in my setup due to its minimal length.The case is well designed with little deciders to house the charge and audio cable in separate compartments along with a pocket for the airline adapter. Everything fits nice and snugly and feels secure with nothing moving around.Overall, a great set of headphones, with rich detailed sound which is slightly bass heavy. Excellent noise cancellation and a lot of great - if not slightly adventurous/gimmicky - extra DSP features. Well worth the £159 I spent, and maybe the £200 they seem to be going for now, but I’m not sure for me that the original retail of £300+ is/was particularly justified.A no brainier if you’re thinking the new XM4 model is too expensive, or you’re upgrading from older noise cancellation tech or non cancellation/wired headphones.

Great headphones, when they work.

The sound quality of the headphones is superb and the ACN is one of the best i ever had. Everything wold be perfect, but the disappointing customer support od Sony ruins it for me. I have the headphones since a little over two years and a common error occurred. The ACN of the right speaker is faulty, making noise cancelling unusable (permanent static noise). Even if have the headphones over 2 years I would expect an exchange, not even 3 years of lifetime of such an expensive premium product in nothing else as disappointing. It shows that sony has no trust in its products and I will have to buy new headphones again, from somewhere were I can at least expect a little bit more of customer service.What a pity, I really liked the headphones

Great noise cancelling headphones

Had the headphones for a week now and they've had 40 hours of use. I got them because my 15 year old Bose set are getting a little frayed at the edges. I was looking for wireless, comfort, noise cancellation and sound quality but could only justify buying a new pair (my old ones still work and are good quality) when the price was drastically reduced. The heavy usage is due to the current pandemic and my medical status. I am retired on medical grounds so I'm not getting out much, my wife is working from home and has set up office on our dining table. To prevent me disturbing her and to cut out the noise of her constant zoom meetings I have the headphone on nearly all day. They get a variety of uses (TV, film, radio and music) from a variety of sources. The sound ... MoreHad the headphones for a week now and they've had 40 hours of use. I got them because my 15 year old Bose set are getting a little frayed at the edges. I was looking for wireless, comfort, noise cancellation and sound quality but could only justify buying a new pair (my old ones still work and are good quality) when the price was drastically reduced. The heavy usage is due to the current pandemic and my medical status. I am retired on medical grounds so I'm not getting out much, my wife is working from home and has set up office on our dining table. To prevent me disturbing her and to cut out the noise of her constant zoom meetings I have the headphone on nearly all day. They get a variety of uses (TV, film, radio and music) from a variety of sources. The sound quality is excellent, from the high pitched shriek of Jesus and Mary Chain distortion to the rumbling bass of Jah Wobble, it's as good as I've ever had it. The noise cancellation is superior to my old Bose, much better than I was expecting which has caused me to miss a delivery as I couldn't hear the knocking. They are very comfortable initially but after prolonged use they can cause sweating mild discomfort which is resolved by a short break. I have had some issues with Bluetooth pairing, some devices work better than others the less than optimal units causing breaks in sound reception. If it's a big issue it can be resolved by a wired connection but that's not alway possible. Over all I am very pleased with them and at less than £200 they are a relative bargain.

Great sound, fantastic noise cancelling

The case is good and sturdy, the headphones fit well, with room for a charge cable, (I replaced the cable supplied, it was too short) and a 3.5mm cable, and on the outside there's netting, and it is big enough to hold a 3 meter 3.5mm extension..The phones themselves are light, very comfy, not too sweaty and don't squeeze your ears too tight. They work right out of the box, charged, pair simply with Bluetooth, recharge fast, and have a massive 30 hour rundown.The app is very useful, so many settings that actually make huge differences in sound..speaking of the sound, volume is good, deep non distorted bass, uncomplicated clear mid ranges, and excellent highs. If you wish to try it, there's settings to use Sony 360, which means using the app to photo your ears, ... MoreThe case is good and sturdy, the headphones fit well, with room for a charge cable, (I replaced the cable supplied, it was too short) and a 3.5mm cable, and on the outside there's netting, and it is big enough to hold a 3 meter 3.5mm extension..The phones themselves are light, very comfy, not too sweaty and don't squeeze your ears too tight. They work right out of the box, charged, pair simply with Bluetooth, recharge fast, and have a massive 30 hour rundown.The app is very useful, so many settings that actually make huge differences in sound..speaking of the sound, volume is good, deep non distorted bass, uncomplicated clear mid ranges, and excellent highs. If you wish to try it, there's settings to use Sony 360, which means using the app to photo your ears, and use a quality streaming service with 360 music, and there was a voucher code in my product that gave me 3 months deezer premium. Now, all high fidelity tracks sound great, and I also tried the deezer 360 tunes too, and although they really do sound good, there's simply not enough of them to choose from yet, so I'm staying with normal deezer premium.I've put the app on a mobile phone, 2 tablets, and a chromebook, and pairing the headphones to each is simple. My Sony bravia TV doesn't have Bluetooth, it's got a Sony soundbar connected via optical cable, but using a roku streaming device, I can pair the headphones to that using a virtual roku remote on my mobile.I love these phones, without doubt the best in their class, and even beat several costing twice as much. Highly recommended.

Immersive Sound and Powerful Noise Canceling

The Sony XM3 1000 headphones are an exceptional pair of headphones that excel in both sound quality and noise canceling. These headphones deliver an immersive audio experience, making them a top choice for music enthusiasts and frequent travelers alike. However, there are a few small tweaks that, if implemented, could further enhance the overall user experience.Let's start with the sound quality and noise canceling capabilities of the Sony XM3 1000 headphones. The audio reproduction is simply outstanding. The headphones provide a rich and well-balanced sound profile, with deep, punchy bass, clear midrange, and crisp highs. Whether you're listening to your favorite tracks or watching movies, the sound quality is nothing short of exceptional.The noise canceling ... MoreThe Sony XM3 1000 headphones are an exceptional pair of headphones that excel in both sound quality and noise canceling. These headphones deliver an immersive audio experience, making them a top choice for music enthusiasts and frequent travelers alike. However, there are a few small tweaks that, if implemented, could further enhance the overall user experience.Let's start with the sound quality and noise canceling capabilities of the Sony XM3 1000 headphones. The audio reproduction is simply outstanding. The headphones provide a rich and well-balanced sound profile, with deep, punchy bass, clear midrange, and crisp highs. Whether you're listening to your favorite tracks or watching movies, the sound quality is nothing short of exceptional.The noise canceling technology employed by Sony in the XM3 1000 is among the best in the industry. It effectively blocks out ambient noise, allowing you to immerse yourself fully in your music or enjoy a peaceful environment during flights or commutes. The noise cancelation is so efficient that it almost feels like you're in a different world, free from external distractions.While the Sony XM3 1000 headphones are already impressive, there are a couple of small improvements that would make them even better. Firstly, it would be great if Sony incorporated USB-C audio support. USB-C is becoming increasingly prevalent in modern devices, and having the ability to connect directly via USB-C would enhance the convenience and compatibility of these headphones. This would eliminate the need for an additional dongle for devices that solely feature USB-C ports.Another enhancement that would be well-received is wireless charging compatibility. With the rise in popularity of wireless charging technology, it would be a valuable addition to the XM3 1000 headphones. Being able to simply place the headphones on a wireless charging pad instead of plugging them in would offer added convenience and streamline the charging process.Despite these small suggestions for improvement, the Sony XM3 1000 headphones remain a top-tier choice for audiophiles and frequent travelers. The superb sound quality and industry-leading noise canceling capabilities make them a standout option in their class. Whether you're looking to enjoy your favorite tunes or block out the world around you, the Sony XM3 1000 headphones deliver an exceptional listening experience.

Near perfect, but with one noisy flaw

This is my first pair of Sony headphones and first pair from the XM series. Having upgraded from AKG Y50BT headphones, the quality difference is impossible to describe. The XM3s have a punchy but not overbearing bass, the mids are clear and the highs are crisp. These are closer to neutral sound so if you are into ear-piercing bass, this is not for you though you can fine tune it using EQ. The overall balance is just where i would like it to be and if i want to tune anything, there is the Android app. Noise cancellation is excellent though i find it does a much better job neutralising lower frequencies. Think of an engine of a passing bus, or a construction site, doors being open and shut. However, it is less good with voices. It does drown them out but i can still ... MoreThis is my first pair of Sony headphones and first pair from the XM series. Having upgraded from AKG Y50BT headphones, the quality difference is impossible to describe. The XM3s have a punchy but not overbearing bass, the mids are clear and the highs are crisp. These are closer to neutral sound so if you are into ear-piercing bass, this is not for you though you can fine tune it using EQ. The overall balance is just where i would like it to be and if i want to tune anything, there is the Android app. Noise cancellation is excellent though i find it does a much better job neutralising lower frequencies. Think of an engine of a passing bus, or a construction site, doors being open and shut. However, it is less good with voices. It does drown them out but i can still hear what is being said, just about. Still, overall, it does good enough job that you don't notice them after a while.Now for my 'nice to have'. These headphones cannot be fully driven on passive power. Yes, you can use the included cable to connect the headphones to, say you PC, but the sound quality is worse, the sound somewhat muffled and the overall enjoyment lower. Now, keep them connected and turn them ON, oh and you are up for a treat. I use them when using my PC and just keep them on and connect to Bluetooth as i leave. I use them EVERYWHERE! The battery seems to last longer when using with my PC even when on because I think part of the power is delivered via the cable. Still, it is a small price to pay for what you are getting.Where i think they do need more work are the hinges. Mine were creaking a fair amount on the right said when i just got them. Walking down the street, inevitably you will put your foot down. That is how walking works. That slight movement by the headphones as you walk caused the hinges to creak. Same with chewing or anything that would put some pressure on the hinges. The headphones seem to have worn in now so that is something to be happy about. Still, do not be surprised if you face this in the first days of wearing them, though it should subside and eventually go away.

Poor customer service

My wife bought me the headphones a few years ago as upgrade from Bose QC15 (wired) to wireless. Overall product is okay but the strap broke recently (there was no pressure applied or accident such as dropping it). I always keep the headphones in the pouch when not in use and am very careful when I’m putting on and removing them. The Sony website suggests to contact and authorised dealer / repairer for physical damage. I did that and received following disappointing answer. “ Sorry, these are really expensive to repair not only in parts but in time. As an approx. cost to replace the head band as this is how it is supplied by Sony, on these headphones it is £180.00+VAT”. Nearly the price of a new one. Now I had my previous Bose set for 10+ years and had it repaired / ... MoreMy wife bought me the headphones a few years ago as upgrade from Bose QC15 (wired) to wireless. Overall product is okay but the strap broke recently (there was no pressure applied or accident such as dropping it). I always keep the headphones in the pouch when not in use and am very careful when I’m putting on and removing them. The Sony website suggests to contact and authorised dealer / repairer for physical damage. I did that and received following disappointing answer. “ Sorry, these are really expensive to repair not only in parts but in time. As an approx. cost to replace the head band as this is how it is supplied by Sony, on these headphones it is £180.00+VAT”. Nearly the price of a new one. Now I had my previous Bose set for 10+ years and had it repaired / battery replaced a couple of time s at very reasonable service prices by sending it to them by post. I will be using the Sony currently partly damaged until it breaks completely and will likely return to Bose when I need a replacement.

Reall good

Really good headphones. Only problem is the bass can get kind of muddy at times. It isn’t as clear as the Bose but does have more boom in a nice way plus a warmer sound. For adult contemporary , R&B , warmer country music, ballads , audiobooks it is wonderful. For classical, some rock, some pop songs it is great but not perfect on the sharper notes.The noice cancellation works really well.I am often working with a diesel engine and it totally blocks the sound of the engine most days. Also conversations are not heard unless I concentrate on hearing them or turn the nc down.I don’t regret the price as much after having them for a while. The build quality does leave something to be desired. The hinges are the best

Stopped working for no ap

Bought these in April 2020 and stopped working after the 1-year warranty but within 2 years. The headphones apparently are charging but they do not turn on - nothing happens. All troubleshooting options tried and failed. I bought these because I was working from home and needed wireless noise- cancelling headphones. They did not get much use and were looked after very well. I hadn't used them for more than 6 months and so didn't notice when they stopped working until I decided to use them again in around September 2022. As they were out of warranty, Sony advised it was going to cost me $126 just to assess them for repair (freight and labour). This is non-refundable if I choose not to go ahead with the repair. I was also offered a discounted (trade-in) price of ... MoreBought these in April 2020 and stopped working after the 1-year warranty but within 2 years. The headphones apparently are charging but they do not turn on - nothing happens. All troubleshooting options tried and failed. I bought these because I was working from home and needed wireless noise- cancelling headphones. They did not get much use and were looked after very well. I hadn't used them for more than 6 months and so didn't notice when they stopped working until I decided to use them again in around September 2022. As they were out of warranty, Sony advised it was going to cost me $126 just to assess them for repair (freight and labour). This is non-refundable if I choose not to go ahead with the repair. I was also offered a discounted (trade-in) price of $274.98 for WH10000XM4B. Having read many reviews where people experienced the same issues with their headphones including for the new model being offered, I decided not to sink more money into Sony headphones. So, I will be avoiding Sony headphones from now on and thinking twice about anything before buying anything from Sony.