Sony ANC headphones review: This is how the WH-1000X M3 performs
A TEST REPORT from Kevin Özgun 
on May 11, 2019, 15:00 pm | Write a comment
Active noise cancellation (ANC) is becoming increasingly important to most when it comes to purchasing headphones. So Sony doesn't give up with its series and brings the successor to the X M1000 onto the market with the Sony WH-3X M2. I tested the over-ear headphones for you and clarified the question of whether the high price is worth it.
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The equipment and processing
Sony brings its Bluetooth headphones to the market in the usual high-quality box. This includes the headphones themselves and a travel case to store the headphones. In addition, an AUX adapter (3,5mm jack), an Aux cable and a USB-C cable for charging are also included. In my opinion, this is much too short - it is only 15 cm long.
This is in the packaging of the Sony WH-1000X M3. (Image: © 2019 TechnikNews)
The workmanship of the headphones is great. Nothing creaks or wobbles. Due to the matting on the surface, the Sony WH-1000X M3 also feels very classy and of high quality. You can expect that with headphones for around 300 euros.
Carrying comfort: recommendation or not?
Sony has been playing in the upper class in the audio segment for years. It is precisely this aspect that Sony makes every consumer feel. The manufacturer covers the surface of the temple with a soft, comfortable leather that feels very comfortable on the head.
The ear pads are also made of the same leather. I found this to be pleasant even in warm temperatures - sweating usually didn't happen either. But if this was the case, I took the headphones off briefly, put them back on and everything was fresh again. Therefore, I give a clear recommendation when it comes to wearing comfort, as these can be worn very well on the head.
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- NFC: Just hold your smartphone to it and you're connected. Practically. (Image: © 2019 TechnikNews)
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- The ear pads feel very good. (Image: © 2019 TechnikNews)
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- The Sony WH-1000X M3 are equipped with the latest USB-C standard. (Image: © 2019 TechnikNews)
The feeling in everyday life
Anyone who has an Android device with them as a smartphone, and ideally has an NFC chip installed, can easily hold their smartphone to the MX3 via NFC and is connected directly to the headphones via Bluetooth. This eliminates the need for manual coupling. The NFC logo on the headphones indicates the interface. However, as is well known, this extra cannot be used with an iPhone. Here you have to connect manually via Bluetooth.
If you put on the headphones, you will get used to the comfort pretty quickly - you can clearly feel the difference to 100 to 200 euros headphones.
Upper class sound
One thing is crystal clear here. In-ear headphones or cheaper on- or over-ears cannot keep up here. I heard a lot of bass heavy music during my use. The Sony Headphones app even gives the user the opportunity to optimize various settings as required. Whether equalizer or sound environment. Every listener will find their favorite here. The built-in sensors of the XM3 can also recognize the external environment and adapt the sound to it. Whether on the train, on the go or in the airport, the sensors calculate the various modes.
However, the sound did not knock me off my stool personally, as it seemed a bit flimsy to me. However, I could clearly rate the balance between bass and voice as positive, because these are audibly reproduced on different sound levels.
Hide the world: ANC
Active Noice Canceling (ANC) makes you feel like you are in a different world. I do not notice everything that happens around me. No train announcements or other people's conversations. That worked really well. No strange sound, except for my own music, reached my ear. And that's really a great feature if you really just want to concentrate on your music.
One thing bothered me though. If you have put on the Sony headphones and want to activate the ANC, you first have to find the ANC button on the left side of the listener.
This is very small and inconspicuous and cannot be caught straight away. You can only catch the button directly with a little practice and getting used to it. It really bothered me personally.
In addition, you can experience gesture-controlled touch management. Because Sony completely dispenses with physical buttons here. Instead, the control of music and telephony is controlled by gestures. So you have to swipe your finger over the right earbud to give you a command. In my use, however, that had a bitter aftertaste. But as nice as gesture control may sound, it can also be wrapped around your finger by mother nature. So sometimes a gentle breeze of wind was enough to turn the volume up and down for me. Such a thing shouldn't happen with a 300 € headphone.
Headphones app as a headphone supplement
In order to make the sound experience even more individual for each user, Sony also offers the so-called "Headphones Connect" app, with which various settings can be made. The app uses GPS and smartphone sensors to measure whether the user is moving, standing, sitting and whether he is on the train or on an airplane. The sound is adjusted accordingly.
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- Image: © 2019 TechnikNews
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- Image: © 2019 TechnikNews
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- Image: © 2019 TechnikNews
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- Image: © 2019 TechnikNews
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- Image: © 2019 TechnikNews
Battery life: very different
Sony advertises 30 hours of music enjoyment with the Sony WH-1000X M3 on its packaging. This is where the battery killer ANC comes into play. Because Sony has built a special chip for noise suppression for this purpose, which is supposed to help filter out strange noises. This basically means that this chip must also be supplied with power. Thus, you can clearly see in the battery life whether ANC is now activated or deactivated.
My personal conclusion
Even if I listed a few things that had a rather negative effect, the positive aspects of the Sony WH-1000X M3 outweigh the rest. Fantastic ANC, divine workmanship, good battery life, crisp sound and the new USB-C standard then offer significant added value. The small shortcomings, on the other hand, are annoying, but they are limited. In addition, Sony offers a quick charge function with which the headphones are quickly supplied with power again. You will hardly find such things in any other headphone. So the 300 euros are definitely worth it for me.
