WH-1000XM3 - Your Personal Audio Bubble

I wanted to review my WH-1000XM3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones. Sure, they're over 3 years old now and the WH-1000XM4s are out already but I continue to love them and wanted to rave about them - especially in noisy or distracting situations so that you can clearly focus on your work.

What I Want.

Again, these are my preferences and wants for headphones so to each their own.

I always wanted something that keeps me productive.

Reduce distractions.

Keeps me listening to a focused playlist.

Keeps me isolated from the outside world.

I was willing to spend more money for good audio as compared with the previously included earbuds with phone purchases. I’m not at the level of truly appreciating the highs, mid tones and bass, the overall fullness of sound and all the other audiophile lingo but maybe one day I’ll get there.

Sony has hit all the needs for me.

Commuter Life - Air, Train, & Bus.

The active noise cancelling is absolutely amazing.

SoundGuys did a review here of the system with noise attenuation.

The pink line shows the relative impact of passive noise cancellation (A.K.A. the act of blocking noise through the use of a physical barrier ) and the blue line shows the noise reduction by active noise cancellation.

The blue line between 100-1000 Hz is KEY and means that low rumbling engine sounds, motors, and the main frequencies of voices are dampened - exactly what you want with noise cancelling headphones.

This makes the Sony WH-1000MX3s truly enjoyable to use on the train, on any flights, and on the bus commute to work.

Battery Life.

Battery life is one of the most impressive things about this pair of headphones. Now, I'm a simple man. I'm not looking for 3 days worth of battery life, but the 20-hour battery life and fast charging with USB-C that provides 1.5 hours of listening after a 5 minute charge is insane.

Then you can simply charge your headphones when you get home.

Oh, and if you run out of battery and still want the passive noise isolation, just plug in the included 3.5 mm jack to your computer (if you still have a headphone jack) and continue on!

Sound.

Now, I'm not going to pretend I know what I'm talking about for sound. I wouldn't classify myself as an audiophile but that I can appreciate a premium experience based on the fact I'm willing to shell out $300-400 for headphones over your simple $50 ones.

Sony has a developed phone application that lets you modify and tailor your audio experience. Other reviewers acknowledge that the default profile is more consumer-centric but using the apps can help you correct or adjust the soundscape.

Microphone.

It works. It isn't the be-all-end-all, the quality is good enough but obviously doesn't do super well with outside noise rejection. It also doesn't prevent the low frequencies from being boosted given the closer mic position (aka the proximity effect). But, not really my priority when using these headphones.

Overall.

I'm extremely happy with my headphones. They don't solve every issue and the XM3's can only be connected to one device at a time (which the XM4's have improved on).

My partner will often look to borrow them in particularly loud coffee shops or on the plane or in other crowded spaces (so I'm looking to get her her own pair) so they definitely work!

Yes, they aren't the dream audiophile hardware, yes, they aren't the best for calling or audio quality but they successfully keep me in my own little bubble and work for hours on end to keep me in that bubble.

The combination of noise cancelling, the pomodoro technique, a daily schedule or to-do list and coffee is a powerful routine for focused and efficient work — at least for me.