Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones Review

Sony's WH-1000XM3s are quite possibly the perfect pair of headphones. They sound brilliant. They're plush to the point at which you almost don't notice wearing them. Their battery lasts for 30 hours. They've easily got the best noise-cancellation on the market. And they'll set you back less than $500.

Let's start with noise-cancellation. Bose's Quiet Comfort series have long been the headphones to beat when it comes noise cancelling pairs. And beat them is exactly what Sony has done. Despite Bose's well earned dominance, Sony has managed to usurp the throne with the WH-1000XM3s. 

Bose's QC35s make the world seem quiet while you're wearing them; Sony's WH-1000XM3s make the world seem louder-than-ever when you take them off. The WH-1000XM3s cut out so much noise that it's jarring to take them off. I've never had that experience with another pair of headphones. While the snap back to reality can be cruel, the WH-1000XM3s are perfect for losing yourself in music.

In some ways, the WH-1000XM3s almost offer a private concert. They have an open sound that makes music almost feel lived in; it envelopes you. And better yet, there are no wankers yelling out song requests.

In terms of tuning, the pair have a warm, bass driven profile. While they're a few steps removed from what you'd call a natural sound, the energetic low-end doesn't unbalance the rest of the music or obstruct any frequency. It makes your tunes come across as richer, rather than just adding "oomph".

Of course, none of this would matter if the WH-1000XM3s weren't comfortable. Thankfully, this is far from the case; they're a dream. You can almost forget you're wearing them. The pads are thick, soft, and spacious. No matter how long you wear them for, WG-1000XM3s never feel too tight, but they're still very compact after you fold them down. For headphones that don't technically fit into the 'luxury' category, the WH-1000XM3s seriously impress.

The only feature I can fault on the pair is their touch controls. Swiping up and down on the right pad will adjust your volume, left and right lets you change track. While these are reliable for the most part, it's reasonably easy to accidentally change track when you want to adjust the volume and vice versa. At the same time, I'm yet to see a pair of headphones that do gesture controls well, so it's really not that big a deal. You might just find yourself reaching for your phone to adjust volume instead of using the on-headphone controls.

Otherwise, there's very little to ding for Sony's latest. If you're after a high-end pair of noise-cancelling headphones, the WH-1000XM3s are currently the ones to buy. Highly recommended.

It's worth noting that while the WH-1000XM3 technically retail for $499, you can easily find them for $399 or less. I've seen them drop below $350.

Alex Choros

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Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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