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- Superb sound quality
- Fantastic ANC performance for a set of in-ears
- Stable wireless connection
- Fit might not be suitable for all activities
- Lacks a sweat or water-resistant rating
- Large-sized charging cradle
Over the past couple of years, Sony has stepped up its game in the audio department. From the premium MDR-Z1R open-back cans to its class-leading over-ear noise-cancelling headphones, the WH-1000XM3, the market is seemingly saturated with quality Sony products.
The companys latest, the WF-1000XM3, are true wireless earbuds that house Sonys latest QN1e chip a scaled-down version of the companys QN1 chip that handles the active noise-cancelling (ANC) processing of the WH-1000XM3.
Sony WF-1000XM3 review: What you need to know
The Sony WF-1000XM3 are pocket-friendly true wireless earbuds that are among a handful in the market to feature noise-cancelling technology. They have touch-sensitive media controls, provide quick access to Googles virtual assistant and have proximity sensors that detect and pause music when theyre taken out of your ears. The only caveat: theyre among the most expensive earbuds on the market.
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Sony WF-1000XM3 review: Price and competition
At £219, these will put a dent in your bank account and despite their steep price tag, theyre not the only ones that break the £200 mark. The uninspiring, fitness-orientated Beats Powerbeats Pro will set you back the same amount, while the best-sounding true wireless earbuds on the market, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless, cost £240.
Aside from these supremely expensive earbuds, there are a few others to consider if money is tight. The stylish RHA TrueConnect, and my favourites for the gym, the JLab Epic Air Elite, will set you back £150 a pop. Tone down the style and youll find my favourites, the Creative Outlier Air at £75.
None of the aforementioned earbuds feature noise-cancelling technology, however. The all-new Libratone Track Air+ at £179 are therefore Sonys closest rival, in theory.
Sony WF-1000XM3 review: Comfort, connectivity and design
The WF-1000XM3 are available in two colours: black and silver. Like Sonys over-ear headphones, the latter isnt really silver at all, being instead a creamy Baileys-like shade.
No matter the colour you choose, the design of the buds themselves leads to a rather large footprint, which could pose a problem for those with smaller ear canals. A rubberised nozzle keeps the buds firmly in place, but without over-the-ear hooks or in-ear fins these wont be suitable for strenuous workouts. The same could be said for those who love having music while cycling, as due to their rather large design, they attract a lot of wind noise.
At 16g, theyre on the heavier side for earbuds, weighing nearly a third heavier than the 11g Libratone Track Air+. Despite their size and weight, I find them perfectly comfortable for commutes. Theyre rather practical to use, too: both left and right buds have circular-shaped touch-sensitive pads, which can be used to access Google Assistant, control playback, and toggle through the ambient sound modes.
Theyve also got proximity sensors built-in that automatically pause your media when the buds are removed from your ears. Theyll automatically resume media when you pop them back in, although I found this feature simply didnt work with Android app PowerAmp. Thats likely a software fault rather than a hardware issue.
To stow the buds away, Sony provides a large charging case that weighs 92g with the earbuds placed inside. Its sizeable in comparison to Libratones equivalent that weighs just 48g but, in Sonys defence, its smaller than the humongous Powerbeats Pro case, which tips the scales at 130g with earbuds in place.
Sonys case has a magnetic lid and innards that make it easy to slot the buds in-place. On the outside youll notice an NFC tag, which allows you to quickly pair them to a device, and a USB Type-C port for charging. The case cant be charged wirelessly but the fast charging support means it can have 90 minutes of playback from a ten-minute burst.
On a full charge, the earbuds will last up to six hours and the case itself can fully charge them a further three times, which means an impressive 24 hours of use without needing to reach for a wall charger. Turn off ANC and youll get up to 32 hours brilliant.
As for connectivity, I had absolutely no issues with pairing and they behaved perfectly in crowded environments. They maintain a stable wireless connection between left and right buds, and retain connectivity to my Android smartphone at all times something that couldnt be said about the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless. However, unlike Sennheisers buds, the WF-1000XM3 only support the AAC and SBC codecs.
To me, this is an odd hiccup as the company has been praised for its support of the highest-quality codec, LDAC, on its over-ear headphones. This can cause a few implications on Android, whereby AAC (that boasts better audio quality over SBC) isnt properly optimised and can cause lip-sync issues when watching videos on popular video platforms, such as YouTube. If you do encounter problems, Id advise switching to the lowest-quality SBC codec, which can be done through the developer settings on all Android phones. iOS users can ignore this: AAC works flawlessly on all Apple devices.
The omission of higher-quality codecs becomes even more baffling as Sony includes a Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE HX) support on the WF-1000XM3. This essentially aims to upscale MP3 or AAC tracks to near-lossless quality making them, theoretically, sound more detailed and refined. In practice, however, the earbuds are limited by the amount of compression incurred over Bluetooth, namely when using the SBC codec.
To enable and disable the option, youll need Sonys Headphones Connect app for iOS and Android. Through it, youll also be able to see the remaining charge on each bud; view the codec thats being used; customise the touch controls; choose whether you want them to pause when taken off; set an EQ; toggle the automatic power-off function; enable notifications to be played through the buds; and tailor ambient sound controls to your liking.
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Sony WF-1000XM3 review: Active noise cancelling performance
The ability to tailor the ambient sound level to your tastes is a fantastic bonus, and there are 20 levels to choose from. Theres even the ingenious option to fine-tune the buds to focus on voices while ignoring other ambient sounds.
But it doesnt end there. Theres also adaptive sound control, which detects the environment youre in and automatically adjusts the level you hear from your surroundings; you can tailor the four options staying, walking, running and transport through the app, too.
As for the ANC performance, its as the manufacturer claims class-leading. With no audible hiss in quiet environments, theres simply no competition from other earphones or earbuds. Id say its closest rival are the Libratone Track Air+, but even those struggle to cancel out mid-to-high frequencies.
The WF-1000XM3 excel at cancelling sound throughout the frequency range and quite frankly, its astonishing at how well they perform. The only drawback is that these dont passively block out as much noise as over-ear headphones, simply because they dont block as much of the ear. If thats all-important, the WH-1000XM3 or Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 do a better job at isolating you from the outside world, but theyre obviously more bulky by design. Its a trade-off, whichever way you go.
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Sony WF-1000XM3 review: Sound quality
The brilliance doesnt stop there: these are a marvel to listen to as well. In terms of sound quality, theyre among the best true wireless earbuds Ive used to date, competing with the Libratone Track Air+, the Creative Outlier Air and the leader of the pack, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless.
What really stands out is their dynamism, which many rivals fail to satisfyingly deliver. Theyre exciting throughout the frequency range and deliver excellent instrument separation to keep you engaged and tapping your toes.
The lows are a little over-emphasised. The WF-1000XM3 provide plenty of mid-bass slam in even the least bass-orientated songs. The likes of Micheal Jacksons Rock With You and The Pussycat Dolls Sway ring out a surprisingly thunderous punch.
As a result, vocals take a hit with the lower-mids sounding slightly recessed. This creates a V-shaped, warm sound signature, which isnt necessarily a bad thing theyll sound exciting and fun to most. By comparison, the Libratone Track Air+ and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless have a far greater emphasis on the mids vocals really shine with those sets.
Maintaining a fun sound signature, the Sonys reproduce plenty of sparkle and energy at the top-end. Theres a healthy extension in the highs and Jason Derulos balloon squeaking song, Pull Up, isnt too harsh on the ears, either.
Their only weakness, truly, is their lack of airiness and openness. These are two words that Id associate with the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless and Creative Outlier Air, and both of these provide far greater width and depth when listening to music. Thats not to say the WF-1000XM3 are closed-sounding far from it theyre just not as well-versed in this department as the other two.
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Sony WF-1000XM3 review: Verdict
The Sony WF-1000XM3 true wireless buds follow in the footsteps of their larger sibling, the WH-1000XM3 headphones. They are, quite simply, the best noise-cancelling earphones and headphones on the market. The earbuds offer a fun sound signature, a stable wireless connection and have ample amounts of battery life.
Theyre not quite perfect, however, as their design and lack of sweat or water resistance wont cut it for gym-goers. The omission of higher-quality codec is quite baffling to an audiophile and the somewhat lacklustre soundstage isnt as impressive as some of its competitors offerings. Theyre not cheap either: at £219, theyre among the most expensive true wireless sets on the market.
Under most circumstances Id only dish out Expert Reviews Best Buy award to a faultless product. But the Sony WF-1000XM3 have industry-leading ANC performance and offer a great all-round package, so it would feel wrong to give them anything lower than a perfect score.
