Are Sony WH-1000XM3 discontinued?

The WH-1000XM3 is an old but not obsolete product. It offers excellent value for money with a high music and noise cancellation level. Bose was once the preferred brand for noise-canceling headphones. Then came Sony’s 1000X series.

Every iteration has been improved upon the previous 1000X. Still, Sony’s WH-1000XM3 is a masterpiece that combines excellent sound with noise cancellation to make a powerful headphone. In August 2018, they replaced the WH1000XM3, a great headphone. Since then, the WH1000XM4 has with the WH1000XM5.

Sony has yet to savor its achievements, but they are still available and have seen price drops. They are available for purchase at PS179 on the Sony website. They were the first noise-canceling headphones to be launched by Sony in 1995. Now, they are still a top-quality product at a great price.

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Sony WH-1000XM3 Design

The Sony WH1000XM3’s overall design and appearance clearly mirror the WH1000XM2 (and the 1000X before it) in their comprehensive form and style. Why not? The original plan was elegant and ergonomic, which made it feel good. There are many tweaks you won’t notice at first glance.

The black version is darker than the 1000XM2’s ‘Champagne Gold,’ but the ‘Platinum Silver” version is now called ‘Platinum Silver. Sony branding and trim around noise canceling microphones (NC) have been color-in. The black version has tasteful bronze accents, while the silver version is bling-bling with brass highlights.

They are also more subtle. The headband is more curved and sits closer to the head. This is to reduce what Sony calls the “Mickey Mouse effect,” where the gap between the head and the headband can make you appear like you have large, protruding ears.

They are also more comfortable than their predecessors. They were comfortable enough to wear on a two-hour flight. They even made me fall asleep at one point; I was wearing the Bose QuietComfort 35 II the last time.

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The padding and weight have been adjusted to provide better comfort. The overall footprint of the earcups has increased by 20%, and the padding is now thicker. Your ears have more space and are more profound.

The weight dropped from 275g down to 255g. It may sound like a lot, but it will make your neck feel great. The chassis is primarily made of plastic. It is well-finished and doesn’t look tacky. It has a quieter hinge, and the power/pairing or NC buttons are more solid.

Faux leather is used on the ear cushions and headband of the Sony WH-1000XM3. The back of the earcups has been replaced with a smoother plastic with a rubbery finish. This is to make them less noisy when used.

This design change is the one I need clarification on. A textured surface is less likely than a glossy finish to show fingerprints, and light scratches, primarily because these surfaces can interact (more details below). You can still look great if you take good care of your headphones. I have been using these headphones for about a week, taking them to work and putting them on my neck or my head.

The supplied case is ideal if you plan to carry the headphones around in a bag. The outside is now made of more robust nylon, and the interior has a place for cables.

Features on the Sony WH-1000XM3

The Sony WH1000XM3 headphones are some of the most feature-packed I have ever tested. The 1000XM2 and the 1000XM3 were great additions to an already extensive offering.

The most significant change is the improvement in noise-canceling performance and audio performance. The new chip is the HD Noise Cancelling Processor (QN1) and boasts four times better signal processing than the previous chip.

Low-frequency sounds like planes and engines are what most noise-canceling headphones target. The QN1 chip is designed to handle mid-to-high frequencies better, so the Sony WH1000XM3 should be better at dealing with voices and other non-vehicular sounds.

Audio performance is also enhanced by the QN1 chip. The chip can process 32-bit audio signals and has a DAC and an analog amplifier. Sony claims this results in a higher signal-to-noise ratio and lower distortion. It’s a great way to get the most out of higher-quality audio codecs, such as LDAC or aptX HD.

The Sony WH-1000XM3’s LDAC and aptXHD codecs are definitely worth considering. These codecs are compatible with Android devices. The difference in data transfer rates is quite noticeable.

An Android smartphone’s Bluetooth menu and Headphones Connect app allow me to prioritize sound quality or stability. LDAC sent music to headphones, and AAC sent a piece to the latter. The latter sounds more detailed, less dynamic, and less closed in.

A new charging system is also available on the WH-1000XM3. The micro-USB charging port is gone. It has been replaced by the new USB-C standard. This is a great decision, as Android smartphone users can now do double duty using one cable. While USB-C is an excellent addition, I could not find a way to use it for music.

Quick Charge has also been greatly improved. Ten minutes of charging will give you five hours, compared to 70 minutes. Three hours is all it takes to fully charge a flat, compared to four hours. With wireless and NC on, battery life is 30 hours.

You can now adjust the automatic power-off function to save the battery when there is no audio signal. Sony’s Headphones Connect app lets you extend the time before the power shuts off. You can disable the auto-off timer for those who don’t want to listen to music or need the NC. This is great for napping in planes, as I can attest.

The new features include three additional microphones in the left earcup. These microphones are for recording your voice (for calls) and are not part of the NC microphones. The call quality is excellent, voices are captured well, and outside noises are expertly dismissed. The person at the other end said that the performance was “pretty flawless.”

Some features are carried over from the original 1000X and the 1000XM2. These features are still being used as they’re great ideas and well-implemented.

NFC chips are located on the back of the left earcup. This allows for quick Bluetooth pairing. Bluetooth 4.2 is still the main wireless profile. The right earcup has a touch-sensitive control pad that will enable you to swipe left or right to change tracks. Up and down can adjust the volume and double-tap to play and pause. The touchpad is responsive and more responsive than previous generations.

You can activate Quick Attention mode by placing your palm on the pad. The music will be turned down while the outside sounds are allowed in. This mode is great for quick conversations with flight attendants or hearing announcements about trains without having to take them off.

The default setting is to turn up the NC to the maximum. However, you can adjust this in the app. The headphones can be controlled by the motion sensors on your phone and offer different levels depending on whether you are sitting, moving, running, or commuting.

I have set the “walking” option to 50% NC so that I can be aware of situations while walking around town (and not run over). However, I would like the complete NC treatment for noisy trains. Automatization works: I hear my headphones ping and increase the volume as soon as I get on a train.

The Personal NC Optimizer function can also be used. It analyzes the shape of your head to detect if it’s covered in glasses or has large hair. You can adjust the headphones to cancel out noise by listening to various tones and analyzing what’s happening around your ears.

Half of the time, I wear glasses, so the cushions on my headphones don’t fit perfectly around my ears. An Optimizer is a great tool for improving noise cancellation quality.

Although the Optimizer claims to account for atmospheric pressure, I am still determining. Noise cancellation effectiveness can be affected by changes in pressure.

The Optimizer was tested on the ground. I received a reading of 1.0 atm from the Headphones Connect app (standard atmosphere). The reading dropped to 0.8 atm when I tested it at 35,000ft. The headphones clearly thought there was a difference, but I couldn’t hear any other behavior from the NC.

The WH-1000XM3’s noise canceling is fantastic. It almost feels supernatural. No matter how much magic Sony put into its QN1 chip, it works. Sony claims that the QN1 chip has improved mid- and high-frequency handling.

The 1000XM3 was my first experience with the 1000XM3. It was on a busy convention floor full of journalists and engineers, so I compared them to 1000XM2. While the old models were not wrong, the WH-1000XM3 is a marked improvement. It was amazing to hear the volume drop in voices.

It was mostly background noise, as I didn’t have anyone yelling at me. When I took them on a flight, the real test came. The headphones were on, and I saw two teenage girls speed-talking behind me. However, the NC reduced their presence, making it difficult to discern individual words.

Although I could hear the plane engines roaring, I could not be sure. It was pretty good. But when we landed, I looked up to see that there were more than two girls behind me. They were actually a whole school group on a school trip. The Sony WH-1000XM3 reduced the noise level of about 20 teens to just two.

I brought the test to the office to face another set of audio challenges. This included the keyboard clicking and the HR-worthy comments that my coworkers made. I couldn’t hear the 1000XM3 at all.

Finally, I put on my Sony WH-1000XM3 while standing by a busy roundabout, crowded with taxis and London buses. No vehicle interrupted my music, and I didn’t have to turn the volume up. Wind noise, which is the bane of all NC headphones I have ever tried, is far less of an issue.

I recommend the higher-quality option unless you are in an area with high radio interference. These headphones have excellent shielding – I have never experienced any dropouts other than brief blips.

Sound Quality of Sony WH-1000XM3

An analog amplifier is an excellent addition to music playback. The 1000XM2 was a favorite of mine, but the Sony WH1000XM3 is superior, producing a more precise, firm sound.

Vocals and instruments sound more affluent and more defined. Everything is more clear and more deliberate. The bass section is bold and has a greater sense of attack. Ry Cooder’s Pueblo Nuevo hammers the ivories at Buena Vista Social Club has a natural feeling of vitality.

This means some things can be hyperactive and powerful. There’s also delicacy, grace, and elegance when necessary. These headphones can shift gears quickly from System of a Down’s loud and obnoxious Cigaro to Devendra Banhart’s sweet and low-key ballad of Keenan Milton.

It also has a greater sense of space. This produces a giant, more open sound. It’s easier for instruments to breathe and less jostling for attention. Although separation is more effective than ever, it goes only a little far and becomes clinical or disjointed. Different elements complement each other beautifully.

Sony’s trademark energy and rhythmic precision have not been affected by this. This is a great listen, even with the hard-hitting dynamics. If I had to pick one thing, the Bowers & Wilkins PX has a bit more detail at the top end. However, I would happily sacrifice some texture to achieve the overall effect of the Sony 1000XM3.