Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless Bluetooth On-Ear Headphone with Mic - Silver

The WH-1000XM3 is Sony’s latest and greatest flagship over-ear Bluetooth wireless noise-canceling headphones. 

When Sony embarked on its mission to dethrone Bose as the king of noise-canceling headphones back in 2016, their first headphone was called the MDR-1000X. A year later, they came out with its successor and it was called the WH-1000XM2. WH stands for wireless headphones, while XM2 refers to 1000X Mark 2. Therefore, WH-1000XM3 stands for wireless headphones, model 1000X Mark 3.

Admittedly, the changes are subtle but they have a profound effect on the overall wearing comfort and experience. Let’s go through them.

Improved headband - The headband’s arch is less pronounced so it sits closer to the head and doesn't make the wearer look like of a dork. In addition, the headband has more generous padding so it doesn’t create a hotspot on the top of your head.

Larger ear cups - Sony says the ear cups have been very slightly enlarged to increase wearing comfort. Personally, I can’t really tell the difference. To me, they look and feel the same.

Improved noise-canceling - The WH-1000XM3 features a dedicated noise-canceling chip that Sony calls the “HD Noise Canceling Processor QN1.” The HD Noise Canceling Processor QN1 also features a built-in amplifier that Sony claims will improve sound reproduction.

USB-C - Like most things these days, the WH-1000XM3 now has a USB-C port for charging. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support playback through USB-C so you can’t plug it directly into your computer or phone and output digitally through USB-C to the WH-1000XM3 directly. That’s a real shame because it would have made the WH-1000XM3 a lot more versatile. Plus, some rivals like the NAD Viso HP70 can do that.

Slight color and finish changes - The WH-1000XM3 comes in black and silver. The ear cups now have a smooth soft touch matte finish with copper accents. To me, the new models look classier.