On Friday, July 5th, Sony unveiled its new generation of true wireless noise-canceling headphones that carry the WF-1000XM3 moniker.
Taking the disconnection related problem that users experienced earlier into consideration, Sony seems to have left no stone unturned in a bid to make this generation of products unique, yet capable of delivering the improved overall user experience. Keeping in line with that, the Japanese tech behemoth decided to dump the nickname “Frequency Reduction Bean.”
Breaking from the tradition, Sony gave the new generation the WF-1000XM3 label, instead. With this move, Sony is hoping to give its users a whole a new feel as far as the product is concerned.
The WF-1000XM3 packs the QN1e HD noise reduction processor which enhances the noise reduction effect, while enabling the device to have 24-bit lossless audio processing capability at the same time. After Sony rolled out the DSEE HX technology update, a significant improvement was noticed in the sound of the WF-1000XM3.
Additionally, the overall battery life of the WF-1000XM3 has been increased to more than 24 hours, which makes daily communication easier than ever before. Taking these parameters into consideration, it seems safe to say that the Sony WF-1000XM3 is the most balanced true wireless noise-canceling headset.
At the time of release, we pointed out that some users aren’t quite confident about the stability offered by Sony’s true wireless noise-canceling headphones. Let’s check out few questions mentioned below:
- What kind of changes in the transmission performance can be expected after improving the audio and noise reduction performance?
- Unlike the previous generation, will the product eliminate the problem related to chain scission and delay?
- Will the headphones lose stability in the case of large interference?
- Will adding support for 24-bit lossless audio change the overall listening experience?
- And so on…
To find answers to these burning questions, we decided to take the WF-1000XM3 to the Shibuya Crossroad, which is deemed as one of the busiest and most complex wireless locations in Japan. Here’s what we found out about the device’s performance in the super crowded urban area.
The Elegant Experience of Wearing the Device
On the design front, Sony has changed the shape of the earbuds in this generation, and the WF-1000XM3 was replaced with a design similar to the WF-SP series.
Featuring a front-mounted touch panel, the WF-1000XM3 got rid of the mechanical button. This enabled users to perform tasks like switching the noise reduction mode, accessing the playback control functions simply by tapping and touching this disc at various frequencies.
Aside from that, Sony included an interaction found on the WH-1000XM3 head-mounted noise-canceling headphones. As soon as a user places his hand on the earphone, the device activates the ambient sound automatically. The WF-1000XM3 mode eliminates the need to clicking several times in order to exhale the interaction of the ambient sound mode.
To make it easy-to-wear earbuds, Sony radically overhauled the in-ear structure of the WF-1000XM3. The new design of the WF-1000XM3 allows you to fix it in the ear despite the absence of an external “shark fin” fixed structure. When placed in the ear, the in-ear structure comfortably fills the ear of the wearer with the help of the support available between the structure and the ear. This saves the time a user invested in looking for a plug-in structure that fits them. Moreover, the user didn’t need to ensure they carried their ear hooks as well.
On top of that, Sony gave the headphones a more slender appearance. The protruding portion of the earphone body features a curvature that sits comfortably in the ear, allowing the user to fix the earphone exactly in the position of the human tragus. The extended part includes a microphone for radio, which brings the microphone closer to the mouth while enhancing the quality of the radio at the same time.
In other words, it is tried, and it looks like the WF-1000XM3 is highly like to meet the expectations of the users in terms of performance.
On Friday, July 5th, Sony unveiled its new generation of true wireless noise-canceling headphones that carry the WF-1000XM3 moniker.
Taking the disconnection related problem that users experienced earlier into consideration, Sony seems to have left no stone unturned in a bid to make this generation of products unique, yet capable of delivering the improved user experience. Keeping in line with that, the Japanese tech behemoth decided to dump the nickname “Frequency Reduction Bean.”
Breaking from the tradition, Sony gave it the WF-1000XM3 label. With this move, Sony is hoping to give its users a whole a new feel as far as the product is concerned.
The WF-1000XM3 packs the QN1e HD noise reduction processor which enhances the noise reduction effect, while enabling the device to have 24bit lossless audio processing capability at the same time. After Sony rolled out the DSEE HX technology update, a significant improvement was noticed in the sound of the WF-1000XM3.
At the time of release, we pointed out that some users aren’t quite confident about the stability offered by Sony’s true wireless noise-canceling headphones:
- What kind of changes in the transmission performance will take place after an improvement in the audio and noise reduction performance?
- Unlike the previous generation, will the product eliminate the problem related to chain scission and delay?
- Will the headphones lose stability in the case of large interference?
- Will adding support for 24-bit lossless audio change the overall listening experience?
To find answers to these burning questions, we decided to take the WF-1000XM3 to the Shibuya Crossroad, which is deemed as one of the busiest and most complex wireless environment in Japan. Here’s what we found out about the device’s performance in the super crowded urban area.
Featuring a front-mounted touch panel, the WF-1000XM3 got rid of the mechanical button. This enabled users to perform tasks like switching the noise reduction mode, accessing the playback control functions simply by tapping and touching this disc at various frequencies.
Aside from that, Sony included an interaction found on the WH-1000XM3 head-mounted noise-canceling headphones. As soon as a user places his hand on the earphone, the device activates the ambient sound automatically. The WF-1000XM3 mode eliminates the need to clicking several times in order to exhale the interaction of the ambient sound mode.
To make it easy-to-wear earbuds, Sony radically overhauled the in-ear structure of the WF-1000XM3. The new design of the WF-1000XM3 allows you to fix it in the ear despite the absence of an external “shark fin” fixed structure. When placed in the ear, the in-ear structure comfortably fills the ear of the wearer with the help of the support available between the structure and the ear. This saves the time a user invested in looking for a plug-in structure that fits them. Moreover, the user didn’t need to ensure they carried their ear hooks as well.
On top of that, Sony gave the headphones a more slender appearance. The protruding portion of the earphone body features a curvature that sits comfortably in the ear, allowing the user to fix the earphone exactly in the position of the human tragus. The extended part includes a microphone for radio, which brings the microphone closer to the mouth while enhancing the quality of the radio at the same time.
In other words, it is tried, and it looks like the WF-1000XM3 is highly like to meet the expectations of the users in terms of performance.
Following the removal of the extra fixed structure, the WF-1000XM3 no longer needs additional adjustments to be worn comfortably, as opposed to the several changes required to fix the external structure of the WF-SP700N and WF-SP900 for convenience. Sony also revamped the lumen wear ear design to offer fitting comparable to the IER-M7 and IER-M9. While the stability is not more than what the WF-SP700N and WF-SP900 offer, it is still better than the WF-1000X.
If you fancy using user-ear headphones, I do not want to suggest a wide range of fixed structure when worn, but recommend the WF-1000XM3 for a more comfortable wearing experience.
The WF-1000XM3 is housed in a comparatively bigger battery case than its precursor, and can efficiently achieve a volume similar to the WF-SP900.
The aforesaid battery case has a crisp magnetic structure that keeps the headphones steady despite the absence of physical snaps and minimizes the hassle of hard snap losses. The earphones need to placed on the top of the charging box in a flat position, and the charging prompts that can be seen when you wear the earphone shows the percentage of the battery life left on the earphone along with other details.
The larger charging box represents the bigger battery capacity. According to Sony, the WF-1000XM3 delivers a stand-alone time of 6-8 hours, and when placed inside the charging box it can easily deliver an impressive 24-32 hour battery life.
To meet the varied needs of a generation of endurance performance, the upgrades introduced in the WF-1000XM3 not only includes a large battery, but also a larger charging case. Furthermore, the overall feel offered by earbuds is also noteworthy.
In addition to that, Sony re-arranged the placement of the NFC module for the WF-1000XM3 charging case, placing it in the back of the cover. While most earbuds have the NFC located at the bottom, the rear placement of the NFC in the WF-1000XM3 makes pairing a bit harder.
In my opinion, if the NFC is located on the back of a box just under the flat place, NFC pairing would be a lot easier and comfortable.
While there’s a significant improvement in the noise reduction department, there’s still scope for improvement.
The WF-1000XM3 update brings improvements to two of the most vital aspects including noise reduction and connection stability.
To achieve noise reduction, the WF-1000XM3 relies on the QN1e, which is touted as the latest HD noise reduction processor. The QN1e can be described as the QN1 HD noise reduction processor, which powered the head-mounted noise-canceling headphones WH-1000XM3, which is designed for the small-volume true wireless noise-reduction headphones.
Unlike the head-mounted QN1, the QN1e processor brings the maximum specification of audio support down to 24-bit from 32-bit. Although there are a few more changes in the rest of the parameters, it is worth mentioning here that the specific performance remains almost the same.
This is similar to Sony’s official 4x noise reduction boost when the company introduced the QN1, but this time it can also be implemented on the new QN1e.
In comparison to the original WF-1000X, the WF-1000XM3 offers significantly enhanced noise reduction. It is evident that Sony has not only improved the noise reduction performance but also enhance the noise reduction quality. Furthermore, noise control is also relatively better than the WF-1000X and WI-1000X second-generation 1000X products.
The QN1e’s WF-1000XM3 offers noise reduction capability that’s close to the noise reduction circle available on the WI-1000X. Despite trying it out in heavy traffic, the WF-1000XM3 didn’t fail to provide quiet playing environment for music playback. As if that weren’t enough, the WF-1000XM3 minimizes the effect of noise on people in situations like aircraft, subways, etc, without ceasing to deliver regular noise.
Sony adopts the SENSE ENGINE noise reduction technology for the WF-1000XM3, allowing users to automatically adjust the noise reduction effect. All you need to do is to connect your smartphone and run the Headphone Connect app. The headset uses the phone’s sensor to determine the user’s environmental information and adjusts the active noise reduction effect to provide a suitable noise reduction performance.
The noise reduction performance of the WF-1000XM3 remains unchanged. The QN1e noise-reducing processor provides a noise reduction effect to the earphone. Thanks to its closed and ear-in-ear design, the WF-1000XM3 delivers the noise reduction capability which is comparable to the WI-1000X so that you can wear it even in crowded places like subway stations. You do not need to make any sort of noise reduction in scenarios like airplanes.
Coming to connection stability, the WF-1000XM3 shows noteworthy improvements.
We tried connecting the WF-1000XM3 to a smartphone to play video and music in the conference venue and found that there wasn’t an obvious delay in the headset’s performance. The video, on the other hand, delivered basic sound and picture synchronization without any sort of problem. Aside from that, we tried using the WF-1000XM3 in a more complex wireless room and found that the stability was not lost even with multiple devices turned on.
The aforesaid changes are still pending the connection mode of the WF-1000XM3.
As far as connection configuration is concerned, the WF-1000XM3 adopts the Bluetooth 5.0 technology and employs the true wireless solution, paired with an independent connection between the two ears. This allows you to independently connect both headphones to the playback device. This configuration mode is way better than the bridge mode available on the previous generation. To achieve stability, the delay will be minimized to a specific extent, which provides a better stability experience than the original.
Nevertheless, it cannot be overlooked that there’s still room for improvement in terms of stability for the WF-1000XM3.
On a super crowded street, the WF-1000XM3 shows a stuttering phenomenon. In the SBC (sound quality priority) mode, this stuttering phenomenon is still noticeable. By reducing the distance between the earphone and the playback device, you can improve the stability of the earphone, but you are still likely to experience some level of instability.
Given that the Shibuya wireless environment is more complicated than a regular area, it seems safe to say that the WF-1000XM3 delivers a reasonably good output.
The WF-1000XM3 is still capable of delivering superior performance even if you use it in specific environments like office or airplane. But if you fancy running on the street, we suggest you adjust the connection mode to SBC (connection priority) to further improve stability.
There’s a huge improvement in the sense of hearing with fuller bass and more prominent details.
As far as sound configuration is concerned, the Sony WF-1000XM3 features a 6mm moving coil unit, and the QN1e processor has an independent DAC and amplifier, which processes audio information without any sort of problem. The highly competent QN1e processor is designed to handle 24bit lossless music; however, the transmission limitations of the WF-1000XM3 limits this processing parameter.
Sony has employed its DSEE HX digital sound enhancement engine technology for the WF-1000XM3. The DSEE HX can efficiently process as well as compensate non-lossless music while enhancing the quality of damaged sound sources. It also improves the playback and listening effects of the device.
The WF-1000XM3 is quite similar to the WI-1000X, given that it produces very prominent vocal and sound resolution. On the downside, it could be slightly on the cold side. The sound produced by the headphones can be described as more Sony-specific “digital flavor”.
Unlike a slew of other Sony True Wireless Headsets, the WF-1000XM3 offers a thicker bass performance, with a more noticeable layering of the sound. Much to the relief of music lovers, it doesn’t deliver a paper-thin sound quality like the WF-SP series offered.
After the enhancement, the vocals are now more prominent, and the details are also improved than the older models. Regrettably, the vocals seem a bit too prominent at times, and there’s sharpening the transition which makes the sounds dry. Nevertheless, the overall sound performance of the WF-1000XM3 is relatively better than the previous generation.
The previously launched models tend to boost the thickness of the sound while neglecting the sound details. The WF-SP Sport True Wireless Series focuses a bit too much on the sound details, as well as mid-high band performance which removes the thickness out of the sound.
The WF-1000XM3 is designed to eliminate the above-mentioned shortcomings. It makes the headphones deliver a more balanced sound, without losing Sony’s signature style.
If you loved the sound style delivered by Sony’s earphones, the WF-1000XM3 will meet your expectations without an iota of doubt.
The Arrival of New Headphones, Users Are Looking Forward to the 1000X Series of the Updates
The WF-1000XM3 can be deemed as an ideal turnaround for Sony’s true wireless headsets.
It addresses multiple concerns including poor connection stability, battery life, a significant delay in sound, which have been associated with the previous generation of products. Moreover, the sound quality and noise reduction effect have been improved as well. Regardless of whether it is for any true wireless headphones that have active noise reduction feature or Sony True Wireless Headset, the WF-1000XM3 is worth giving a test drive.
The WF-1000XM3 is also a great choice for those who prefer a true wireless headset that minimizes noise without demanding other features such as the high-standard transmission mode of LDAC, aptX HD. The only downside is that it will set you back a 100 yuan more than the older models. The WF-1000XM3 carries a competitive 1699 yuan price tag.
It is worth mentioning here that despite its improved performance, the WF-1000XM3 still has a lot of room for improvement, especially in the stability department.
For instance, the stability offered by the headphones in the outdoor environment can be improved. The playback can be more stable in situations where the phone and player are not placed close to each other. Moreover, it will be a great improvement if Sony adds support for LDAC or aptX HD in the WF-1000XM3. If this isn’t achieved, the availability of the QN1e chip which boasts 24bit lossless music processing capability is not justified.
It will be interesting to see if Sony’s next noise-canceling headphones will address these concerns. We’ll need to wait and watch!
While it is not a true wireless product, it offers reliable connection stability along with stronger transmission capabilities than the WF-1000XM3. Thanks to LDAC and aptX, it delivers 24-bit high-quality music wireless playback with the help of the QN1e processor. Wireless noise-canceling headphones that are crammed with these kinds of features are likely to garner more popularity among users.
Details about Sony’s next-generation product are still scarce. If the company is gearing up to launch a similar product, it is unlikely to make an appearance before the IFA 2019. If you are waiting with bated breath for the next product, it looks like you are in for a big disappointment. Note that the company hasn’t yet updated its noise reduction circle.
Keeping watching this space for more updates and drop your valuable comments below, what you think about Sony’s amazing WF-1000XM3 earbuds.
Source: iFanr
