Sony in-ear WF-1000XM3: A Different Take

Some background 

I have been using the (old and wired) in-ear Bose QC20 ANC headphones for many years during my commute & travel and the active noise cancelling in that old design still works amazingly well - especially for low frequencies; see my full review). However, the QC20 has some other very serious flaws so it was definitely time to move on. Big cans are a no-no so there was basically just one way to go: wireless BT in-ear with ANC. After some research it was obvious that these things do not come cheap so I got my priorities set:

• Good in-ear ANC is expensive and I'm fine with that - if it really works well. Top priority!
• A bit of a breeze should not mess up the ANC completely
• The earbuds should be discreet and comfortable to use, even when wearing a warm beanie or a ski hat (we still have real winters on my home turf)
• BT connection must be solid
• Goes without saying - almost - but the audio quality should be good
• Phone calls is not top priority for me; functional would do
• Decent battery life is nice

Reviews, reviews 

After reading a bunch of reviews I zoomed in on Sony WF-1000XM3, even though they seemed anything but very discreet. The ANC function got super high marks almost everywhere so I was curious and decided to check out the Sony earbuds - after making sure that I would be able to return the buds in case they wouldn't cut it for me.

January 2021 

At the time of this writing, I've been using the Sony XM3 buds for roughly a month and here's my take:

Sony ANC is a disappointment to me. I know that the passive seal in the ear must be good in order for the Sony ANC to work well but the 'default' tips were comfy and the others just didn't fit well. Anyway, my old QC20 - that doesn't go deep into the ear canal at all - still beats the XM3! Really surprising and also a bit depressing. Sure, the electronics of the QC20 are not within the earbuds themselves but heavens: it's been five years..!

Using the XM3 outdoors is not much fun when the wind picks up a bit (or if it's rainy; no protection against the elements at all). Wind messes up the ANC function big time, just the way it does for the QC20 by the way. No improvement here during the years that have passed, apparently.

The Sony XM3 sticks out of the ear 'like a sore thumb' - a quote from one of the reviews I read and that really nails it. With other words: pretty much the opposite of discreet. The buds are reasonably comfortable though, providing you are not wearing a warm beanie or a ski hat! Taking that ski hat off, you need to be very careful not to send the earbuds flying and then (in case you'll ever find them) you've probably got a pair of very expensive ear plugs.

BT connection is solid - independent connection for each bud - and so is the audio quality which is top notch. The buds have touch controls that enable you to pause the audio, skip tracks, adjust the ANC mode and deal with phone calls. The controls work okay for the most part but taking out one of the earbuds did not reliably pause the audio; it was hit and miss. Battery life is average in this category and the charger case - USB C, yay! - is fine even though it sure is pretty big.

Summing things up: the Sony XM3 have good build quality and audio but they are not for me. Wearing them makes me look (even more) weird, they are almost useless outdoors on a breezy day, I can't wear them comfortably under a warm beanie, they don't cope with rain and the ANC should be better considering the price tag. Thumbs mainly down.

Now, then? 

Pixel Buds 2 might be ideal for me, the way they seem to fit almost flush in the ear, but unfortunately there's no ANC - and you do apparently still get connection issues. So, the hunt goes on; guess I'll try the Jabra Elite 75T next. Stay tuned!

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