One of the few pairs of active noise cancelling earbuds currently on the market.

Preamble

I have been an avid headphone user for many years now and have an embarrassingly large collection of bluetooth headphones in my collection. I also own Sony's full-sized WH1000XM2 noise cancelling headphones and am a big fan. It's not just the active noise reduction that appeals to me though with these headphones - they also have a really nice sound character. The WF1000XM3's share this basic sound character but lack some of the fineness that's found on their full-sized counterparts - more of this later.

Physical Description

There's plenty that has been written about regarding these headphones - I really don't see much point in going over these again here. Instead I thought I would attempt to describe their fit. These don't go into the ear canal as deeply as say the Etymotics ER4P headphones - their bore is considerably bigger and so these really have a fairly shallow insertion depth. Normally this would straight away present a problem for me because I really don't like this kind of fit on an earbud - I find I spend too much time jiggering them around in my ears in order to get the very best possible fit. The good news is that, thanks to the active noise cancelling, the shallow fit works better than other headphones and I found that I spent a lot less time fiddling around with the earbuds in order to get a good fit. Basically the fit doesn't offer the same degree of passive isolation as found on headphones like the Etymotics but it's quick and easy to get a consistent fit.

Another feature that works pretty well with these headphones was the touch controls. Sony have really thought this one through and touches are effectively buffered slightly and reinforced with a beep which lets you clearly know that the command has been triggered. It works really well and really reminds me of the effective touch controls found on the larger Sony counterparts.

Unfortunately the only thing that's really missing is remote volume controls on the headphones. Not really a problem if you're using a smartwatch which supports media controls (I'm pretty sure they all do) but it's a bit of a pain in the neck when you have to keep getting your phone out of your pocket every time you want to adjust the volume.

Sound Quality

I must admit I was somewhat apprehensive when it came to these headphones as they don't support ApTX or even Sony's LDAC - I can't help thinking that this was a wasted opportunity and it's almost a given that Sony's next noise cancelling earbuds will have LDAC as standard. All said and done though the sound quality on the WF1000XM3's is really rather impressive. The first thing that I feel people should know is that the basic sound character doesn't change when you change sound modes - nice one Sony! Active noise cancelling is activated automatically every time the headphones are removed from the case - you just have to remember to select the mode you want before you start listening to your music. The second thing that I really appreciate with these headphones is that they don't overemphasise the bass like so many other headphone manufacturers seem to embrace. The bass is deep, well controlled and really quite nice - as is the other frequencies. The Sony WF's definitely share a similar sound characteristic with their big brother - the WH1000XM2/3's. The high end is really very detailed and yet smooth - with no hint of harshness. Likewise the mids, whilst being slightly recessed, also offer a nice degree of detail throughout the range. The end result is an extremely likeable (to me at least) sound characteristic which works with pretty much all genres of music and definitely capable of delivering a very satisfying and immersive listening experience which can be enjoyed for long periods of time without fatigue.

The active noise cancelling does add a little to the noise floor on these headphones but not enough to really intrude on the music. I must admit that most of my listening was spent indoors with both the noise cancelling and ambient settings switched off.

Perhaps the biggest criticism I can level at these headphones is the lack of volume. Don't get me wrong, they do go loud but I would really like to have a bit more volume to play with. There's not really a problem with modern recordings but some of the older stuff in my collection definitely could do with going a bit louder. This is something that is basically set in stone with wireless headphones and, as such, is a potential deal breaker.

Sony's latest software update has included remote volume controls. Whilst this is always welcome on true wireless headphones it does come with a price and that is the loss of certain functionality - for example, you can have remote volume control and noise cancelling control but not track selection - or alternatively you can have remote volume controls and remote track selection but no control over the noise cancelling modes. This is a shame and perhaps it's also something that Sony can rectify in future updates. Let's face it, even the most budget friendly true wireless headphones can offer all the required features - including remote volume controls, with just one button. If they can do it, surely Sony can do it too.

The charging case is rather bulky when compared to other TWS systems but it fairly well made and appears to do the job adequately. Unfortunately Sony neglected to put any meaningful information on the case regarding charge capacity other than a single multicoloured Led. However the latest software update also included basic battery information when using the Sony app on an Android device. Again, this is something that other manufacturers appear to offer 'out of the box'. Fast charging is available and the case uses USB Type C which is always welcome. The magnets are strong enough to hold the headphones in place securely. I did find the headphones can sometimes be a little difficult to get out of the case but that's really nitpicking to be honest.

Conclusion

I can't help thinking that it's almost certain that Sony is prototyping the next model (which will feature better fit, better noise cancelling, better touch controls and - LDAC! With this in mind plus the desire for just a tad more volume make this a somewhat difficult recommendation. Don't get me wrong, their a very desirable pair of headphones which have a really nice sound characteristic to them but the volume limitations make this an unwise purchase. If their retail price was around 100 pounds or would be a no brainer but at their current retail price I can't 'make so' with their limitations.

Update

Well - I bought them with my own hard-earned cash and I have to say that these headphones have really grown on me and are now amongst my favourite wireless headphones. Whilst I still feel that they could do with going a little louder, a change in my mobile phone has made all the difference. With the exception of some of the recordings from the 70's, they can go more than loud enough for my needs. I love the sound quality that the WF1000XM3's can reproduce and I'm OK with the fit.

From a pure sound quality perspective, I think the Lypertek Tevi's do sound better but only by a whisker. What the Sony's bring to the table is impressive active noise cancelling, excellent sound quality, ambient sound and really effective touch controls.