Sony is no stranger to the true wireless-earbud craze. The company introduced the WF-1000X almost two years ago and followed with the WF-SP700N in 2018. However, even with that experience, Sony hasn't really seemed to hit its stride. There are always issues holding the products back from making the leap. Sony has perfected its over-ear noise-canceling headphones, the WH-1000XM3, and now it's leveraging some of that technology to improve its true wireless buds. Enter the $230 WF-1000XM3, Sony's best true-wireless product and a new contender for the top spot overall.
Gallery: Sony WF-1000XM3 review | 16 Photos
Gallery: Sony WF-1000XM3 review | 16 Photos
Sony WF-1000XM3
Pros
- More affordable than most flagship true wireless earbuds
- Excellent sound quality
- Full-featured companion app
- Great battery life
Cons
- No on-board volume controls
- Slightly awkward fit and look
- Bulky charging case
From the start, Sony's 1000X line of noise-canceling headphones have combined best-in-class ANC (active noise cancellation) with stellar sound. Sure, Bose owned the noise-canceling headphone space for years but as good as the QuietComfort series is, the audio isn't on the same level as the competition. Sony managed a complete package, and the two models since have only gotten better. So it only makes sense that the company would turn to its1000X headphone tech to improve its true-wireless offerings.
Most notably, the WF-1000XM3 earbuds have a more efficient version of Sony's noise-canceling chip: the QN1e. The component not only does a better job of blocking out the world around you, but it also needs less power to do so. The powerful ANC here does wonders for improving the overall sound. Don't get me wrong, the WF-1000XM3 sounds great in both Ambient Sound mode and with noise-canceling turned off. However, it's with the ANC enabled they really shine. Before now, Sennheiser's Momentum True Wireless earbuds offered the best overall sound. But to me, Sony has taken that crown. And it's thanks in part to the WF-1000XM3's ability to help block out any background noise.
There's a lot of depth to the sound with these earbuds, which isn't always the case with true-wireless models. More often than not, the audio tends to feel flat and sound compressed. It's not an issue with noise cancellation per se, it's an issue with this kind of earbuds in general. Some companies have succeeded at creating open, airy sounding true-wireless headphones, but they typically charge $300 or more for that luxury. Not only has Sony built a soundstage that's immersive and well-tuned, it's done so for $70 less than much of the competition.
Booming bass that isn't overpowering? Check. Bright highs that offer depth but aren't distracting? You bet. Solid performance across a diverse range of genres? 100 percent. The WF-1000XM3 checks nearly every box in terms of sound quality. These earbuds really capture the openness of albums like The Appleseed Cast's The Fleeting Light of Impermanence, which is loaded with layered guitar riffs, rhythmic drum fills and spacey synths. This is exactly the style that can get compressed to a boring mess in some earbuds. But with Sony's latest, the sound stays big and airy, keeping individual drums crisp, with the guitar riffs plucked out over top instead of getting lost underneath.
Bass-heavy genres sound superb with the WF-1000XM3, too. The low-end tone is big and boomy, but it's never too much. This means the pounding heavy metal drums of Gojira's The Way of All Flesh don't drown out intricate finger tapping and other guitar riffs. It's rather chaotic music, sure, but the WF-1000XM3 keeps everything organized, and each instrument stands on its own.
