There are a lot of headphones out there that promise amazing sound and excellent noise cancellation, but not all of them deliver. One notable exception are the Sony WH-1000XM3. This award-winning pair of cans have been a staple on many best headphones lists – including ours – and have now been made even better thanks to a lighter and comfier design.
We gave the Sony WH-1000XM3 a nearly perfect score of 4.5 out of 5 stars in our review in 2018, and they earned the top spot on our best noise-canceling headphones list. And trust us when we say we don’t hand out such accolades like candy. You can get a renewed pair of Sony WH-1000XM3 for a cool 18% off on Amazon
So, what’s the big deal about these wireless headphones and why are we so enthusiastic about them? For starters, they have a cool, futuristic look. Sony got rid of the rugged, leathery finish around the earcups and replaced it with a new plastic chassis, making a far sleeker silhouette. The change in material makes the WH-1000XM3 more lightweight and slender, enhancing their wearability. Plus, the swivel design of the earcups guarantees maximum comfort. The cups are ergonomically padded and larger, and the material is nicely breathable, so you won’t feel uncomfortably hot even with long use. The headband also doesn’t squeeze as tightly as most headphones do, and the cups fold up neatly for easy storage in their traveling case.
The Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones are not messing around in the noise-canceling department. Sony’s new QN1 processor has dramatically improved both audio processing and noise cancellation. Turning on the active noise canceling practically obliterated every loud sound in the environment, from people to vehicles. The WH-1000XM3 also adapt their noise cancellation cleverly depending on where you are. For example, through Sense Engine, these headphones let in certain traffic noises like horns and sirens, so you won’t get run over by a car.
Music sound is immaculate with these headphones, thanks 32-bit signal processing, a high signal-to-noise ratio, and low distortion. Studio recordings sound impeccable, while live recordings are completely immersive. Bass sounds punchy and strong without overpowering the beauty of the mids and highs.
You can operate these headphones through gestures. When you cup your hand over the right earcup, music will automatically pause so you can have a conversation. Swiping and tapping also lets you play/pause, skip/return tracks, and adjust the volume. The Sony WH-1000XM3’s battery life can last an epic 30 hours between charges. Even charging these for just 10 minutes allows you to use them for five hours with active noise cancellation on.
Outstanding build design, impressive noise-canceling capability, fantastic acoustics, wonderfully easy operation, an insanely long battery life — what more can you ask for? Get a renewed pair of Sony WH-1000XM3 on Amazon for $288.
