The Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless are neutral-sounding and versatile truly wireless headphones. Their design is stylish and feels premium, but it’s a bit hard to find a good airtight fit as their tip options are larger than average. This mainly negatively impacts their bass reproduction and isolation performance. On the other hand, once you've achieved an airtight fit, their ANC feature makes them good for commuting and blocks out a good amount of noise in an office setting. They also provide about seven hours of continuous battery life, their case yields an additional three full charges, and they're compatible with a companion app that gives access to decent audio customization.
Our Verdict
The Sony WF-1000XM3 are satisfactory for neutral sound. They have a well-balanced sound profile with a touch of boom, which fans of EDM and hip-hop may enjoy. However, they're missing a bit of low-bass, so mixes lack some thump and rumble. Also, they come with fairly large tips, which makes it hard to get an airtight fit and could affect how they sound, especially in the bass range. Luckily, the companion app gives you access to a graphic EQ so you can tweak the sound to your liking.
- Well-balanced default sound profile.
- Graphic EQ in companion app.
- Hard to get a comfortable fit due to large tips.
- Closed-off soundstage.
The Sony WF-1000XM3 are a good choice for commuting or traveling. They're very portable and come with a hard carrying case. They have a decent, seven-hour battery life, which should get you through your daily commute. They're fairly comfortable and stable but come with big tips that can make it hard to achieve an airtight seal. The ANC feature also struggles to block out low-frequency sounds like bus or plane engines but does a better job of reducing noise like background chatter.
- Decent isolation performance.
- Sturdy and high-end build quality.
- 6.9-hour continuous battery life.
- Hard to get a comfortable fit due to large tips.
The Sony WF-1000XM3 are great for sports. They're portable, breathable, and durable. However, if you can’t find a good fit due to the large ear tips, they might not be the most stable option for physical activity. Sony doesn't list an official IP rating, which is disappointing.
- Well-balanced default sound profile.
- Sturdy and high-end build quality.
- Hard to get a comfortable fit due to large tips.
The Sony WF-1000XM3 are okay for office use. The in-ear fit might not be the most comfortable for long listening sessions, but they're still fairly comfortable if you find the right fit, and they isolate very well against work environment noise like ambient chatter and an A/C system. They also don't leak that much audio, so you can listen to music at fairly high volumes without worrying about disrupting coworkers. A brief stint in their case to charge, meanwhile, should give you enough battery to get you through a day at the office without too much of a problem.
- Decent isolation performance.
- 6.9-hour continuous battery life.
- High wireless latency on PC and Android.
- No multi-device pairing.
The Sony WF-1000XM3 aren't suitable for wireless gaming due to their incompatibility with PS4 and Xbox One consoles and their high audio latency on PC.
The Sony WF-1000XM3 are truly wireless headphones that can't be used with a wired connection.
The Sony WF-1000XM3 are adequate for phone calls. Your voice should sound reasonably natural, if a little thin, but people on the other end of the line may have a hard time understanding you if you're calling from a loud or crowded environment. Thankfully, they block out ambient noise to a satisfactory degree.
- Decent isolation performance.
- Well-balanced default sound profile.
- Sub-par microphone noise handling capability.
- No multi-device pairing.
Changelog
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Updated Oct 23, 2024:
We added a reference to the Fairphone Fairbuds True Wireless in the Case box.
- Updated Jun 15, 2022: We've retested 'Audio While Charging' in the Battery test due to a user report of this feature working correctly. However, we couldn't use both buds individually as we couldn't use the right bud while the left one was charging in the case.
- Updated Mar 11, 2022: We've retested 'Audio While Charging'.
- Updated Feb 07, 2022: Added Sony 360 Reality Audio to Virtual Soundstage.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Sony WF-1000XM3 are available in two color variants, 'Black' and 'Silver'. We tested the 'Black' variant, but we expect the other color to perform similarly. If your headphones are different or you come across another variant, please let us know in the discussions below so we can update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Sony WF-1000XM3 are versatile and premium-feeling truly wireless in-ears. They have decent noise isolation performance, a fairly well-balanced sound profile, and a sleek high-end design. Unfortunately, it's quite difficult to get an airtight seal as their tip options are larger than other similar headphones.
For more options, see our recommendations for the best truly wireless earbuds, the best wireless earbuds, and the best wireless earbuds for running.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless are the next generation of the Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless. The XM4's ANC can block out more ambient noise, and their battery performance is significantly better. However, the XM3 support NFC pairing and have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer.
The Jabra Elite 75t Truly Wireless and the Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless are somewhat similarly performing headphones and depending on your usage, you may prefer one over the other. The Jabra are more comfortable, have better controls, and a significantly smaller case that provides the same overall battery life. They also have a better noise isolation performance. However, the Sony have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer. They also have a better app with more customization options, and a more premium-feeling case.
The Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless are better everyday truly headphones than the Bose SoundSport Free Truly Wireless due to their superior noise isolation performance. The Sony have a decent ANC system and block ambient noise well, especially if you have a good fit. Their battery life is also better and their app offers more control and customization options. On the other hand, the Bose have an open-back design that's great for running outside and staying aware of your surroundings. They also have a more neutral sound profile, but it can't be customized with an EQ.
The Apple AirPods Pro offer similar performance to the Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless but have much better ANC. Both have a neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer, but the Sony have a longer battery life and are more customizable, especially as their companion app offers a full graphic EQ on both Android and iOS. The Apple, on the other hand, are more comfortable in the ear and feel significantly more stable.
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You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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