UNBOXING:
The first thing to do is to find the correct fit. This, like it has always been for in-ear buds, is a trial and error process. Out of the box, Sony provides you with six pair of tips - 3 pairs of silicone ones and 3 pairs of memory foam ones. I have large ears with almighty ear canals, and based on my past experience with other in-ear buds, I went for the large memory foam tips. These turned out to be too big, and the earphones dangled precariously off my ears. So I swapped them with the medium foam tips; this gave me the perfect and the most comfortable tip. The next thing I did was pop the earphones back into the case, and the case to a power supply so that both the case and the buds charged to 100%. I already had the companion Sony Headphones app on my phone, but if you don't, you can download it.
Once they were charged, I launched the Sony Headphones app, went through the connection wizard, tapped my phone on the case (NFC) and that's it. They were paired - a very hassle free, and a no tech challenge process, which anyone can do. Bluetooth connectivity was perfect. I could roam around anywhere in my 1 room kitchen apartment without losing connectivity. Once these babies were paired, I popped them into my ear, and then launched the companion app to configure them.
CONFIGURATION & PLAYBACK:
Right out of the box, this pair provides a very neutral sound-stage with clear mids, though the highs can be very tinny and the lows quite muffled. This might make some people to take the knee jerk reaction of returning them as they do not sound all that well for the price. Well, don't, and have patience. Configure them to suit yourself, and that's how you'll get the best out of them. Configuration depends on the kind of music you listen to, and hence this step is critical.
Personally, I'm not beholden to a particular genre, which makes this stage of the onboarding a bit difficult. I launched the Youtube music app, and started cycling through some of my favorite songs in the metal, pop, vocal, reggaeton, hip-hop, EDM and trap genres. To give an idea: I cycled through songs by Pink Floyd, Paradise Lost, John Legend, Post Malone, Nicky Jam, Alan Walker, Lil Nas X, Skrillex, Flosstradamus, Fever Ray, Florence + The Machine & Eminem. And post that, I went to work with the Equalizer, tweaking it while cycling through the same songs to find the perfect blend of settings that can achieve the sweet spot of a great sound-stage applicable to all these genres.
My final equalizer settings for the slider bars: +4, +2, -2, -2, 0 with Clear Bass set to +8. I found that these settings gave me the best sound-stage across all the genres (of course, these won't be perfect for any one genre, but it is either that, or tweak them according to the genre that you listen to). I also set DSEE HX to ON, since this allows for the audio stream to be upscaled to simulate a high resolution stream - a good to have feature if you listen to streamed audio like I do. With the afore mentioned settings, I found that I retained the clear mids, but I was also able to deepen the lows and make the highs sound natural.
USAGE:
The drivers do taking some burn-in, and I started hearing a slight upgrade in quality after the first 10-12 hours of use. This was the same for my WH-1000XM3s, which sound absolutely wonderful after 4 months of use.
While this pair is great on the ears while traveling (I sweat quite a bit, and the over-ear cans become uncomfortable for me), I'd still prefer the WH-1000XM3 if I'm at my desk working, or if I'm in an airplane traveling, because there is definitely some ear fatigue (which is typical for in-ears). The fit, once you have achieved it correctly as described in the first part of this review, is secure, and I did not feel any risk of these falling off.
I would definitely not take this pair out for jogging or any gym exercises, since they are not water resistant, and the fit is not secure enough to handle strenuous activities of jumping, running, etc.
CONCLUSION:
All in all, this is a great pair, and well worth the price, if you have the patience to configure them according to your specific use cases. I highly recommend both the models from Sony, both are winners in my book, and I hope to use them for many years.
PS: If you use the Tidal app, it's probably a good idea to go through the 360 degree music setup. I don't, and hence I didn't.
Ask to play music, get directions, control smart home devices, and more with this device.
Alexa Built-in Learn more
Alexa Built-in
This device has been certified by Amazon. With Alexa built-in, just ask to play music, get directions, control smart home devices, and more.
There is a newer model of this item:
Sony WF-1000XM5 The Best Truly Wireless Bluetooth Noise Canceling Earbuds Headphones with Alexa Built in, Silver- New Model
$298.00
(2,380)
Only 5 left in stock - order soon.
$298.00
(2,380)
Only 5 left in stock - order soon.
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This Item  Sony WF-1000XM3 Industry Leading Noise Canceling Truly Wireless Earbuds Headset/Headphones with Alexa Voice Control And Mic For Phone Call, Silver |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $139.97 | $118.00 | $60.00 | -20% $119.95 List: $149.95 | -5% $235.99 Typical: $248.00 | $253.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | — | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | — |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sound quality | ||||||
| Battery life | ||||||
| Noise cancellation | ||||||
| Sold By | Networkstore | Amazon.com | Secondipity | Amazon.com | STOCKYFY | Electropedia llc |
| connectivity tech | Bluetooth, NFC | Wireless | Wireless | Wireless | Wireless | Wireless |
| headphones form factor | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear |
| connector type | USB Type C | wireless | wireless | wireless | — | — |
| noise control | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation |
| cable feature | Without Cable | Without Cable | Without Cable | Without Cable | Without Cable | Without Cable |
| control type | Voice Control | Media Control | Media Control | Voice Control | Google Assistant | Google Assistant |
| material | Plastic, Rubber | Plastic | — | — | — | Plastic |
| model name | WF-1000XM3/S | WFC700N/W | WFLS900N/C | Live Free 2 | WF-1000XM5 SC | — |
From the manufacturer
WF-1000XM3
A new age of wireless freedom.
Industry-leading Noise Canceling Truly Wireless Earbuds with Alexa Voice Control
Digital Noise Cancellation
Industry-leading Digital Noise Cancellation
Industry-leading digital noise cancellation technology means you hear every word, note, and tune with incredible clarity, no matter your environment. Additional microphones also assist in isolating sound while talking on the phone, resulting in improved phone call quality.
Proprietary technology for premium sound
Sony’s proprietary HD Noise Canceling Processor QN1e brings the WF-1000XM3 to the pinnacle of noise cancellation. With 24bit audio signal processing and best in class signal-to-noise ratio, the WF-1000XM3 headphones dramatically improve the sound quality of whatever you choose to listen to.
Extended battery life plus quick charging
Enough power to last all day. Get up to 6 hours of battery life on a single charge, and the charging case supplies another three full charges, delivering up to 24 hours of battery life. Low on battery? 10 minutes of charge time gives you up to 90 minutes of playback.
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Amazon Alexa Built-In
Alexa-enabled for hands-free voice access to music, information, and more.
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Touch control panel
Tap or swip the panels with your fingertip.
Change the track, activate your phone’s voice assistant, and take or make calls.
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Quick Attention Mode
Place your hand over the left earbud.
Turn the volume down and deactivate noise canceling for instant conversation.
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Music will automatically pause and resume.
When the headphones are removed from your ears and put back in.
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Smart Listening by Adaptive Sound Control
Automatically switches to ambient sound mode based on your activity.
1 Alexa Built-In 2 Touch controls 3 Quick Attention Mode 4 Wearing detection 5 Smart Listening
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Sony I Headphones Connect app for Android and iOS
Smart Listening technology to control your ambient sound settings and adjust the sound levels.
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Tap and hold the right earbud.
Activate your smartphone’s voice assistant with a simple touch.
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Hear essential sounds when you’re on the move.
Switch to Ambient Sound mode with the Sony | Headphones Connect App.
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Conversation flows freely.
With easy, hands-free calling. Leave your phone where it is: just speak with a tap.
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Auto on / Auto off
Automatically turns on and off to save battery when not in use.
1 Sony I Headphones Connect 2 Voice assistant function 3 Ambient Sound Mode 4 Easy hands-free calling 5 Auto on / Auto off
Sony True Wireless Headphones
 WF-1000XM4 |  WF-1000XM3 |  WF-C500 |
|---|---|---|
Noise CancelingYes / Industry Leading | Noise CancelingYes | Noise CancelingN/A |
Battery Life8 Hrs (24 Hrs with case) | Battery Life6 Hrs (18 Hrs with case) | Battery Life10 Hrs (20 Hrs with case) |
Hands Free CallYes, with Beam Forming Microphone | Hands Free CallYes | Hands Free CallYes |
Water Resistant/Splash ProofYes / IPX4 | Water Resistant/Splash ProofN/A | Water Resistant/Splash ProofYes / IPX4 |
Special FeaturesLDAC Support, Speak to Chat, Touch Panel | Special FeaturesTouch Panel | Special FeaturesButton Control |
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Sony WF-1000XM3 - Great Features!
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These Sony earbuds do what AirPods can’t
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Sony WF-1000XM3 Review | CEONTHEMAKING
CEONTHEMAKING
Reviews with images
Very Good Earbuds
Design: The battery case is satisfactory. LEDs indicate charging status and the materials that construct the case are pleasant to handle. However, it can be difficult to fit the earbuds case in smaller pockets due to the size.Setup: The earbuds have you download the app for setup and configuration. The setup process was quick; only requiring a few taps. Comfort: The earbuds come with a variety of tip options including silicone & silicone/foam hybrids across several sizes; I find the hybrid option to be best. The weight of the earbuds is not an issue unless I wear them for many hours consecutively, and even then discomfort is minimal.Features: The active noise cancellation (ANC) performs well for earbuds, especially while traveling. The iOS app allows you to configure the ANC based off the situation you are using them for (Adaptive Sound Control) however I ended up turning this off as I found it to auto-adjust at inappropriate times. The app sometimes states earbuds are not paired, despite my phone being connected with sound outputting to the earbuds. Otherwise, the app has a wide range of features and is easy to navigate.
The earbuds have touch controls which I found frustrating. While the ability to have touch controls is useful, the earbuds are small which makes inadvertent touches common, so I disabled this feature. Battery life: I didn’t test them long enough to see the total play time, but I found that after several hours they remained more than 50% charged. When I was ready to take a break, I would pop them back into the case and they would actively recharge until I was ready to use them again.Sound quality: These do a great job of making music sound crisp & clear. My only complaint is that for bass-heavy music, the bass levels are not as loud as I’d like even with the EQ adjusted. However, every other instance sounds great. Phone calls also sounded clear however I have been told that I was not being heard well by the other party occasionally.Final thoughts: The WF-1000XM3s are a great set of earbuds have many features I want in an audio product. The sound quality is great, the app has a variety of features & the battery life is phenomenal. My only complaints are: app glitches (fixed with future updates?), a lack of any water resistance (not great for working out), the finicky touch controls, and the mic sometimes causes others to not hear me well. Overall a very good set of earbuds that I expect to get better with future software updates.
Top reviews from the United States
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Top reviews from other countries
Roderick Delacroix
Buena compra
Reviewed in Mexico on December 1, 2021Color: SilverStyle: WF1000XM3Verified Purchase
BlessedBee
Still one of the best tws in May 2021
Reviewed in Canada on May 8, 2021Color: SilverStyle: WF1000XM3Verified Purchase
Marcus Cavalcante
Impressionante em todos os sentidos. Produto de alta qualidade.
Reviewed in Brazil on March 21, 2020Color: SilverStyle: WF1000XM3Verified Purchase
Marcus Cavalcante
Reviewed in Brazil on March 21, 2020
A bateria dura umas 6 horas utilizando configuração de redução de ruído. Carrega muito rápido com 3 pontos de contato e na caixinha dele também tem bateria recarregável.
A qualidade dos materiais e excelente. Nas partes de borracha o material é muito resistente e tem sensor que "percebe" quando colocamos ou retiramos os fones e podemos até configurar para dar pausa quando retiramos da orelha.
Quando colocamos os fones devemos girar um pouco para melhor encaixe nos ouvidos.
A cor é discreta.
A caixinha parece um pouco grande em relação aos concorrentes mas cabe muito bem no bolso.
Nos próprios fones têm sensor que aceita pequenos toques para mudar configurações de uso, basta pré-configurar até 6 opções no App no celular. Dá para configurar cada lado de forma diferente, por exemplo, um lado pode ser para dar pausa/play/anterior/próxima faixa e no outro aumentar/diminuir volume ou acessar Alexa ou acionar o redutor de ruído e outros.
A redução de ruído é impressionante e dá para deixar ressaltado somente voz, assim você pode configurar o volume de voz que pode querer ouvir e isolar outros sons ou isolar tudo.
Para dormir em local barulhento e ideal, aliás esse foi o motivo de minha compra e estou muito satisfeito. Chego a ter que informar que vou por o fone para que não pensem que não quero dar atenção mesmo estando acordado.
O bluetooth é 5.0 então pega até nos outros cômodos e dá pra ficar ouvindo música com excelente qualidade fazendo outras coisas tranquilamente.
A qualidade do som é maravilhosa. Os graves e agudos são nítidos, os efeitos como de eco, de ambiente aberto, de ambiente fechado, tudo isso fica bem nítido no som. A gente consegue perceber todo o trabalho que tiveram na produção da música.
Só encontrei um ponto negativo que é de não parear com o bluetooth de tv's LG e Samsung (talvez consiga parear com tv Sony). Para parear com celular é ótimo e depois do primeiro pareamento o próprio App gerencia o acesso automaticamente não precisando se preocupar mais com a conexão que é super rápida.
As mensagens são em português e podemos configurar para que elas nos digam quando a bateria estiver ficando sem carga.
Tem muitas outras configurações que não usei por não precisar no meu caso.
É caro, mas no meu caso que tenho dificuldade para dormir e acordo com qualquer ruído, foi perfeito.
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Tim Cho
A great pair of (expensive) true wireless earbuds
Reviewed in Canada on February 8, 2020Color: BlackStyle: WF1000XM3Verified Purchase
Karthick PNKV
Late to launch in India: WF-1000XM3 is a pocket dynamite
Reviewed in India on September 17, 2020Color: BlackStyle: WF1000XM3Verified Purchase
Karthick PNKV
Reviewed in India on September 17, 2020
Sound quality - 4.75/5
This is a mind-blowing pair to own and it outputs insanely clear mids/vocals! Bass/lows are more than sufficient, Instrument separation is incredibly awesome hence the highs are good but you may feel the fatigue in an hour if you boost the highs in the Sony app.
Pairing & performance with devices - 4.25/5
Pairing process is pretty simple just like any other TWS. You have to take the buds out of the case then the phone detects it.
There is NO multiple device connection here again something Sony should work on for this price next time.
Each time I have to end connection with a device to connect with another one.
For some reasons, Connection with windows 10 laptop was cranky every single time. It produces weird cut off / hiss sound which makes me not to use at all with them. With phones I had to no issues at all. I connected with my Huawei P30 Pro and Realme X2 Pro, X2 Pro gave the better maximum sound compared to P30 Pro. So test it with your devices (if you have multiple) and choose the right one. That doesn't mean P30 Pro output was bad, it's just that I had to keep 100% volume to get what I want as opposed to 70% volume in Realme X2 Pro.
Features - 4/5
Yes the Sony headphones app lets you customise sound stage to your liking and offers control over noise cancellation levels whether you want ambient outside sound or not etc.,
There is no waterproofing and no wireless charging either which is a bummer at this price!
Build quality and looks - 4.25/5
It's well built and looks dashing , quite premium thanks to its copper black/white colour combination.
On the flipside it's bulky and even the buds is larger than most others.
I felt the lid quality could have been better on the case.
Noise cancellation - 4.5/5
Honestly I was expecting a bit more of noise cancellation since I own it's bigger brother WH-1000XM3 too and that one is the king of NC . Nonetheless WF-1000XM3 cancels out most low frequency noise out of the equation and overall I would say it does best in TWS world. Expecting better NC in its next version.
Call quality - 4.5/5
For my first call, it sounded the worst and muddy. I thought fine this thing is not built for this functionality lol. I don't know what happened after few days of burn in, both music quality and call quality were improved especially call quality improved dramatically! Although there is a stupid sound that could be heard all along the call(Like a vacuum may be because of noise cancellation? Who knows) which is annoying.
Battery life - 4.75/5
Exactly delivers what was promised. 5.45hrs I got against claimed 6hrs with Noise cancellation (I use NC always ON) and the case provide three times of 6hrs. Excellent!
Charging time is weird though. The red light doesn't go away even after 4hrs(with 18W Type C charger). So the next time I charged approx for 2hrs and disconnected even though red light was glowing and found it charged 100% already. Looks like a bug.
Overall - 4.5/5
If you prefer class leading sound quality and noise cancellation over features (like waterproof, wireless charging) and you want the absolute beast , Doesn't matter the cost - Then buy it. You won't regret.
Pics : Huawei P30 Pro & Canon EOS 77D
Edit: Lightroom
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