Sony WH-1000XM3 – The best Bluetooth noise-canceling headphone around
The Sony WH-1000XM3 is my first pair of noise-canceling audio cans. I chose this over the Bose QC3 because I find it handling the balance between sound quality and noise-canceling better. I got the Sony WH-1000XM3 for S$478 on Lazada but I am pretty sure that you can find a better deal for this nice pair of headphones.
Some pointers when choosing your audio cans
I had the opportunities to try out my friends’ Bose QC2, Bose QC3, Sony WH-1000XM2 and AKGs previously. Aside from the sound reproduction, they rested over or on the ears differently. They clamp and rest on your head differently. Heat builds up on and around the ears differently. At the end of the day, it is going to stay on your ears (and head) for a while so find one that makes you feel comfortable wearing.
Why the Sony WH-1000XM3?
I have been looking out for noise-canceling gears for quite sometime. My primary need is to cancel out chatters and discussions at the workplace. The need became more apparent ever since we adopted a semi-open office concept.
Before the new office layout, I was using ear canal phones (the Senheisser IE8) for my daily commute. I continued to use it until I upgraded to an active noise-canceling earphones (the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC23) which I paired it up with the FiiO BTR1 to untangle myself from all the cable mess.
I ended up with this pair of magnificent wireless active noise-canceling cans, the Sony WH-1000XM3. Aside from the fit, its technical specifications also attracted me. That is, the Sony WH-1000XM3 supports aptX, aptX HD and LDAC on top of the usual suspects.
Unboxing the Sony WH-1000XM3
In the package, you will find:
- The Sony WH-1000XM3 in the color of your choice;
- Carrying case;
- Plug adaptor for in-flight use;
- USB-C charging cable;
- Audio cable; and
- User manuals/ instructions sheets.
Why Sony WH-1000XM3 over Bose QC35?
Bose has a decent track record for sound quality and superb active noise-canceling with its vast product lines. Bose established itself well in the audio business, period. It is also one of the first mover into the wireless active-noise canceling headphones space.
I didn’t really take notice of Sony until the notorious WH-1000XM2 whose headband cracks under normal usage.
The Bose QC3 and Sony WH-1000XM3 are equally good according to various audiophiles reviews. I delved into the technicalities and it became clear that I should go for Sony.
The ABCs of Audio
To me, sound reproduction is only as good as its source and delivery channel. To the audiophiles, they invest in decent audio files, players with DAC, audio cables, etc. to improve the SNR and push more audio notes to the ears.
Similarly for wireless audio, it is important ensure that the delivery channel is capable of delivering high quality audio. That is, having the necessary bandwidth (bit rate) and timeliness (latency). This depends a lot on the Bluetooth codec as it is doing all the heavy lifting of compression and delivery.
The common Bluetooth audio codecs are SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, etc. So how do they differ from one another other than just a bunch of jargon and acronyms?
| Codec | Bit rate (kbps) | Supportable bit-depth and sampling (bit/kHz) |
|---|---|---|
| AAC | 250 | undocumented |
| SBC | 328 | undocumented |
| aptX | 352 | 16-bit/48kHz |
| aptX HD | 576 | 24-bit/48kHz |
| LDAC | 990 | 24-bit/94kHz |
In short, the different codecs are capable of pushing different amount of data over the Bluetooth channel. Does this matter? Yes, the logic is simple: the bigger the pipe equals more data can be pushed over and that usually results in better sound quality. The codecs use lossy compression so it would sound slightly different if you hear it over the wire.
So if you are listening to audio files in typical lossless format like FLAC, you would be better off with at least aptX.
SBC marginally handles Spotify’s ‘Very High’ quality streams (supposedly clocks in at 320 kbps). If you primarily listen to Spotify, SBC would pretty much suffice.
Some more pictures of the Sony WH-1000XM3
Conclusion
The Sony WH-1000XM3 is a nice pair of wireless active noise-canceling headphones that delivers superb audio quality while dampening the ambient/ environmental noises effectively. I am pleasantly surprised that the newer codecs like aptX, aptX HD and LDAC are supported on most Android phones running Oreo.
If your new mobile phone is missing an audio jack/ connector, do check out Bluetooth headphones supporting aptX and/ or LDAC.
So if you are into FLAC and Spotify’s ‘Very High’ quality streaming, you should check out wireless headphones that supports the above-mentioned codecs. While you are at that, do make it a point to try out the Sony WH-1000XM3. You might fall in love with it.
