Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds review with an iPhone

The penultimate real innovation amongheadphonesdates back about ten years, when Android smartphone brands began to market products equipped with a flat cable. This barely believable solution allows the wire to get tangled much less easily and quickly - seriously - so much so that the user can store them in a ball in their pocket before returning to the office. All he then has to do is take them out with one hand the same evening, without having to spend ten minutes untying potential knots.Priceless.

But since then, the startup Bragi has presented the first headphones on Kickstartertrue wireless, understand truly wireless (no, the Powerbeats⁴ are not one of them since they are connected together behind the neck) and therefore much more practical when you are on the move. An idea that germinated among other manufacturers better established in the mobile market, such as Samsung, Apple and Sony. The Japanese company unveiled the WF-1000XM3 a few months earlier, with the added bonus of Siri integration.

Unboxing and accessories

By purchasing the Sony WF-1000XM3, you end up with a beautiful white cardboard box with a grainy and smooth feel at the same time, very pleasant for such a small product. The whole thing opens like a drawer and then offers several rather luxurious matte black inserts. Inside, the only regret will perhaps be the misuse ofplastic, not very respectful of the environment.

Sony provides several user manuals with very detailed drawn explanations for properly installing the WF-1000XM3 in the ear or configuring them. Finally, supplied with the duo is acharging box to provide them with wireless power(very practical on the move) andeight pairs of tipsin silicone or shape memory, which was sorely lacking in the AirPods Pro. As well as a USB-C cable to power the box, much too short (less than 20 cm).

Sony WF-1000XM3 technical sheet

• Connectivity
  • Bluetooth LE 5.0
  • NFC
  • USB-C port on the case
  • Recharge sans fil (2 x tripoints)
• Format
  • In-ear
  • Truly wireless (true wireless)
  • Color: black or silver
  • Material: plastic
  • Not waterproof
  • Weight: 17 grams or 75 g with case
• Features (iOS and Android app)
  • Active noise reduction
  • Voice assistants: Siri, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa
  • Touch control
  • Equalizer
• Components
  • 700 mAh Lithium-ion battery (up to 24 hours of battery life + approximately 54 mAh per earbud)
  • HD QN1e processor
  • Speakers 20 Hz-20,000 Hz
  • A microphone on each earpiece

A successful design

The Sony WF-1000XM3 take the form of a smallbeanwhen we see them worn by someone in profile. The matte black color that I was able to test offers a very premium appearance, on which we find a Sony logo that we could have done without. With a face, these wireless headphones may seem protruding, but remain much less conspicuous than the earbuds of previous generations and much more serious than the tail of the AirPods.

The plastic structure seemssolidand does not stick to fingerprints, except perhaps on the tactile part which is more original in this way. In addition, the overall shape is very neat and we really have the impression with these WF-1000XM3s that we are holding a product of excellent quality. The wireless charging case is also very elegant and versatile with its rounded corners and its very nice magnetic click opening.

Surprisingly despite their size, the Sony WF-1000XM3 are also very ergonomic: theydo not slipwhen we move, even quickly while running for example. This is ideal if, for example, you want to do the dishes to music, without hearing your partner's TV. Finally, the tips of three different sizes perfectly match the shape of the ears and allow the headphones not to fall out unlike those of Apple.

ApplicationHeadphones Connectand features

We come to the most importantnegative pointof this test: the companion application. Indeed, if the Sony WF-1000XM3 wearables are pleasant on a daily basis, this is far from being the case for the Headphones Connect app available on the App Store. If the program is so unintuitive, it is above all due to the arrangement of its options, in a row and not arranged in a menu as it would have been simple to code. The experience is really disappointing, not to mention that there is no dark mode.

In terms of the services offered, we therefore find thestaged active noise reduction, which works well and will be especially useful on public transport or in the office. An equalizer is also included, as is the indication of the percentage of remaining autonomy… Not indicated anywhere else. The rest is anecdotal, and I've only had to reopen the application once or twice since I got the WF-1000XM3.

On the side ofvoice assistants, whether with Alexa, Siri or the Google Assistant, everything works perfectly. Gestures to trigger these AI or music and volume control can also be defined from the Sony Headphones Connect app.

Performances des Sony WF-1000XM3

At several hundred euros, the Sony WF-1000XM3 must meet certain power standards. That's good, since Sony is one of the best consumer audio manufacturers on the planet, which is once again proven by this pair of wireless headphones.

Autonomy

According to the manufacturer, the WF-1000XM3 could last twenty-four hours with their external battery, which allows them to be recharged three times. Which also means they can play music for six hours. But the reality on the ground is quite different:I have never been able to exceed four hours of battery lifeper charge when listening at three-quarters volume on average.

Sound: the second best wireless headphones on the market?

The strong point of the Sony WF-1000XM3 compared to the AirPods and all their outsiders is their speakers. The sound quality is clean, and whether listening to Classical or Techno, you will be able to rediscover in depth titles that you already know by heart. The bass is mostly goodround, even if you have to push them to the maximum from the equalizer to benefit from such accuracy.

Unfortunately, bass lovers will still turn to the more qualitative competition from Bose, the only brand capable of competing in this area, because you have to manually push the headphones to the end of the ear canal to reach a similar level. The other frequencies are very faithfully reproduced, and thestereoallows you to experience different sounds from multiple directions, providing a true high-end feeling with the WF-1000XM3. As for 360 Reality Audio,which recalls the Spatial Audio released a few months later by Apple, I clearly didn't notice anything special when using it... Too bad because the concept is huge.

Connecting with Apple devices

iPhone users benefit from complete synchronization with their device thanks to the Headsphone Connect app available on the App Store. It is then easy to call Siri with a simple touch on the touchpad of the Sony WF-1000XM3. On Mac, theBluetoothalso connects very well, but active noise reduction does not seem to be available.

The Sony WF-1000XM3 unfortunately tends todisconnect from their audio source for no reason, which can happen several times a day, regardless of the paired product. This is a real downside for a connected object of this size, and in the middle of a confidential video call, it is particularly disturbing when the sound returns to the speaker at full volume of your MacBook Pro.

Price and availability

It's indisputable: the quality of these wireless headphones places them among thebestof their sector. Only their SoundSport Free counterparts from Bose seem to do better, with their water resistance and unbeatable bass. The Sony WF-1000XM3 thus offer a real experiencemusical, and unlike AirPods which also seem cut out for calls, but not for art, this duo perfectly reproduces what the producers imagined.

The Sony WF-1000XM3s cost250 euros, but as they are already several months old, resellers are starting to offer promotions quite regularly. Discover them live in our price table, updated in real time: