Sony has launched the WH-1000XM3 noise-cancelling headphones in India, the sequel to the Sony WH-1000XM2, and the heir apparent to the top position in the noise-cancelling headphone kingdom.
With their WH-1000XM2, Sony stole the show with its predecessor was its excellent noise-cancellation modes, Quick Attention Mode and aptX/aptX HD support, which of course is carried on to the 1000XM3.
Even the impressive 30-hours battery backup remains, but with a faster charging method that promises to deliver 5 hours of backup with just 10 minutes of charge. Whereas, its predecessor delivered around 2.5 hours of backup with 15 minutes of charge.
What’s improving this year, according to Sony, is the introduction of multiple microphones that will help calls come through cleaner and a switch from a microUSB port to a USB Type-C port along the earcup of the headphone.
The overhaul
After using it for a day, we noticed a substantial improvement on noise-cancellation over its predecessor. Although, the audio sounded relatively similar and it's great.
There are major changes in the design. The most evident design change is in the bridge of the headphones. The curvature of the band is increased to result in minimal gap between the band and the head. Also, there's some extra cushioning done on top to make it rest comfortably for long stretches. Additionally, the cushion on the ear-cups is deeper, allowing more part of the ear to fit in comfortably.
Further, there are several small touches to the design. For instance, there's a copper accent used on the black variant for the Sony logo and the noise-cancelling microphones. Even the textured finish on the cans is a lot smoother and neater, which aids better touch controls to play, pause and other controls.
Powering the 1000XM3’s noise-cancellation prowess is Sony’s new QN1 processor that’s faster than last year and offers more powerful processing, too – things we couldn't tell from our time with the headphones but a neat upgrade all the same.
The Sony WH-1000XM3 will hit stores on October 18 at the best price of Rs 29,990, in Black and Platinum silver variants.
