Ditch the wires and go wireless. PCByte now has the Sony WF-1000XM3 for just $245 if anyone's been looking for em'. Ta!
Sony WF-1000XM3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones $245 (Was $319) @ PCByte AU
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I'm looking for something in this price range. Are these any good?
They review very well..
https://www.google.com/search?q=sony+wf-1000xm3+review&clien…
But that really comes down to which are the better and most objective headphone review sites?
This reddit thread starts to explore exactly that;
https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/7vze6q/best_hea…I will say some of the following are decent and carry more weight than many of the other sites and should be the consideration for looking at;
https://www.head-fi.org/
https://www.innerfidelity.com/
https://theheadphonelist.com/Are a good starting place.
Thank you for your time
Eh, head fi has gone really downhill for a long while. Very sad.
I have to say it looks different from years ago.
It's still safe to read up on products from Sony there as people can be critical about large brands on HF. It's when you start criticizing IMR/Schiit/Campfire Audio (sponsors) for any reason, then even the admins will really get to work on you. I've found /r/headphones and the related discord to be more than a sufficient replacement.
I'd also look at https://www.rtings.com/
Head-Fi is mostly nonsense in my opinion. Way too many people there believing in magical cables and what not.
love them, ANC is suprisingly good for its size and audio quality is great, a little lack-luster on the bass end but its not bad. Battery life however isnt as great as i had hoped.
6~ish hours isn't too bad.
around 4 hours if ANC is on.
ive never ever had 6hrs, 3-4 at most.
@AssBargain: Also 3-4 hours at most, but I always use with ANC, but I upgraded from the wf-sp700n so I actually love the battery life on these.
@AssBargain: Also 3-4 hours at most, but I always use with ANC, but I upgraded from the wf-sp700n so I actually love the battery life on these.
@AssBargain: Check if you turned on the DSEE HX setting (which is only available if you downloaded the android app on the phone, and connect it).
This setting saps the power on the earbuds like there's no tomorrow. I've experimented, and i found that the battery lasts ~6 hours with DSEE HX turned off, but only about 3hrs (4 at most) with it turned on.
YMMV, but worth a try.
Edit: https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/wf1000xm3/v1/en/contents/TP00…
Have you tried the different equaliser settings in the Headphones Connect app? Changing to Excited or Bass Boost makes a massive difference to punchiness from the Normal or Bright EQ settings.
For something so small I'm surprised with how much bass they have
I don't use the Sony app for EQ. my phones rooted with magisk installed so I use viper4android. Far better sound profiles and EQ settings. Cranking the bass just drowns out the high end.
@AssBargain: The Sony app adjusts the EQ directly on the headset. Sounds like your phone is processing the sound and then the WF is processing it again leading to sub-optimal sound. I don't have any of the issues you are mentioning, on low quality YouTube streams or from Tidal hi-fi quality streams.
Maybe try the app EQ settings and then comment again on the sound quality.
@TheAccountant: Just tested with the Sony EQ, I got the exact same result.
the EQ setting on the Sony app is usually disabled, I don't use it. I purely have the app installed just to pair the earphones up and use ANC. I've noticed this issue on basically all Bluetooth earphones I've used, these Sony ones, jaybird X3/X4, power beats pro. Ofcourse the small size will have restrictions and won't have as good audio clarity as full on headsets. I listen to quite bass heavy songs, if a bass note is low enough frequency, you can tell Bluetooth earphones struggle to keep up with it, it chokes out the audio. My car Bluetooth speaker + subwoofer handle it fine with EQ profile applied.
Noise cancelling is good. But phone call quality wasn’t.
I've tested this out heaps, never had any complaints
You need to update the firmware. Night/day difference.
Indeed - very decent now
Phone call quality is better after latest firmware but it is still not as good as AirPod Pro or Jabra 65t. Usable in not too noisy environment. Don’t expect to use it in shopping centre for any productive calls.
@goraygo: I used to get heaps of complaints about the call quality on these until the firmware upgrade. Never tried in a busy city environment/shopping centre etc, but outside in windy conditions the other party said call quality was fine.
@tomlikesbeetroot: I tried with wifey in a shopping centre and got told off for not being able to hear me… :(
Yep. Love mine.
yes
I gave mine away to a family member after being unimpressed with them for 6 months. Sound quality was downright anaemic compared to my usual portable set-up (wired Sony XBA-N3 earbuds connected to the Quad DAC in LG phones). They also seemed very prone to interference when used out of the house (paired with an iPhone 11) — on my typical 20 minute commute on public transport they'd tend to drop out or stutter 3 or 4 times, often at the same particular intersections. And I much preferred the ANC (and battery life + cable option + additional audio codecs including LDAC) for flying/travel on my WH-1000XM2 headphones.
Other complaints: middling call quality, lack of an IP rating/waterproofing, bulky case (just barely pocketable), no easy multi-device pairing.
Will probably be a long time before I consider another Bluetooth earbud given how far short of the hype these fell for me.
Exact same experience I had. Was my first wireless earphones. I went back to using wired earphones with an adapter after 3 months of using this.
Really lackluster call quality. After an update it became usable at least but still not good enough to use outdoors. ANC was good though.
Sold mine just last week.
Take note the case is much larger than the competition and
they don’t have any water resistance
Here's my budget 2 second review on my first first pair purchased a few months ago.
The right side would drop out for a few seconds just randomly. Supposedly this can be fixed through the settings of the app. You can choose between sound quality or Bluetooth connection priority.
These things do not want to sit in your ear. It comes with sets of buds that are more gripy, though still not the best. If using while working out, they're going to fall out. For this reason I decided to keep using my budget soundpeats while working out.
Randomly when removing from the case, one side would be low on battery. For some reason the smallest of movement would stop the charge.
After 3 months, stopped charging. Can honestly say it's the first product I purchase in store that turns out faulty.
Thankfully jbhifi replaced them. The new pair have been working great so far.
The app to change touch functionality in terms of play, pause, volume control, etc is good.
The obvious, sound quality, is great. Got the for $250. Definitely worth it. I used these while playing The Last Of Us 2. Sound quality was amazing.
Can't comment on phone call quality as I only use these for gaming or for use on a tablet.
PM/PB with OW ?
Don't think Officeworks has this, can price match at JB and use the 5% voucher
Anyone tried this at JB? I can buy 5% vouchers through my work so would be another handy saving.
I used the voucher to buy these yesterday. Worked without any issues.
No luck with Harvey Norman Online.
if only they were waterproof
Are any of the big brands (Apple, Samsung etc.) in this price range waterproof?
Im currently using the Bose soundsport free, mainly for the gym as it has an ipx4 rating.
i did own a jabra elite 65t active which has an even better IP56 rating.
The Bose has more bass as i found the Jabras to be quite flat.
I found both are great for exercising, just depends if you want more bass which i do.
They are both around the $200 range, there has been recent deals on Ozbargains which brought the price down.
The Sony WF-1000XM3 sounds like it has better sound quality and noise cancellation. But no waterproof.
Im personally waiting on Bose's next sports wireless earphones.Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless version 2 are ipx4.
$319 if you have good guys commercial access
AirPod pros are rain proof.
I have Jabra 75t active and wear them for sport and then in the shower after on a daily basis.
Quite like them.
Like moving to a waterproof(*) phone, I would not go back to one without this feature.
I'm scared to buy any more Bluetooth earphones after the first ones I bought (one of those $40 Amazon deals) sounded garbage compared to $15 wired ones, but I'm also mindful of Sony's attention to detail for sensory devices. I just can't commit that much money without hearing them first.
The good ones are as good as any earbuds I've ever used. They're never going to compare to decent over ear headphones, but I don't think judging them by the performance of seriously cheap amazon earbuds is going to get you very far.
I said earphones, as in the buds that fit in the ear. I'm not comparing them to headphones.
There is quite a lot wired earphones in the $20~ range that punch above their weight. I was just massively disappointed by the sound quality, which reminded me of the of Apple mud buds, sq wise.
I wish they sync across multiple devices like QC35. I had more than few pairing issues with iOS but no issues lately.
Mine sometimes doesn’t connect to my phone and have to wait 60 secs for it to fail before I can reconnect.
@zder7118
Cheers mate, I saw it as soon as it appeared which shows I'm on here too often.
I always wear them when I am driving on 110km/hr. They have saved my ears.
cant comment on how good they sound, but i've been on the other side of a phone call with someone who has these and the mic is terrible (relatively speaking, considering the price)
I had these & Cambridge Audio Melomania, returned the Sony because heavier around the ear, less battery, big carry case profile, sound was a bit less crisp than CA and the NC wasn't a whole a lot better than the physical isolation from ear buds. Mic is pretty bad on both.
Good price though, gone down so much from RRP.
Opened – never used
You are right.ta
Plenty of better options for less than half the price of these. Paying for a brand name instead of doing your research is always a bad idea. Plenty of Chinese companies making some seriously good bang for buck wireless earbuds. Sabbat e12 ultras, Anker, even soundpeats blow these crappy Sony earbuds out of the water and at only a fraction of the price.
Thats not true.
I have tried those TWSs you mentioned.
They’re good value for money.
But their SQ is still below Sony.This Sony is one of the leading TWSs in term of sound quality.
Not true. Chinese cheap headset does not have the same quality of ANC and sound quality.
You also don’t get the same level of app support and firmware support, in fact, those china cheap brands will never give you any support.
Sony app can automatically adjust ANC or pass-thru depends on whether you are sitting or walking. Once you set it up, it does the job.
I own the Soundpeats true engine SE3 ($50) and the Sony wh1000xm3. Audio quality is definitely better on the Sony's when you listen to them side by side but honestly, not a huge difference at all. I was also surprised by the noise cancellation of the SoundPeats, when music was playing, they were probably 80-90% as good, as in I couldn't hear my surroundings at all. The Sony WF-1000XM3 honestly look too bulky for me but the Soundpeats are just right and it's hardly noticeable. The mic quality is better than my current Sony's. The automatic ANC is really fidgety and I don't use it. However they do offer pass-thru if that's something you're after but if I'm in an environment where I need to hear, I just don't wear them in general. If the Sony WF-1000XM3 is comparable to the Sony wh1000xm3 in terms of audio quality, ANC and mic quality then I'm VERY happy with my Soundpeats at 1/5th the price.
Got a pair from Addicted to Audio's $199 promo, love them
Are they any good for making phone calls
The Sony gives you the best audio for music and ANC but not the best for phone calls, even with the latest firmware update, the phone calls are barely acceptable compared to Airpods and Jabra earbuds.
However, for music and ANC, no earbuds beats it yet.
Successfully price matched with David Jones and bought with discounted gift cards for a very nice deal (with free delivery)!
sorry how to pricematch with free delivery>???\
You contact david jones via their live chat or email them and ask if they will price match PCByte's deal on the Sony WF1000XM3 by sending them the link to the deal and mentioning it is in stock in Auburn (as of posting).
Then they send you an email confirming that they are happy to price match at the price of $245 and require you to purchase it online at their price ($479) and send them the order number of your order for them to be able to issue you a refund.
So you buy it from them and they should refund you the difference ($234) in 3 to 5 business days by your original payment method.
The delivery is free as they offer free delivery for any order above $50.
However, one thing to note is that if you pay only with gift cards they will simply give you an egift card for $234 which is personally not what I wanted so instead I paid $245 by egift card and the remaining ($234) by credit card as their refund policy states any value paid on a credit card will be refunded onto the credit card and the balance will be put on an egift card.
So I should be refunded the $234 onto my credit card soon as that is the refund amount I am due and the amount I paid via credit card!
i've bought two pairs of these. both made a rattling sound and i had to return both.
For music, sport and general phone call
Give the Fiil t1x a try. it's pretty good though.
https://www.gearbest.com/bluetooth-headphones/pp_30074405400…
~$70For make clear phone call and portable gaming
then get a Avantree ah6b
~$119
https://www.amazon.com.au/Avantree-Bluetooth-Headphones-Comf…Or both for total $189
I sold my xm3 cans in favour of airpods pro, the features and implementation you get with iphone is awesome, you can listen to music while having transparency mode on, this is a killer feature when at work you can hear your surroundings and does not feel like fish bowl and dont need to pull the off when someone comes over for chat.
ANC is awesome when walking streets and hand off via icloud is second to none.You can argue all you want about sound quality but i can tell you that i am some what audiophile, cannot stand too warm or too bright headphones and these are just balanced right, nice and crisp sound with good amount of punch and mids.
About $9 delivery to WA