4:21 TOTALLY wrong! I don't know if Sony made a software update that changed this, but I'm watching this video with the XM2's and exactly at 4:21 I tested it out to see if that was true and it wasn't. Furthermore, I even tried just using TWO FINGERS to cover the right earcup and it STILL worked!! Still great informative video overall tho!
I've been waiting for a video comparison on the XM2 vs XM3. No real difference in ANC and only slightly more base. I think I'll keep my XM2s. I have also noticed from other reviews. The XM3s are fingerprint magnets as it has that smooth feel. Whilst the XM2s has the leather feel which I like, and it doesn't show fingerprints. Great video guys. Thanks, it helped me a lot to make the decision to keep my XM2s.
Thank u I was planning on buying either XM3 or XM2, the price difference is 100 SGD, I can buy 150 SGD for XM2 meanwhile XM3 costs bit more for sound quality, after ur review I thought maybe save 100$ and get the XM2, as I ain’t a Audiophile or Engineer, to consider in depth sound, just listen to music while travel that’s it, also were considering Beats studio 3 as I was using iPhone with 🍎 Music, apart from integration, the sound and build quality sucks in contrast to Sony.
This is the best review, by far, that I've seen of these headphones. I'm a data analyst and appreciate the in depth analysis you've done here. Anyone who is considering these headphones would be foolish to buy without watching this. Well done!
You must consider that the point of view in this test is at the technical features. They have a look which headphone has the most linear frequency response and then draw a conclusion which sounds more natural and represents the sound footage the way it really sounds like. That's completely different to a subjective opinion on how they sound. You may prefer a more bass and treble heavy sound, others want to have a fully linear sound.
Incredible depth in this review. Feels like we've reached an unprecedented level of numerical precision with these reviews. Not too much subjective nonsense. Love it.
I just bought these headphones. They undoubtedly sound better than the Bose QC35 IIs and have superior noise cancellation. Their build quality is also superior IMO. Only let down is they don't get loud enough. However most headphones are like this. The only headphones that can handle loudness are the V-moda M100s and CF2W. Hope this helps someone
Hugh Jass I've seen other TH-camrs' videos comparing the m3 to the QC35II, and all say the m3 sound better. But Rtings scored the m3 comparatively low for the critical listening category on their website... I'm so confused.
Emanuel Mehari The reason is because 'critical listening' comes down to how accurately the headphone (being reviewed) replicates the original recording (song). The headphone shouldn't 'amp up' the bass or recess the treble (as examples). In the Sony XM3's case the bass range is overemphasised by 4db which subsequently 'muddles and weakens' the presence of the mid and treble ranges. While 'bass heavy' fans will prefer this, it isn't an accurate representation of what the music sounded like in the recording studio. Also, the treble range itself on the XM3 is quite underemphasised anyway. In the Bose QC35II's case the bass range is very even and only emphasised by 1-2db. Additionally, the treble range is far more 'consistent' with the target line. This is why the QC35II's scored higher on critical listening as it more accurately reproduces the different sound ranges.
@@Neutrality10 except that's why you buy headphones like this. You're buying music quality headphones. Not sound accuracy headphones. If you want sound accuracy, get some studio headphones
I´ve been using my M2´s for a year now and I really recommend audiofiles to think twice before buying them. The headphones lacks presence big time unless you turn the volyme to max and like the test here, you can play with the eqalizer all day but never really get the mids to desent levels when not at max volume. You can´t really compair these to Sennheisers big Momentums for instance, it´s a just a different category of headphones. With that said, I´m still very happy with the M2´s for their exeptional noise reduction that really turns a plane or subway with screaming kids and snoring guys to an silent oasis that plays your favourite musik with out any disturbance even with music like Sufjan Stevens, Nick Mulvey or Radiohead. The upside with lack of presense could be that you can play for hours without getting tired of the music. I love the M2´s first of all for the stress releiving silent oasis in a bizzy world that they provide and not the well balanced music experience. Can´t have it all...
Comparing the XM2 directly to the XM3 I find the noise cancelling improved in both the frequencies covered and the volume they’re reduced by. Especially clear though, is that the faint white noise detectable on most Noise Cancelling headphones, including the XM2, seems gone entirely. I haven’t purchased them just yet but I’ve listened to them for about twenty minutes and they’re clearly better in NC. Your tests showing frequency response of course don’t show a full picture of the sound on these. The XM3 have a wider soundstage than the XM2, which I feel is distinct enough to merit a mention. I think testing the NC against various kinds of noise will show that the Bose aren’t aren’t as good at some noise types. And for anyone still reading this, the touch controls on the XM3 are way faster, and the beep is actually much quieter. Quick attention is actually quicker, even. Wind noise is lessened, you can even swipe your finger against the outer mics without it making a sound. The swiveling hinge on the headband now moves with zero resistance and zero sound, meaning you never need to manually twist the headphones to be more comfortable. Swiping on the right ear cup is much quieter due to the smoother texture. The comfort is quite a lot better. I can’t say for certain but I think the mics are less likely to encounter the dust/dandruff problem, since the arc-shaped ones are now in two parts and recessed by themselves.
Just flew. Xm3s are clearly worse than the 2s on a plane. Returning them. Between that, the worse sound at most volumes, there is no reason to keep them. Still prefer the 2s.
robguz24 having gotten them today, I can’t say I agree. After tuning the EQ to my liking, they do sound more spacious than the XM2s. They’re not a $350 upgrade, but then, I didn’t pay nearly that much for them, so I’m happy with them. I imagine MDR1000X owners would benefit significantly from the upgrade, though. I listened to St. Vincent’s self titled album on the XM3s and there’s actually a really major improvement from the XM2s. That’s one of my favorite albums ever, so I’m quite happy about that as well.
Weird. Maybe mine are a bum pair. They sounded horrible before leaving them on playing music for many hours. Less distortion at high volume, but that’s the only improvement for me in sound. They still sound more like listening inside a can or AM radioish at times vs. the 2s.
robguz24 in the first hour or so mine didn’t sound quite right, but then perhaps it was because I hadn’t finessed the EQ to where I liked it. I will say I expected the noise cancelling improvements to be greater than they really are, but there are improvements. Against a lot of loud road noise today, they didn’t cancel much (if any) more than the XM2s, but the music playback was much better. In the XM2s, when they’re cancelling a lot of noise, bass ends up sounding constrained to a degree, but on these I didn’t experience that nearly as much, if at all. I think that’s because of the separate noise cancelling processor.
Hi Rtings, I agree with a lot of what you guys said, but just to clarify, did you guys test the headphones using the Apt-X or LDAC for the Sony? When you enable equalizers, it defaults to SBC. Also, I get that the frequency response shows certain things, but having tested all 3 myself, I find I prefer the Sony sounds over the Bose, simply because they sound more lively and dynamic. The Bose sounds lifeless and dull in comparison. Not sure how to describe that feeling. My guess is that it could just be that the codecs the Bose use are inferior to the Sony. Apt-X and LDAC are simply superior to SBC and AAC. What do you guys think? As for comparison between M3 and M2, I found there were only marginal differences worth noting and some of them were in favor of the M2s. M2s were simply clearer which I prefer over the stronger bass and I liked the metal band better. The lighter weight, USB C and faster charging times were the notable in favor of the M3s. More or less what you guys said, I guess.
I am a happy owner of a WH-1000XM2 and I must say I love those headphones. Sound is great, noise cancelling is very good, they are comfortable and i love the way I can control music and use Google Assistant. I use LDAC connection with my smartphone for best quality and AptX with my TV and there is no latency. Never SBC. Why did you test sound quality only in SBC ? I bought today XM3 and they are better in every way !
As someone who doesnt wear headphones for super long periods of time, I'd chose the xm3's. The Bose are lighter, and slightly comfortable, but the xm3's are just so much better, in terms of sound quality. No bias, btw. I own a lot of Bose products.
the moment u said in starting that qc 35 is current reigning champion...i closed the video...i have both xm2 and qc35 and sony hands down xm2 sounds much much better than qc 35...bass is punchy and treble is more clear... qc35 is simply flat and lifeless....the only upside of qc 35 is its comfort which is better in long wearing. feature wise and swipe gesture is a big big factor in xm2....i forward/reverse tracks and control volume by swiping easily...and i pair and power on my xm2 by just touching with my s7 edge unlike in qc 35 where u have to power on first and then tap to connect and also volume control with buttons is so outdated and uncomfortable....
Even the 1000X sounded better and had far better noise cancelling than the QC 35. Funny that anyone has considered the QC 35 the champion of anything except maybe a few months in 2016.
Casper Bastholm I agree with you that they’re better than the bose, as were the 1000X 2 version ago. The issue is they’re worse than the XM2. I’ve tried with my xm2 vs 3 different pairs of 3s and all the same. The NC is clearly worse on the xm3 than the xm2
Nice noise cancelling upgrade - nice to see Sony aren't just sitting on having the best but looking to improve. I use the WI-1000x - those seem to have the best noise cancelling of any I've tested so far. Shame you don't have a review of those. Would like to see some objective measurements at just how good the isolation is.
Outstanding review you saved me from an unnecessary upgrade. That being said the new Aiwa Arc-1 headphones for $199 are amazing and it was only at the Excited frequency response of the XM2 app that they perhaps sounded better than the Arc-1 yet the bass of the Aiwa was superior.. Although not ANC, the Aiwa are excellent and with a 3 year warranty are worthy to try. I most likely will be selling my XM2 as the phone microphone is really poor and people cannot hear me on the other end easily. The Aiwa are great.
5:11 I disagree. QC35 II does have a more “neutral” tuning but is grainy in the treble. The XM2 or XM3 do not have this graininess but do have a slight veil in the treble, ESPECIALLY the XM2. NOT the XM3. The 1000x series has a tasteful elevation in bass presentation and is certainly not to the degree of a “bass-head’s” preference. That’s the Extra Bass series. 1000x series bass is elevated just enough to add some “fun” to the overall sound signature. Rant over.
The best headphones review channel. I was waiting for your review to know if it worth getting the XM3. Now am convinced... Great Job Guys. Keep on 👍 👍 👍
The xm2 sounds really good with some EQ. Turn down the bass a bit and up the treble. I'm not sure how better the xm3 would be.. Maybe it just comes with better eq settings by default.
I had the Sony mk2 and Bose qc35 ii. They were pretty much the same but I liked the Bose better bc of how they looked on me and the fact the you could truly connect two devices. I tested the Sony mk3 and they blow both of the other two away. I just wish they had the ability to connect to two devices, truly.
Recently bought a pair of M3's, great sound and noise cancellation. My only complaint so far, I use them at the gym they are loose and fall off my head if I lay on my back. Not a small head!
I've tried them all. None of the 3 headphones are 100% better then the other, here is what I realized: - If you already have the XM2 headphones, then it's NOT worth upgrading to the MX3. The very slight upgrade doesn't really justify the cost of a new pair unless you can get the MX3 for at least under $150 on sale - If you prefer bass, and listen to music with lots of bass (rap, hip hop, heavy rock, lofi, electronic music, etc.) then either of the Sony headphones sound better. If you primarily listen to less bass heavy music (like classical, classic rock, audio books, podcasts, jazz, etc.) then the BOSE are the better choice as you will hear the smaller and subtle sounds clearer. So anyone who says one brand sounds better then the other is only basing their opinion on what sounds better for their taste in music. - The review is spot on with noise cancelling. All 3 headsets are on par with how well they work. The only defining factor is whether you put the headphones on right and seal off your ears. However one perk the Sony headphones have is (when paired with the app) is will do a ping test. This test sends out different frequency pings through the speakers while the microphones on the outside listen for them. It will then automatically adjust the ANC settings to account for any leakage and outside noise (like if you have a lot of hair, or glasses frames that might break the headphone seal on your head). The Sony headphone (with the app) also can automatically adjust how much sound (and at what frequency) it purposely leaks into the headphones (utilizing the ambient sound feature) based on what your are doing and where you are (like if you are walking, a little sound will still leak in so you can hear cars coming near you, or on a train you can hear any announcements). However, due to the diverse choice in customization you can always adjust or turn off the feature. - Comfort-wise, the BOSE are still the most comfortable, but only slightly. If you were to wear both headphones for an entire work/school day, the BOSE might let you endure a couple or so more hours before you'd want to give your head a rest. However both are perfectly comfortable for at least 4-5 hours straight. It's only if you go 8+ hours of wear time that you'll notice a difference. So for a airplane ride across the country both will be fine, but for an airplane ride to the other side of the world, the BOSE might be more comfortable. My example would be the Sony's are like a comfortable, new pair of jeans. While the BOSE are those same jeans but after you have worn them in and washed them several times. - Tech-wise the Sony's completely beat out BOSE. If you like bells and whistles along with lots of customization options Sony wins out hands down. The touch controls and app are light years ahead of the BOSE. However this also means there is a slightly longer learning curve. If you want something you can just pop on your head and takes about 5 minutes to learn the controls then the BOSE is the better option. The BOSE is also better if you prefer actual buttons for your headphone controls instead of touch sensors. Yet the lack of many physical buttons is also what makes the Sony headphones appear more sleek in design. - Battery life is pretty much the same for all 3. It depends how you use them. If you only use Active Noise Cancelling with a bluetooth connection you'll get at least 24 hours of play time on a full charge. If you go wired mode, with no ANC enabled, then all headsets will last well over 30 hours. However if you go all out with ANC enabled, plus ambient sound (option to leak in a little of the outside world so you can hear if someone talks to you), all while wirelessly connected at a high volume, then you'll get under 20 hours of play time. But that still means (unless you don't sleep for 24 hours) all headsets will run for the entire waking hours in a day on one charge.
4:21 TOTALLY wrong! I don't know if Sony made a software update that changed this, but I'm watching this video with the XM2's and exactly at 4:21 I tested it out to see if that was true and it wasn't. Furthermore, I even tried just using TWO FINGERS to cover the right earcup and it STILL worked!! Still great informative video overall tho!
Rting team you missed a big point of bad call quality from headphone’s microphone .. I just bought m2 from eBay and regret as no one can hear anything on the other side
Seriously strange how the majority of TH-cam Reviewers say how great the Noise Cancelling is on the WH - 1000XM3's but yet I have the WH -1000XM2 for a year now and it doesn't block at all the noise of the droning car engines in the London streets or Ambulance Sirens.Also reduces the whooshing sounds on the London Underground but the sound still gets through even though I can hear my music. People suggest cancelling out noise through turn up the sound more on Noise Cancelling Headphones but to me that defeats the purpose.£330 is alot of money to spend on an upgrade on the WH - 1000XM3 considering you Claim Noise Cancelling is only slightly better than the WH -1000XM2'S Android Andy claims to be disappointed by the Noise Cancelling of the Mk3's.Gym Caddy says the Noise Cancelling is better like yourselves but not by much.And David Marte yet another TH-cam Reviewer goes as far to say Noise Cancelling is better on the MK2's.So in conclusion in my mind there is just to much OVRRHYPE GOING ON ABOUT THE WH -1000XM3's and I can't understand why people would upgrade from the MK2's when the functionality is all the same and the music quality is better potentially and the Noise Cancelling abilities isn't 4 times better than the MK2's as Sony would like people to believe.
I have to say this video almost indicates that the Bose QC35ii are better - however, I do not think I agree. I have both the Bose and the Sony XM3 and there is a noticeable step up from the Bose when you try the Sony; the noise cancellation on the Bose feels weird and gives me a head ache, reason why I decided to get the Sony recently and the experience has been much better.
Great video. I thought the noise cancelling on the XM3 was noticeably better. Hopefully the XM4 continues the improvements and will be worth and upgrade from the XM2 which I currently use to save myself from my flatmates watching TV all night.
For my use case I find the WH-1000xM2 to be a much better solution over the xM3's. I have loud neighbors above me so for my sanity I have loud brown noise playing in the background. So I primarily use my ANC headphones for watching TV and movies. It might be the size of my head and ears but I find that the xM3's just don't offer a good seal which results in more of the brown noise leaking through. And when I'm able to achieve a good seal (if I don't move) the ANC offers a higher tone when canceling out that loud brown noise. (which I find more noticeable and distracting and so I think the xM2's does a better job)
Got both the XM2s and 3s from my time in retail due to a big employee discount on Sony headphones. My 3s just died on me out of warranty, so I’m just dusting off the 2s rather than spending a few hundred on the 4s or 5s. Just doesn’t seem like there’s a big enough difference in quality across the entire line.
6 ปีที่แล้ว +1
My friend let me try her Xm2 and I was like "wow, I have to have those" then I found out Sony already released 3rd gen and luckily for me both of those were on sale in local shop... Xm2 slightly cheaper, but I was like meh, let's go for the best and putting them side by side, weight difference is noticeable (not much, but you can feel it), type C is a big deal for me (I already have my second phone with type C, no need to store old cables), noise cancelling is better (it is hella good on Xm2, but Xm3 just sound different and better when nothing is playing, perfect to sit in a plane and just have your peace), sound quality... well I would say the same, it sounds little bit different, but not worse or better, when it comes to comfort on head, I found them much better than Xm2, my friend said she thinks they are about the same, so it depends on shape of your head :)
Hi Thank you for the review. So before I make my purchase. So does it mean the XM2 regular USB provide sound and mic support on PC? You didn't mention it, but you made it sound like it does, by saying the XM3 doesn't? Your help will be greatly appreciated!
under what conditions was the sound quality tested? both the sonys use AptX HD and LDAC, for awesome flac audio playback at higher bandwidth, whereas the bose qc35II still uses the old ancient bt codec.
Nice review, but please do a headband stress test. For lack of a better idea, maybe use a car jack stand and count how many turns it takes until the headband breaks? Not that any user puts this kind of stress on the headband, but it would at least show the difference in build quality between headphones. To give you some background as to why I think testing durability is so important, I had the M1 and its headband broke within a few months of purchase (and pretty gentle use). I loved these headphones so much that I even considered to buy the M2 instead, but I dropped that idea after I saw how many owners of the second generation model still faced the same problem. I'll wait until Rtings or another sites looks into this, or until sufficient time has passed (a year?) and there are no reports of the issue from users.
Wow guys. I've been watching headphone reviews for years and this could be the best, most in-depth review I've ever seen. Well done!
4:21 TOTALLY wrong! I don't know if Sony made a software update that changed this, but I'm watching this video with the XM2's and exactly at 4:21 I tested it out to see if that was true and it wasn't.
Furthermore, I even tried just using TWO FINGERS to cover the right earcup and it STILL worked!! Still great informative video overall tho!
@@tcg4111 I have the same
Yep I think it's the best too .
RTings proves to be one of, if not the best with AV reviews. Will always trust their judgements
I've been waiting for a video comparison on the XM2 vs XM3. No real difference in ANC and only slightly more base. I think I'll keep my XM2s. I have also noticed from other reviews. The XM3s are fingerprint magnets as it has that smooth feel. Whilst the XM2s has the leather feel which I like, and it doesn't show fingerprints. Great video guys. Thanks, it helped me a lot to make the decision to keep my XM2s.
I regret upgrading to the 3s. Just not improved enough and the 1 device at a time is ridiculous.
Thank u I was planning on buying either XM3 or XM2, the price difference is 100 SGD, I can buy 150 SGD for XM2 meanwhile XM3 costs bit more for sound quality, after ur review I thought maybe save 100$ and get the XM2, as I ain’t a Audiophile or Engineer, to consider in depth sound, just listen to music while travel that’s it, also were considering Beats studio 3 as I was using iPhone with 🍎 Music, apart from integration, the sound and build quality sucks in contrast to Sony.
Same here, Watching this on my XM2s and decided to stick with them as they're still good at their job. And this video just approved my decision.
In my experience, the ANC on my 1000xm3 wayyy outperforms the QC35II, higher frequency sounds are greatly reduced
Can it block banshee?
Thats because the earpads block more noise anc only cancel out low frequency noises like a bus engine
This was the best review of any product I ever watched!!!!
This is what I call detailed & proper comparisons and review 👍
You guys are the best source for technology reviews. Seriously, you guys go the extra mile, and it is SO appreciated! Never change!
It's literally the MOST professional comparison I've ever watched
This is the best review, by far, that I've seen of these headphones. I'm a data analyst and appreciate the in depth analysis you've done here. Anyone who is considering these headphones would be foolish to buy without watching this. Well done!
yeah that's a really nice review! I really enjoyed getting a view from the technical side
It's great. Except it's wrong.
Hands down the most thorough and in-depth review of these headphones, showing the frequency curves is great!!
This is the best review ever watched! Great job!
I’m sorry the M3s sound better and has better noise canceling than Bose. You guys are crazy
You must consider that the point of view in this test is at the technical features. They have a look which headphone has the most linear frequency response and then draw a conclusion which sounds more natural and represents the sound footage the way it really sounds like. That's completely different to a subjective opinion on how they sound. You may prefer a more bass and treble heavy sound, others want to have a fully linear sound.
You must consider also that this test wasn't against the QC35II.
The II adds almost nothing over the first QC35 and should sound identical.
@@tshaolin971 the II sound extremely identical to the original QC35. They only added a button as well as still no EQ control.
@@isoProxanol I hear that but they didn't even have anything that supports HI-RES or LDAC.
Great to see such a technical, objective comparison.
This is one of the best review videos--for any kind of product--I've ever seen.
This is the most informative TH-cam video I have ever watched. You guys absolutely nailed this video.
You deserve way more subscribers, best review I heard about the M3s
In 2 words: Excellent review!!
I love your videos. You guys do these comparison reviews better than anyone else on TH-cam. Keep it up!
This is how its fucking done. First time seeing this kind of in depth review. Subscribed and liked.
Now that's how to do a review... subbed! well done guys.
The most thorough comparison I've seen
You guys have really hit a grand slam with this review! Super informative! I really love the sound leakage test! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Incredible depth in this review. Feels like we've reached an unprecedented level of numerical precision with these reviews. Not too much subjective nonsense. Love it.
Thanks for the review I didn’t see mention about mic quality on phone calls
I know you read it that often but wow that was a hell of an review! New subscriber
I think he is a sound engineer or professor, well explained. Literally nailed the review
Thank you very much for the indepth comparisons of the headphones!!!
I just bought these headphones. They undoubtedly sound better than the Bose QC35 IIs and have superior noise cancellation. Their build quality is also superior IMO. Only let down is they don't get loud enough. However most headphones are like this. The only headphones that can handle loudness are the V-moda M100s and CF2W. Hope this helps someone
How do you listen to stuff that loud... my ears buzz like hell when listening at full vol and when i pause the music.
Hugh Jass I've seen other TH-camrs' videos comparing the m3 to the QC35II, and all say the m3 sound better. But Rtings scored the m3 comparatively low for the critical listening category on their website... I'm so confused.
Yea I don’t understand how headphones can be too quiet. Surely you’d damage your hearing if you’re listening to music louder than the maximum volume.
Emanuel Mehari The reason is because 'critical listening' comes down to how accurately the headphone (being reviewed) replicates the original recording (song). The headphone shouldn't 'amp up' the bass or recess the treble (as examples). In the Sony XM3's case the bass range is overemphasised by 4db which subsequently 'muddles and weakens' the presence of the mid and treble ranges. While 'bass heavy' fans will prefer this, it isn't an accurate representation of what the music sounded like in the recording studio. Also, the treble range itself on the XM3 is quite underemphasised anyway.
In the Bose QC35II's case the bass range is very even and only emphasised by 1-2db. Additionally, the treble range is far more 'consistent' with the target line.
This is why the QC35II's scored higher on critical listening as it more accurately reproduces the different sound ranges.
@@Neutrality10 except that's why you buy headphones like this. You're buying music quality headphones. Not sound accuracy headphones. If you want sound accuracy, get some studio headphones
exactly what I was looking for. great video. keep it coming.
This review is insane, you guys are the best thank you so much. :)
Yo this guy rocks!
Can he review everything from now on!?
This video is a great definition of professionalism
Thanks, now you ruined all the other reviews for me... The quallity of this vid is so good. Great job. No other review i found could top it.
Best technical review across TH-cam.
I have the xm2 and I've been thinking if I need to upgrade, however this video answered all my questions and I don't think I need to. Thanks!
Best review hands down! You earned a subscriber.
Why this guy look like Zion Williamson’s nerdy brother 🤪
I´ve been using my M2´s for a year now and I really recommend audiofiles to think twice before buying them. The headphones lacks presence big time unless you turn the volyme to max and like the test here, you can play with the eqalizer all day but never really get the mids to desent levels when not at max volume.
You can´t really compair these to Sennheisers big Momentums for instance, it´s a just a different category of headphones.
With that said, I´m still very happy with the M2´s for their exeptional noise reduction that really turns a plane or subway with screaming kids and snoring guys to an silent oasis that plays your favourite musik with out any disturbance even with music like Sufjan Stevens, Nick Mulvey or Radiohead. The upside with lack of presense could be that you can play for hours without getting tired of the music. I love the M2´s first of all for the stress releiving silent oasis in a bizzy world that they provide and not the well balanced music experience. Can´t have it all...
Watching this on my xm2
My brain:
*you dont need to buy the XM3's*
Me:
*buys them anyway*
I'm waiting to see if the XM4 will get announced later this week : p
@@slopedarmor no bro
@@slopedarmor im going to buy xm2
@@bariskacar2050 I has xm3 now : o
does the XM2 regular USB provide sound and mic support on PC?
Thanks! Great comparision review! Keep going like that!
Very informative review. The best review I have watched so far. Thank you guys.
Comparing the XM2 directly to the XM3 I find the noise cancelling improved in both the frequencies covered and the volume they’re reduced by. Especially clear though, is that the faint white noise detectable on most Noise Cancelling headphones, including the XM2, seems gone entirely. I haven’t purchased them just yet but I’ve listened to them for about twenty minutes and they’re clearly better in NC. Your tests showing frequency response of course don’t show a full picture of the sound on these. The XM3 have a wider soundstage than the XM2, which I feel is distinct enough to merit a mention. I think testing the NC against various kinds of noise will show that the Bose aren’t aren’t as good at some noise types.
And for anyone still reading this, the touch controls on the XM3 are way faster, and the beep is actually much quieter. Quick attention is actually quicker, even. Wind noise is lessened, you can even swipe your finger against the outer mics without it making a sound. The swiveling hinge on the headband now moves with zero resistance and zero sound, meaning you never need to manually twist the headphones to be more comfortable. Swiping on the right ear cup is much quieter due to the smoother texture. The comfort is quite a lot better. I can’t say for certain but I think the mics are less likely to encounter the dust/dandruff problem, since the arc-shaped ones are now in two parts and recessed by themselves.
Just flew. Xm3s are clearly worse than the 2s on a plane. Returning them. Between that, the worse sound at most volumes, there is no reason to keep them. Still prefer the 2s.
robguz24 having gotten them today, I can’t say I agree. After tuning the EQ to my liking, they do sound more spacious than the XM2s. They’re not a $350 upgrade, but then, I didn’t pay nearly that much for them, so I’m happy with them. I imagine MDR1000X owners would benefit significantly from the upgrade, though.
I listened to St. Vincent’s self titled album on the XM3s and there’s actually a really major improvement from the XM2s. That’s one of my favorite albums ever, so I’m quite happy about that as well.
Weird. Maybe mine are a bum pair. They sounded horrible before leaving them on playing music for many hours. Less distortion at high volume, but that’s the only improvement for me in sound. They still sound more like listening inside a can or AM radioish at times vs. the 2s.
robguz24 in the first hour or so mine didn’t sound quite right, but then perhaps it was because I hadn’t finessed the EQ to where I liked it. I will say I expected the noise cancelling improvements to be greater than they really are, but there are improvements. Against a lot of loud road noise today, they didn’t cancel much (if any) more than the XM2s, but the music playback was much better. In the XM2s, when they’re cancelling a lot of noise, bass ends up sounding constrained to a degree, but on these I didn’t experience that nearly as much, if at all. I think that’s because of the separate noise cancelling processor.
Actually taking off right now. No contest. 3s are annoyingly worse for me.
Hi Rtings,
I agree with a lot of what you guys said, but just to clarify, did you guys test the headphones using the Apt-X or LDAC for the Sony? When you enable equalizers, it defaults to SBC.
Also, I get that the frequency response shows certain things, but having tested all 3 myself, I find I prefer the Sony sounds over the Bose, simply because they sound more lively and dynamic. The Bose sounds lifeless and dull in comparison. Not sure how to describe that feeling. My guess is that it could just be that the codecs the Bose use are inferior to the Sony. Apt-X and LDAC are simply superior to SBC and AAC. What do you guys think?
As for comparison between M3 and M2, I found there were only marginal differences worth noting and some of them were in favor of the M2s. M2s were simply clearer which I prefer over the stronger bass and I liked the metal band better. The lighter weight, USB C and faster charging times were the notable in favor of the M3s. More or less what you guys said, I guess.
at last! technical reviews! great one!
I am a happy owner of a WH-1000XM2 and I must say I love those headphones. Sound is great, noise cancelling is very good, they are comfortable and i love the way I can control music and use Google Assistant.
I use LDAC connection with my smartphone for best quality and AptX with my TV and there is no latency. Never SBC.
Why did you test sound quality only in SBC ?
I bought today XM3 and they are better in every way !
Top notch review. Keep up doing this reviews
As someone who doesnt wear headphones for super long periods of time, I'd chose the xm3's. The Bose are lighter, and slightly comfortable, but the xm3's are just so much better, in terms of sound quality. No bias, btw. I own a lot of Bose products.
Great, Guys! Very good review you've shown us...
Sony needs to drop the price on the M2. Right now they're the same on Amazon.
Bernard Santos I agree
2s clearly have better NC and sound most of the time. They should raise the price on them. Sony screwed up on these, which can’t be used for calls!
@@Jerdy808 what did sony screw up
@@Jerdy808 They have the same, at least. If anything 3s are better
Just got an M2 for $150. Not bad
What a super sympathetic dude, thank you for the review :)
Soundwise, I prefer M2s. No need to sidegrade to M3s. Period.
Me too, and the NC is clearly better on the 2.
the moment u said in starting that qc 35 is current reigning champion...i closed the video...i have both xm2 and qc35 and sony hands down xm2 sounds much much better than qc 35...bass is punchy and treble is more clear... qc35 is simply flat and lifeless....the only upside of qc 35 is its comfort which is better in long wearing. feature wise and swipe gesture is a big big factor in xm2....i forward/reverse tracks and control volume by swiping easily...and i pair and power on my xm2 by just touching with my s7 edge unlike in qc 35 where u have to power on first and then tap to connect and also volume control with buttons is so outdated and uncomfortable....
It wasn't a comparison against the QC35II...
Even the 1000X sounded better and had far better noise cancelling than the QC 35. Funny that anyone has considered the QC 35 the champion of anything except maybe a few months in 2016.
Right? I wanted to close it as well, I have both M3, M2 and QC35II. I'm also sure that they did not do the noise canceling optimization.
Darkcloud1983 just flew. Xm3 is clearly worse on a plane both in blocking plane noise and conversation. Sending the 3s back!
Casper Bastholm I agree with you that they’re better than the bose, as were the 1000X 2 version ago. The issue is they’re worse than the XM2. I’ve tried with my xm2 vs 3 different pairs of 3s and all the same. The NC is clearly worse on the xm3 than the xm2
Nice noise cancelling upgrade - nice to see Sony aren't just sitting on having the best but looking to improve. I use the WI-1000x - those seem to have the best noise cancelling of any I've tested so far. Shame you don't have a review of those. Would like to see some objective measurements at just how good the isolation is.
Fantastic review. Great job!
I will get WH-1000XM2 from Bestbuy on black Friday. they offer $200. I think its good deal
I got them on black Friday as well. I Do not regret it one bit
@@piggy2309 me too
Did you survived the shopping on black Friday ?
you totally hit it, very good comparison, thank you!!!;)
Outstanding review you saved me from an unnecessary upgrade. That being said the new Aiwa Arc-1 headphones for $199 are amazing and it was only at the Excited frequency response of the XM2 app that they perhaps sounded better than the Arc-1 yet the bass of the Aiwa was superior.. Although not ANC, the Aiwa are excellent and with a 3 year warranty are worthy to try. I most likely will be selling my XM2 as the phone microphone is really poor and people cannot hear me on the other end easily. The Aiwa are great.
Good review. A question when you guys going to start doing sound bars reviews????
I just got mine today so happy right now. 🎧👍😎
well done, thanks for your work in this videos :D
I've had my xm3s for a couple days now. They're really fun to use
Best reviewer in TH-cam and in the web. I find your measurements are correct. The Sony does sound a little bit darker and veiled compared to the Bose.
great review, well presented
Very informative pro quality review!
Very good reviews!
insane review! amazing
Dope video man!
Good job, very professional!
U really Well explained the features bro.
Really great review. You guys are smashing it out of the park. Keep going.
5:11 I disagree. QC35 II does have a more “neutral” tuning but is grainy in the treble. The XM2 or XM3 do not have this graininess but do have a slight veil in the treble, ESPECIALLY the XM2. NOT the XM3.
The 1000x series has a tasteful elevation in bass presentation and is certainly not to the degree of a “bass-head’s” preference. That’s the Extra Bass series. 1000x series bass is elevated just enough to add some “fun” to the overall sound signature.
Rant over.
The best headphones review channel. I was waiting for your review to know if it worth getting the XM3. Now am convinced... Great Job Guys. Keep on 👍 👍 👍
Great video but can you guys compare the Nura headphones with XM3 please.
Thanks for a very good headphones review. ...
Just bought a 1000xm2 after this. It's $100 cheaper and I figure I could wait for the next model for a bigger upgrade.
The xm2 sounds really good with some EQ. Turn down the bass a bit and up the treble. I'm not sure how better the xm3 would be.. Maybe it just comes with better eq settings by default.
@@driftx2 bruhhh. Bad decision broke
I ended up getting an xm3 :)
@@driftx2 do you like them in comparison to the XM2s?
@@davidgn40 I think it's worth the price difference. More comfy, better noise cancelling, better audio quality.
best headphone review i've ever seen
I had the Sony mk2 and Bose qc35 ii. They were pretty much the same but I liked the Bose better bc of how they looked on me and the fact the you could truly connect two devices. I tested the Sony mk3 and they blow both of the other two away. I just wish they had the ability to connect to two devices, truly.
best comparison of headphones i ever seen
Recently bought a pair of M3's, great sound and noise cancellation. My only complaint so far, I use them at the gym they are loose and fall off my head if I lay on my back. Not a small head!
Muy buena comparativa!
The MX2's still look more premium, I love my MX2!
I've tried them all. None of the 3 headphones are 100% better then the other, here is what I realized:
- If you already have the XM2 headphones, then it's NOT worth upgrading to the MX3. The very slight upgrade doesn't really justify the cost of a new pair unless you can get the MX3 for at least under $150 on sale
- If you prefer bass, and listen to music with lots of bass (rap, hip hop, heavy rock, lofi, electronic music, etc.) then either of the Sony headphones sound better. If you primarily listen to less bass heavy music (like classical, classic rock, audio books, podcasts, jazz, etc.) then the BOSE are the better choice as you will hear the smaller and subtle sounds clearer. So anyone who says one brand sounds better then the other is only basing their opinion on what sounds better for their taste in music.
- The review is spot on with noise cancelling. All 3 headsets are on par with how well they work. The only defining factor is whether you put the headphones on right and seal off your ears. However one perk the Sony headphones have is (when paired with the app) is will do a ping test. This test sends out different frequency pings through the speakers while the microphones on the outside listen for them. It will then automatically adjust the ANC settings to account for any leakage and outside noise (like if you have a lot of hair, or glasses frames that might break the headphone seal on your head). The Sony headphone (with the app) also can automatically adjust how much sound (and at what frequency) it purposely leaks into the headphones (utilizing the ambient sound feature) based on what your are doing and where you are (like if you are walking, a little sound will still leak in so you can hear cars coming near you, or on a train you can hear any announcements). However, due to the diverse choice in customization you can always adjust or turn off the feature.
- Comfort-wise, the BOSE are still the most comfortable, but only slightly. If you were to wear both headphones for an entire work/school day, the BOSE might let you endure a couple or so more hours before you'd want to give your head a rest. However both are perfectly comfortable for at least 4-5 hours straight. It's only if you go 8+ hours of wear time that you'll notice a difference. So for a airplane ride across the country both will be fine, but for an airplane ride to the other side of the world, the BOSE might be more comfortable. My example would be the Sony's are like a comfortable, new pair of jeans. While the BOSE are those same jeans but after you have worn them in and washed them several times.
- Tech-wise the Sony's completely beat out BOSE. If you like bells and whistles along with lots of customization options Sony wins out hands down. The touch controls and app are light years ahead of the BOSE. However this also means there is a slightly longer learning curve. If you want something you can just pop on your head and takes about 5 minutes to learn the controls then the BOSE is the better option. The BOSE is also better if you prefer actual buttons for your headphone controls instead of touch sensors. Yet the lack of many physical buttons is also what makes the Sony headphones appear more sleek in design.
- Battery life is pretty much the same for all 3. It depends how you use them. If you only use Active Noise Cancelling with a bluetooth connection you'll get at least 24 hours of play time on a full charge. If you go wired mode, with no ANC enabled, then all headsets will last well over 30 hours. However if you go all out with ANC enabled, plus ambient sound (option to leak in a little of the outside world so you can hear if someone talks to you), all while wirelessly connected at a high volume, then you'll get under 20 hours of play time. But that still means (unless you don't sleep for 24 hours) all headsets will run for the entire waking hours in a day on one charge.
4:21 TOTALLY wrong! I don't know if Sony made a software update that changed this, but I'm watching this video with the XM2's and exactly at 4:21 I tested it out to see if that was true and it wasn't.
Furthermore, I even tried just using TWO FINGERS to cover the right earcup and it STILL worked!! Still great informative video overall tho!
Great review
This new review android is much better than the previous version! Although the inflection is a bit off at times.
Rting team you missed a big point of bad call quality from headphone’s microphone .. I just bought m2 from eBay and regret as no one can hear anything on the other side
Seriously strange how the majority of TH-cam Reviewers say how great the Noise Cancelling is on the WH - 1000XM3's but yet I have the WH -1000XM2 for a year now and it doesn't block at all the noise of the droning car engines in the London streets or Ambulance Sirens.Also reduces the whooshing sounds on the London Underground but the sound still gets through even though I can hear my music. People suggest cancelling out noise through turn up the sound more on Noise Cancelling Headphones but to me that defeats the purpose.£330 is alot of money to spend on an upgrade on the WH - 1000XM3 considering you Claim Noise Cancelling is only slightly better than the WH -1000XM2'S Android Andy claims to be disappointed by the Noise Cancelling of the Mk3's.Gym Caddy says the Noise Cancelling is better like yourselves but not by much.And David Marte yet another TH-cam Reviewer goes as far to say Noise Cancelling is better on the MK2's.So in conclusion in my mind there is just to much OVRRHYPE GOING ON ABOUT THE WH -1000XM3's and I can't understand why people would upgrade from the MK2's when the functionality is all the same and the music quality is better potentially and the Noise Cancelling abilities isn't 4 times better than the MK2's as Sony would like people to believe.
I have to say this video almost indicates that the Bose QC35ii are better - however, I do not think I agree.
I have both the Bose and the Sony XM3 and there is a noticeable step up from the Bose when you try the Sony; the noise cancellation on the Bose feels weird and gives me a head ache, reason why I decided to get the Sony recently and the experience has been much better.
underated channel
Great video. I thought the noise cancelling on the XM3 was noticeably better. Hopefully the XM4 continues the improvements and will be worth and upgrade from the XM2 which I currently use to save myself from my flatmates watching TV all night.
For my use case I find the WH-1000xM2 to be a much better solution over the xM3's. I have loud neighbors above me so for my sanity I have loud brown noise playing in the background. So I primarily use my ANC headphones for watching TV and movies. It might be the size of my head and ears but I find that the xM3's just don't offer a good seal which results in more of the brown noise leaking through. And when I'm able to achieve a good seal (if I don't move) the ANC offers a higher tone when canceling out that loud brown noise. (which I find more noticeable and distracting and so I think the xM2's does a better job)
Got both the XM2s and 3s from my time in retail due to a big employee discount on Sony headphones. My 3s just died on me out of warranty, so I’m just dusting off the 2s rather than spending a few hundred on the 4s or 5s. Just doesn’t seem like there’s a big enough difference in quality across the entire line.
My friend let me try her Xm2 and I was like "wow, I have to have those" then I found out Sony already released 3rd gen and luckily for me both of those were on sale in local shop... Xm2 slightly cheaper, but I was like meh, let's go for the best
and putting them side by side, weight difference is noticeable (not much, but you can feel it), type C is a big deal for me (I already have my second phone with type C, no need to store old cables), noise cancelling is better (it is hella good on Xm2, but Xm3 just sound different and better when nothing is playing, perfect to sit in a plane and just have your peace), sound quality... well I would say the same, it sounds little bit different, but not worse or better, when it comes to comfort on head, I found them much better than Xm2, my friend said she thinks they are about the same, so it depends on shape of your head :)
Hi how much you paid for xm3 on sale?? Yhx
I have the qc35ii and xm2, just picked up the xm2 at best buy for 199. Can't beat the Sony at that price! I lean towards Sony but love them both
Hi Thank you for the review. So before I make my purchase. So does it mean the XM2 regular USB provide sound and mic support on PC? You didn't mention it, but you made it sound like it does, by saying the XM3 doesn't? Your help will be greatly appreciated!
under what conditions was the sound quality tested? both the sonys use AptX HD and LDAC, for awesome flac audio playback at higher bandwidth, whereas the bose qc35II still uses the old ancient bt codec.
I wouldn’t say mx3 is bass heavy. Sometimes I feel like it needs more but it’s perfect
I own both headphones, I can tell the difference on both on them on 6:17.
Where did you all buy the xm3? I definitely want these headphones but I can just find shops where you need to wait 12 weeks until it gets delivered!
The UK seems to have a shortage of the X3s. I can find the silver ones but no black ones anywhere.
Nice review, but please do a headband stress test. For lack of a better idea, maybe use a car jack stand and count how many turns it takes until the headband breaks? Not that any user puts this kind of stress on the headband, but it would at least show the difference in build quality between headphones.
To give you some background as to why I think testing durability is so important, I had the M1 and its headband broke within a few months of purchase (and pretty gentle use). I loved these headphones so much that I even considered to buy the M2 instead, but I dropped that idea after I saw how many owners of the second generation model still faced the same problem. I'll wait until Rtings or another sites looks into this, or until sufficient time has passed (a year?) and there are no reports of the issue from users.
You are wrong the XM3's can pair to more than one device but can only play music from one device at a time as per Sony's information