Evaluation of True Wireless Earphone Series II: Sony WF-1000XM3 Noise Reduction Option

Global Network Intelligent Evaluation Zhang YidaIn the previous issue, we recommended HIFIMANTWS600, which stands out in terms of sound quality. However, in this issue, we chose one of the very few true wireless headphones - true wireless and noise reduction Bluetooth headphones

Global Network Intelligent Evaluation Zhang YidaIn the previous issue, we recommended HIFIMANTWS600, which stands out in terms of sound quality. However, in this issue, we chose one of the very few true wireless headphones - true wireless and noise reduction Bluetooth headphones. Because the difficulty of integrating Bluetooth, battery, and noise reduction module into a small earphone body increases sharply, there are many true wireless earphones, but there are very few that can add noise reduction function.

In the second installment, we chose the Sony WF-1000XM3. The noise reduction capability of the Sony series is beyond doubt and has always been a surprise. Can wireless noise reduction continue to be a classic? Let's listen first for speed.

Appearance

I used to think that the HIFIMANTWS600 was already a big piece among real wireless headphones. After receiving the Sony WF-1000XM3, I realized my innocence. Whether it was the charging case or the earphones themselves, they were currently the largest wireless headphones I have ever seen.

The charging box has an overall elliptical shape and is coated with skin friendly materials, providing a delicate and comfortable feel. It adopts a magnetic suction opening and closing method, making it easy to open the box cover with one hand. It can provide 18 hours of battery life for the earphones, with about 3 full charges, which means it can be fully charged once, basically meeting the continuous use for a day. In fact, I usually only need to charge the charging box once in about a week. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that the charging box also uses a fast charging function, which can be used for about 90 minutes after 10 minutes of charging, which is relatively rare on charging boxes.

Six pairs of earplugs of different sizes are randomly included, which can be selected and worn according to individual circumstances to ensure a more stable wearing effect.

Experience section:

The primary requirement for Bluetooth earphones is stable connection. The Sony WF-1000XM3 adopts a new Bluetooth 5.0 chip and optimized antenna design, which can achieve long-term stable wireless connection. The main daily listening tools are carried with the phone, and the disconnection situation is relatively small. I conducted a relatively extreme connection test, and the connection is completely unaffected when there is no obstruction at about 20 meters.

Unlike most true wireless headphones, choosing to use them as the main headphone, connecting Bluetooth audio output, and then connecting them in series is different. Sony has adopted a synchronous connection method between the left and right earphones this time. Both earphones can be connected to the playback device separately, which means that the Bluetooth chip will simultaneously transmit sound signals to the left and right earphones. The connection is more stable, and the sound delay will be further reduced.

I chose Tan Weiwei's "Hua Yin Lao Tune Shouts" for actual listening, which features a prominent vocals and intertwined sounds of various instruments. The requirements for headphones are relatively high, making it easy to experience a feeling of blurring. Under the interpretation of the Sony WF-1000XM3, Tan Weiwei's rich and full vocal lines are fully displayed. In addition to the mellow sound, the sounds of various instruments can also be clearly distinguished. If the sound quality is top-notch, there may still be some gaps, but it is definitely quite excellent.

Noise reduction is a hard standard

Noise reduction is the most important characteristic of this pair of headphones. Yida has experienced many noise reduction headphones, among which Sony's noise reduction ability is definitely one of the best. On the Sony WF-1000XM3, the latest QN1e noise reduction chip is applied, which uses a front and rear dual feedback microphone to distinguish and capture noise in multiple frequency bands around the circumference. After picking up ambient sound, the noise reduction processor QN1e creates a reverse sound wave to cancel out most of the external noise.

In actual experience, if you put on headphones and turn on the music, you can hardly hear a colleague talking to you face-to-face in the office. You can only see him open his mouth but cannot hear any sound. This feeling is very wonderful. In the outdoor environment, the car's whistle can still be heard, but the sound has indeed decreased too much.

However, consumers do not need to worry about safety issues. The WF-1000XM3 app has an adaptive noise reduction function that can automatically detect the user's current environment and activate intelligent ambient sound control. Automatically recognize the modes of "waiting", "walking", "running", and "taking transportation" to activate the preset noise reduction level. If it is confirmed that the environment is safe, of course, the noise reduction level can also be manually adjusted. There are a total of 20 levels of ambient sound that can be set.

Sony WF-1000XM3 has also made great efforts in intelligent control this time, bringing a rich experience of intelligent control. In addition to the basic single touch playback and pause, it can also achieve noise reduction mode switching, wake-up voice assistant and other functions through different operations such as double clicking, triple tapping, and long pressing. In addition, removing the headphones will automatically pause the music, and wearing it will automatically resume playback.

Yida Review

The performance of Sony's WF-1000XM3 has not tarnished Sony's over 50 years of hard work in the music industry. Its performance in connection, delay, sound quality, and noise reduction is commendable, especially in terms of noise reduction. It is very surprising to see such performance in wireless headphones, and it can be considered a leader in the current wireless headphone field.