The Sony WH-1000XM3 ranks #235 out of 249 total Over-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: Sony
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#235 Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless Discontinued eBay
Newer model: the Sony WH-1000XM6, ranked higher, rated 2.3/5, released May 2025.
Older model: the Sony WH-1000XM2 (ranked higher, rated 3.7/5). See every Sony WH-1000X generation.
Pros: A huge seller for its noise cancelling, comfort, 30 hour battery and LDAC support. Bass is deep and powerful, extending to 20 Hz with about 4 dB of extra weight.
Cons: Discontinued and replaced by the Sony WH-1000XM4. Its default tuning measures poorly, with a Harman preference score of just 33: the upper mids and presence sit about 5 dB low with a 7.4 dB dip near 4.6 kHz, so vocals sound muffled and the overall sound is dark and bass heavy until you use the app’s EQ.
| Released | Sep 2018 (8 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Active Noise Cancelling | Yes |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (ANC on), 38 hours (ANC off) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Connection | Wireless and wired |
| Deviation From Target | 3.89 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 40mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 33 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+3.4 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -2.10 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.6 lbs (255 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -5.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -4.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 143 Hz | -5.9 dB | 1.02 |
| Peak | 1,411 Hz | +6.2 dB | 1.10 |
| Peak | 697 Hz | -2.8 dB | 0.92 |
| Peak | 4,315 Hz | +4.4 dB | 1.98 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +1.4 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 9,032 Hz | -1.5 dB | 2.00 |
| Peak | 6,657 Hz | +2.1 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,637 Hz | -1.2 dB | 5.83 |
| Peak | 55 Hz | +0.3 dB | 2.24 |
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