With early reviews flying in full of high praise for SONY’s new AirPod killers, we jetted off to Tokyo to put the WF-1000XM3 through its paces and see if they really are worth the hype. Here’s how we went:

Inviting members of the press from across the Asia Pacific region to SONY HQ in Tokyo for an exclusive event, the two day trip offered a mix of tech writers, bloggers, vloggers and podcasters a first and personal look at SONY’s latest piece of audio kit. To kick things off, day one’s main event was a product presentation showing off the new tech before a touch and try session cementing our first impressions.

Before getting to the headphones’ active noise cancelling capabilities, the first thing you’ll notice when taking the WF-1000XM3 out of its casing is the sleek design. While a little bulkier than some other models on the market, the WF-1000XM3 case comes with a premium feel the features a matte finish and bronze trim to match the platinum silver or black headphones enclosed. The carry + charging case snaps shut with a satisfying click and boasts three full recharges – meaning a total of up to 24 hours playback with noise cancelling on, or a monster 32 hours with noise cancelling off, as well as a quick-charge feature that gives users around 90 minutes of battery-life in just 10 minutes. For the record, one full charge (which takes approximately 180 minutes) on Wednesday night has held me over until the time of publishing. Every time I put them on I’m met by an equally courteous and pleasantly surprising audio reminder that the headphones are in fact, fully charged which I found incredibly impressive given the workout they’ve had in the last week and says a lot for the value in having a larger case with greater recharging capabilities.

We each had about 15-30 minutes during that session to put the WF-1000XM3 to work with the playlist provided, from which I only knew about three songs and decided to listen to Dua Lipa and Calvin Harris on repeat while tinkering with different audio settings. While getting to grips with the headphones, finding the right sized tips for your ears is essential for a couple of reasons; comfort and because getting the right fit and creating a good seal maximises the WF-1000XM3’s noise cancelling abilities. With four sizes of hybrid silicone earbuds and three sizes of triple comfort earbuds (plus a little trial and error), you’ll find your perfect fit in next to no time. A fit which is really rewarding as ambient, midrange sound is cancelled, and the premium, high-quality audio hits with impressive clarity.

Touch-sensitive panels on both earbuds control different functions. On the right, you have playback controls where a single tap will pause or play music, a double tap will skip forwards, and a triple tap will skip backwards. On the left, single taps will cycle through three sound modes: ambient sound, ambient sound control off, and noise cancelling. The WF-1000XM3 is also compatible with the SONY | Headphones Connect app, which can be used to customise and personalise those controls and also gives users access to the adaptive sound feature which intuitively detects what you’re up to – whether you’re travelling, walking or waiting for example – and adjusts the ambient sound settings to suit your situation. Other cool features include quick attention mode; which can be activated without removing your earbuds simply by placing your finger over the touch panel on the left earbud to lower music volume and let ambient sound in, and wearing detection; which automatically pauses your music when you remove one of the earbuds and resumes playing when you put it back in your ear. Of course, it is 2019 and the tech talk wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging that the WF-1000XM3 is optimised for Google Assistant and can be controlled via voice command.

On day two we had two opportunities to have an extended listen, this time to music of our own choosing, while on board a bus to Chichibu (about an hour and a half to two hours hours drive from Tokyo), and then back on a scenic train. Essentially this experience offered us a chance to simulate a daily commute and the arena for which the WF-1000XM3 was designed. In deliberating over a playlist – and in keeping with the trip’s nostalgic and celebratory SONY Walkman vibe – I thought back to my own experiences with the SONY Walkman as a youth. My best friend got a Discman for his 9th birthday and while it was over a year before I got my first MP3, we spent countless hours delving into rap CDs without the fear of our parents catching on to the lyrics and cancelling hip hop for the 100th time (shout out to the dual headphone jack for making it possible to share that joy). I wanted to stay on-brand and recreate that feeling as closely as possible so initially stepped back into the vault and gave ’03 burners like Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, The Black Album and The College Dropout a spin. As you might expect, they passed this initial test with flying colours and opened the door to an off-road, cross-genre test drive. From Jorja Smith and Amy Winehouse, to Tyler, the Creator and Octavian, we set out to test the tiny and wireless tech’s ability to catch nuanced and rangey vocals as well as technical production. The results were again equally impressive with high-quality, premium sound and clarity, allowing me to distinctly hear and process individual instruments and arrangements. The final test then – the level boss – was to put the WF-1000XM3 through its paces with the spinal-injury-inducing sounds of M.O.P. and ONEFOUR. Admittedly, this was one of the more inappropriate rises in the playlist and harshly juxtaposed the scenic Japanese imagery flashing by on the other side of the train window. In the same breath, it transported me elsewhere and in essence captures the intended purpose of the headphones as the perfect commuters’ companion (although I’m not sure the ‘Ante Up’ remix is exactly what the designers at SONY had in mind). 

In short, the WF-1000XM3 flexes a depth of sound that deceives its tiny size and while noise cancelling isn’t perfect (like all other headphones in its category, if you’re expecting them to silence your surroundings you will need to reset those expectations), they do an exceptional job of cutting away the midrange to minimise distracting sounds and maximise audio quality and user experience. Adaptive Sound Control and customisation via the SONY | Headphones Connect app is a cherry on top and adds to the overall feel of a personal and premium product. Accomplishing stunning sound and offering an immersive escape, the WF-1000XM3 is the perfect companion for your daily commute. Available for online pre-order now, head to SONY for more info.