Sony WH1000XM3S Silver (Open Box)

It's hard to know where to begin actually. I've owned several pairs of ANC headphones over the years and by and large, I've been seriously underwhelmed. They all worked to some degree or another, but there was always SOMETHING about them that just didn't "work" for me. Not comfortable, the ANC was too weak. The audio quality was poor/terrible, etc. The honest truth is, people seem to believe that ANC is necessary under circumstances where they really aren't needed, and are under the false impression that it somehow makes the music sound better. That is simply untrue. All ANC does is allow you to concentrate better on the audio under circumstances where the ambient noise around you makes it difficult, such as on a plane flight. In truth, audio quality and ANC are separate things altogether. These are the international version, and therefore, they came out of the box with Chinese being the language you hear whenever you turn them on/off. This is a simple correction via the app, so don't worry if you cannot understand anything at first. The app is in English, so give it a thorough run-thru so you will know about what to expect. You may need an immediate firmware or software update. With the XM3's, via bluetooth, these updates can be excruciatingly L-O-N-G. Have patience, but DO keep that in mind. It can take 30-45 minutes or possibly a little longer. Mine came with the latest update pre-loaded, and for that I was grateful. Let's start with audio quality, since that is the #1 reason to buy a pair of headphones. As a Sony fan and a radio broadcaster with 30 years of experience, I can say without reservation that Sony makes some of the best all-around headphones you can buy, period. Some audiophiles may say different, but the honest truth is, audio quality is almost as much subjective as it is a fact for some. No audiophile listens to music with headphones on more than I have over the last 30 years, I can tell you that. But everyone is slightly different and your tastes may vary...this is important to remember. The XM3's sound phenomenal. Great bass, low's, mid's and highs were fairly crisp and punchy. It all fades a bit when the ANC is enabled however, so keep that in mind. You sacrifice a little audio for the noise cancellation on, so don't be shocked...but it isn't a lot. It still sounds great. It could be a bit louder perhaps, but that didn't bug me at all. I was particularly grateful that Sony includes a cord which you can use for listening to audio on a plane, or for me, to plug into my control board at my radio station (though I needed an adapter, which is standard for broadcasting, so I have several). Not all ANC headphones come with this option (Bose 700 for instance...) ANC...wow. When they say Industry Leading, they aren't kidding. I was busy adjusting my app when a coworker came in and walked up to me and I didn't even hear them enter and ask me a question. When I suddenly registered I wasn't alone in my studio, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Holy friggin' cow. That ANC WORKS! You can of course adjust it all via the app and by cupping your hand over the right earpiece and the audio almost immediately lowers and the ANC turns off and you can hear your surroundings. It's actually quite amazing how good this works. One thing I dislike about noise cancelling is how many experience a "pressure" on your ears when it turns on. This is something I have always just lived with, but was constantly annoyed by. The XM3's have all but eliminated this. It was turned on by default, so I hardly even recognized it until I found the function in the app. Well done Sony. As for comfort, as someone who is fairly used to wearing headphones for literally hours-on-end in my studio, I place a higher standard on comfort than perhaps many others. If I'm going to wear something for this long each day, they certainly better be comfortable. What good is great audio quality if the comfort isn't there? You may not place comfort as high on the list of "must haves" when you buy headphones, but for me, it very well may be the most important factor, and one I forget to mention all too often. The XM3's are genuinely comfortable. Keep in mind everyone is different, so what is great for some may not be for all...but the premium build certainly helps. Not sure what the earcups are made of, soft leather, a fake simulation...? I dunno. But they sure are soft. Light YEARS better than the cheap one's Sony includes on their Professional Studio Monitors (MDR 7506). As with pretty much ANY over-the-ear headphones, the better the seal, the hotter they tend to be the warmer the outside temp happens to be. After prolonged wear, you may experience some ear sweat (I don't know any other way to put it). I find that if it's going to be that warm, I remove them often in between songs to help keep that issue to a minimum. But as for sheer comfort, Sony has nailed it here. I could wear these all day. I briefly considered the XM4's, but for the added price, the advantages weren't significant enough for me to want to pay the extra. For my particular needs/wants, the XM3's are more than sufficient...plus, they are around $150 cheaper, and honestly, for this price, money talks. Having tried on a pair of the XM4's, I can say the ANC functionality seems no different to me. There ARE several other things they come with that the older model doesn't have, so keep that in mind, but audio-quality wise, the difference is essentially nil. They both sound great. The XM3's come with a carrying case! It seems that of all the expensive headphones I've bought over the years, many either come with a pouch, or nothing at all and this is flat-out bothersome...especially considering what some cost (Master & Dynamic, I'm looking at YOU). Nice to have an included case that allows you to fold your cans up sufficiently so that the case doesn't take up much room wherever you plan to store/carry them. Nice touch, Sony. Yes, I've seen better cases, but I've also seen much, MUCH worse, so no issues in this dept as far as I'm concerned. I got the silver version, but I'm not exactly sure how they came up with this description. Either someone at Sony is colorblind, or attempting to pull a joke on us because these are decidedly NOT silver. Sort of a light tan/brown color yes...but absolutely NOT silver. It's almost a joke they even chose to go with this as the color description. Seriously, what gives, Sony?? I do not use my XM3's for calling, so I cannot comment on call quality, but from everything I've heard, this is one area where Sony could use some work. Being able to pair multiple devices simultaneously isn't something I have ever had to do, so if I'm being honest, it isn't an issue for me. With that said however, I am a little surprised it was not included. the Sony XM3 ANC earbuds have it (and they came out close to the same time as their bigger headphone counterparts), and it's been tech that has been around far longer than the headphones have, so I'm a little mystified they did not make it a standard feature. Especially when you consider that Sony HAD to know a good number of their direct competitors would be including it and going after all the potential consumers who viewed this as a deal-breaker...but may have otherwise purchased a pair. Seriously, they have lost a literal mint by not including it, and that simply does not make sense to me. I love how Sony included an adapter for plane flight to plug into in case you wish to watch video next time you fly across country. Several other (more expensive) models do not offer this as even an option, making the headphones useless for this specific purpose on flights. Many will be okay with this simply because they'll use theirs for watching content on their smartphones instead, but dang, it's nice to have as an option for either/or that the Bose 700 doesn't even offer. Could be a deal breaker for some. Build quality can be subjective for some. The honest truth is, I take VERY GOOD care of my good headphones, and as a result, they last. My Professional Studio Monitors (the MDR 7506's I mentioned earlier) I have had for 8+ years and they not only look as good as they did when I bought them, but they still sound absolutely fantastic (I did however, replace the ear cushions, the ones that come standard are just plain crap on those models...I got some memory foam versions and they have been perfect). Take care of your cans and you will get many years worth of use out of them. For what they charge these days, it's important to treat them well if you wish to truly get the most out of them. I don't use mine for exercise (I don' think they would stay in place well enough for any type of vigorous activity, but that goes for essentially any over-the-ear headphones that I'm aware of) so I don't have to worry about that. But I fold mine up after each use and put them away carefully. I also have a headphone stand I hang them from while I'm at work, so they get plenty of TLC. If you tend to be more harsh on your headphones, keep in mind the result will most certainly be a shorter lifespan, and for some that'll be upsetting, but like I said, take care of them, and they'll last...it's as simple as that. I'm sure I'll have updates, but so far, Sony knocked this one out of the park BIG time.