Ok, I've been using the Beats Studio 3 for a couple of weeks and can now give my honest opinion on them and how they compare to the Sony 1000xM2 and the Bose QC35. First, a few things:
1) I will only talk about the sound when being used Wirelessly with Apple Products using AAC because that's all I own. I did however test them all powered with the wire and I'll go ahead and say right off the bat that the Sony's sound the best with a wire. Which also means to my ears, they have the greatest degradation in sound when going from wired to wireless.
2) I will only talk about sound when all are powered and with NC turned on because that's how I use them 75+% of the time.
3) I'm a drummer and I typically listen to my music on my iPad Pro or iPhone 6s+ at a volume of 65 to 75%. I did however compare the 3 at lower volumes.
Now for the review/comparisons!
Build Quality:
I never like going deep into this category because in my opinion you can't really compare build quality so early in a products life cycle. For me, the one that breaks, cracks, or squeaks first is last LOL. I like them all. The updated Sony's don't have the creak issue anymore. I think the Bose is the lightest and it would be first if I just had to choose one so early. Beats are Beats, and I personally like the build and have never had an issue with the few I've owned.
Winner - A tie right now
Comfort:
For me, they are all comfortable and I can where them all for hours without issue. I may be in the minority here, but the Sony's fit my small ears and slim, long head the best. They're not as roomy as the Bose in the ear cups, but they do provide less clamping pressure on my head, and I like the material they use on the inside of the cups. The cups just hug my ears perfectly. The Beats fit more securely than the rest. I would work out while wearing the Beats. I prefer they're fit when I'm active over the other two.
Winner - Sony with the Bose a VERY close second
Noise Cancelling:
Here's where it gets a little tricky for me. I'll just say right off the bat that the Beats trail the other 3 when it comes to NC although they have gotten much closer than the previous iteration. The Sony's have the best seal of the three. If I leave all of them powered off and put them on, the Sony's isolate passively the best. I personally feel this plays a major role in what Sony accomplishes with it's NC ability. When I turn on the NC, I feel that the Bose is slightly better at quieting rumblings and other low hums. The thing is, this advantage the Bose has is slight. When you combine the Sony's NC Tech with it's passive isolation, it just moves ahead of the Bose.
Winner - Sony by a hair. I will say though that when music is playing at 50% volume or higher, you can't hear anything no matter which of these 3 you're using.
Features:
This is another category I really hate reviewing because some people judge this category on which has the most features, while some base it off of which has the features that matter to them. The Sony's have the most features by far with the App Sound control, NC Optimizer, Awareness mode, Ambient Sound, multi wireless codec support, etc. However, it's missing a major feature for my needs and that's simultaneous bluetooth pairing. I love that with the Bose and Beats I can be listening to music on my MacBook Pro, get a call on my iPhone and just answer it right from my headphones. With the Sony's you have to take the headphones off. Not an acceptable omission in my opinion.
Winner - For me, Beats for the W1 chip/seamless integration with my Apple devices. For everyone else, the Sony because it does have the most useful features overall.
Sound:
I've been following this thread since it was started. I've also read all of the reviews from around the web and the complaints/praises between the 3. If there's one thing I gathered from all of this, everybody has different hearing and different preferences when it comes to sound, and at the end of the day graphs and charts mean very little, proven by the fact that the Bose measures better than the Sony on Rtings, but most I've seen prefer the sound of the Sonys. As I stated above, I'm a drummer and I generally prefer a punchy sound with good detail and a little bite/attack in the treble region. The Bose are the most natural sounding of the 3 to my ears. They're the more balanced headphone with some extra attention given to the sub bass region. They are the most versatile of the 3 in my opinion. I prefer them to the other 3 when listening at lower volumes, which makes them perfect in my opinion for office use and while relaxing. Just a very pleasing sound to me. And maybe it's just me, but I feel that the Bose sound has improved with the continuous firmware/software upgrades Bose provides. The Sony's are my least favorite of the 3 when listening wirelessly via AAC with an Apple device. They have the most bass of the 3, but are also the most veiled to my ears. Especially when listening to acoustic music with live instruments. They're a little too warm and too laid back in the treble region compared to the other two for my tastes. The mids are very nice, but these border on too bass dominant even for me when listening wirelessly. Now when you plug a wire up to them, they open up. They become more articulate, and the bass a little more controlled/defined. To my ears, these are the best sounding noise cancelling headphones I've heard when using a wire. I get the feeling that these shine better wirelessly with Android/Sony devices when AptX HD or LDAC is being used. But for me, with Apple devices, they're slightly below the other two when it comes to sound quality wirelessly. Now the Beats.....what can I say, to my ears, I prefer their sound signature overall to the other 3. I love taking my Apple Music library, turning my music up to around 75%, and just enjoying the energy these bring. They're not quite as energetic as the Studio 2s, but they sacrificed a little of the energy to bring a little more detail/articulation. I really don't get the flack these are getting as far as bass impact goes. These still hit hard when called for, and they still go deep. They've just been toned down a bit. I personally prefer it to the Studio 2s. It gives these a little more versatility than the Studio 2s in my opinion.
Winner - Beats by a hair. But it's a 1a to 1b kind of difference with the Bose.
In Conclusion, all 3 of these headphones are outstanding, and the difference in sound quality between all 3 is negligible at best. If I were only choosing one headphone of the 3, I would probably choose the Bose as it's in my opinion ranked one or 2 in every category that matters to me. It's just below the Sony's as far as NC goes, has the most balanced and versatile sound of the 3 wirelessly with Apple devices, and it's the most comfortable for most people. If I owned an Android device, I probably would take another look at the Sony as it has some killer features the other 2 don't have that's very practical for everyday use, and it's wired sound is outstanding. However, if noise cancelling is not a priority for you, and you're invested in the Apple ecosystem, I prefer the Beats sound in that scenario. It has an energetic, detailed sound that I just don't get from the other two. It just makes listening to my Apple Music library so fun and exciting. And now with the slight toning down of the bass, it handles more soft/mellow music a little better than previous iterations in my opinion. I had made up my mind when I got these that I was going to keep 2 of the 3, right now I'm leaning Bose and Beats. I will however give the Sonys a little more time as my return window is not for another couple of weeks. I really do like some of the features of the Sony. And they're really comfortable for me. I just can't say I love their sound signature when wireless with my Apple devices. Your mileage may vary!
