[drMuse]

Yup, I'm trying that right now. Have my TV on, am connected by bluetooth to my android phone. Playing music or not, the sound from the TV is COMPLETELY unaffected by changing the Ambient Sound Control settings, i.e. Noise Canceling on or off, makes ZERO difference. I'll try one more thing before pursuing warranty relief - Resetting to factory settings.

"Resetting the headset" (page 105 in the manual) had no effect on ambient sound on / ambient sound off / noise cancelling. So, I did "initializing the headset to restore factory settings" (page 106). That meant I had to re-pair to my Android phone. Also had to reassign my buttons, which I had set to Left=volume control, Right=Ambient Sound Control. I changed to default assignments to that, again, using the Sony | Headphone app.

Still ZERO effect on the sound coming from my TV. I think I should try making some calls with the phone. That may reveal that the microphones aren't functional, that's all I can think. Anyway, this thing is not acceptable for me with absolutely no noise cancellation.

 

[drMuse]

Just turn on a radio or tv and switch on the ANC. If working properly the sound will fade into the background considerably.

Yup, it has failed that test miserably and completely. I'm wondering if the previous owner (this is "refurbished") got it wet or something and ruined the microphones. I'm going to try to hook up with Sony tomorrow.

 

[drMuse]

When you toggle between the modes, does does the voice prompt confirms the mode switch? If yes and you don't hear a difference, I'd suggest you bring the matter to the seller. If it's working properly, people will hear the difference, expectancies on how effective it is would differ from person to person, but there should be an audible difference.

Yes, I'm hearing the voice assist announcing the changes from one mode to another when I tap the right earbud. But there's absolutely no change in the perception of environmental sound. I'll contact the seller and/or Sony tomorrow, it's after hours now. I have Bose QC20 noise cancelling headphones. Their noise cancellation is remarkable. These Sony so far are 0 on a scale of 0 to 100 for noise cancellation. I'm thinking maybe these "refurbished" were ruined by an earlier owner, maybe water incursion.

 

[chinmie]

Yes, I'm hearing the voice assist announcing the changes from one mode to another when I tap the right earbud. But there's absolutely no change in the perception of environmental sound. I'll contact the seller and/or Sony tomorrow, it's after hours now. I have Bose QC20 noise cancelling headphones. Their noise cancellation is remarkable. These Sony so far are 0 on a scale of 0 to 100 for noise cancellation. I'm thinking maybe these "refurbished" were ruined by an earlier owner, maybe water incursion.

when you do have a replacement, I'm interested in your thoughts and comparation between the WF1KXM3 to the QC20 in sound and ANC

 

[drMuse]

when you do have a replacement, I'm interested in your thoughts and comparation between the WF1KXM3 to the QC20 in sound and ANC

I'll try to post back. I was just listening to music using the WF-1000XM3 and it was beautiful. No ambient noise conditions. In the gym there's no way I can use these, I'll be using my Etymotic Research ER4P until I can get a replacement. They have no noise cancellation but they don't have a battery and are good in noisy environments due to great isolation with silicone earbuds. Not super comfortable, but better than any over the ear headphones I've ever used. I don't think I've ever taken my Bose QC20's into the gym, just airplanes and maybe a train. I like them for a nap, to quiet the neighborhood... without music.

 

[Carabei]

I got these earphones a month ago and I can say, from that point I use them everyday, very good sound which reacts quite well on EQ and ANC is working great, I use them mainly during travelling by public transport.

But as it was mentioned here many times, fit of these can be a bit tricky. Normally I use medium tips with most of my earphones, here I have to use standard ones in large size as those foamy ones are not comfortable for me. I tried also Comply True Grip pro, they need some fiddling to get good seal and a bit higher volume to get to same level as with original tips.

Yesterday I received Spinfits CP360, for me these are THE TIPS, perfect fit with large ones and sound a bit better then with original tips.

 

[Asspirin]

I'm finding ZERO difference. I've seen people online asking if there is maybe a QC issue here with regard to the NC. Mine was sold as refurbished through Rakuten. I think I should pursue warranty relief here. I keep playing with the settings. Using the Sony | Headphones app I can't affect the background sounds in the slightest, no matter what settings I have in the Ambient Sound Control. No effect when tapping the right earbud (the one designated on mine to change the Ambient Sound Control settings. Absolutely no difference in what I'm hearing from sound from my environment whatsoever. This IS the Sony WF-1000XM3. Maybe it was a refurb because an earlier buyer had the same probem.

I'm absolutely going to pursue warranty relief on this. NC was a MAJOR reason I bought this. This has none.

Maybe you're not getting a proper seal? Have you experimented with different sizes of eartips?

 

[drMuse]

Maybe you're not getting a proper seal? Have you experimented with different sizes of eartips?

I have not tried the other eartips. But it shouldn't matter (to the extent I get nothing with not-snug earbuds) if there's noise cancelling going on via microphone pickup. I should detect SOME NC even with not snug eartips. My Bose QC20's earbuds fit way worse than these Sony's do and the noise cancellation is staggering, it's really a knock out. I'm getting absolutely nothing with the Sony's. The Sony's are going back today to the seller via prepaid shipping label, UPS. Seller says they're sending me replacement when they see my tracking info from UPS.

 

[SilverEars]

I wouldn't say 0 NC, but was definately not effective for engine noises. I wonder if there are any unit variances with ANC?

I use AirPods Pro as my daily driver TWS, and it's due to it's effective ANC and ease of use (light, compact formfactor that doesn't shift with activity). Sometimes I do notice ANC not working as well, and it seems to be due to fit. I think it's the sensors reacting to the fit.

 

[nc8000]

I wouldn't say 0 NC, but was definately not effective for engine noises. I wonder if there are any unit variances with ANC?

I use AirPods Pro as my daily driver TWS, and it's due to it's effective ANC and ease of use (light, compact formfactor that doesn't shift with activity). Sometimes I do notice ANC not working as well, and it seems to be due to fit. I think it's the sensors reacting to the fit.

To me it is very effective to cut down on engine noise and other traffic noises from planes, trains and busses, less so with voices and not quit as good as the full size XM3 overall

 

[drMuse]

Maybe you're not getting a proper seal? Have you experimented with different sizes of eartips?

To test your theory I just swapped out the defaulted tips to the next size larger, which feel plenty snug. Absolutely no difference, I cannot detect any attenuation (or ANY change) whatsoever to the ambient sound between Noise Cancellation, Ambient Sound On and Ambient Sound Off. The ambient sound is just my TV at a moderate volume. There is no detectable difference between any of these settings with this headset. This lemon set is going back today. Fingers crossed I get an OK replacement.

 

[john galley]

To test your theory I just swapped out the defaulted tips to the next size larger, which feel plenty snug. Absolutely no difference, I cannot detect any attenuation (or ANY change) whatsoever to the ambient sound between Noise Cancellation, Ambient Sound On and Ambient Sound Off. The ambient sound is just my TV at a moderate volume. There is no detectable difference between any of these settings with this headset. This lemon set is going back today. Fingers crossed I get an OK replacement.

Just to say i sold my WF-XM3 due to not getting a seal in my Right Ear which meant no Bass an no ANC so a good fitting is essential on the Sonys to get the class leading ANC ... i now have the Sennheiser no ANC but at least with these i was not expecting better.

 

[CyberBob845]

I apologize if this has been discussed; I admit I have not exhaustively read this entire thread. What are people's thoughts of these vs the HiFiMan TWS600? I currently have those, but they've been problematic. They do not pair consistently, are lacking in bass, and depend heavily on the type of rubber tips used. As the final nail in the coffin, with the tips that fit me best, the TWS600's will not fit back in their charging case. I was really looking at these Sonys and the Sennheiser Momentum TW, which are basically the same price now. I place priority on ease of use and sound quality. I don't need water resistance or even noise cancellation, really. Thanks for any feedback!

 

[drMuse]

I'd like to get the Sony | Headphones Connect app on either (preferably both) my Windows 10 64bit laptop and my Windows 10 phone. Doable? I don't see the app for Windows Phone, gotta think there's a way to get this for a Windows computer. Anyone know?

 

[nc8000]

I'd like to get the Sony | Headphones Connect app on either (preferably both) my Windows 10 64bit laptop and my Windows 10 phone. Doable? I don't see the app for Windows Phone, gotta think there's a way to get this for a Windows computer. Anyone know?

As far as I’m aware it only exist on iOS and Android