youurayy
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Wasn't happy at all with the bundled tips, but Spiral Dots seem to cut it (despite inner diameter being larger than stock tips, they fit perfectly).
Official Sony WF-1000XM3 Thread - Noise Cancelling True Wireless Earphones
- Thread starter monini13
- Start date
Am looking at the Spiral Dots now. Normally I use Comply Tips, but I'm fed up of replacing them every two months when they wear out.
If you don't mind, what size Spiral Dots did you get, and which size of the bundled Sony tips did you wear before?
no delay here. Iphone 8 plus.
youurayy
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the bundled, I've used the gray ones (the softer) that came with them, and then the black ones (solid) that are in similar size to those gray ones.
the spiral dots i'm using M, but also will try the one size bigger later ML, see photo attached.
nc8000
Headphoneus Supremus
So did the big vs little XM3 test again today this time on a flight from Copenhagen to London. The result was essentially the same as Tuesdays train test. The full size has the better anc by a fair margin but the in ear is still good enough that I only have to go to about 60% volume on my iPhone8. This with silicone tips so I expect even better passive isolation with Complys. Interestingly the WF anc don’t go crazy when the plane runs on the runway during take off whereas the WH feels like being inside a cauldron popping popcorn.
I also watched an episode of Good Omens on Amazon video with absolutely no detectable audio lag and perfect lip sync
I also watched an episode of Good Omens on Amazon video with absolutely no detectable audio lag and perfect lip sync
TheoS53
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In this post I will give a brief summary how I got to purchasing these Sony earbuds, will be sharing my first impressions on them and also giving a short comparison to the Sennheiser True Wireless earbuds.
I only use portable headphones/IEMs on flights around 10-12 times a year, so I don't want to spend much. Comfort and sound isolation on flights/airports are as important to me (if not more important) than actual sound quality. I am well aware, that no wireless option can offer even the fraction of the sound quality of my home system.
For some time I was using a Chord Mojo with different wired IEMs around £2-300. These sound better than any wireless headphone/earphone I tried, but I had enough of the bulkiness of wired connections of external amp and wired earphones.
Even these can't give me the sound quality of my home system anymore, so, why not go for something that sounds a bit worse but offers a much higher level of comfort on the go? And also, with the very low usage I can't justify even £6-800 for such a portable system.
That's how I ended up with the Sony XM2 ANC headphones. I really enjoyed the comfort of being wireless on the go, but the cups didn't ventilate at all, and after a while I had enough of the boomy bass. I tried several other full sized ANC headphones in different airport shops: Bose QC35II, Bose 700, Sony XM3. All sound equally bad to me for slightly different reasons, even though I wasn't expecting much from ANC products. I actually slightly preferred the XM2 to the XM3, the Bose line was even more disappointing. (Sony is just too warm with boomy bass, Bose sounds like the music is coming from a box.)
I also hated the fact that I have to carry around the big headphone case. I like to pack as light as possible, almost always travelling with hand luggage only. Therefore I was delighted to see the latest boom on the true wireless earbud market. I thought, this can be the solution.
I bought the Sennheiser TW earbuds. After eq-ing down the bass and treble they sounded better than any of the ANC headphones, the most apparent improvement was better clarity. To me unfortunately these were very uncomfortable. They are really big and were just pushing my ears painfully. Had to get rid of them.
And I bought the Sony instead. It has only just arrived, so these are my first impressions. I can try them on a flight next Saturday.
They are more comfortable than the Sennheisers as the whole stuff basically sticks out from the ears, while the Sennheiser is trying to force the shell inside the ears. I don't like that the Sony sticks out more, but it actually sits firmly enough in my ears. The gimmicky led lights are a bit annoying.
The Sennheiser's passive isolation is actually pretty good, but not quite enough on a flight. I hope this will change with Sony's ANC. (Even if not to the standard of their full sized headphones .)
With the Sony I don't feel the urge to immediately eq down the bass and treble, they are quite listenable out of the box. Kind of a surprise that these don't have the typical Sony bass boost by default, but it is a welcome change. Sound quality is of course nothing to write home about, I guess it is listenable on a flight/on the go. To me these also sound better than the ANC headphones, pretty much on par with the Sennheiser True Wireless, although I would probably give the edge to the Sonys because they don't need heavy eq-ing out of the box.
Mojo with almost any similarly priced wired IEM will sound better, but the comfort factor and the price difference is very much on the True Wireless side. Especially if the ANC works on flights well enough.
My only gripe is that I have to max (or almost max) out the volume on both the Sennheiser and now the Sony. Is that normal with these earbuds? I thought it is just the Sennheiser, but now I start to think it is a problem with my phone (Motorola Moto X4, but upgrading soon).
I only use portable headphones/IEMs on flights around 10-12 times a year, so I don't want to spend much. Comfort and sound isolation on flights/airports are as important to me (if not more important) than actual sound quality. I am well aware, that no wireless option can offer even the fraction of the sound quality of my home system.
For some time I was using a Chord Mojo with different wired IEMs around £2-300. These sound better than any wireless headphone/earphone I tried, but I had enough of the bulkiness of wired connections of external amp and wired earphones.
Even these can't give me the sound quality of my home system anymore, so, why not go for something that sounds a bit worse but offers a much higher level of comfort on the go? And also, with the very low usage I can't justify even £6-800 for such a portable system.
That's how I ended up with the Sony XM2 ANC headphones. I really enjoyed the comfort of being wireless on the go, but the cups didn't ventilate at all, and after a while I had enough of the boomy bass. I tried several other full sized ANC headphones in different airport shops: Bose QC35II, Bose 700, Sony XM3. All sound equally bad to me for slightly different reasons, even though I wasn't expecting much from ANC products. I actually slightly preferred the XM2 to the XM3, the Bose line was even more disappointing. (Sony is just too warm with boomy bass, Bose sounds like the music is coming from a box.)
I also hated the fact that I have to carry around the big headphone case. I like to pack as light as possible, almost always travelling with hand luggage only. Therefore I was delighted to see the latest boom on the true wireless earbud market. I thought, this can be the solution.
I bought the Sennheiser TW earbuds. After eq-ing down the bass and treble they sounded better than any of the ANC headphones, the most apparent improvement was better clarity. To me unfortunately these were very uncomfortable. They are really big and were just pushing my ears painfully. Had to get rid of them.
And I bought the Sony instead. It has only just arrived, so these are my first impressions. I can try them on a flight next Saturday.
They are more comfortable than the Sennheisers as the whole stuff basically sticks out from the ears, while the Sennheiser is trying to force the shell inside the ears. I don't like that the Sony sticks out more, but it actually sits firmly enough in my ears. The gimmicky led lights are a bit annoying.
The Sennheiser's passive isolation is actually pretty good, but not quite enough on a flight. I hope this will change with Sony's ANC. (Even if not to the standard of their full sized headphones .)
With the Sony I don't feel the urge to immediately eq down the bass and treble, they are quite listenable out of the box. Kind of a surprise that these don't have the typical Sony bass boost by default, but it is a welcome change. Sound quality is of course nothing to write home about, I guess it is listenable on a flight/on the go. To me these also sound better than the ANC headphones, pretty much on par with the Sennheiser True Wireless, although I would probably give the edge to the Sonys because they don't need heavy eq-ing out of the box.
Mojo with almost any similarly priced wired IEM will sound better, but the comfort factor and the price difference is very much on the True Wireless side. Especially if the ANC works on flights well enough.
My only gripe is that I have to max (or almost max) out the volume on both the Sennheiser and now the Sony. Is that normal with these earbuds? I thought it is just the Sennheiser, but now I start to think it is a problem with my phone (Motorola Moto X4, but upgrading soon).
nc8000
Headphoneus Supremus
Got the Comply T200 and have been on a 3 hour cross country walk today. Passive isolation is much better than with any silicone tip I’ve tried, comfort is great and they didn’t move at all during the 3 hours and foot fall thump is much less than with silicone tips, worst was SpinFit. I will try them on a flight in 3 weeks time and suspect I can now get under 50% volume on my iPhone8
That’s good to know, I’ve just ordered some Comply T200s to try out with mine. The foams just don’t fit, and the silicons work loose.
ubs28
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Get the Powerbeats Pro if you do sports.
The Sony WF-1000XM3 is for when it is too hot to wear full sized ANC headphones.
Last edited:
chortya
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I have to say WF-1000XM3 seem to be underappreciated. The highs are better then 2 other BA based IEMs I own and bass is typical good dynamic driver.
I have significantly improved wear comfort by taking the smallest hybrid tips and inserting very deep, they sit now inside of the ear.
I did not try Sennheiser True Wireless side by side but based on my short test some time ago they sounded more mid focused and airy but comfort was definitely not as good.
One plus Wireless Bullets 2 is the only Knowls BA based bluetooth IEMs I know and they sound definitely not as good as Sony. They have well functioning multi-service support, Sony is very limited here but overall package is IMO best in market currently with ANC, good sound and comfort and very strong battery life.
I have significantly improved wear comfort by taking the smallest hybrid tips and inserting very deep, they sit now inside of the ear.
I did not try Sennheiser True Wireless side by side but based on my short test some time ago they sounded more mid focused and airy but comfort was definitely not as good.
One plus Wireless Bullets 2 is the only Knowls BA based bluetooth IEMs I know and they sound definitely not as good as Sony. They have well functioning multi-service support, Sony is very limited here but overall package is IMO best in market currently with ANC, good sound and comfort and very strong battery life.
I actually prefer how the WF1000XM3 sound compared to the full sized WH1000MK3. The bass isn't as bloated or flabby and the highs aren't anywhere as rolled off.
So, the WF-1000XM3 are not good for running or when I sweat… right?! Someone (else) tried it?
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