[SilverEars]

Does anyone use Neutron music player? I want to use the EQ on there but don't really know where to start.

You can go by the already compensated Rtings graph.

Here is my EQ on USB Audio Player Pro.

 

[guitardave]

I had the XM2's previously and now the XM3's. While I appreciated the NC of the 2's, the sound just didn't do it for me most of the time. So they were just for travel. But the 3's sound quality is MUCH better, sounding more like a very good headphone, period, without even regard to the NC feature. I don't see the bass as boomy, flabby, or loose.
My regular cans are top tier, but these are still very enjoyable. They sound crisp, and articulate, but still musical. The bass does not bleed into the midrange, and only appears when called for. They actually seem like an incredible deal to me for their balance and features. A lot of sound quality for very little money.

 

[rkw]

These are now out of stock everywhere in the UK !

Also low in stock at Amazon and Best Buy in the US. XM3 has been a runaway hit, driven by positive and even rave reviews online and in the media (just Google it).

By the way, qc45 will not be avaliabe before summer 2019 - or even later - got some infos

That's very disappointing. I currently have an XM2 and want to see the next Bose release before deciding on my next move. However Bose must be scrambling to accelerate their schedule because they are now clearly losing sales from the XM3 release. I think they became complacent after being the acknowledged ANC leader for many years. If they wait too long, they'll compete not only against the XM3 but also the next Sony update.

 

[Joseph Lin]

FYI there is an android app called Neutralizer that is a systemwide eq that you personalise to your hearing and headphones. It runs a series of tones that you adjust until you can just hear them and then you save the resulting frequency curve adjustment. It may suit the xm3 very well. It's free too.

I just tried it, it works very well. The sound is more balanced. Much better EQ than my own guess especially for higher frequency.

 

[Sonic Defender]

I had the XM2's previously and now the XM3's. While I appreciated the NC of the 2's, the sound just didn't do it for me most of the time. So they were just for travel. But the 3's sound quality is MUCH better, sounding more like a very good headphone, period, without even regard to the NC feature. I don't see the bass as boomy, flabby, or loose.
My regular cans are top tier, but these are still very enjoyable. They sound crisp, and articulate, but still musical. The bass does not bleed into the midrange, and only appears when called for. They actually seem like an incredible deal to me for their balance and features. A lot of sound quality for very little money.

I love bass, but absolutely, and not even subjectively, is the bass on the xM3 not even close to balanced.Not trying to give you the business, or be difficult, but man the bass on this headphone is definitely overcooked. I can only speculate that you either listen at a lower playback volume, you listen to well mastered music where the bass is not emphasized to begin with, or maybe both. I love bass, strong, present impactful bass, I can even tolerate some minor bleed into and detail obscuring of other frequencies due to the bass as long as the quality is high. I have now dialed in my bass cuts really well and I listen to the xM3 at full volume. If I am listening to say some electronica or today some Depeche Mode, from Delta Machine, and at full-volume if I defeat my EQ cut the bass is just god awful noise and actually distorts wildly on some material. That isn't at all subjective, that is pure objective, there can be no doubt about it. If you listen to less bass heavy music, and at low or mid volume, try this out, get some bass heavy electronica, crank up the volume and give it a listen. If you find the bass controlled and at all balanced I don't know what to say. Again, my apology if I seem like I am going at you, but I just can't fathom how the bass can be described as not bleeding and balanced.

I love the xM3, with my bass cuts it sounds absolutely superb, articulate and musical with plenty of snap and speed in the bass, but it HAS to have the cuts or it quickly becomes a sonic mess. As I have said earlier, with well done, well balanced recordings where bass is not really emphasized, the stock bass signature can be quite enjoyable, and even with some electronica depending what frequencies are pronounced in the bass it can get by. I have heard many tracks that are simply unlistenable with the bass left at stock, I mean totally messy, unenjoyable. There seems to be a few bass frequencies that when stimulated and playback volume at a high enough amplitude the driver looses control and I'm pretty certain some nasty enclosure reverberation kicks in. That has been my experience.

 

[TooFrank]

I love bass, but absolutely, and not even subjectively, is the bass on the xM3 not even close to balanced.Not trying to give you the business, or be difficult, but man the bass on this headphone is definitely overcooked. I can only speculate that you either listen at a lower playback volume, you listen to well mastered music where the bass is not emphasized to begin with, or maybe both. I love bass, strong, present impactful bass, I can even tolerate some minor bleed into and detail obscuring of other frequencies due to the bass as long as the quality is high. I have now dialed in my bass cuts really well and I listen to the xM3 at full volume. If I am listening to say some electronica or today some Depeche Mode, from Delta Machine, and at full-volume if I defeat my EQ cut the bass is just god awful noise and actually distorts wildly on some material. That isn't at all subjective, that is pure objective, there can be no doubt about it. If you listen to less bass heavy music, and at low or mid volume, try this out, get some bass heavy electronica, crank up the volume and give it a listen. If you find the bass controlled and at all balanced I don't know what to say. Again, my apology if I seem like I am going at you, but I just can't fathom how the bass can be described as not bleeding and balanced.

I love the xM3, with my bass cuts it sounds absolutely superb, articulate and musical with plenty of snap and speed in the bass, but it HAS to have the cuts or it quickly becomes a sonic mess. As I have said earlier, with well done, well balanced recordings where bass is not really emphasized, the stock bass signature can be quite enjoyable, and even with some electronica depending what frequencies are pronounced in the bass it can get by. I have heard many tracks that are simply unlistenable with the bass left at stock, I mean totally messy, unenjoyable. There seems to be a few bass frequencies that when stimulated and playback volume at a high enough amplitude the driver looses control and I'm pretty certain some nasty enclosure reverberation kicks in. That has been my experience.

Thanks for this. I do recall that you like very loud music I have never been able to crank up volume to test this. It hurts my ears. Nevertheless I agree with you on the bloated bass on the XM3s, but I really do like the sound, though. Would it be possible for you to share how you’re EQing them?

 

[Solomyr]

I'm looking for a new pair of headphones. I work in a noisy environment. I put on the XM'3 at my local electronics store and was amazed. The ANC cut down all the background noise in the shopping mall which is about the same at my workplace. They were cable-tied to the demo stand and I could only listen to 3 badly mastered mainstream pop hits which didn't do any justice in sound quality. I'm not your average consumer, I'm more an Audeze and Chord type of guy, also own Meze 99 Classics. I've heard that the Audeze El-8 Closed has an amazing isolation. Should I buy the XM3 for the amazing noise cancellation and learn to live with the mediocre sound or should I choose some passive but good isolating headphones with better sound quality? The XM3 sound was ok but it didn't blow me away like my LCD-2Cs did. Maybe it will improve when i get to listen my own music and not some basic radio cr*p on demo stand? But I bet there's nothing better sounding in the ANC world as well?

I haven't tried the XM3, but I have had both the EL8T and the XM2 for the past few months. Whilst the isolation of the EL8T is good, the ANC of the XM2 was significantly better. For example using the EL8T when I'm on a flight sitting next to the engines (on one of those really noise Flybe propeller planes) I need to put the subtitles on when watching something (it is ok if sitting away from the engines), but the ANC of the XM2 means it doesn;t matter where I happen to be sitting and I don't need the subtitles as it cuts out most of the engine noise. Basically what I would say is that the isolation of the EL8 means it is usable for travelling, but the XM2 makes it enjoyable. Obviously the sound quality of the EL8 is much better. I just sold my XM2 with the aim of buying the XM3 (mainly for the apparently improved sound quality).

 

[guitardave]

"and at full-volume if I defeat my EQ cut the bass is just god awful noise and actually distorts wildly on some material. That isn't at all subjective, that is pure objective, there can be no doubt about it. If you listen to less bass heavy music, and at low or mid volume, try this out, get some bass heavy electronica, crank up the volume and give it a listen. If you find the bass controlled and at all balanced I don't know what to say. Again, my apology if I seem like I am going at you, but I just can't fathom how the bass can be described as not bleeding and balanced."

Yikes, are you saying the bass is distorted at full volume? I wouldn't know about that, I never come close. I would guess most, probably all headphones are distorted at full volume. At normal volumes it sounds great. But obviously the expression YMMV is more true than ever!

 

[Sonic Defender]

"and at full-volume if I defeat my EQ cut the bass is just god awful noise and actually distorts wildly on some material. That isn't at all subjective, that is pure objective, there can be no doubt about it. If you listen to less bass heavy music, and at low or mid volume, try this out, get some bass heavy electronica, crank up the volume and give it a listen. If you find the bass controlled and at all balanced I don't know what to say. Again, my apology if I seem like I am going at you, but I just can't fathom how the bass can be described as not bleeding and balanced."

Yikes, are you saying the bass is distorted at full volume? I wouldn't know about that, I never come close. I would guess most, probably all headphones are distorted at full volume. At normal volumes it sounds great. But obviously the expression YMMV is more true than ever!

Yes, and no. I have had plenty of Bluetooth headphones that don't get like the xM3 in terms of bass bloat and distortion at full volume. The xM3 is certainly unique in my experience in the degree to which the bass becomes boom and bloom. That doesn't mean it can't sound brilliant, it can and does for me after the EQ cuts I use, and as you say, your results may vary. The volume is not at all deafening on full, it is certainly loud, absolutely, but nowhere near painfully loud, and with the bass dialed down even at full out the xM3 sounds very controlled. Just needs that bass trimmed a little. Smaller drivers have well known distortion potential as do large drivers. I believe from a mathematical perspective if I recall what I have read correctly, with dynamic drivers for a headphone 50mm drivers have the potential, and I say potential as the driver is but one part of the equation obviously, to exhibit the least inherent distortion potential. It has to do with the way the sound-waves move across the driver, there is a mathematical/mechanical principle at play that requires better understanding of physics than I posses, but there is plenty of discussion about driver size and distortion.

I think if you listen at low volumes, and with non-bass centric music (what do you listen to by the way?) then I can understand why you think the xM3 is clean and controlled, you haven't found it's mechanical/design limitations. Push it a little more and you'll probably hear what I am talking about. Truthfully, it is night and day different sounding with an EQ adjustment. For somebody like me who prefers louder (but shorter duration) listening sessions, if I couldn't EQ the xM3 I would have returned it the first day I owned it without a moments hesitation. Everything else was brilliant, but the bass issue would be a deal breaker. But, repeating myself again I'm sorry, but with the EQ adjustment I just love the xM3 and feel that it is one of the most enjoyable Bluetooth (maybe even the most) headphone to listen to that I have ever owned. The comfort is also superb. I had purchased the B&W PX recently, loved the signature, hated with a passion the comfort, it was dreadful for me so knowing that Sony always does comfort right I took a chance on the xM3 and I am glad that I did. I love it, so don't take my critique of the bass to mean I think it is fatally flawed. The engineers at Sony aren't idiots, they had to make design compromises to achieve various design ends and clearly they were willing to overcook the bass knowing that most people would probably not use the headphone at full volume as I do. The only headphones that I haven't used at full volume (close though) were the B&W P7 and PX.

 

[Sonic Defender]

Thanks for this. I do recall that you like very loud music I have never been able to crank up volume to test this. It hurts my ears. Nevertheless I agree with you on the bloated bass on the XM3s, but I really do like the sound, though. Would it be possible for you to share how you’re EQing them?

I will over the next few days when I catch up in my program at school (Master of Social Work). If you use the image below as a guide, I think you will be able to see where to cut, trimming around 4dB from a few bass frequencies.

Thanks for this. I do recall that you like very loud music I have never been able to crank up volume to test this. It hurts my ears. Nevertheless I agree with you on the bloated bass on the XM3s, but I really do like the sound, though. Would it be possible for you to share how you’re EQing them?

I will when I get some time, but in the meantime you can use this frequency response measure to experiment. I have cut I think two frequencies, one at about 4dB lower, the other probably 2.5dB lower. Keep in mind the type of EQ I use, linear-phase FIR equalizer as provided by Onkyo HF Player. Neutron is another great player that offers a pretty darn solid parametric equalizer (which I prefer using personally, the EQ) I actually love the Onkyo HF Player, well worth the $5 bucks or $7 to unlock.

 

[SilverEars]

I think bass is a bit elevated than it should, but it's not bad sounding headphone by any means. It's actually a good sounding closed-back headphone (There's plenty of bad ones out there). There's really not much for me to critique besides the a bit abundant bass (and the obvious reduced imaging of closed-backs), but this is probably tuned purposefully by Sony thinking people love bass (mainstream). If that bass was leveled like the mid-range, I'd be much happier.

Really, that response isn't all that bad.

If Sony is reading this, I hope in the next iteration, they get rid of that elevated bass. After more listening, I realized the bass isn't as bad as I heard earlier, and it does change how it sounds depending on if ANC is on or not. When ANC is on, the response sounds warmer and better with bass sounding better transitioned. Also the headphone sounds to have a more ambient feel as well.

You can run these passive, without the headphone powered through the aux port, but it sounds the worst. I thought it was odd that bypassing of the inner electronics (dsp and amp) sounds worse. Perhaps with ANC, adding a little bit of warmth, blends the bass better.

You will not get a Sennheiser open-back like response (it's a closed back, fully sealed) of imaging, but I think it's one of the best closed back sounding with ANC. So, you won't be getting that audiophile experience, but this is meant for on the go for commuting, etc.., so it full-fills that purpose well with the level of SQ. The purpose of this headphone is to be able to hear the music better by getting rid of the noise, and it does that quite well.

Looking at the Rtings frequency response, it's good that bass raises at 200hz compared to earlier like the Beats. I think the trouble with Beats (graph below) is that lower mid peak at about 200-400hz. You don't want to raise that up as the warmth will consume the mids, and loses coherency drastically (which is what I've heard). The reason why the XM3 sounds bass elevated and still sound mids coherent is because they kept the lower mids leveled and the bass starts climbing at 200k instead of earlier. And this is how you reduce bass bleed. I'm perfectly fine with the upper frequencies.

 

[Sonic Defender]

@SilverEars, I have to say that the EQ cuts I use make a world of difference to my ears, for the better. I now can't listen to the xM3 without the cuts as doing so makes it really apparent just how much extra bass energy there really is. As I said, I do enjoy the stock signature well enough with bass leaner recordings where the elevated bass response doesn't meet up with elevated frequencies to reproduce, it is that convergence that for me is the issue. As well, with lower volume playback the bass energy is likely to be perceived as a nice tonal thickening which is generally needed with low volume musical reproduction. It is when it gets louder that the real issue is revealed, for me anyway.

 

[SilverEars]

@SilverEars, I have to say that the EQ cuts I use make a world of difference to my ears, for the better. I now can't listen to the xM3 without the cuts as doing so makes it really apparent just how much extra bass energy there really is. As I said, I do enjoy the stock signature well enough with bass leaner recordings where the elevated bass response doesn't meet up with elevated frequencies to reproduce, it is that convergence that for me is the issue. As well, with lower volume playback the bass energy is likely to be perceived as a nice tonal thickening which is generally needed with low volume musical reproduction. It is when it gets louder that the real issue is revealed, for me anyway.

I noticed the bass quantity of XM3 being signficant when I switched over to another headphone, which made it sound a bit bass lite. When this happens, it skews your perception of a headphone of lesser bass level. But, I think there are folks that love bass quantity, and these would suit them.

It is true that there are tracks that might be a bit rich in the mids that these brings too rich of mids, but it shouldn't be significant like the Beats.

Pretty comfortable headphone, I like the cushiony pads, and light weight.

 

[dweaver]

Neutralizer works in wired mode but breaks up in BT mode on my S9. It sounds good but not much different than what I got using the EQ manually on my own.

 

[Sonic Defender]

@dweaver , do you still use your Mikros 90? At one time they were regarded as simply amazing sound, but horribly uncomfortable (which is why I never tried the Mikros 90). How do they compare to the xM3 in terms of musical enjoyment? I suspect the sound signatures are very different so not comparable per say beyond an emotional judgement of musical enjoyment.