[Pro-Jules]

XM3 is better at high resolution Bluetooth than the Bose. (It doesn't have any)

I sometimes work near the Bose showroom in London. So if I can I will wander in and compare them.

 

[Sonic Defender]

...

Their bass sound OK if you ripped original quiet CD at default volume. But if you ripped quiet CD again with 150% or even 200% volume and play at max volume, now both XM3 and fully sealed bookshelf speaker bass sounded booming as their given limited sealed space not able to handle the much higher bass volume. So you reach out for EQ to reduce the lower Hz by a few -dB aka reduce bass volume

Why would I rip my CDs and increase their amplitude?

 

[NewForce]

Why would I rip my CDs and increase their amplitude?

The last time you've said, Quiet CD, remember?

 

[Sonic Defender]

The last time you've said, Quiet CD, remember?

Yes, mastered quietly by the engineers, that doesn't mean that I would intentionally raise the volume of the album when ripping the CD. I never adjust volume in that manner, what I hear is at the amplitude it was mastered at.

 

[buyukbang]

Hello again guys,

I received my Sony 1000XM3 yesterday and I decided to share my initial thoughts here. First of all, I'll write some background:

In the past, I had Sony 1000X for one month and then sold it. Because its bass was very bad and any bass increase with EQ was always resulted with distortion. Never liked its sound. Though it had very good ANC and I was missing its ANC all the time during my P7W usage.

Then I bought B&W P7 Wireless. It has the best sound quality and signature I've ever experienced with a wireless headset. Its sound is very lively and energetic. It make you want to dance Bass is plenty and clean, highs are clean and not disturbing. Unlike 1000X, you can do whatever you want with EQ and it never distorts the sound.

After using P7W for one year, I bought B&W PX,whenever it is released. I thought it would be a P7W with ANC and AptX HD. But PX was nothing close to that. Its sound was like coming inside a tunnel, it was boxed-like without liveliness that I found in P7W. ANC was so so and not as good as 1000X. I didn't find what I was looking for, so I returned PX.

I spent one more year with my lovely P7 Wireless. I've always enjoying listening it, while still missing ANC. Now Sony 1000XM3 is on my hands. I had a chance to compare them with P7 Wireless yesterday night. I used AptX for P7W and LDAC for 1000X3.

- Lows: With the same song (Flac file, 50 Cent - In Da Club) and the highest volume level (just for testing, I never use like that) I found P7W's bass punchier and tighter. Some instruments in the lows sounds more clean and energetic with P7W than 1000XM3. But 1000XM3 is still very good, much better than both 1000X and PX I've owned. Here are my bass response points: P7W: 10 / 1000XM3: 8.5 / PX: 6.5 / 1000X: 3
Please note that these numbers are in the wireless headphones domain and not applicable for wired headphones Can't even compare them with my wired headphones.
P7W > 1000XM3 > PX > 1000X

- Mids and Highs: I mainly focused on low frequencies yesterday night. So can't write too much about mids and highs. But my initial observations for 1000XM3 is really good. Nothing less or worse then P7W. 1000XM3 gives me the best result with a wireless headphone I've owned in this area.
1000XM3 = P7W > PX > 1000X

- Maximum volume: P7W > 1000XM3 = PX > 1000X

- ANC is perfect. Better than 1000X and much much better than PX. For noisy environment, I really can't say P7W can give better sound than 1000XM3 since noise destroys the sound for me. 1000XM3 with ANC enabled gives the best sound experience while commuting or in the traffic or even in the office.
1000XM3 > 1000X > PX > P7W (No ANC)

- Comfort is great with 1000XM3. Clamping force is lower than BW's and even 1000X. I can wear and forget 1000XM3 easily for long usage periods.
1000XM3 > 1000X > P7W > PX

My Conclusion: I think I'll keep both 1000XM3 and P7W and use 1000XM3 in noisy environments and P7W at my home. I can't always use wired headphones at home while moving around. So P7W will still have its own place.

 

[Pro-Jules]

Great report thanks.

I too found the B&W PX'S sound like a cardboard tube.

I have been on an exploration journey and have had about 10 sets of headphones to audition.

My findings - the 1000XM3 were the ones to beat.

I wanted to try in ear monitors - but I have learned that my ear canal, despite tip expirimentation, just doesn't suit them. That's a shame as I feel they look "cooler" than big over ears.

I also found the WI 1000x lacked bass (my ear shape again?)

There was a great sounding pair of AT headphones but I couldn't use it on flights and it had no NC.

So I think I have arrived at plan.

1) modify the drivers on the 1000xm3 to reduce the "bass boost" this is my main gripe with them. I feel "married" to the LDAC wide soundstage, depth, extended high frequency range (spit on brass sections / scrape of bowed stringed instruments)

Compromises:

* I will have to put up with how they look on the street
* What to do when out in the rain or snow. Hood?
* No connection to my DAP and my phone. (just one BT connection allowed at one time) I wonder how BT switching will work at high speed? My Apple Watch will alert me to calls & messages
* Will need to get used to the super sensitive volume and track forward controls
* I hope I don't break them when I try to modify them. - wish me luck!!

I have some hearing loss - I figure with the superior NC I won't have to play music so loud.

 

[dubbzy104]

I haven't had any issues with hoods, but I'm normally wearing rain coats instead of looser sweatshirts. Some people said the hoods activated the touch controls. I personally also haven't found the controls super sensitive when I want to change the volume/track. In fact, I've noticed the opposite; it usually takes me a few tries before I find the "sweet spot". Good luck with your modding!

 

[NewForce]

The last 2 days I has been using my old beloved Sony CD Walkmans + XM3 playing some of my favorite CD collection.

Man the XM3 wired + CD Walkman SQ is absolutely fabulous. The sound image, soundstage, bass extensions, mid/high clarity and airiness is absolutely fantastic, especially when XM3 was set to ambient sound control off, where the mid bass energy that lots of ppl annoying about is at much reduce rate now.

Look like my beloved CD walkmans will replace my S9+ for "mobile high-end" music listening.

 

[sesu]

hello everyone.

I got my sony xm3 two days ago and until this morning I was super happy with them.
I thought I listen so some classical music and chose Requiem in D-Minor K626
Everytime the piece would get going, the sound started to get distorted. this was with only 1/3 of the volume.

Then I tried out John Williams "Reys Theme" and the same happend- around the 36second mark the sound gets cracking and distorted, no matter how loud I was listening to it. It seems the headphones just can't keep up (Or I am doing something wrong?). I tried it with my old westone UM2 in ears and everything sounded amazing.

These are ALAC files I ripped straight from the CDs I bought.

Anyone got an idea / solution for me :/? Or is this just a hardware limitation?

Edit1: I tried it with cables and now there is no distortion. So this is a problem with the bluetooth connection and how the music is transferred between an iphone 8 and the headphones?

Edit2: I checked with a colleagues sennheiser bluetooth headphones.

exactly the same problem. with bluetooth connection to my iphone 8, we have distortion and cracking noises. with cable it is gone.

 

[Pro-Jules]

Dud pair - exchange them.

 

[sesu]

Dud pair - exchange them.

If it was a dud, shouldn't the problem also be there when I listen to music with a cable :/?
I'm no expert in that stuff...sorry ^.^""

Edit: I checked with a colleagues sennheiser bluetooth headphones.

exactly the same problem. with bluetooth connection to my iphone 8, we have distortion and cracking noises. with cable it is gone.

Edit2: it seems to be the music app. I downloaded the Onkyo HF player and the distortion is gone, even while connected via bluetooth. how weird.

 

[Pro-Jules]

Great!

 

[ekjellgren]

I'm trying to replace the cable with one of my longer ones, but get no sound or bad sound.
Do you have to use the original cable? Doesn't it follow the regular standard? It sure looks like the other ones I have.
So my question is, which one do I need to buy? Want 2m.

 

[sesu]

I'm trying to replace the cable with one of my longer ones, but get no sound or bad sound.
Do you have to use the original cable? Doesn't it follow the regular standard? It sure looks like the other ones I have.
So my question is, which one do I need to buy? Want 2m.

I don't use the original cable. I use one I bought from forza audioworks. Any 3.5mm to 3.5mm plug should fit as long as it is thin enough to fit into the opening of the headphone.

 

[NewForce]

Lol..