Sony - WH-1000XM3

Thanks very much for this detailed writeup! I reached many of the same conclusions about the XM5s that you wrote above. There were also other things that I liked more about the XM3s and XM4s. One is their slightly wider, flatter headband that was more comfortable for me to wear on an extended basis. I also preferred how the XM3/XM4 earcups attached to the frame. They felt and looked more solid to me as well as permitting those headphones to be folded down. Finally, I think the mechanical design of the XM3/XM4 earcup attachment just leads to a stronger, more modern, and more pleasing visual aesthetic in my eyes. The XM5s just look a bit more fragile and retro to my eyes.

I am still rocking a pair of XM3's and I am torn between rewarding Sony for the excellent service they have given me for 5+ years now and the price of the XM5's in my country. I am only now just starting to get a bit of static noise in the right ear of the XM3's and from my experience that is a warning they are on the way out. Would you reward a company for the excellent product your previously bought from them even if you don't agree with the price of the newer model? The noise cancelling aspect is very important and I believe they are still up there as one of the best NC headphones on the market.

I don't know where this 'most people's hinges break' stuff is coming from. I am still using a pair of XM3's that are 7 years old now. I think that might be a careless person problem more than a product problem.

This is reminding me that my daughter went to a doctor visit the other day and some dude was playing his old rock and roll on his bone conducting headphones. He might as well have just been using the speaker phone. Everyone in the waiting room and the people working the reception desk could hear it about as well as he could. If you're an iPhone user, I highly suggest the Airpods Pro 3. The regular Airpods are hard plastic that don't seal in your ear so they are leaky by design. The Pros have a silicon tip. Nobody can hear it but you. You might like the Sony XM4 as others have said as well. I had the XM3 since 2018 and they finally broke a couple of weeks ago so they lasted quite a long time. They have great ANC but they are extremely bass forward.

Yep I have the 1st generation, bought them when they released and they’re still an absolute workhorse. These are always a top recommendation from me.

I also had the xm3 before wearing them out. I decided to try the cheaper CH720N and they are great. Build quality feels a bit worse, they are much lighter and I think the noise cancelling on the xm3 is a bit better. But the CH720N sound great, especially for the price.

Have you tried different ear tips to find something more comfortable? A lot of folks prefer the memory foam tips you can get vs silicone as they can be more comfortable/less irritating/stay in your ears better. I can’t justify the size over ears take up in my bag now that anc has gotten as good as it is on earbuds. AirPod pros are the only ones I’ll bring now on a flight. I used to bring Sony xm3 overears. The xm3/4 fold up pretty well and I don’t see anything else taking up much less space (I believe the xm5 went backwards in design from a foldability/compactness standpoint, but the latest xm6 remedied that). I don’t think the xm6 price is justifiable over the 4s for instance as these are still just consumer grade/mediocre sounding headphones (just like all Bluetooth stuff for the most part outside of a few like the Focal Bathys). My go to these days from a cost vs sound quality perspective is a pair of refurb sennheiser momentum 4, but the anc isn’t nearly on par with Sony/bose/Apple stuff, and they aren’t the most compact

I've been rocking the XM3s during work and workouts for almost 5 years I think. Best headphones I've ever had.

got xm3 ... still loving it.

I still use my M3 since 2019

I am on the same boat. Have my XM3 since summer 2019 and unfortunately this year I started to have some issues, so I decided to get the XM6.. the sound is definitely a downgrade.