Good deal – The Sony WH-1000XM3 “5-star” portable headset at €251.50 (-17%)

Here is already the third version of Sony’s active noise reduction wireless headphones. Two years after an already excellent original MDR-1000X, and one year after a WH-1000XM2 with very timid evolutions, this new iteration allows itself slightly deeper modifications aimed at eradicating some of the rare weak points of its predecessors. Good news: most of them hit the mark.

No need to revolutionize anything when developing the successor to an already excellent product. On the very solid foundations of the WH-1000XM2, Sony has made some subtle but noticeable improvements in sound and comfort, which make this WH-1000XM3 only a little closer to perfection. All that’s missing is better Bluetooth ergonomics (multipoint connection…) and a slightly less bassy sound reproduction, and we’re there, with the next WH-1000XM4…

Points forts

• Excellent sound definition.
• Very good dynamics.
• Incredibly precise highs, very spacious soundstage.
• Active noise reduction among the very best available.
• Neat design and finishes.
• Extremely comfortable.
• Excellent autonomy, charging via USB-C.
• Full and responsive touch controls.
• Quality hands-free kit.

Weak points

• A few decibels too much in the bass.
• No multipoint connection in Bluetooth.

NB: The reported price drop is calculated by comparing the lowest price of the day with the average of the lowest prices charged by all merchants for the product last month, with security rules to exclude prices from shops whose the VAT policy is not clear (known as “grey” shops, typically in the case of imports from China).

An alternative

Despite its completely changed design, the Headphones 700 represents, in essence, only a change in continuity for Bose. Neither really better nor worse than the QC35 (and by extension the QC35 II), very close to the latter in its sound and its noise reduction, it simply offers different compromises: on the one hand, comfort a little less royal, on the other a clearer and more transparent audio reproduction… In any case, that’s enough to make them one of the best wireless headphones on the market – which will particularly attract the favors of phone addicts, thanks to to the breathtaking quality of its hands-free kit.