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Whatchamacallit 147: Sony WH-1000XM3

Sony WH-1000XM3

Last year, after dumping my iPhone, I was suddenly in the market for a new noise canceling headphone that would (a) work with Bluetooth and (b) really work well. Compactness was desired.

After looking at the Bose and Sony offerings, I decided to go for the Sony WH-1000XM3 – a name that really rolls off the tongue. For 283€, Amazon describes it, on my receipt, as:

Sony WH-1000XM3 Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Kopfhörer (30h Akku, Touch Sensor, Headphones Connect App, Schnellladefunktion, Amazon Alexa) schwarz

The reviews and price ratio were convincing: the newest Bose were insanely expensive – and while, theoretically, better – not sufficiently better to warrant the extra dough at the time.

These are the headphones I use when I fly – especially long haul. Honestly, noise cancelling headphones take the travail out of travel: I sit in my seat, put on some music that I typically tune out, then read. I do not hear people talking and I do not hear the plane engines.

These are not something I use in my daily life: I would never wear these while going for my constitutional; I would only wear these while working if there was a compelling reason to do so. I have other headphones that work for walking and work for those occasions when I want music while working.

Compelling reasons include: people renovating the apartment across the courtyard – the day they removed the old kitchen; the upstairs neighbor being loud enough to get past my regular daily headphones.

Thus I have worn these maybe 10 times during quarantine times – these are not actually that comfortable at home because the earpieces keep your ears rather warm – which is great on an air conditioned airplane, but the argument is less convincing when it is hot out and one does not have air conditioning.

That said, I will be wearing them for an important Zoom meeting at the end of the month… when it is essentially that I hear everything that is being said.


During the Covid-19 crisis, I am going to try and make a point of writing a blog post about an object in my home.

We’ll see how long this lasts.

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