Review on Review: Sony WH1000XM3 Noise Cancelling Headphones – Black (2018 Version) by Ryan Hare

I've been looking for noise canceling headphones for a long time. I've had my eye on the 1000XM2 for a while but noticed a few issues like weight, ear pad comfort etc. I was about to pull the trigger when I read somewhere that the 1000XM3 was imminent and backed off. After a big reveal, I ordered here the day they were available for pre-order and received them last week! So far the headphones have exceeded all my expectations. Except for one tiny little thing, which turned out to be a serious problem. AS: Phenomenal noise cancellation. I travel a lot and the time between taxi, airport and flight time is 8-12 hours a week. These headphones have made this watch infinitely more bearable and I'm sure my hearing and ears will thank me in the end! The roar of the engine is completely suppressed. Conversations are mostly muffled. Closing announcements are still clear, but muted. The noise of the crowd is completely suppressed. Fantastic sound quality: decent base, good EQ. Never played with the DAC before. I will compare the DAC in my headphones to the DAC in my V30 which I LOVE! Ergonomics: Absolutely NO fatigue from wearing for 4-5 hours. No hot, red and sweaty ears, no headaches from too much clamping pressure. Just perfect. HATE: Sony engineers claimed they drastically improved call quality. Oh no. They may actually have made a mistake. That's what I mean, and I really hope this is just a firmware bug and not a design flaw. Whenever I'm in an airport or taxi, I'll probably get at least 3-4 calls. On the 1000XM3, every time I get a Bluetooth call, the surrounding mics inexplicably turn on. The caller can hear everything. My proximity is very clear, but you can hardly hear me. This becomes a HUGE thing as I have to keep my wired headset in my bag and hunt for it every time I put the XM3 on and get a call. It's just not acceptable. If a solution is not found quickly, I am afraid they will have to be returned. An update will be posted here.