Gear: Sony WH-1000XM3 Noise Cancelling Headphones

Far too often I forget that I bought these for listening to music and instead over the last few years these have become my work headphones. Not for music, but for taking calls and doing online web conferences at my current place of employment.

At my current job I paired my Sony WH-1000XM3s with a V-MODA BoomPro Microphone, but it’s not all work. I also now use the pair (headphones and mic) as my gaming headset for my PS5.

And while the WH… work great for both of those applications, I can’t tell you the last time I just used them to enjoy music, which is why I originally bought them.

I am rectifying that tonight as I work on notes for future blog posts and updating my film journal (I hadn’t added my entry on Dune: Part Two yet), but while I’m doing all of that I am using, and enjoying, my headphones to listen to music while Shalee sleeps.

Not revelatory, but sometimes people get into ruts and forget that the things they bought for one purpose have been relegated to another purpose.

But tonight, I choose music.

I will say this about the Sony WH-1000XM3s: they sound freaking AMAZING, but there’s a caveat: they are cheaply constructed.

The phones themselves slide on metal shims, but there’s only a small, 2-3mm thick piece of plastic that acts as a buckle to keep the earphone cups on the shim. For $200-300 you expect quality construction. Perhaps they improved this on the …XM4/5, but on the …XM3s, well, maybe it’s because I have a massive head, but that tiny piece of plastic broke on both sides and they are now held together with clear shipping tape.

They still SOUND amazing, but they do look a bit busted.

Again, hopefully Sony improved this later with the WH-1000XM4/5s.

Gear: ¹

On deck:

writing: blogging, updating my film journal
listening: Chillhop Music Chillhop Essentials Winter 2023

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