The WH-1000XM3 is Sony's newest pair of noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones. In addition to sporting a brand name that only a computer could love, the "Mark 3s" have an industrial design that doesn't set them apart from their forerunners; they're leaning heavily on features that have been around for a few years; and they cost $350. When my review unit arrived, I felt certain that I'd be longing for my Bose QC35s in no time at all.
But while I still find the Bose product the more comfortable headset thanks to its lighter build and softer earpads ... in almost every other respect the XM3 wins the day. I'd forgotten how much I loved the advanced features of Sony's older MDR-1000X headphones like external sound monitoring and touch-to-mute, features which have only improved on the XM3. And in the absence of much innovation from Bose on its similarly-priced QC35 Mark II, the Sony product has –for now– taken the crown as my favorite Bluetooth headphones of 2018. Check out the full review above, and stay tuned for coverage of Microsoft's Surface Headphones in 2019!