Here is a comparison of the two products to help you decide.
Pros and Cons
XB900N
Pros
- Good construction.
- Excellent isolation and noise cancellation.
- Excellent battery life.
Cons
- Instead of Bluetooth 5.0, use Bluetooth 4.2.
- Extremely bass-heavy.
1000XM3
Pros
- Decent sound
- Aux port of 3.5mm.
- Outstanding noise cancellation.
Cons
- At first, touch controls felt awkward.
- Beyond Price.
General
| XB900N | 1000XM3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | 16-Jul-19 | 9-Oct-18 |
| Type | Over Ear | Closed, dynamic |
| Colors | Black, Blue | Silver, Black |
| Battery life | 34 Hours | 30 Hours |
| Weight | 3.69 lbs | 0.56 lbs |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, NFC | Bluetooth, NFC, Wired |
They have a similar set of features. Both of them are wireless, bass-producing headphones with noise cancellation. Which one ought you to pick then?
Additionally, do the XB900N offer better value because they are less expensive, or would it be wiser to spend a little more money on the XM3? In this evaluation, we’ll contrast their functional features and connectivity as well as their designs, audio quality, isolation, and leakage.
Design
| XB900N | 1000XM3 | |
| Type | Over Ear | Closed, dynamic |
| Wireless | Yes | Yes |
| Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 3.69 lbs | 0.56 lbs |
| Foldable Design | Yes | Yes |
Let’s now contrast the Sony wh-1000xm3 vs h900n designs. In terms of build quality, the WH-1000XM3 feels more upscale and robust than the XB900N. The XB900N’s plastic has a lesser quality feel, and the frame of the headband does not appear to be as solid or strong.
Additionally, the ear cups have large vents that do not appear as stylish as the XM3’s little openings. Due to the two-tone glossy finish, the headset’s overall look has a noticeably lower quality feel. Even though they are a little less expensive, the 900Ns just come with a pouch rather than the practical carrying case that the XM3 has.
The clean, attractive design has seldom displayed any signs of wear and tear, which makes the 1000XM3 feel far more reflective of its price range overall. This easily elevates them to being among the better-built headphones and a superior option in terms of construction.
Comfort & Fit
The Sony WH-H900N won’t put any pressure on your skull, thanks to the memory foam earpads and light, padded headband.
It was somewhat comfortable. However, after wearing them for more than two hours straight, my ears became hot. I believe the fake leather is to blame.
As a result, you can take a brief pause in the middle of your prolonged use to prevent this.
However, the Sony WH 1000XM3 weighs an ounce less than the H900N.
Additionally, they are far more comfortable than the H900N because of their plush pressure-relieving earpads and ergonomically designed, bigger ear spaces that maximize comfort over your ears.
These Sony WH 1000XM3 may be worn for longer amounts of time than the H900N without making you uncomfortable. Additionally, you are not required to take a break.
Speaking of fit, both of these headphones will be very comfortable on your head. To achieve the ideal fit, you can expand the headband.
The clamping force was likewise sufficient, but because the 1000XM3 is lighter, I will continue to choose it.
Of course, none of these two will sound worse than the other, but there is a distinction between the two.
And you should be aware of it in order to choose wisely and in accordance with your preferences.
Features
| XB900N | 1000XM3 | |
| USB | USB-C | USB-C |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Music Controls | Yes | Yes |
| Quick Charge | Yes | Yes |
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
Sony has long been the industry leader in terms of features. This was obviously clear when they debuted the MDR-1000X, but as time has gone on, the firm has only enhanced the headphones’ total feature set.
Sony wh900n vs 1000xm3, both offer touch controls and active noise cancellation in addition to similar capabilities. So, there isn’t much to gripe about in this situation. However, after comparing the active noise cancellation on both sets of headphones, I did detect some differences.
Active noise cancellation is present on the XB-900N. However, it is less effective. Although not everyone will be able to notice it, I am pointing it out since, as an audiophile, it is something I definitely observed.
Battery
| XB900N | 1000XM3 | |
| Battery Type | Li-polymer | Li-polymer |
| Battery Life | 34 Hours | 30 Hours |
| Charge Time | Approx. 7 hrs | Approx. 3 hours |
| Charging Port | USB-C | USB-C |
Here, the WH-1000Xm3 outperformed the XB900N in terms of battery life by a wide margin. Mainly because of their quicker charging time. In our battery drain test, the Xb900N’s battery life was up to 38.3 hours, whereas the XM3’s was only 27 hours.
Sadly, despite having a USB C charging port, they too took 5.9 hours to fully charge, which is far longer than the XM3’s 2.2 hours. In situations where you need a rapid charge for the road or forgot to plug in your headset overnight, the 900N is significantly less practical than the XM3.
On the plus side, you can modify the auto-off timer for when you’re not attached to anything, and they can both be used passively when the batteries are low. Positively, they are both fairly good in terms of apps, albeit the XM3 does provide a few more alternatives than the XB900N.
With the headphones connect app, the XB900N provides adaptive, ambient, and sound position management as well as room effects, presets that can be customized, an in-app player, sound quality modes, and settings for the auto-off timer.
This offers almost the same possibilities as the XM3 but with a little more flexibility in the noise canceling feature. With the app, you can calibrate the optimizer and access many more settings for noise suppression.
The Sony headphones app provides a lot of customization choices to the headphones, which is excellent and makes them more adaptable to listening tastes and tastes. Overall, it feels beneficial with both headsets.
Connectivity
| XB900N | 1000XM3 | |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.2 | Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Bluetooth Range | Approx. 10 meter | Approx. 11 meter |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Device | Yes | No |
| Connection |
Sound Quality
If we did not discuss the sound quality of the headphones, it would not be a true headphone comparison. The positive part of this situation is that that is one of the key elements that potential customers will be looking for.
The WH-XB900N has excellent sound quality, but as their name suggests, these headphones are for individuals who prefer head-shaking bass. Since I used to listen to music with a lot of basses, which I know is not something everyone would appreciate, I can understand where Sony is coming from. It goes without saying that the bass on these headphones is excellent throughout, and the overall sound quality supports it.
The WH-1000XM3 headphones, on the other hand, do have decent bass, but they are better suited for general use. When it comes to handling various frequencies, they are excellent. It goes without saying that the sound on the WH-1000XM3 is significantly more refined overall and will enhance your listening experience.
Choosing the WH-1000XM3 is the finest move you can make if you want a more polished sound with no frequencies getting lost in the mix. The WH-XB900N may be a better choice if you prefer sound quality that has a strong emphasis on the bass, though. The WH-1000XM3, however, is unquestionably the victor if we are evaluating headphones based on their overall sound quality.
Noise Cancellation Active
The Sony WH-noise-canceling H900N’s performance is below average.
It can, on average, attain 9dB of isolation in the bass range, which is comparable to the rumbling of bus and airplane engines.
Additionally, it can effectively muffle speech and mid-range sound up to 11dB.
Additionally, they cancel in the treble range by more than 30dB, which is not awful.
Overall, I would say that these headphones may effectively block out outside noise if used in a generally quiet setting.
However, I won’t advise you to spend this much on a pair of noise-canceling headphones that can’t effectively do the job.
So, if you want to experience amazing noise cancellation, you might think about the Sony WH 1000XM3.
In a word, their ANC system is fantastic.
It enables users to filter out background noise across the whole frequency range, from the high-pitched hum of an AC unit to the low-pitched rumble of bus and airplane engines.
Recording Quality
Both pairs of headphones have built-in microphones. Their acting appeared to be very similar as well.
Speech that has been captured could sound a little thin. Additionally, it sounds significantly muddy and lackluster on both headphones.
On Sony WH 1000XM3 headphones, the speech is still quite easy to comprehend.
In light of this, we may conclude that the 1000XM3’s recording quality is marginally superior to the H900N’s.
Connectivity
They both have Bluetooth 4.2 headphones with NFC for quick pairing with mobile devices as their connectivity choices. Additionally, they each have a 1/8TRS audio cable that does not include an in-line remote control or microphone but nevertheless transmits audio even in the absence of batteries. Sadly, neither of them has audio through USB. However, they do both charges using a USB-C connector. They also lack complete multipoint pairing, so unless you split the audio and phone channels, you won’t be able to use them with two Bluetooth sources at once.
Overall, the XB900N performed better in terms of wireless range. In contrast to the XM3’s 53 feet and 185 feet, they were able to communicate up to 72 feet in our obstructed test and 195 feet in a direct line of sight.
They should both have more than adequate range to move around your home without experiencing too many connection drops while using stationary sources like a PC or TV. In terms of latency, the Xb900N performed somewhat better than the XM3 with 208 ms as opposed to 224 ms using a standard SBC connection.
When APTX was enabled, the XB900N’s latency was approximately 164 ms as opposed to 200 ms for the XM3. However, 200 ms is approximately average for most Bluetooth headsets, so not everyone will find this to be an issue. They both won’t be ideal for watching a lot of video content.
Which Should I Buy: Sony WH-XB900N Or Sony WH-1000XM3?
Well, for the majority, saving money and purchasing the more expensive XM3 would be more beneficial and offer a better value. The XB900N is user-friendly, comfy, and adequately constructed. They also offer a very long battery life, great wireless range, and a bass-heavy sound that some people might prefer and that you can always EQ with the app.
Their noise cancellation, though, falls far short of the WH-1000XM3’s in quality. In addition, the XM3 features more control options than the XB900N, a more convenient, quicker charge time, and a superior, more expensive-looking design that feels more appropriate for its price range.
The XB900N could be a decent option if you simply like the way the Sony design looks and you enjoy bass sounds, but for the majority of users, the XM3 offers better performance for a very small price premium. If you can, get those instead.
Read more:
- Sony WH-1000XM3 vs Beats Studio3
- Sony WH-1000XM4 vs Sennheiser PXC 550-II
FAQs
Is the Sony XB900N pricey?
The Sony WH-XB900N is suitable for usage in offices. They offer a continuous playback time of more than 38 hours, are cozy enough for long working hours, and have an ANC feature that effectively muffles most workplace noises, such as background chatter and air conditioning hum. They do, however, leak some audio at loud volumes.
Is upgrading 1000XM4 worthwhile?
The superior headphones are the Sony WH-1000XM4. If you’re searching for some of the best noise-canceling headphones available right now and this is your first pair, they don’t improve in every single aspect, but they differ from their predecessors in enough ways that they’re worth the extra money.
What distinguishes the Sony WF 1000XM4 from the WH 1000XM4?
For the majority of applications, the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless is superior to the Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless. Over-ear headphones like the WH-1000XM4 are more comfortable, feature a bass-heavy sound profile that some users may prefer, and boast ANC technology that can dramatically reduce outside noise.
How effective is noise canceling on the Sony WF-1000XM4?
The Sony WF-1000XM4 performs a great job of isolating you from the outside world. These earbuds offer excellent active noise cancellation (ANC), but they also provide a significant amount of isolation because of the memory foam tips’ exceptional ability to perfectly fit ear canals of all shapes and sizes.
Does Sony XB900N support Dolby Atmos?
To experience Dolby Atmos, connect a Sony WLA-NS7 wireless transmitter to a BRAVIA XR TV 6 or 8 so that your headphones produce the optimum configuration of phantom speakers all around you.
Conclusion
The Sony WH-XB900N and the Sony WH-1000XM3 are two fabulous headphones. They both have great sound quality, comfort, and features. The XB900N is cheaper, but the 1000XM3 has better noise cancellation. If you’re looking for the best of the best, go with the 1000XM3. If you’re looking for a great headphone that’s a little cheaper, go with the XB900N. Hope this comparison was helpfulS