Despite some small drawbacks, the Sony WF-1000XM3 is among the best true wireless headphones of 2019.

The WF-1000XM3 sound excellent for true-wireless headphones, with a premium look and feel; They have effective active noise cancellation, decent battery life and USB-C charging (with a quick-charge feature); Touch controls

Not sweat-resistant; not a discreet looking as some competing models; call performance could be a little better

Comfortable, durable design; Good battery life; Solid wireless connectivity; Great noise-cancelling; Excellent audio quality;

aptX HD Bluetooth would be nice; Relatively big charging case;

The only true wireless earbuds you need.

Sound quality; Google Assistant integration; Modern design; Auto play/pause; Adaptive sound; Intuitive touch controls

Cost; Large charging case; No water-resistance

Design? Tick. Build? Tick. Specification? Big tick. Performance? Biggest tick so far

Comfortable; durable design; Good battery life; Solid wireless connectivity; Great noise-cancelling; Excellent audio quality

aptX HD Bluetooth would be nice; Relatively big charging case

Serving up sound quality as spectacular as this while being truly wireless, while effectively cancelling background noise and while remaining comfortable is quite something. So, just as it was almost three years ago, it’s job done.

Comfortable, durable design; Good battery life; Solid wireless connectivity; Great noise-cancelling; Excellent audio quality;

aptX HD Bluetooth would be nice; Relatively big charging case;

A distinct lack of water and sweat resistance aside, the Sony WF-1000XM3s are a treat for the ears. The design and execution hits all the right notes and the extended battery life cements them as a clear winner in the true wireless category. For more, check out our guide to which 2019 true wireless earbuds are worth your time.

If you’re looking for the best alternative to the Apple AirPods, these ought to sit towards the top of the list.

Noise-cancelling; Stylish design;

No sweat proofing / water resistance; Software features are inconsistent;

Sony's true wireless WF-1000XM3 earphones deliver excellent noise cancellation and powerful audio performance with the ability to adjust the EQ. The Google Assistant inclusion seems like an afterthought, and not a terribly unique one at that.

Excellent noise cancellation; Strong audio performance, with adjustable EQ

On-ear controls can be a pain to operate; Half-baked Google Assistant implementation

Sony's WF-1000XM3 true wireless earphones feature noise cancellation Google Assistant. That's a lot of features for one product, so it's no surprise the price is high—$229.99—and it's fair to wonder if all the features advertised live up to what Sony is charging. From an audio standpoint, the earphones deliver powerful sound, and in-app EQ allows for user-adjustable custom presets, so it gets high marks there. And the active noise cancellation (ANC) is excellent, though we wish it could be adjusted in the Sony app. Google Assistant compatibility isn't really integrated into the product with a special button or wake word, however, and the on-ear controls can be annoying to operate. In all, the good outweighs the bad, but Sony missed the opportunity to make these earphones truly great—though it nailed the important stuff. Design Available in black or silver models, the earpieces are somewhat large, and feature status LEDs that shine through the plastic exterior in a cool, cloud-lik...

Sony's WF-1000XM3 true wireless earphones deliver excellent noise cancellation and strong audio performance, tempered by some easily avoidable shortcomings.

Excellent noise cancellation; Strong audio performance, with adjustable EQ

On-ear controls can be a pain to operate; Half-baked Google Assistant implementation

Despite some small drawbacks, the Sony WF-1000XM3 is among the best true wireless headphones of 2019.

The WF-1000XM3 sound excellent for true-wireless headphones, with a premium look and feel; They have effective active noise cancellation, decent battery life and USB-C charging (with a quick-charge feature); Touch controls.

Not sweat-resistant; not as discreet looking as some competing models; call performance could be a little better.

Sony hasn't been much of a player in the true wireless (AirPods-style) headphone arena, but its new WF-1000XM3 ($228 at Amazon) may change that. While it's not cheap at $230, it's the best-sounding set of truly wireless earbuds at this price, matching and perhaps even exceeding the performance of pricier competitors from Sennheiser, Beats, Master & Dynamic and Bang & Olufsen. Needless to say, it crushes the AirPods' sound, and has a feature the AirPods don't have: Active noise cancellation.

Despite some small drawbacks, the Sony WF-1000XM3 is among the best true wireless headphones of 2019.

The WF-1000XM3 sound excellent for true-wireless headphones, with a premium look and feel; They have effective active noise cancellation, decent battery life and USB-C charging (with a quick-charge feature); Touch controls.

Not sweat-resistant; not as discreet looking as some competing models; call performance could be a little better.