Sony is onto another winner once again – I suspect I will be seeing these headphones more and more in aircraft cabins. Highly recommended.

+ Comfortable fit and great weight distribution; better finishing and copper highlights make it an even more premium product; improved sound quality and noise cancelling from the 1000X and 1000XM2, almost nothing to fault in its class; improvement in soundstage width and depth; bass now has good...

– The touch controls are still somewhat fiddly for volume and track control; they takes some getting used to

Exceptional sound quality and noise cancellation

Great sound quality; great noise cancellation

Expensive; touch sensitive controls can take a little getting used to; Expensive; touch sensitive controls can take a little getting used to

One of the best gets better, as the Sony WH-1000XM3 packs killer sound and noise cancellation into a slender design.

Class-leading sound; Stellar noise cancellation; Excellent battery life; Lighter; comfier design; Intuitive features and touch controls; Tons of sound-customizing settings via Sony Connect app

Aesthetics feel less premium than on previous model; Call quality could be better

Following up our pick for best wireless headphones, best noise cancelling headphones, and best headphones of 2017-Sony released a slightly-upgraded monster in the WH-1000XM3. Virtually identical to the model it replaces, incremental upgrades over the best isn't exactly a bad thing.

Great ANC; Good sound quality; Comfort; Portability; USB-C charge port; 3.5mm aux port

Price

Without a doubt, the Sony are a fantastic pair of headphones, offering a good sound experience, excellent noise canceling (including the Adaptive Sound Control), the call quality is above average and the build quality is decent.

If there's anything surprising about the new Sony WH-1000XM3 it's that they're so consistent with what Sony has released in the last two years in the form of the Sony WH-1000XM2 and Sony MDR-1000X .

Outstanding noise cancellation; Fantastic sound quality; Quick Attention Mode; 30-hour battery life

Small tweaks from 1000XM2; Mediocre call quality

Sony's WH-1000XM3 absolutely knock it out of the park. You can't buy a better pair of wireless, noise-canceling headphones.

Highly effective; customizable noise-canceling; Excellent sound quality; Best-in-class battery life; Clever; useful features; Handy headphone app

Can't connect to more than one device at a time

For the last few years, Sony has been hot on the heels of rival Bose , working hard to create the ultimate noise-canceling headphone. And with the WH-1000XM3 -- priced at $350, £330 or $AU499 -- it's finally done it.

The excellent-sounding Sony WH-1000XM3 is more comfortable and 20 percent lighter than its predecessor; It offers slightly improved noise canceling and performs better as a headset for making calls; Battery life is strong, and it has some nifty extra features geared toward frequent travelers

Your ears can get a little warm inside the ear cups; I encountered some adaptive noise-canceling hiccups

To reiterate, Bose still offers the best overall noise cancellation on the market. But Sony's WH-1000XM3 headphones are a very close second in the ANC performance department, and they offer a better audio experience.

Excellent audio performance with superb bass depth and high-frequency clarity; High-quality noise cancellation; App includes adjustable EQ and ANC controls; Plush, comfortable fit

Expensive; ANC affects sound signature slightly; Cable lacks inline remote

Sony may not have intended the coppery highlights on its new WH-1000XM3 noise-canceling headphones as a nod to the old adage that "silence is golden," but faced with a crying baby and a ten hour flight they proved themselves worth their weight in the precious metal.

Noise cancelation is incredibly good; Comfort levels allow for hours of use; Huge battery life and fast USB-C charging; Sony has fixed most Mark 2 frustrations

Status LED is frustrating; Multipoint Bluetooth could be more elegant; No on-ear sensor