Both noise cancelling headphones Sony WH-1000XM3 and Bose 700 have built their empire in the US market for the best noise-canceling headphones. They manufacture noise cancelling headphones for flying, gym, and for different works. Back then Sony easily outran its competitors but now things have changed. Other headphone companies like Bose, Sennheiser, etc. are giving fierce competition to Sony.
Sony WH-1000XM3 has launched years ago but Bose NC 700 is more modern as compared. But since Sony Wh-1000XM3 is available to the users, many people are confused about which one is the better buy.
Let’s start with the build quality and design of both of these headphones:
Build Quality & Design: Sony WH-1000XM3 Vs Bose 700
First and foremost the build quality of these headphones is worth watching out for. Both of them are over-the-ear headphones with a closed-back design. They are lightweight (weigh around 9 ounces) and made up of plastic material that adds sturdiness to the headphones.
Sony WH-1000XM3 feature soft earpads with a deep ergonomic design that makes them easy to use for long hours as headphones for zoom meetings or calls. They are foldable and their earcups swivel, so you can carry them anywhere with you.
On the other hand, Bose NC 700 has more comfortable padding which makes it extremely comfortable to use them. Earcups of Bose 700 can be titled for and with a lightweight stainless steel headband.
Bose 700 and Sony XM3 both feature touch controls on their earcup that can be used to play/pause, skip tracks, adjust volume, etc adding ease in usage. So considering the build quality and design, Bose 700 is a better option than the Sony WH-1000XM3.
Sony WH-1000XM3 vs Bose 700: Noise Cancellation
No matter how headphones sound if they don’t have a proper noise cancellation system. Noise cancellation cancels out the unwanted noise from the surroundings and makes it distraction-free to listen to music or work.
Both of these headphones, the Bose Noise Cancellation 700 and Sony XM3 use “Active Noise Cancellation” technology to eliminate outdoor noise which creates a nuisance while working.
Bose 700 uses 11 levels of ANC that are powerful enough to eliminate noise coming from vehicles, crowds, etc. They eliminate more sub-bass and mediocre frequency noise than the Sony Wh-1000XM3. It is worth noting that the Sony WH-1000XM4 predecessor XM3 uses digital ANC to give you a virtually soundproof experience.
If you figure out the level of noise cancellation in Sony XM3, it does a great job. But it failed to beat the Bose 700 in this category.
Sound Quality: Sony XM3 vs Bose 700
Going with the premium brands ensures you are opting for crystal clear sound quality headphones. Sony Wh-1000XM3 comes with an analog amplifier and if we talk about the Bose 700, uses a digital amplifier.
Bose 700 promises crisp and clear sound with deep and full bass. It sounds more balanced as compared to the XM3. However, Sony with the QN1 processor optimizes the sound quality to match your listening style.
Sony XM3 emphasizes lower notes more as compared to the NC 700, so it would be better to go with XM3 if you prefer bassier audio. Vocals would be great to listen to on the Sony XM3 and will let you feel as if you’re standing in the artist’s studio.
Sony Wh-1000XM3 vs Bose NC 700 Battery Life
The Sony XM3 headphones claim to have 30 hours of battery life on a single charge. With 30 hours of battery life, you can use your headphones all day long, while in the gym, office, etc. You don’t need to carry an adapter with you anymore.
On the other hand, Bose NC 700 lasts 20 hours i.e. 10 hours less than the Sony XM3 headphones. This gives an edge to Sony WH-1000XM3 over Bose 700.
When compared with the charging time, Sony WH-1000XM3 takes 3 hours to charge and 10 minutes of quick charging would extend the battery life up to 5 hours. Whereas, Bose 700 takes 2.5 hours to charge but will give you only 3.5 hours of playback with 15 minutes of charging. So, in this category, the Sony Wh-1000XM3 is a fair bid.
Controls: Sony Wh-1000XM3 vs Bose Noise Canceling 700
Both of these brands have designed their headphones in such a way that they can be operated with both physical and touch controls.
With the Sony WH-1000XM3 intuitive touch control panel, you can tap to control music playback or pick-up calls. You just need to swipe up/down to control the volume level and left or right to skip tracks. You can also switch to different modes with the help of buttons on the left ear cup.
The Bose 700 headphone is not far away from the Sony, it also features one-touch tap features to listen to music online. But this feature is only available to iOS users as of now. You can skip tracks, control volume, and pick up calls with the help of a touch panel on the ear cups.
Connectivity & Microphone Performance
The Sony XM3 and the Bose 700, both are wireless headphones and use Bluetooth technology to connect. Sony XM3 has all important Bluetooth codecs like aptX HD and LDA which facilitate faster data transfer as compared to the Bose 700.
Sony headphones come with a 3.5 mm jack that facilitates a wired connection. A wired connection ensures a low-latency connection. On the other hand, Bose headphones have a 2.5 mm jack.
Now coming to the microphone performance, both of these headphones performed well in our tests. Bose 700 has a great voice pickup microphone system that adapts according to the environment. But Sony Wh-1000XM3 struggles to deliver clear calls and thus failed to beat Bose 700.
Sony WH-1000XM3 vs Bose 700: Side By Side Key Differences
Here is the list of key differences between these headphones i.e. Sony WH-1000XM3 and Bose 700. You can use this table to find out the perfect match for you.
| Features | Sony WH-1000XM3 | Bose 700 |
| Type | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Build Quality | Sturdy | Robust |
| ANC | Yes | Yes |
| Sound Quality | More bassy | Balanced |
| Battery Life | 30 hours | 20 hours |
| Quick Charge | 15 mins = 5 hours | 10 mins = 3 hours |
| Charging port | USB-C | USB-C |
| Foldable | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless |
Conclusion
After Looking at the specs and performance, the Bose 700 is the better buy. Bose 700 has superior microphone quality, is more comfortable to wear, and sounds balanced. Sony WH-1000XM3 on the other hand also performed well in our tests and gave tough competition to the modern Bose headphones 700.