Sony WH-1000XM3 - v4.1.1 firmware failure?

[GapsOfTheGod]

Having updated my 1000xm3's over the wekeend, there seems to be an introduction of hiss and a background noise of what sounds like distant traffic (even though I can hear nothing at all without the headphones on) when using Active Noise Cancellation, which was previously stellar. The potency of the noise cancelling is noticeably weaker since updating (I'd estimate around 40% less). Familiar auditory environments which were previously rendered almost entirely silent are now notedly audible. I've checked that the noise cancelling slider is left-most, and indeed it is.

I'm also disappointed to find I can't ask Alexa to play music from Spotify, and I press the button and just say "Play Metallica", it responds with "Shuffling music by Metallica on Amazon Music", yet nothing plays at all.

This update is very much a downgrade as it stands.

[Paprikaa]

Except that even without being connected to a smartphone, the ANC isn't
working as intended..
But you may be right, I also started to think like you, the app may, for
some reasons, be capped at 60% of the max ANC with focusing on voices.
Though there is no way for us to modify thoses "erroned" settings on the
app because we cannot slide the ANC bar futher than 100%.. even if we
delete the app or reset the headset, this changes nothing unfortunatelly..

[FrancisRoss]

---

@ChrisChr wrote:

Dear forum users. I have not bought the xm3 headphone yet. But I want to share with you an idea to see if this can help you. I was thinking that maybe the problem is not in the headphone, but in the app that is responsible for doing firmware update. The majority of the complaints have to do with the fact that after the firmware update the ANC allows noises to pass, especially voices. This behavior is similar to the Adaptive sound with voices option activated. This seemed very strange to me. One possibility is that in some devices after the update, the app leaves some internal parameter badly recorded inside itself and transmits erroneously to the headphone that must activate the adaptive sound with voices instead of the full ANC. The headphone therefore believes that the user is the one who wants to hear his surroundings and the voices. In this case, the app would send the order to the headphone. This would explain why not all users experience this failure, since this error would depend on whether the app was internally with the correct parameters after the firmware update. And it would also explain why Sony people check the headphone after the update and say that the firmware works ok. Because everyone looks for the problem in the headphone and not in the app that sends the configuration to the headphone. I am aware that this does not provide a solution, but maybe it gives an idea to the people of Sony support. On the other hand I do not know if you have already tried, but what happens if you turn off the headphone, uninstall the Sony app, do a phone reset, then download the app and add the headphone from scratch in the app. Has anyone tried this?
It's just an idea but I wanted to share it with forum users.
Greetings.

---

Thanks for your input, but no, it is not with the app.  I got a new headset yesterday (more on that later), and my app was untouched from when the old set misbehaved.  And the original NC quality was restored without making change to the app. 

>Except that even without being connected to a smartphone, the ANC isn't
working as intended..

And YES, the above also.

[ricklen]

Exactly, bought mine last last firday March 15 and installed latest version of the app and have the same problem.

I was wondering what if you use an old version of the app? Could this improve performance?

[FrancisRoss]

So, turns out my headset never reached Sony repair senter.  Retailer Elkjop use a company called InfoCare to roundup all returns and evaluate them, and they refused to accept the headset for warranty work with Sony.

It was returned to my retailer with the same bold "user error with app adjustments" statement.

But lo and behold; thanks to a very serviceminded and understanding clerk, I still got it exchanged with a new set with the old firmware - that I'm obviously not going to upgrade.  I'm very gratefull for this level of service provided by Elkjop. Kudos!

I tried the new set first with no app or device connected, only surrounding voices as input, and although I knew there would be quite a difference, my oh my - the difference was even bigger than I could remember!  Sony have said there is no problem at all, and we are all imagining it.  Well Sony, you are soo wrong!

 I'm a happy camper again, but that is NOT because of Sony. 

Sorry for all you people still fighting agains their arrogance.  I hope they eventually will admit to the problems and come up with a solution.

[Davidmcd53]

Replacement  pair were delivered yesterday, amazing until the upgrade and now the background noise is back, how can Sony say there’s no problem when there clearly is. 

Looks like BOSE is the answer if there not up to correcting the software issue.

[GapsOfTheGod]

---

@Davidmcd53 wrote:

Replacement  pair were delivered yesterday, amazing until the upgrade and now the background noise is back, how can Sony say there’s no problem when there clearly is. 

Looks like BOSE is the answer if there not up to correcting the software issue.

---

Why on earth would you upgrade, knowing the upgrade ruins the headphones? 

[Davidmcd53]

I hadn’t read the forums at that point, I thought it was just a faulty set. I know now though. 

Big question is return and go BOSE or wait in the hope SONY release an update. When they are working there better than the competition but it’s s gamble.

[jimdibb]

I'm happy enough with the 4.1.1 version (up till 5 minutes ago) that I had no reason to know what version I had. But, after probably my longest listening session yet (~2 hrs), suddenly I had a relatively loud static/popping noise coming from the right ear piece.  Not mechanical, definitely a malfunction of the Amplification section ( or otherwise electrical).  It was not gradual, it just started as I was streaming music and continued after stopping the music.  Power off  and On did stop it and its been good for 15 minutes. 

Is this typical of the FW issue?  Also, I seem to have another update waiting though I'm already on 4.1.1.  Any good things about a newer version?

[mrlemur]

Sorry, I think this is just the app version, not firmware.

[ricklen]

Send them an email about the issue and they said Sony is investigating this issue, a release date for a new update is can not be confirmed. We simply have to wait.