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.

[GapsOfTheGod]

That's really not good enough is it?

Since originally raising the issues of the update with Sony on Jan 21st, we've exchanged 18 emails and they're *still* looking into the matter.

If they come back to me with a similar response that you've received, my XM3's will be returned immediately for a refund.

Not that Sony will care.

[hosami]

I can tell about my experience happening just right now: My girlfriend is sitting beside me and she is listening to a video on youtube some one speaking (human voice), no music or any other thing is being played. I have my headphone on and am not listening to anything. I can very clearly hear it. I then changed the headphone to other modes like ambient sound and ambient sound control off and they are almost identical I can hear very well the phone and what is being played. 

She just chaned to something else which also has music and the story goes the same. So in a nutshell there is almost no difference between any of the three modes! as if noice cancelling is not doing much to cancel any noise. I am pretty sure this was not happening with the old firmware.

I Invite every one to do the same test and reprort here what they experience:

1- put the headphone on but do not listen to anything

2- on another phone start play something on youtube (like a video with some one speeking or with some music) 

3- change the headphone modes from noice cancelling to ambient sound to ambient sound control off and see if you see any significant difference

[fpcatcherdad]

Haraldboye,  In most children, the fundamental frequency varies from 250 Hz to 450 Hz, with a first formant at a frequency F1 of 1100 Hz and a second formant at a frequency F2 of 3100 Hz.  Three identifiable modes of cries due to vocal cord vibrations: a). Basic cry or phonation with F0(350–750) Hz, b) High pitched cry F0 (750–1000Hz) or Hyper-phonation F0 (1000–2000Hz).

Humans hearing range: 20Hz to 20KHz.

Fans/Motors can produce a very wide frequency range of acoustical noise, starting at the fundamental rotational speed of the fan, and producing also bands at multiples of the rotational speed, which produce high-frequency bands between 8 – 15 KHz, and even higher. Those are the frequencies I was referring to, which the headphones can’t fully cancel.  Your kid screaming would be considered a relatively low frequency in my view.  I still think the FW upgrade messed up noise cancellation for lower frequency acoustics (<2000 Hz), and hence why I detected the difference at these lower frequencies, but again, this was a non-scientific evaluation and is at this point my opinion based on what I heard.

For example, I was watching TV today and with 2.0.0 I couldn't hear my daughter laughing when she was talking to her friend (and she can laugh very hard), and with 4.1.1, I could hear some of her laugh.  I would not qualify that as 40% decrease in performance (I wouldn't know), but I can say there is a difference at those lower frequencies (like the ones produced by people talking or screaming).  At the end of the day, I think we are all saying the same thing.

[NiklasSv]

Well, I am an audiophile, and I bought these headphones because of their amazing reviews, both sound and NC has gotten the most amazing reviews as you all know I guess.

They still do sound amazing, when I'm listening to music, but the NC is subpar compared to my rather old QC35:s (gen I).

I can only hope that sony patches their software soon enough, the cans are good, they are just suffering from a bad software right now.

I'm gonna keep discussing this with the swedish sony support, hopefully they will acknowledge the issue soon enough.

[GapsOfTheGod]

The problem, is that it's been 5 weeks since I first reported it to Sony and thus far they've said and done nothing to suggest they even recognise it as an issue.

Their advice, repeated over and over, has been to ensure NC is switched on!

In tech terms, 5 weeks is an eternity, and I really feel like I'm not able to enjoy my purchase while they're underperforming.

[NiklasSv]

I feel the same, this is their flagship headphones, and their arrogance on this issue is embarassing.

[mrlemur]

I guarantee that Sony knows about this. Why not be transparent and release a statement?!

Here is what I got from support:

"Please note that your case has been under investigation, and we recommend that you follow the steps listed in the link to to optimise the Noise-Cancellation to match your listening style:
https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/articles/00224928 

Should you have any further questions, please feel free to reply to this email."

So after weeks of back and forth, they still cannot provide any more useful information above the usual "make sure you turn on NC"

[NiklasSv]

I've been trying to get my suppprt-contact to tell me if and when the new software release is planned.

I'm pretty certain that they are aware as well, and also are planning on a new release.  If they only could announce it, many customers, myself included, would probably be happy for a while.

[NiklasSv]

And now I got an email in my support-case, that said something like this.

Use this guide to config NC, https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/articles/00224928

If it doesn't help, return your headphones and buy something else.

That's quite unprofessional I would say, I can't treat my customers at work like that at least.

[ChrisChr]

Hi. I need to know if the headphone 1000xm3 that one buys at Bestbuy stores ALWAYS COMES WITH FIRMWARE 2.0.0. I ask this, because I will buy one of these headphones in about 3 weeks and there are many complaints with firmware 4.1.1. For this reason I want to be sure that if I buy a new one it comes with the original firmware 2.0.0 and not with the new one (4.1.1). Thank you.