Sony mx3 headphones: Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones | WH-1000XM3

With a huge 30 hours of battery life, you’ll have enough power for even long trips away. And if you need to charge in a hurry, you can get 5 hours’ worth of charge after just 10 minutes with the optional AC adapter.

Swivel foldable structure

The ear cups swivel inwards so they pack up neatly in a compact case.

Carry case with cable

The supplied carry case is durable and includes a cable for wired listening.

Certified headphones for a personalised experience

With 360 Reality Audio certified headphones and the Sony | Headphones Connect app, optimise your experience by analysing your individual ear shape, and enjoy the ultimate immersive music experience.

Learn more about 360 Reality Audio

Try sample music on the demo player by downloading the Artist Connection App

Try it free

Specifications & Features

WH-1000XM3 headphones take you even deeper into silence with further improvements to advanced noise cancellation, and smart listening that adjusts to your situation.

Driver Unit

40mm, dome type (CCAW Voice coil)

DSEE HX

Yes

Input(s)

Stereo Mini Jack

Frequency Response

4Hz-40,000Hz

Frequency Response(Bluetooth® Communication)

20Hz – 20,000Hz (44.1kHz Sampling) / 20Hz – 40,000Hz (LDAC 96kHz Sampling, 990kbps)

Frequency Response (Active Operation)

4Hz-40,000Hz

Passive Operation

Yes

NFC

Yes

Cord Length

Headphone cable (approx. 1.2m, OFC strands, gold-plated stereo mini plug)

Product Support

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Sony WH-1000XM3 wireless Bluetooth headphones review

Since the Sony WH-1000XM4 was released, and more recently the Sony WH-1000XM5, bargain hunters will no doubt look into whether or not the WH-1000XM3 is a worthy alternative. Given that up until the release of the latest in Sony’s line of top-end active noise canceling (ANC) headsets, the WH-1000XM3 was the best noise canceling headphones, it’s definitely a worthy comparison to make.

Editor’s note: this post was updated on May 30, 2023, to update style, format, and timeliness of information in this article.

Casual listeners will love the Sony WH-1000XM3, as it offers a huge boost in sound quality over general consumer headphones when used with Bluetooth. Commuters will also appreciate the excellent noise cancellation offered by these headphones. Air travelers will find the Sony WH-1000XM3 in the Best Buy vending machines at many American terminals, and you know what? That’s the best piece of hardware in there.

Very rarely will I say that a set of headphones is for “everyone,” but active noise cancellers that are comfortable and sound as good as the Sony WH-1000XM3 falls into that category. This performs well on commutes, flights, and just out on the town. Generally, these are headphones for everywhere but the computer… and even then they’re not bad if you’re not deep into the lossless audio game.

What is the Sony WH-1000XM3 like to use?

There’s a handful of buttons on the Sony WH-1000XM3, but you’ll mostly be using the swipe controls — and that USB-C charge port.

If you’ve never used the Sony WH-1000XM2, noting that the WH-1000XM3 is virtually identical isn’t going to tell you what you need to know about these cans. For example, the WH-1000XM2 was our pick for best headphones for most people for a long time, and the WH-1000XM3 refresh took that crown (until the Sony WH-1000XM4 and XM5 came along). The WH-1000XM3 is extremely light, has great padding, and oh yeah: delivers on the promise of high-end active noise canceling headphones. Really, the biggest differences are the USB-C charging port, soft-touch material, and new buttons.

The chassis of the WH-1000XM3 is the same hard plastic as its predecessor, though there isn’t any fake plastic leather over-the-ear cups anymore. Instead, it’s now a soft-touch material that your fingers can easily glide over. At the top of each ear cup are two wide microphones that collect data for the noise canceling unit to destroy outside sound.

The Sony WH-1000XM3’s exterior boasts a soft-touch material.

It’s unclear if Sony addressed the reported cracking issues with the previous iterations of the WH-1000X, but I didn’t run into any breakage or damage in my time with them. And I suppose that’s to be expected — I’ve absolutely abused the Mark 2 over the past five years, and it still looks fairly new… minus somewhat flattened padding.

Despite being largely identical in many ways to the older Sony WH-1000XM2, a few upgrades have made the brand-new WH-1000XM3 a better buy for the long haul. For example, the ear pads are deeper, and the addition of USB-C charging means that you won’t have to scour and scrape for an obsolete cable to top off your cans.

The Sony WH-1000XM3 still stands as a great ANC headset that keeps up with the top competitors today.

While these are fairly minor upgrades, it does mean that you won’t have to worry about your headphones falling apart in a year or two. Instead, you’ll have your needs met by a modern design, with very few headaches. I’m not sure that these tweaks are completely worth upgrading for if you already own the previous model. In that case, you may want to spring for the newer WH-1000XM4 or Bose QuietComfort 45, but if you’re buying a new set of headphones: these go a long way to setting Sony’s offerings apart from Bose, Sennheiser, and AKG.

Many users report extreme cold affecting the touch controls of the Sony WH-1000XM3, so be wary if you’re in an environment that freezes over a lot. Neither Adam nor Chris had issues with the Sony WH-1000XM3 in the frozen northeast US or Canada, but it’s possible that it varies from model to model.

How do you use the Sony Headphones Connect app with the Sony WH-1000XM3?

With the NFC chip, you can tap your phone to pair your ‘phones.

Probably the best thing about the headphones is that you rarely ever need to use your phone to control your music. Once you download the Sony Headphones Connect app (iOS/Android), you can easily navigate playback with swipes of your finger (forward, backward swipes), adjust volume by swiping up or down, and activate your voice assistant with a long press.

All you have to do is update through the Sony Headphone Connect app on your smartphone and you can choose whichever virtual assistant you want — depending on what smart products you have in your house, or simply which one answers your questions better. (As of December 7, you can no longer use the Google Assistant app for iOS with the WH-1000XM3.)

If you run out of battery, just plug in the included 3.5mm cable.

Additionally, you can temporarily hear the world around you by cupping your hand over the right ear cup, which makes the headset use its external microphones to pass your surroundings onto your ears. This is great for when someone needs to tell you something, or for plane announcements.

What Bluetooth codecs does the Sony WH-1000XM3 support?

We tested LDAC with the WH-1000XM3, and we recommend using the 660kbps setting for best results.

The WH-1000XM3 isn’t for audiophiles looking for lossless listening, so I feel like I owe you an explanation. Sony’s headphones really are best in class here, but they’re not perfect. You do get a bevy of codecs to choose from (SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC) along with wired listening, but there’s more to it than that.

The LDAC codec is certainly impressive by many metrics, but only when you can get the 660 or 990kbps modes. Weirdly enough, the 330kbps default connection is worse than SBC in some ways, so you may find you should dive into the developer options in your phone to lock the WH-1000XM3 into 660kbps just to be sure you’re getting the best of what your headphones have to offer. The 990kbps mode may be tempting, but we find that 660 is a great middle-ground that still exceeds your hearing capabilities.

How long is the battery life on the Sony WH-1000XM3?

Battery life is great on the Sony WH-1000XM3, lasting 24 hours of constant music playback peaking at 75dB(SPL), with maximum ANC running. This is an absolutely stellar result and should keep you protected from the outside world for long trips.

How well does the Sony WH-1000XM3 cancel noise?

The WH-1000XM3 noise canceling renders low frequencies one-half to one-quarter their loudness.

When you’re buying active noise canceling headphones, the main reason you’re opening up your wallet is that they make the world melt away around you, right? Because of this, we test isolation and attenuation. And the WH-1000XM3 does a fantastic job of killing outside noise. It originally drubbed the Bose QuietComfort 35 II, but Bose has since updated its QC 35 II so the ANC is remains better than the WH-1000XM3. You can see our Bose QC 35 II vs Sony WH-1000XM3 article for more.

While you’ll still be able to hear sounds like your office mates speaking near you, droning sounds like an HVAC system, engine noise, and other persistent notes will be significantly quieted.

Essentially, many new ANC headsets require software updates for this, that, and the other. Because you have to connect to a set of headphones via Bluetooth — which has very little bandwidth — sometimes updates fail when they get marked as complete. Use the Sony app to see if there’s a mismatch in the version of software your headphones report, and what it actually has if you run into this problem. Nine times out of ten a re-install of the update will take care of it, and that’s true of Bose headphones, Sony headphones, any that require software updates over Bluetooth.

How does the Sony WH-1000XM3 sound?

The WH-1000XM3 (cyan) boosts bass a bit more than our house curve (pink) recommends, but otherwise, this is a good frequency response.

The Sony WH-1000XM3 sounds great when you listen wirelessly, and as a reminder, you have a host of Bluetooth codecs to choose from (SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC). The sound closely follows our target curve, which is what SoundGuys posits as best for most general listeners.

When you listen over Bluetooth with the default frequency response, you’ll hear that bass notes sound a bit louder than it does from other headsets (e.g., the Shure AONIC 40). Those who aren’t bass heads may not appreciate this, but you can easily adjust it through the mobile app’s EQ module. Midrange and treble notes sound great and require very little, if any, tinkering.

For the best sound, you’ll want to use the WH-1000XM3 in wired, active mode (yellow dash), which amplifies bass much more than the wired, passive mode (white dot), and has a slightly better treble response than the standard wireless mode (cyan).

You can see in the frequency response comparison chart above that the WH-1000XM3 sounds different depending on how you connect the headset. The wired active mode sounds best, with wireless listening taking a close second. You’ll notice a big difference in the bass response if you listen passively in wired mode, meaning the headset is off with no ANC enabled.

The Sony Headphones Connect app has a great equalization module that lets you customize the sound.

So what does all this mean for you? Well, I can show you!

Lows, mids, and highs

You may notice the bass boost in wired, active or wireless mode, which is fine for commuting but may be a bit much when you’re relaxing at home. You may find that engine noise masks a bit of the bassline and bongo thumps to the one and only recognized version of the song “September“. Mids take a bit of a backseat to the bass if you use the stock LDAC connection without swapping off to equalize your music. You may want to turn the bass down a bit if you’re jamming out to old Queen records.

What is Sony 360 Reality Audio?

If you’ve never heard of Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, be sure to watch the video above. By using the Headphones app, you can take photos of each of your ears, and upload them to Sony to be analyzed by a machine learning algorithm so that you can listen to music on several streaming services in 3D space. Using the advantages of MPEG-H and countless remasters of songs stretching back to 1970, there’s a lot to discover about music you know and love. If you don’t already, consider getting a subscription to the following streaming services to take advantage of this feature:

• Deezer
• Amazon Music HD
• Tidal
• Nugs.net

Is the Sony WH-1000XM3 microphone any good?

Usually, microphones are pretty terrible on headphones, but the Sony WH-1000XM3 is the exception to the rule. While the nature of transmitting audio still means that quiet sounds might get amplified in order to mask shortcomings of the power situation, the actual technical capabilities of the microphone are quite… okay. However, it doesn’t combat the proximity effect very well, so your voice will sound bassier than it usually might.

Your voice will sound roughly exactly how it should on your recording, or on the other end of a call. Of course, different voice clients and recording programs handle recording bitrate and dynamic compression differently, so be sure to kick the tires on a few phone calls before your return window ends to see if you like how these headphones handle it.

Sony WH-1000XM3 microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Sony WH-1000XM3 microphone demo (Office conditions):

Sony WH-1000XM3 microphone demo (Street conditions):

How does the microphone sound to you?

4830 votes

Is the Sony WH-1000XM3 worth buying?

Yes, the WH-1000XM3 is probably worth buying even with the release of the WH-1000XM4. Active noise cancellers are the rare headphones that work well in just about any situation, and that’s why they’re so valuable. The Sony WH-1000XM3 is the perfect travel buddy with great battery life, solid sound, and a price point under its main competitors.

A gadget that costs $349 USD might sound like it’s too expensive, but it’s really not for all that it gives you in return. Plus, you can usually find this for around $250 USD or so, and a really good set of active noise canceling headphones is worth its weight in gold. If you want to save even more cash, consider buying the WH-1000XM3 through the Amazon Renewed program.

Sony WH-1000XM3

Sony WH-1000XM3

Excellent ANC • High-res audio • 24-hour battery life

The Sony WH-1000XM3 is the perfect travel buddy with twenty-four hours of battery life, solid sound, and active noise canceling that work well in any situation.

See price at Amazon

See price at Best Buy

Should you upgrade to the Sony WH-1000XM4 or XM5?

The Sony WH-1000XM4 introduces artificial intelligence (AI) into the mix, and its used to improve noise canceling along with audio processing. The WH-1000XM4 features a new DSEE Extreme processor, which improves dynamic range when upsampling audio. Other features include improved fast charging: 10 minutes of charging via USB-C provides 5 hours of playtime.

Another new feature: speak-to-chat. This enables listeners to engage in conversation without having to interact with the headset at all. The five-microphone array in tandem with AI voice recognition software learns when you’re speaking and automatically decreases the volume as you and your conversation partner talk back and forth. Listeners still have the option to allow ambient noise in by placing their hands on either of the ear cups.

Bluetooth multipoint connectivity is finally supported, so you can now connect the Sony WH-1000XM4 to two sources at once. This is ideal for users who want to keep an ear on their smartphone notifications while streaming a movie on their laptops.

Build quality has also been tweaked, as Sony made the headset lighter by using a lightweight plastic. Comfort has improved too: pressure is more evenly distributed around the ears, and the stitched has receded further into the ear cup, so the seam no longer brushes against the head.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 is the most recent iteration of Sony’s flagship noise canceling headphones, and it has a lot of the great features of the XM4, but it has better sound quality and ANC, a new design, and better battery life. If you really want to treat yourself, the Sony WH-1000XM5 is one of the best noise canceling headsets you can buy, and $398 at Amazon.

Sony WH-1000XM4

Sony WH-1000XM4

Great ANC • Sound quality • Connectivity options • Auto-wear detection

An exceptional pair of noise canceling headphones.

High-quality Bluetooth codecs, great sound, improved noise-canceling, good battery life, and smart features like auto-pause and Bluetooth multipoint make the Sony WH-1000XM4 a great all-round pair of headphones.

See price at Amazon

See price at Best Buy

What about the Bose Noise canceling Headphones 700?

Bose has long been the foil to Sony in the noise canceling headphones department, but Bose’s latest release is a bit of a departure from the norm. Boasting an enhanced microphone array and a higher price tag, the 700 series headphones from Bose are very compelling. However, the differences in performance and Bluetooth codec availability is a bit of a letdown in comparison to the Sony WH-1000XM3. That’s not to say that the issue is as clear-cut as that, but you may want to do a bit more research if you’re having trouble deciding between the two headphones.

https://www.soundguys.com/bose-noise-cancelling-headphones-700-vs-sony-wh-1000xm3-33100/

Alternatively, you may want to slip into something a bit more comfortable like the Bose QuietComfort 45. This headset has grade-A active noise canceling that is hard to beat. It looks just like the QC 35 II but that’s fine because it’s about as comfortable as its predecessor too. We really like that you can make custom adjustments to the QC 45 frequency response from the Bose Music app (iOS/Android), but there is one drawback: you can’t fully disable ANC without automatically enabling transparency mode.

Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700

Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700

Excellent ANC • Lightweight design • Rotable ear pads

If you want some of the best ANC you can get, Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 have you covered.

See price at Amazon

See price at Bose

See price at Best Buy

What about the Apple AirPods Max?

The headphones come with its smart case and a charging cable, and nothing else.

The AirPods Max competes against products like the Sony WH-1000XM3, Bose Noise canceling Headphones 700, and even the Shure AONIC 50. The headphones sport a rather unconventional design, featuring a knit mesh canopy headband and large, smooth ear cups that are reminiscent of an oversized Apple Watch — which makes sense since the left ear cup actually uses a digital crown for volume control.

The AirPods Max offers virtually the same features found on the Apple AirPods Pro, including active noise cancellation, Transparency Mode, Adaptive EQ, and Spatial Audio. As with all of Apple’s audio products, the AirPods Max comes with the company’s proprietary h2 chip for seamless pairing and reliable connectivity. These headphones also boast a 20-hour battery life, in addition to fast charging, providing you with 90 minutes of listening after a five-minute charge.

Apple AirPods Max

Apple AirPods Max

One of the best ANC • 20-hour battery life • Well-built pads

A spectacular pair of headphones with best-in-class ANC

The AirPods Max wireless headphones offer best-in-class noise canceling with twenty hours of battery life. They provide excellent frequency response and great audio features.

See price at Amazon

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See price at Apple

What should you get instead of the Sony WH-1000XM3?

In order to adjust noise canceling and ambient mode intensity, a user must download the ShurePLUS Play app.

Newer headphones offer some interesting ANC features like the Jabra Elite 85h, but only the Shure AONIC 50 goes toe-to-toe with the raw ANC power of the WH-1000XM3. Even if it’s not technically very different than its predecessor, that’s okay: all the WH-1000XM2 needed to be truly great headphones were a USB-C charging port, and deeper ear pads… which the WH-1000XM3 provide.

While the Sony WH-1000XM3 is easily one of the best headsets out there, its little brother the Sony WH-XB900N is a credible budget pick, and gets you about 70% of the performance of these headphones for quite a bit less. That’s not a bad trade at all. If you’re on a budget, get the WH-XB900N and don’t look back.

Frequently asked questions about the Sony WH-1000XM3

The Sony WH-1000XM3 has active noise canceling, which the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT does not have. Additionally, the WH-1000XM3 has an accompanying app with EQ options, and the ATH-M50xBT has just the one frequency response. The flipside is that the ATH-M50xBT is quite a bit cheaper. Both have a plethora of codecs on hand and optional wired listening.

So, do you want noise canceling and optional EQ? Get the Sony. If you don’t care about noise canceling and are happy with one consumer friendly frequency response, save some money and get the Audio-Technica.

You might be able to get a better price on the WH-1000XM3 now that the WH-1000XM4 has been released, but if you want even better ANC and Bluetooth multipoint, go with the XM4.

Yes, absolutely! Aside from the Shure Aonic 50, the Sony WH-1000XM4 is your best bet when it comes to blocking out external noise when working from home, but if you want to save some cash and don’t need features like Bluetooth multipoint and speak to chat, the Sony WH-1000XM3 are a great choice.

By using the Sony Headphones app, you can use the manufacturer software to tone down the bass a bit (Chris uses “clear bass” -1). Alternatively, you could use an app like SoundID or Wavelet, which will correct your headphones to the Harman target first, and let you tweak it afterward.

They probably could, but I wouldn’t. The microphone is less robust than a dedicated headset’s, and will pick up a lot of background noise.

Not unless you have an adapter, no. Consoles typically are tougher to connect wireless headphones to. The only other way you can get the Sony WH-1000XM3 connected to the PS4 is through its 3.5mm cable.

Yes. Included in the packaging is a 3.5mm to 3.5mm male-t0-male cable that you can use to listen to wired sources. Each end has a TRRRS end, allowing for two channels, and a microphone.

In theory, you just need to be able to connect your source (in this case, your TV) with something over Bluetooth. If your TV supports Bluetooth, it should be able to connect to your headphones. If it can’t, you may want to look into finding an emitter that can connect to your TV. That way, you can solve the issue with a cheap workaround instead of buying a new TV — or headphones.

Yes, the Sony WH-1000XM3 wireless noise canceling headphones are compatible with video chat apps like Zoom, Skype, Facebook Messenger, and more. The headset must be paired with the source device being used with the video conferencing app. Depending on what app is being used, a pop-up may appear requesting permission to use the headset microphone before continuing into the chat. If you want more information, we have an entire list of the best headphones for conference calls!

You can certainly receive audio from your PC to the Sony WH-1000XM3 wireless headphones via Bluetooth or by wire, since the headphones retain the 3.5mm input. As far as sending audio to your PC is concerned, you may use the Sony microphone system to record audio into a digital audio interface such as Audacity or Adobe Audition.

No, the Sony WH-1000XM3 uses Bluetooth 4.2.

Superlux HD381F – the best budget headphones

Hello dear users. Today I want to tell you my opinion about Superlux HD 381F headphones. Who are interested in the details, please under cat.

Shipping

I ordered paid delivery with a track number, the parcel arrived in 2 weeks. Processed the order the next day after payment.

Packaging

The packaging is made in the form of a white blister, on the front of which there is a transparent window and various inscriptions. On the back of the blister are brief technical specifications. In addition to the headphones, the kit includes an extension cord, 3 pairs of nozzles and a clip.

Headphone specifications

– Wire length: 60 cm + 60 cm extension
– 3.5 m connector
– Sensitivity 100 dB
– Resistance 1 6 ohm
— Dynamic driver
— Straight headphone plug, extension cable L-shaped

Appearance and materials of manufacture

The appearance of the headphones is ordinary, made of cheap plastic, the wire looks very flimsy and does not inspire confidence, but I actively use the headphones for about 4 months and there were no problems. The right earpiece is marked with red paint, the left black. The headphones sit well in the ear, there is no discomfort during prolonged use. Most of all, I was surprised by the decision to make a short wire with an extension cord, as for me it would be better if the wire was just 1.2 meters. The extension cord has an L-shaped plug, while the headphone has a flimsy straight one.

Sound opinion D2

– Lenovo K3 note

Music used for test:

– Within Temptation
– Tarja
– Marilyn Manson
– Turmion Katilot
– Lindemann
– Hollywood Undead
– Emigrate
– Eisbrecher
– Taproot
– Limp Bizkit
– 311

The sound in the headphones is simply gorgeous, I did not expect such sound quality for such a price. The detail is gorgeous, the imaginary stage is very wide for such a form factor of headphones.

Bass

Very pleasant, not boomy, does not interfere with neighboring frequencies, is at an ideal level for me, but it will obviously not be enough for bassheads.

Mids

The mids are also great for the price, but blend in a bit with the uppers.

Top

The top is also gorgeous, not too much and not too little, listening to music is a pleasure.

Frequency response (taken from Google):

Conclusions

The headphones made an excellent impression in terms of sound and disappointed in terms of the quality of materials. In terms of sound, Xiaomi Hybrid, Xiaomi piston, KS ZS2 and other headphones up to $ 20 definitely win. Definitely recommend to anyone who wants headphones with great sound at a very low price.

Pros :

— Price
— SOUND! SOUND! And once again SOUND!

Cons:

— Materials
— Short wire with extension

Video review from me:

Bought for your own:

P. S. if I missed something or made a mistake, correct me, if the review was useful to you, put a plus. Thank you.

P.P.S. Apparently, the Superlux HD386 headphones are a complete analog of the HD381F, only with a solid wire and a variety of colors. However, this is just my guess.

Thank you all for your attention. See you again.

Meizu MX3 review. Balanced smartphone Meizu MX-3 on China Review

The main element of the attractiveness of Chinese smartphones is low cost. It justifies borrowed or missing design, hardware compromises, sometimes average quality. This is the case with the market as a whole, but there are exceptions. Meizu MX3 does not require concessions from the user – the device is original, has excellent filling and is endowed with unique features. Flagship without reservations with an adequate price tag.

The main attraction of Chinese smartphones is low cost. It justifies borrowed or missing design, hardware compromises, sometimes average quality. This is the case with the market as a whole, but there are exceptions. Meizu MX3 does not require concessions from the user – the device is original, has excellent filling and is endowed with unique features. Flagship without reservations with an adequate price tag.

TTX:

electronic compass

Operating system	Android 4.2 with Flyme 3 shell
Shield	5.1″ IPS Sharp New Mode 2, resolution 1800×1080 pixels, PPI 415, contrast ratio 1000:1, maximum brightness 450 cd/m2, TOL technology, energy-saving PSR technology, protective glass Gorilla Glass 2
Processor	8-core Samsung Exynos 5410 (4 cores 1.6 GHz Cortex-A15 and 4 cores 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7)
GPU	PowerVR SGX 544MP3 (533MHz, 3 cores)
RAM	2 GB DDR3
Built-in memory	16/32/64 GB (there is a version with 128 GB, but it is not available yet)
Chamber	8MP (Sony Exmor BSI sensor, IMX179 CMOS chip, 1. 4μm photosensitive element), frame rate: 20fps; 5 lenses, F/2.0 aperture, 74° angle, instant filter function, 30 fps 1080p video recording, panoramic shooting, HDR function, face detection; front camera – 2MP (Sony sensor), video recording 30 fps 1080p
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4GHz/5GHz (max. speed 150 Mbps), Bluetooth 4.0, NFC (32 GB models and above)
3G/GSM communication	GSM/GPRS/EDGE/3G(WCDMA)/HSPA+ 850/900/1800 MHz (2G), 850/2100 MHz (3G)
Connectors	Micro-USB (USB-OTG supported), 3.5 mm for headphones and headset
Housing	plastic, removable cover
Battery	2400 mAh
Dimensions	139.0 x 71.9 x 9.1 mm
Weight	143 g
Optional	Wolfson WM5102 sound chip, Dirac HD sound enhancement technology, GPS/A-GPS/GLONASS,

Packaging, kit

A neat white box with a minimum marking allowed has already become a classic for Meizu. On the top of the lid we see the name of the model, on the edge there is a logo, on the bottom there are two service stickers. The packaging hints at how much the manufacturer values ​​simplicity.

A booklet, a pick for removing the lid and a mains charger are carefully stowed inside the box. Meizu MX3 certified for our market receive an adapter with a European plug. Also, the devices are supplied with a brochure-guide with the most important information in Russian.

An extremely ascetic set of phone, Micro-USB cable and documentation is hidden in a booklet. The first few pages talk about the key advantages of the device, then the phone itself opens up to our eyes. The solution is interesting, the wow-effect is certainly present in the unpacking process.

Design, case

Meizu MX3 can’t be accused of facelessness – the device has received a memorable appearance. And although some of the features are very reminiscent of Apple products, iPhone 3G and iPod touch 4G, yet the Chinese designers managed to create a complete, complete device. An important feature of the Meizu image is the front panel of smartphones with an LED inscribed in the touch button, here it is complemented by a huge 5.1-inch screen, which occupies virtually the entire usable area.

Meizu MX3, with all the successful tricks of the creators, is still big. For clarity, I compared it with the iPhone 5, the difference in size is noticeable.

The phone is very thin, only 9.1 mm, the effect is further enhanced by reducing the thickness of the back towards the edges. The smooth gloss of the lid inevitably scratches, but thanks to the white color, scratches are not very noticeable. A metal edging runs along the edges; it combines aesthetic and functional purposes. Unlike the previous model, metal heating in high load modes does not cause discomfort. The last element of the faces is a thin plastic frame, which also frames the glass of the front panel.

The back panel of Meizu MX3 is removable, but the battery is not. It is not clear why this is necessary, especially since the manufacturer does not offer replacement caps.

The system of fastening the back is peculiar, the creators of the device obviously did not take into account the possibility of frequent replacement of the card (or cover). It is assumed that for dismantling it is enough to press the metal clip with a mediator, lift the cover with it, and then snap off the hooks by passing a thin plate along the edge. In fact, it is much easier to use a knife blade. There is no need to talk about the ability to change the operator card in the Meizu MX3 “on the go”.

Controls, connectors

We actually have a classic set of controls, but with one caveat – the only touch button under the screen performs several functions at once. A normal press returns you to the home screen, a swipe from the button to the screen unlocks the device, and in the shell it corresponds to the “back” command. Moreover, holding your finger on the button for a few seconds will lock the screen.

The power button is placed on the top end. It is made of transparent plastic (with a white backing), protrudes reasonably above the plane of the body and has a good move. It’s just that it’s very difficult to reach it with your finger with a typical phone grip. Well, at least in most cases, a smart round sensor helps out.

Volume rocker, also made of transparent plastic, is located on the left side. For a right-hander, this is a little less convenient than on the right, but to a greater extent this is a matter of habit. The finger easily finds the button blindly.

Meizu MX-3 connectors are located on the ends. Above is a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack, below is Micro-USB with support for image output via MHL. There is also a microphone hole.

Rear panel accommodates camera unit with flash and second microphone, Meizu MX logo, and external speaker slot.

Screen

The screen is excellent without any reservations. The 5.1″ IPS Sharp New Mode 2 matrix has a resolution of 1800×1080 pixels (415 ppi) and displays 16 million colors. viewing angles, and a maximum brightness of 450 cd / m. It is also worth noting that the minimum brightness is very good for reading in the dark.Tempered glass protects the screen and at the same time the front panel Gorilla Glass 2.

The only thing that can confuse is the atypical resolution. Vertically, the screen lacks 100 pixels to Full HD – 1920×1080. In practice, there are no difficulties with the screen. All software is wonderfully scaled to the resolution, most films somehow sin with black bars. But, while maintaining an acceptable pixel aspect ratio, the Meizu MX3 display is slightly wider than classmates. Believe me, this is a very useful bonus.

Iron

Meizu MX3 is made on a very powerful hardware platform, being among the most productive smartphones in 2013. The heart of the device was the 8-core Samsung Exynos 5410 (4 cores 1. 6 GHz Cortex-A15 and 4 cores 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7), made using a 24-nm process technology. The same processor is installed in the Samsung Galaxy S4. The PowerVR SGX 544MP3 chip (533MHz, 3 cores) is responsible for graphics processing.

2 GB of RAM, of which, after turning on the device, about a gigabyte is free. According to this parameter, the flagship Xiaomi Mi3 with 1.5 GB of available RAM is unrivaled. Memory for data storage is not expandable with cards, so you will have to be content with 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB or even 128 GB built-in (depending on the chosen model). By the way, there is no NFC module in the 16 GB version.

In the AnTuTu test, the device scores 24086 points, somewhere ahead, and somewhere losing to the iron donor Galaxy S4. But tests are tests, and in real performance scenarios, the Meizu MX3 is always enough. The interface is very smooth, even swift, the most demanding games fly, the camera shoots very quickly. There are no hints of optimization problems. The expected heating is present, but I cannot call it a critical drawback. During the week of use, the smartphone became hot only twice, but not so much as to cause real discomfort.

It should be mentioned that Meizu smartphones have a “Power Saving Mode”. It limits the maximum frequency of the processor and slightly extends the battery life of the smartphone. Most of the time I had it turned on, it does not affect most tasks (but in the benchmark the result drops to 14237 points).

Camera

Meizu MX3 uses an 8-megapixel Sony Exmor module with F2.0 aperture as the main camera. Since Meizu has its own image processing algorithms, it is impossible to talk about the identity of the quality of photos with the photo flagships of the Japanese company, but still the camera of the smartphone is very decent. In good lighting conditions, the pictures are realistic and detailed. You can also shoot in the evening and even in the dark, even if the photos will sin with noise. Automation does a good job of evaluating the scene, focusing is fast, but not always accurate (in such situations, touch focus helps out). Removes the device quickly, supports simultaneous video recording and photography.

The front camera is also from Sony, the module has a 2 MP matrix. With it, no surprises – it will fit perfectly for video telephony and bows of your loved one.

The camera shell is extremely simple. The service panel includes buttons for turning on the flash, changing the camera (front or rear), selecting the shooting mode (auto, panorama, macro, text, portrait) and the settings menu.

You can manually set the IOS level (50-800), white balance (fluorescent, outdoor, incandescent), photo and video settings. The menu is worth a look at least to enable color filters, they correct the image in real time and are quite high quality. The filter panel can be quickly hidden if not needed.

Video recording pleased with the possibility of a pause, but disappointed with the lack of zoom. Meizu MX3 records video in 1080p / 30fps, the quality is on the level.

Sample shots:

^{Sample shots in original size}

Autonomy

The device is powered by a 2400 mAh non-removable battery. By today’s standards, this is not a record, but even taking into account the voracious iron, it’s quite good. The manufacturer gives the following indicative figures:

• Talk time (auto switching between 2G/3G) – 14 hours
• In Wi-Fi surfing mode – 10 hours
• 3G surfing – 7 hours
• In video playback mode (720p, maximum brightness of the screen backlight) – 7 hours
• Music playback – 40 hours
• Standby t – 429 hours

In fact, the phone lives a full day in the active mode of use and about two in a more gentle mode. In my scenario, which included about an hour of calls, an hour and a half of web surfing, reading books and Pocket, regular monitoring of Twitter and RSS, chatting on Viber and Skype, some music, cameras and games, Meizu MX3 confidently survived until the evening. In the case of activation of the power saving mode in the settings, autonomy increased by 10-15 percent. Charging from the network lasts a little less than an hour and a half.

Sound

One of the selling chips of the MX3 was the Wolfson WM5102 sound chip. Marketing is great, but there is a difference in sound compared to top-tier competitors, and tangible. The smartphone, of course, is not ready to compete on equal terms with audiophile equipment, but even a sophisticated user will be more than satisfied. Especially if you use good headphones. I tested the device with Marshall Major, they played well.

The software component is represented by Dirac HD technology, the sound enhancement function can be activated in the settings of the preset player. Three profiles are available (for some recommended headset models), each coloring the audio path in its own way. More fine-tuning of the sound is possible with a 5-band equalizer, there are 4 typical presets.

Communication

Cellular module works with one card and supports 2G (850/900/1800 MHz) and 3G (850/2100 MHz) networks. There are no complaints about the quality of signal reception, as well as typical telephone capabilities. The interlocutor hears you well, the conversational speaker also provides a reliable sound. One has only to pay attention that the maximum volume level of the speaker will be sufficient for a noisy environment, but there is no reserve.

Dual-band Wi-Fi module complies with 802.11 a/b/g/n standard, has hotspot mode. The antenna keeps a good connection.

A-GPS/GLONASS works at the level of other top Android smartphones, except that it is desirable to carry out its preliminary Europeanization (calibration) with Wi-Fi disabled. After the satellites are detected very quickly.

Android and Flyme 3

The Meizu MX3 does not have the latest Android 4.2.1, but with its own add-on from Meizu – Flyme 3. Of course, this is a subjective matter, but for me the system has become a real discovery. Pure Android has its charms, MIUI strikes with thoughtfulness and functionality, and Flyme is all about beautiful aesthetics and iconic minimalism. And even though the system lacks something, you forgive everything for its charm.

The lock screen is not very informative. It shows a clock, control buttons and a notification bar with a minimum of icons. There is no quick launch of applications, it is similar with weather information.

Desktops are combined with the application menu, it is proposed to use folders a la iOS to organize programs. One of the tables is marked as home, the rest are marked in Latin A, B, C and further alphabetically. Vertical scrolling of spaces is possible. Applications are placed in 5×4 tiles, the lower fixed panel holds up to 5 icons.

Notification panel includes five settings toggles (long press does not open system settings), Wi-Fi networks and cellular mode drop-down menus, and a list of system and program notifications. You can clear it with one touch. Like many other components of Flyme, the panel is actually devoid of settings, the list of toggles cannot be changed.

The multitasking bar is swiped up from the bottom of the screen. Similar to the implementation in MIUI, labels and signatures are used instead of program preview slides. Having shifted the application up, we close it, a similar gesture down closes all programs, clearing the RAM. On the zero screen of the multitasking panel, you can place frequently used programs, here you can adjust the backlight brightness level and turn on auto-adjustment.

Initially, the menus for battery and RAM consumption by applications are hidden in the settings. To display them, you need to enter the code * # * # 6961 # * # *

in the dialer. As a useful addition to the device, the Meizu cloud services package is invited. To activate them, just create an account (just a few steps). Using the Flyme web tool (in Chinese), you can locate your phone, turn on search mode remotely, or wipe data. Very unusual, but a Flyme account is also required to get root rights. To do this, you need to look into the Flyme synchronization settings and “Share the system”.

Traditionally for Chinese shells, the design of Flyme can be significantly changed by the theme. There are a lot of them in the built-in store. A couple of examples:

The most basic set of software is preinstalled in the smartphone out of the box. For the most part, it is very simple, but has a nice interface and does its job perfectly. Impressions

Meizu MX3 turned out to be a very charismatic device. He personally bribed me with a body that evokes nostalgia for the iPhone 3GS, a chic display, the Flyme system and a provocative control implementation.

Although it may seem that various swipes, long taps and other tricks with a single touch button are unnecessary, you get used to the control scheme quickly. The only thing that bothered me every now and then was the unlocking system with a swipe from the button up the screen. This gesture displays the home screen bypassing the lock screen, and as a design is very good, but it did not always work for me. Perhaps it was the film (which was very asked not to be removed), but even infrequent failures reduced all the charm of the unlocking system to nothing.

Ergonomics of the device is subjective. In my rather big hands, he lay like a glove, allowing you to use it with one hand without discomfort and risk of dropping the device. Given the diagonal of 5.1 inches, this is a very important point. The volume button is out of place (on the left side, not on the right), but it’s not difficult to get used to. Power from above is actually out of reach – the developers are clearly pushing the user to use the multi-function button below the screen.

I liked the combination of white back and black front panel. Smooth plastic has good “tenacity”, which reduces the risk of dropping the device, scratches and handprints are not very visible on it. The premium appearance is lacking, but it is tolerable. The theoretical possibility of replacing the lid is a definite plus, but the opening system is too complicated – a minus. For the life of me, I don’t know why it’s so complicated.

I never counted “parrots”, realizing that happiness is not in them, but I judged smartphones by their real speed. So, Meizu MX3 is very fast. The combination of powerful hardware and optimized software allows you to easily perform tasks without worrying about jerks, crashes, long application opening. Flyme, despite its austerity (I, as the owner of the iPhone 5, you can’t get through like that), fell in love with me – as for me, this is one of the most beautiful and comfortable shells for Android.

Conclusion

Meizu MX3 is a balanced flagship. Hardware at the level of the best smartphones of 2013, a decent camera, great sound, a huge display. It has many pronounced advantages and almost no disadvantages. An excellent solution for both the technology geek and the average user. I can recommend to buy.

Rating Meizu MX3

Design	7/10
Build Quality	10/10
Usability	9/10
Equipment	7/10
Capacity	10/10
Display	9/10
Chamber	8/10
SW	9/10
Autonomy	8/10
Functionality	9/10
Overall rating	8. <- Предыдущий пост: Conair infiniti curl pro secret: InfinitiPRO by Conair Curl Secret Hair Curling Tool Следующий пост: Alarming systems: The Best Smart Home Security Systems for 2023 ->