Sony WI-1000XM2 wireless earphones review: Explosive sound, excellent noise cancellation but very heavy on pocket

Sony WI-1000XM2 wireless earphones: With the world moving towards a wireless audio experience, the segment is getting new products and better innovations - a process that is expected to improve further in 2020. In the future, the segment is likely to be dominated by truly wireless ear buds but for now, wireless earphones remain the first choice for many. Within this segment, I have always preferred the neckband style that allows you to carry the device around your neck and have tried to be as unbiased as possible while reviewing Sony’s latest in-ear wireless earphones - Sony WI-1000XM2 - that support the same design.

For the last six months, I have been using Sony WI-C600N, another in-ear wireless headset by the same company priced at around Rs 10,000 in India. And, while this earphone suits me, the new Sony WI-1000XM2 is specifically for 'Sharmaji ka Ladka' as he can definitely afford it! Well, of course, must admit here that the gadget is better in almost all departments including design, build quality, sound output and battery life. 

Sony WI-1000XM2 price in India starts at Rs 21,990 - an amount a large part of the market in this country is still reluctant to pay for a pair of earphones. Yet, there is a world where people are happily spending over Rs 1 lakh on smartphones, so who are we to judge! What we can do is review these new wireless earphones from Sony and tell you, if they are good or not.

Sony WI-1000XM2 wireless earphones design: On Steroids

The Sony WI-1000XM2 wireless earphones is what you get when the Sony WI-C600N joins the gym, does heavy weight lifting and stays on steroids for six months! The device has a muscular look and comes in a matte finish that gives it a classic touch. The band is thick yet flexible which makes it comfortable to wear around your neck and carry around.

Sony has managed to keep the weight of this device at just 58 grams which is quite impressive too. 

Moving on, the build quality is solid and these earphones have surely been designed to take hits. On the left side of the band, you get fast charging port and power button. The latter has been placed nicely and is well in reach. The wire on the same side of the neckband features volume control buttons, play/pause button and a ‘C’ button. How the last one works, I will explain as we dive further into the review.

Sony claims to have used an angled design on this earphone which ensures a tight seal against the ear canal and allows the ear cups to stay in. You also get different tip sizes in the box that can be used to achieve the right fit. Since these are noise-cancellation earphones, achieving the right fit is more important than on any other device. I found the fit to be quite good.

The Sony WI-1000XM2 is big and I fear that it might not look good on everyone. Some may even face difficulty blending it in with their personality.  

Sony has also used magnets on the ear cups to help them stay together when not in use. Strangely, the magnet connects the earphones sideways and not from the back, as most other earphones including the Sony WI-C600N do. I found this highly annoying and so would you if you have been using a pair of earphones with traditional magnetic connectivity.

Sony WI-1000XM2 wireless earphones app: Perks

The Sony WI-1000XM2 comes with a handsome looking carrying case which has a premium look to it. It is essentially designed to carry both the charging cable as well as the earphones. The case is quite handy to have and won’t take much space in your travel bag.

The other perk is that there are some really cool functions that you can access through the Sony Headphones Connect App. Basically, to make use of all the features offered by Sony WI-1000XM2, you need to download the Sony Headphones Connect App from Google Play Store or App Store. The app is available for free on both the platforms.

Once downloaded, the app automatically connects to the earphones. You just need to have your Bluetooth on and leave it like that.

To begin with, the app actually clicks the image of your ears to analyse them and give a 360 reality audio experience. This is crazy level of cool and creepy at the same time. The feature is best used while using apps that are optimised for the same.

The app has an ‘Adaptive Sound Control’ feature that can identify you actions and improves the audio output on the basis of that. It can figure out when you are sitting, walking or doing something else. The amount of ambient sound also changes on the basis of your surroundings. For example, if you are in a bus, the ambient sound level will be less than when you will be sitting at your home, listening to music. You can also customise the ambient sound from within the app.

The app also allows you to customise the ‘C’ button I mentioned about earlier. It can be used to activate voice-assistant. I have been using Google Assistant during my time with the Sony WI-1000XM2 but it also comes with in-built Alexa and has support for Siri too. The button can be used for multiple tasks by tapping it once or more.

Sony WI-1000XM2 wireless earphones: Performance 

It’s the most important part of an audio device and you can rest assured about that with Sony at the helm. The company is known to make premium audio devices and while I love Sony WI-C600N, the Sony WI-1000XM2 felt like a major upgrade in terms of audio quality and overall performance. You feel an instant difference in almost all types of music.

The device uses a 9mm dynamic driver unit for deep bass and built-in HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 with 32bit Audio Signal Processing. There is a built-in microphone for calling as well.

I largely used the device to stream music through Spotify while connecting the Sony WI-1000XM2 to my Samsung Galaxy Note 10+. The beauty of these earphones is that a ‘Believer’ from Imagine Dragons sounds as good as ‘Tera Yaar Hoon Main’ by Arijit Singh. There is an amazing amount of separation between the instruments and vocals while bass kept at check for melodies.

I played many other songs including ‘How Do You Sleep’ by Sam Smith, ‘Wolves’ by Selena Gomez and Marshmello and, ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ by Queen. The vocals were crystal clear for all the songs and there is absolutely no voice distortion even at maximum volume.

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On the more desi side of things, I played the recently released ‘Chhapaak Title Track’ by Arijit Singh. The earphones did justice to the magical voice and brilliantly written lyrics. I also played ‘Vaaste’ by Dhvani Bhanushali and ‘Khud Se Zyada’ from Tanishk Bagchi to equally good results.

And, when the output was so good, how could have I stopped myself from testing Illegal Weapon 2.0 and Muqabla from Street Dancer 3 - both likely to be the life of most parties in the first month of this New Year.

On the video side things, I watched a few episodes of ‘The Mandalorian’ by Disney+. The platform is yet to arrive in India, so don’t ask me how. But, the sound was impressive there as well.

One thing I have always avoided using earphones for - is to make calls. Now, I know this is a very important function of any pair of earphones, especially wireless, I have somehow preferred using my phone to avoid distortions and connectivity. In Sony WI-1000XM2, I found a device which manages to deal with these issues.

The sound quality is excellent while making calls and I didn’t face any connectivity issues.

It has 10 hours of music playback time but takes around three and a half hours to charge. That’s one negative thing I can pick. But, Sony also claims that you get around 80 minutes of music playback with just 10 minutes of charges. So yeah, battery shouldn’t be an issue.

Sony WI-1000XM2 wireless earphones review: Final Verdict

With WI-1000XM2, Sony tries to achieve that flawless brilliance with a solidly built in-ear headset that has bomb audio output and comes with superhuman abilities to control the sound quality. The ear buds are lightweight, fit in well and noise cancellation is excellent too. The battery life is good and you get a premium case inside the box which further adds to the overall look of the device.

The only question you probably need to ask yourself is whether you have 22,000 backs to spend on a pair of earphones or not. If yes, then rest assured, you will get a superior audio experience.