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Sony WH-1000XM3

Broken

Owned for 1 years, used Daily

Stress Points
I had owned these for one year before they broke.

The telescoping part of the adjustable headband is extremely weak to the exact kind of pulling you need to do to put it on your head, and can snap easily. My head is only slightly larger than normal (I wear a hat size 10.5).

The internals still work well, but the headband is very cheap and flimsy.

Comments

  • ccol2 years ago

    Same issue with mine, but only on one side. About 1 year of use. Pretty shit for such expensive headphones eh?
  • CheapCoffee2 years ago

    I've had these for about 2-3 years and haven't had a single issue after using them for 3/4 days per week for about 6 hours/day. I do put them back in the case every time.
  • MT2 years ago

    I had the same problem on 1 side. I had to complain to sony support and push that it was a common defect not "user wear and tear" before they accepted them for a warranty repair.
  • Chris2 years ago

    Mine is lickily still going strong after 3 years of frequent use, 3/4 days per week.
  • KanyeIsGoated2 years ago

    Had these for 1 year and 4 months after buying them used from a fella who had em for 8 months! Use them strictly for sleeping (on my back) as living in a basement is absolute hell with footsteps and ANC in ears just dont cut it when it comes to noise cancelling footsteps and bumps from upstairs. Have not had a single issue except for a creaking headband but that was there when I got em. 10/10 would recommend. Easy to replace battery as well as replace the hinges if they ever break. Ended up buying the XM4 and WFXM4 because I absolutely fell in love with the included software and amazing sound quality.
  • Evan2 years ago

    I've had the same issue where the 2 plastic parts that hold the telescoping portion of the headphones on broke. But there are 3D printed replacements that you can order that have a much stronger retaining mechanism and feel like they will last much longer.
  • Gurkburk2 years ago

    Same breakingpoint with the MDR 1000X.
  • Kuinox2 years ago

    I fixed mine cleanly by opening it and resealing the plastic with araldite.
  • Matt S2 years ago

    I had this exact issue on mine - was able to repair by wrapping the whole telescoping section in black electrical tape as glue wouldn’t hold. Annoying considering how much they were however the fix isn’t that noticeable unless you stare. (And E tape doesn’t leave quite as bad residue as ductape).
  • zach2 years ago

    Mine broke in the exact same spot after about a year and a half. I bought an upgraded part from EBay that has worked well so far.
  • D2 years ago

    Mine failed exactly the same way on both sides after 1 year of daily use. Just have duct tape now holding the telescoping section together.
  • Nitin2 years ago

    Mine is still going strong after two years, but glad to have come across this. Will start using the carrying case more often!
  • Jonathan 2 years ago

    Bought my pair new 3 years ago and they still feel like new after using them almost daily for work/entertainment/gaming/… . Only gripe I have is that the mic is pretty bad
  • jakob2 years ago

    same problem for me, shitty plastic broke ALSO, noone told me how the microphone is absolute garbage
  • Quack2 years ago

    An alternative way of wrapping the telescoping section, is using a cable tie. It doesn't stretch at all (unlike duct tape), and is pretty simple to add. You can then trim the cable tie if you want.
  • cmayhem2 years ago

    I have the MX3, about 2 years old. Daily use 5 days a week. They have recently developed a crack on the left side but have not fully broken yet. The only time this point gets stressed is when I'm putting them on or taking them off.
  • Savan2 years ago

    My headphones broke from both sides at the same spot after roughly 1 years of moderate usage. Really bad quality for such an expensive headphones
  • Rafael2 years ago

    I have one of these for around 4 years. Bought in NZ, I've never had any problem with it. the only thing I have as a cons is that it's very difficult to clean the speaker's inner fabric
  • johnbastille2 years ago

    found that the charging light doesnt work after a while. also sometimes they do charge, sometimes they just dont. annoying when you plug them in and then grab them to go and they are still dead... great sound of of them but fuck the electronics
  • Mrheadphoneguy2 years ago

    Yeah similar issue where the slider kinda broke so if you slid it as far as possible it would just hang by the wire, this was about 18 months after purchase. I just solidly wrapped with some electrical tape and it's been fine since.
  • SuperFreq2 years ago

    Same break point for me after 2 yrs. I used zip ties to hold it back together.
  • SimianTwin2 years ago

    Had the same issue with the telescoping part of the headband and a very thin piece of plastic that holds it together breaking under normal careful use after just under a year. Sony blamed me, and despite saying that it was a well known issue (it is, Google it) they wanted to charge me for the repair (I even had to protest their fee for reviewing them!). I went through John Lewis who my wife had bought them from who still sent them to Sony, and ended up paying £80 for a repair. I will not buy such a product from them again and cannot recommend these headphones despite how well they sound and ANC.
  • mutual_coffee_lobster2 years ago

    Mine are going on 3 years with ZERO signs of damage on the telescopic parts. Used daily for 4-8h, transported in their case. My only gripe is that the cushions went a bit flat but they don’t last forever no matter which headphones you buy.
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