There is no question – one thing that companies like Apple and Bose are great at is marketing. It doesn’t always mean that they make the best products but they know how to market them in a way that makes many people think they are the best (and this is from an Apple owner and Bose owner!). But, that shouldn’t make you look away from competitors as they can be as good, if not better!
Deal: Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones for $249 – Best Bose QC 35II Competitor (Refurbished)
Link: Sony WH-1000XM3 for $249 Refurbished (affiliate link)
This is the case with the Sony WH-1000XM3 (please, Sony, get someone in your marketing department to do a better job with product names!) noise cancelling headphones. While the Bose QuietComfort 35 II are talked about as being the best noise cancelling headphones around, the Sony WH-1000XM3 is quickly gaining a massive following from many travelers and tech reviewers that give it a strong thumbs up. Also, they feature Google Assistant so you are one button away from things like real-time language translation and more.
I had the chance to try them before and I have to admit, they are really good headphones! If I ever leave my Bose earbuds for actual headphones, I will probably be looking for these Sony headphones.
What is Good About the Sony WH-1000XM3 Headphones?
Not only does it improve on the previous version in both sound quality and noise cancelling but reviewers say it also does a good job as a headset for making phone calls (not something that all headphones are good at). In addition to that, it actually comes with a USB-C charging port.
For someone that has pretty much fully embraced the USB-C port for almost all their tech gear, that is a huge plus to someone like me. I am looking forward to getting my travel cables down to just one charging cable (maybe two, for charging two things at once) and USB-C is the way to go with that.
Review from CNET on the Sony WH-1000XM3 Headphones
While these normally cost $349 new (like the Bose QuietComfort 35II), these are actually on sale as a manufacturer refurbished deal for just $249. They are on eBay from seller Secondipity who I have bought from before (and who is rated as a top eBay seller) and had a wonderful experience with. You can purchase them in black or white.
Different manufacturers have different track records for how their refurbished devices are. I have not bought Sony refurbs before (mostly because the only Sony gear I own is cameras and I have not found a place that sells them refurb yet) but have heard good things. It it is up to you – if you feel comfortable with it, you can save $100 over buying new! They do come with a 90 day warranty, if that helps.
