Design & Construction

The Sony h.ear on 3 Wireless NC (WH-H910N) is the successor to Sony's stylish and youthful noise-cancelling headphone of 2 years now, the h.ear on 2 Wireless NC (WH-H900N). This time, Sony went with a retro-inspired design principle to celebrate its Walkman's 40 year Anniversary. The left earcup has the (From Front-Back): Custom button, Power button, USB-C port and 3.5mm audio input. Controlling the rest of the playback functions are on the right earcup itself. Swipe down for Vol-, swipe up for Vol+ swipe towards the front for next track, swipe backwards for previous track, double-tap to play/pause and cover the whole right earcup to activate Quick Attention. Quick Attention is a feature that allows users to instantly pause the music and deactivate noise-cancelling to hear others when people wants to interact with you. After you are done, release your hand from the earcup and everything retracts to normal. A red LED will light up when it is left to charge. It takes about 5 hours to charge from a dead battery. Pairing via both NFC and Bluetooth is simple and quick. The power button allows you to check for battery status by pressing once. It is also worth noting that the headphones only require 10 minutes of charging for 2.5 hours of playback. The Custom button can be used to switch on/off the noise-cancelling and toggle ambient sound mode or bring up Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. Both sides of the headband bear the Sony logo and the left earcup has the NFC. The headphones have decently thick cushions which are meant for providing a comfortable experience with the headband covered in silicone to not cause discomfort for users who wear spectacles like myself. The exterior of the headphones is wrapped in a matte silicone finish that resists fingerprint smudges very well. On the top, the headband holding the structure is made of metal and the earcups pivot left and right and folds up for easy storage. The top of the earcups has holes to maximise airflow of the drivers as they push out bass, but it is hidden under the headband arms.

​

Sound Quality

The 25mm High-Resolution headphone drivers may be small but they have proven themselves that they can be as powerful as 40mm headphone drivers.. They produce a crisp and clear sound signature to provide for a very immersive experience. Based on user experience, the noise-cancelling is not bad. I could not hear much of my surroundings when there was no music on. However, the noise-cancelling level is definitely not as powerful as those of the market leaders. Sony also has features like Adaptive Noise-Cancelling, Ambient Sound Control, 360 Reality Audio, an equalizer, DSEE HX and LDAC Codecs. Definitely a plethora of features and functions to satisfy the pickiest of users. All these functions can only be controlled via Sony's Headphones Connect App available for download on the App Store and Play Store. Adaptive Sound Control allows for toggling of different noise-cancelling modes like Walking, Staying, Transport and Running. Each has different levels of noise-cancelling and ambient sound mode. Of course, users can toggle the amount of ambient sound let in, focus on voice-only or just turn it off completely. It is also good to know that the app has an internal equalizer to enable the best output of music. With a large category ranging from Bright, Excited, Mellow, Bass Boost, Treble Boost, Speech Etc. You can also choose to customize your own too! This makes the headphones great for all genres of music ranging from slow jazz to fast-paced EDM tracks. Highs are crisp and clear. Mids come off as balanced and forward and the bass is not too bad with a nice kick to it. There was a little sound leakage even at full volume but no high-volume distortion. 360 Reality Audio is Sony’s object-based spatial audio technology that enables users to be immersed in music as intended by artists. However, this feature is currently only available to users of Deezer, nugs.net and TIDAL. There is no support for mainstream music streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music or Youtube Premium as of yet. Call quality was okay, the caller manages to hear me on the other end but the mics do pick up surrounding noises.

​

Connectivity & Portability

The headphone operates both passively and wirelessly. In wireless mode, it supports LDAC codecs and Bluetooth Version 5.o for clear audio transmission. The mic and controls on the earcups are disabled in wired mode and users cannot charge the headphone and use it at the same time. However, the volume remains similar in both wireless and wired mode. Listening via the USB Type-C cable is also unavailable. Users can put the headphone in Bluetooth pairing mode by holding down the power button. The battery life peaks at 35 hours. The headphones' connectivity to the app is perfect as I do not experience any hiccups in Bluetooth connectivity. The headphones fold up into a more compact profile. It also comes with a USB-C cable for charging, a 3.5mm cable for wired use. A soft carrying case is also included to protect the headphone from scratches but not drops.

​

PROS

• Clear, Bright Sound Signature

• Snug & Comfortable

• Long Battery Life

• Easy Controls For Music Play & Calls

• Adaptive Sound Control

• Ambient Sound Control

• In-App Equalizer

• 360 Reality Audio

• LDAC Codec Supported

• Quick Attention

• USB-C Fast Charging

• A Range of Colours

​

CONS​​​​

• Does Not Fold Flat

• Soft Carrying Pouch

• Mic and Controls Not Available In Wired Mode

​

The Bottom Line

The Sony WH-H910N is a stylish noise-cancelling headphone housing comfortable ear cushions, customisable noise-cancelling, modern design, long 35 hours battery life and easy to use controls. It is highly recommended for daily commutes and long flights. 5 colours are available to fit users of different genders.