WH-1000XM3 Noise cancelling performance ruined by v4.1.1 firmware upgrade :(

[andrew_ashby]

Sony - what have you done? the WH-1000XM3s that I bought (running firmware v4.1.0) are no longer class leading noise cancelling headphones.

V4.1.1 and now v5.0.0 have destroyed the noise cancelling performance - this is so disappointing.

For anyone else with this problem, I have found a v4.1.0 apk download..... I have just installed and will check later when I am travelling on the train again (known reference for noise cancelling performance):

On Android:

1. Uninstall Sony  v4.1.1 (or later) app
2. Download 4.1.0 apk file from -
   https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/sony-video-sound-products-inc/sony-headphones-connect/sony-headphones-...
3. Install apk file (you will likely be prompted and need to allow the android security option to install a third party apk)
4. Disable automatic applications updates in Android playstore (to ensure the Sony app does not automatically update again to the latest version).

I really hope this fix works and that Sony fix V5.x.x very swiftly, or I will likely be heading back to where I bought them to exchange XM3s for QC35ii - it was a close call on which was best before 4.1.1 ,  but its not any more.

[mean1979]

I must admit I bought the headphones off the back of reviews, youtube videos showing its abilities and also experience in using it in the likes of John Lewis so haven't really had the chance to compare it. The update installed the second I connected it to my phone on opening it. My experience since owning though does feel that the general noise cancelling is great, but I was surprised to hear that voices seem a lot clearer than I'd heard before hand. Very odd. Would be good if Sony could look at how voices are blocked and if this is a firmware issue or an app issue it would be good to see what could be done to fix it.  thanks 

[ricklen]

Can more people try older versions of the app? I'm on Iphone so I can't install old versions of applications.

[mean1979]

I'm on Android. I'll try it to see if it makes any difference. I'll come back to you.

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@ricklen wrote:

Can more people try older versions of the app? I'm on Iphone so I can't install old versions of applications.

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[mean1979]

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@andrew_ashby wrote:

All, I've corrected the title of this thread as I have rightly been corrected that it is the android app and not the XM3 firmware that I refer to below. The bottom line though is that I think reverting the android app version back to V4.1.0 has solved the problem and I've updated, with a little more detail below, how I did it (I hope it helps):

For android:

1. Uninstall Sony headphones app v4.1.1 or later
   
   
2. Download v4.1.0 apk file from (fix the 'https:// w w w .' bit of the following url):
   h t t p s: / / w w w . apkmirror.com/apk/sony-video-sound-products-inc/sony-headphones-connect/sony-headphones-connect-4-1-0-release/sony-headphones-connect-4-1-0-android-apk-download/download/
   
   
3. Disable automatic applications updates in Android playstore, to stop the Sony app updating again to the latest version (otherwise you will soon be back to square one)
   
   
4. hard reset the XM3s - I only did this to be sure I was at the XM3 firmware level that I knew to previously work ok, but you could choose not to do this:  while charging  - press and hold both buttons for a couple of seconds, then unplug and power off / back on
   
   
5. Install apk file. You will likely be prompted and you need to allow the android security option to install a third party apk - doing this at your own risk of course, but this is the standard procedure for installing any externally sourced APK
   
   
6. Run the freshly installed Sony app and check in Settings / 'about this app' that you are now at v4.1.0

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I've tried this but my WH1000XM3s firmware version remains at 4.1.1 despite the hard reset. please can you confirm what firmware version you're seeing when performing this and what we should expect to see? My Android app version is now 4.1.0 using the APK process. thanks

[ricklen]

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@mean1979 wrote:

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@andrew_ashby wrote:

All, I've corrected the title of this thread as I have rightly been corrected that it is the android app and not the XM3 firmware that I refer to below. The bottom line though is that I think reverting the android app version back to V4.1.0 has solved the problem and I've updated, with a little more detail below, how I did it (I hope it helps):

For android:

1. Uninstall Sony headphones app v4.1.1 or later
   
   
2. Download v4.1.0 apk file from (fix the 'https:// w w w .' bit of the following url):
   h t t p s: / / w w w . apkmirror.com/apk/sony-video-sound-products-inc/sony-headphones-connect/sony-headphones-connect-4-1-0-release/sony-headphones-connect-4-1-0-android-apk-download/download/
   
   
3. Disable automatic applications updates in Android playstore, to stop the Sony app updating again to the latest version (otherwise you will soon be back to square one)
   
   
4. hard reset the XM3s - I only did this to be sure I was at the XM3 firmware level that I knew to previously work ok, but you could choose not to do this:  while charging  - press and hold both buttons for a couple of seconds, then unplug and power off / back on
   
   
5. Install apk file. You will likely be prompted and you need to allow the android security option to install a third party apk - doing this at your own risk of course, but this is the standard procedure for installing any externally sourced APK
   
   
6. Run the freshly installed Sony app and check in Settings / 'about this app' that you are now at v4.1.0

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I've tried this but my WH1000XM3s firmware version remains at 4.1.1 despite the hard reset. please can you confirm what firmware version you're seeing when performing this and what we should expect to see? My Android app version is now 4.1.0 using the APK process. thanks

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I think he means that only the software version of the android app should matter. People are speculating that the mobile app has influence on the performance of Noise Cancelation, but you can't confirm any difference?

[mean1979]

I've bumped it back to app version 4.1.0 and can confirm no difference in cancelling. Tried this with exactly the same set of sounds using Google home to generate white noise, brown noise etc and also the same paragraphs from a Audible book. Exactly the same with both versions of the app (5.0 included). I'm wondering if there's been some faults for users updating the firmware if there's genuinely the problems cited in the various examples talked about on other threads. Wish I could offer better news for people 

[andrew_ashby]

My firmware is also at 4.1.1 and the app is at 4.1.0.  My App was previously at 5.0.0 before I rolled it back. I do not know what defines how the firmware version updates - does anyone know this? Sony perhaps you could help us all understand this better please?

[Win_88]

Hi Andrew,

I know for a fact that Sony don't recommend side-loading APK files in this way (especially for software updates).

There's no benefit of installing that version of the Headphones Connect app at this point though.

I'd recommend trying the steps in this link as some users reported that it fixes the issue with NC:

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/articles/00224928

Win_88

[Skylark001]

Andrew, I have just bought a pair of these headphones and the app shows that 4.1.1 is installed, but I am not experiencing complete noise-cancelling, I can still hear a bit of external sound even though I have switched off the Adaptive option, so I am wondering if I would benefit from your procedure.

Does 4.1.0 give you complete silence?

If so, can I use your procedure on an un-rooted Android phone?

Thank you.

[jimdibb]

Hi, 

If you are expecting complete silence, expect to be disappointed.   No noise cancelling headphones provide complete silence in many or even most environments.  

Go try some other brands in similar places (or just retail stores) and see what the baseline is.  

Personally, I did the backrev exercise on mine and they are quite reasonable, but no, they are far from making everything silent.

Jim