WH-1000XM3 headband strap broken under normal use

[Deeko76]

Bought the WH-1000XM3 headphones in July this year, very happy with them. Using them today as normal and adjusted the straps as you do - then the left strap  broke off under completely normal use. This has me worried after reading a few other posts for the same issue on this forum as Sony will probably want to charge me to fix this because of the low quality materials they have used in £300 headphones? I bought them from Amazon and notice a few reviews on there with the same issue reported.  The left strap broke in this case and no longer adjusts. Amazon directed me to Sony for warranty purposes but have the feeling I will need to push Amazon for a replacement instead. Wanted to let people know about this and to think again before buying them. 

[BogdanM13]

I have encountered the same exact issue described here - https://community.sony.ro/t5/portable-audio/wh-1000xm3-headband-cracked-while-stored-in-carrying-cas...

And a lot of other people do!

I have contacted Sony support in my country by phone, email and website ticket but everyone is telling me it´s damage I caused and I need to pay 90+ EUR for the fix. Sony Support is outsourced through a company called SYKES and they are bragging what a good financial gain they help Sony with in their reports - https://www.sykes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/sonypresentation.pdf

These outsourced call center agents and email representatives DO NOT work for Sony and they refuse to pass the issue to actual SONY people. It´s incredible that these topics have so many people complaining and Sony tries to tell us there´s no problem with the product and to pay for the repairs out of warranty in their overpriced service centers with overpriced parts!

[Deeko76]

The new XM4s are out, and I was surprised to see the headband strap adjuster looks the same - can anyone confirm who has been brave enough to buy them?

[RottenFoxBreath]

Looks similar, maybe a little thicker, but they denied it anyway.

I've actually got an email from support that states I must be mistaken as there are no, and have never been any reports of that nature.

I'll be getting mine in a day or so, so we'll see then.

[benfrain]

No XM4s for me. Not after the xm3 headband. Simply not worth the £££

I also don’t feel the performance justifies the cost anymore. You can get 90-95% of the performance for 20% of the cost elsewhere. 

I’m sure the XM4s are great sonically but I’m not dropping that kind of money on a product the manufacturer will not stand by. 

[KayCee2308]

XM4 and more of the same from Sony? They DM’d me on Twitter asking for the details (presumably to get me to stop talking) and then nothing. No follow up at all.  Poor product, poor customer service and shameful attitude. My XM3s are in the loft. I get annoyed looking at them.  My Sony TVs will be allowed their lifespan. From a loyal customer to the point where I am not buying any more  of their products . Sometimes it’s about putting your money where your mouth is. I can do so much better elsewhere for that price. 

[Deeko76]

Just to be clear - I have no interest in buying them while still bitter about my current 'taped-up' XM3s but I am very curious to see if its still the same adjuster mechanism. If it is, I wonder when the first post will land with a repeat of the issue.

[RottenFoxBreath]

It looks the same...

Only a matter of time I guess.

The noise cancellation on them, I cannot for the life of me, tell the difference between the 4 and 3's.

Sitting in my pc room, fan on, tv on, mechanical keyboard, car keys, and it is all blocked.

I've been lucky and not suffered the noise issues some have with hissing, or whatever.

One feature I won't be using much of is the speak to chat..

You can't even sing or utter a word but it starts, so that's disabled.

Apart from that, pretty much the same as the 3's, apart from slightly improved mic quality, but even then, as I've been told, it's not that much of an improvement, once you factor in, phasing and other strange audio anomalies when other sounds are happening at the same time as you are trying to speak when you take a call.

[mammajamma101]

The exact same issue happened to me. Under normal use, I put the headphones on as I have done thousands of times before and this time - SNAP - and I hear a rattle of something small hitting and then scuttling across the floor. I find and pick up a thin sliver of black plastic about the thickness of a credit card, 2cm across. Heart frozen, I gingerly remove the headphones from my head and they feel unusual, looser than normal. In view, the issue was obvious; the headband strap above the right earphone was popped out with a missing piece of plastic at the top.

Brilliant.

Bought from John Lewis I took these year-old headphones to them to repair. A little over a month later I get a call from John Lewis saying it'll cost a few pennies shy of £90 to fix.

After spending £250+ on these I will not be giving Sony another penny.

[mkershaw]

Exact same issue with my WH-1000XM3 in silver as well!  Sony are obviously not interested in addressing this issue and charging £80 - £90 to fix what seems to be a design fault, it ludicrous or part of their business model.  

Great headphones for sound but I won't be sending for a fix and next renewal will be with another brand.

[KayCee2308]

The sad thing is having believed in the value of the brand I’ve been so incredibly disappointed by this. I never had any joy from Sony. Despite them asking me to contact direct my messages were never responded to. I’ve reverted to using my old JBL headphones and have ceased buying Sony products after a lifetime of doing so. I guess for Sony this shortsighted approach  works (sell exorbitantly priced headphones then stiff people even more to repair something that is clearly a design issue) but not for me.