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where-fading-princesses-live · 5 years ago

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Thoughts on The SpongeBob Musical Live

So if you happened to miss it yesterday, it aired on Nickelodeon (there’s actually two YouTube versions up in case you missed it [1] [2] and I would strongly advise you download immediately before it gets taken down).

Ahem. Without further ado, here’s my thoughts:

So I saw the show on Broadway two years ago, but before that I was treated to the Chicago bootleg, and I’ve also ironically seen the Broadway bootleg after I saw it in person in NYC. So I’ve seen the show’s many versions and all the changes they’ve made since. Imagine how uber excited I was to hear they were doing this-- better late than never! Though part of me wishes they filmed this in the original Broadway venue, The Palace Theatre, with David Zinn’s full set, I still had high expectations.

Overall, I’m very pleased with how they handled the televised show. I couldn’t stop smiling through the whole thing. It brought back many memories of when I saw it in person and it was great to relive all those little moments. I actually cried a few times.

Though I said this already in tags, Jai’Len Josey’s performance as Pearl will never not blow my mind. I literally cried. She did sound better live because her voice was so loud and echoed through that theatre like thunder--something no recording, professional or otherwise, could ever hope to capture--but she sounded so amazing even on T.V.. I actually had to rewind it and rewatch her solo, lol. The literal voice of an angel. I pity those who couldn’t watch her in person. Of all the cast members, she’s the one you really have to experience in the flesh.

Since we never got the Broadway cast recording we all deserve, this is honestly the next best thing. I swear some of the singers actually sound like they improved, especially Danny Skinner (Patrick). That, or maybe it’s just cuz I haven’t watched/ listened to this musical in two years and so I forgot how good they all sounded.

Christina Sajous is honestly the cutest Sandy ever! And I love love love that they included a Bikini Bottom Day Reprise towards the end of the show when the townsfolk are asking her to stay. It was so beautiful and emotional and the harmonies sounded great.

I actually really liked how Katie Lee Hill’s version of Karen was drastically different from Stephanie Hsu’s. She talked in this sort of monotone voice that made her sound robotic, just like a computer, and it was kinda great. She’s also a SPLITZ QUEEN. The only thing I didn’t like was how the televised version cut out a lot of her scenes with Plankton, and so they didn’t have as much chemistry. Was kinda a bummer. They didn’t make out or anything (also missing is the infamous ‘’BIG GUY’’ scene that my mom loved so much xD).

That’s the only real negative thing I have to say about this. Because it was made for T.V., they had to cut out a good junk of the show so they could squeeze into their allotted time slot (plus commercials). Thankfully I recorded it and was able to skip the commercial breaks, but presenting a 2-hour musical in a condensed form isn’t always a good thing-- it really hurt the flow of the story but I expected that. I hated how they cut out a lot of lyrics (for example, the cake verse in ‘’Super Sea Star Saviour’’) and the music kinda jumps and it’s noticeable. They cut out small moments of dialogue (for instance, SpongeBob cooking his hand on the grill). Scenes felt sort of rushed, too. When I saw it in person, the actors were able to hold on a moment longer because they weren’t worried about commercial breaks. Also, this audience kinda sucked-- they were just a tad too quiet (I don’t want an audience that screams so much to the point where you can’t hear the actors, but I do like a crowd that feeds off the energy a little more). The one I had was insane. Wished they filmed it with my crowd, it would have been a whole lot better.

They used the tour set for this version and though it’s still beautiful and effective (it reminded me vaguely of the stripped down more minimalist scenic design from Chicago) I pity those who weren’t able to see this live in person and couldn’t experience the beauty of David Zinn’s full set. The missing Rube Goldberg machine is the biggest set piece that the show really needs. When the boulders come down from the volcano, they just throw them out from stage left and it’s kinda lame compared to seeing the beach ball boulders go around the entire stage in this massive contraption. I understand, of course, why they would use the more simplistic tour set-- the original set is so large and would take a millennia to build up and tear down. The set is honestly the craziest design I’ve ever seen in a theatre and it’s no wonder it won the Tony, it was all people could talk about.

I honestly wish that, especially after seeing this, Mike Dobson won the Tony for sound design. I loved that the Foley booth was actually on the stage and Mike got to interact with the cast (he was even there holding hands with them after ‘’Best Day Ever’’). He was honestly the star of the show. I wish he was on the stage in the Broadway version-- I was sitting in the orchestra row right next to the booth which was on the side of the stage, house left, when I saw it in NYC and it was sooooo cool to watch him do the sound. Props to this genius who never misses a beat.

That’s pretty much all the thoughts I had-- the show is as great as I remember and everyone killed it. The only thing I have to add is that it’s nice they made this for people who didn’t have the privilege of draining their bank accounts to see it in New York... but if it’s touring in your city, I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend you buy a ticket and go see it in person (touring productions are a lot more affordable anyway). You will never be able to experience the full beauty of this show otherwise. You need to see this musical uncut and commercial free. You won’t be able to see the pre-show jam (the band actually sits on the stage and plays some music while you take your seats, including Julie McBride, the awesome orchestra conductor. And they also cut out Patchy opening the show and being chased off-stage by Vasthy Mompoint’s security guard, even though this storyline came back during intermission). Even if I didn’t get the chance to see it on Broadway, and I happened to catch it on T.V. only, I would still go see it in person if it came to my town. Musicals are meant to be experienced live in an actual theatre-- so if you want the full experience, see it in person if you get the chance. :)

#personal shit #the spongebob musical #spongebob #spongebob squarepants #spongebob the musical

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luxexhomines · 5 years ago

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If the NDRV3 Characters each played an instrument...

Shuichi: The flute. The quiet kids play this. It’s beautiful and the tone can be thin or almost as full as a clarinet. Can’t you just see him playing this? Or maybe the recorder, that would also do nicely. They both can seem rather understated, but they make such beautiful sounds and colors.

Kaede: The piano would be a copout answer, so... the clarinet. Or percussion. The clarinet has a pretty full tone, but it’s not as brassy as the oboe. She could also pick up other percussive instruments, as the piano is pretty percussive (I mean, you literally strike notes. You have the freedom and liberty of a musician, but sometimes there’s only so much you can do before it’s not musical anymore). I can see her playing the drums or maybe the xylophone.

Kokichi: The trumpet. That was pretty easy. He would definitely play the loudest and most obnoxious instrument to annoy everyone within the vicinity. The poor second violas always get their ears blown out by the trumpets. Plus, the trumpet is easy to move around with and you could play while walking around, which gives him a greater attack range. Wait, what were we talking about again?

Kaito: The trombone. Just look at his long limbs. Nuff said.

Maki: The violin. Classic instrument. Most popular and one of the most competitive sections of the orchestra. There’s always too many auditioning. It’s gorgeous, yes, and versatile- but there’s a lot of great instruments out there. She probably picked it up for an assassin job. I think she’d be terrible at it, though. She’s probably also tone-deaf, which is a terrible trait for someone who plays the violin or other instruments you play with a bow. It’s not so much a problem if you play the piano.

Himiko: The viola. It’s an unpopular instrument in comparison to the violin, but it’s mellow and rich. It always gets the “isn’t that just a slightly bigger violin?” Well, yes and no. It’s a different instrument for a reason. Does it look just a little bigger? Yes. I think Himiko would play the viola because all instruments with a bow are still fitted to the player’s size so the fact that “it’s bigger than a violin” isn’t a concern. Her viola could be smaller than Maki’s violin, honestly. It’s often forgotten about, but it produces a great tone and quality. Himiko probably picked it, thinking it was a violin at first.

Tenko: The marimba. I definitely think Tenko would play a percussive instrument. The marimba is a physically intense instrument to play when the sequence of notes is fast and/or they’re spread far apart; you have to move around a lot in order to reach all of the keys and do it in the right rhythm. It’s almost like a dance, watching the player perform. You always have to be poised for the next notes. It would quite suit Tenko, who does martial arts, which requires a certain rhythm and intensity of its own.

Angie: The sitar. I know nothing about this instrument. But I can see Angie playing an instrument with strings, the sitar or maybe like a guitar, something that’s strummed. The look of the sitar matches her aesthetic, and you can also have sitar metal, which is perfect for Angie. She’d probably have sitar rave sessions.

Gonta: The gong. He has too much strength to really be able to master some of the other instruments, especially ones that could be warped from his grip. He’s a gentle giant who controls his strength quite well, but I think if he’s focused on something else, he may forget. The gong is like...well, you have one job. Maybe you need to do it two more times in the piece? You better not mess it up, though, is all I’m saying.

Rantaro: The cello. He’s a suave guy, and the cello is a suave instrument. It’s very cool, in my opinion. Never met someone who didn’t like listening to the cello. Even if you never listen to classical music, it was probably in the background of your pop music or whatever weeby anime or game OST you listen to. The cello produces very rich and light tones. It’s like the king of the bowed instruments, in my opinion. It’s the instrument closest in range to the human voice. Its image really matches Rantaro.

Miu: The voice. I can’t imagine Miu having the patience to sit down and really learn an instrument and practice. She’d probably complain about how it’s a waste of time, anyhow. But her voice is part of her, so it could be pretty easy for her to dabble in it now and then and get interested in what she is capable of. The gorgeous girl genius, am I right?

Ryoma: The triangle. The bass. I think he’d like to mellow out and play something simple. He’s a sports guy with an appreciation for music, but some of it goes over his head. Otherwise, I imagine him playing the bass. It would be one of the tiniest basses ever, but for some reason, I imagine him loving jazz and plucking those strings. The bass is the biggest and you actually have to stand most of the time when you play it.

Kiibo: The triangle. I crossed out the previous part because...eh. Ryoma can handle it. Not so sure about Kiibo. He’s as weak as an elderly person, so he can’t do anything with too much physical exertion. The triangle is perfect for him. Something not too stimulating, and he can count beats and chime in at just the right time. He’d probably tell other people they were a quarter beat too early if someone else did it.

Korekiyo: The piano. Bitch, please. Look at those long fingers. They were made to play the piano. That’s all.

Kirumi: The piano and the violin. She’s the Ultimate Maid, so she probably plays all of them alright. But the piano and violin are appropriate instruments to perform in a formal setting and the piano is the perfect accompaniment to idle chatter. You can never go wrong with that if you’re playing something refined and classy for your guest before you have dinner with them.

Tsumugi: The clarinet. I know, I know, the same instrument I chose for Kaede. But I failed to mention something, which is that the clarinet is the instrument people choose in middle school when they can’t make a sound on any other instrument because their lungs are too weak. Thus, you get a lot of average people playing the clarinet. Tsumugi is rather average. Otherwise, I like to think she’d play a saxophone, maybe an alto saxophone. I see her playing jazz.

Don’t attack me because I actually don’t know as much about instruments I don’t play ie. any instrument except piano and the voice thanks very much

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a-silent-symphony · 4 years ago

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INTERVIEW – MARKO HIETALA OF NIGHTWISH

Like any band, Nightwish has a story to tell. Full of ups, downs, frustrations, and triumphs, in reality, few can tell a tale quite like these Fins. Coming at a crossroad at the peak of their success, they made a bold decision, yet landed on their feet. Then a few years later they were faced with yet another difficult choice, and still righted the ship. A testament to comradery between the key members of the band, one of the steadying forces through it all has been Marko Hietala.

Joining up just prior to their 2002 Century Child album, Hietala has become a cornerstone in Nightwish not only on the bass, but also as a leading voice. A signature part of the band’s success over the last two decades, Hietala recently sat down to chat about his time with Nightwish, weathering the storm of challenging times, his other projects, plus a whole lot more.

Cryptic Rock – You have been an intricate part of the Nightwish family for nearly two decades now. Before going any further, tell us, what has your time in Nightwish been like?

Marko Hietala – Woah man! It will actually be two decades next year. It’s probably been the biggest, lasting part of my life that there has been. Of course, there is my older band, Tarot, which we started in the late ’80s and still did things in the 2000s. That was a long lasting thing, but as life goes, Nightwish has made my living. There has been ups and downs as well as joys and sorrows.

Cryptic Rock – You have certainly accomplished a lot with Nightwish. When you came on, you became a very big part of the band right off the bat, particularly with your voice. That addition of your voice added a new dynamic to Nightwish’s music. What was it like initially working with the band and utilizing your voice to the music’s advantage?

Marko Hietala – We started from a pretty good common background; the guys are Karelian and I’m Savonian. There was already that kind of country boy attitude with us. Then when we started, rehearsing and swapping ideas for Century Child (2002), it became really comfortable really fast. We just got along.

Of course, when you have humans, you get drama occasionally, and of course we’ve had those times. In the end we have been pretty honest about troubles and being understanding, and if need be, forgiving. We have a great personal chemistry with this bunch.

Cryptic Rock – It shows. The band has faced adversity and overcome it. Let’s look back for a moment. In 2004, Nightwish released the Once album, which launched the band into a new stratosphere of success. However, shortly after that release, the band parted ways with Tarja Turunen. Looking back 15 years after, was that a stressful time?

Marko Hietala – Yes, it was. Everyone was anxious, restless, and troubled all the time already. We had no connection and we decided, just as the band started to get bigger, we needed to take back our voice in the band. That’s why it happened. It was scary, but it was a thing where we were already eating so much of our own spine; in order to survive we had to amputate. We were already feeling bad about so many things, it was something that had to be done.

We survived until the next few years of troubles, and we still got through it. I said this already in the documentary, but I think we showed an exceptional persistence and group spirit through a lot of times. God damn, I cherish it!

Cryptic Rock – That unity is evident. It all just adds more to the story of Nightwish. The band has settled in nicely in recent years with Floor Jansen. A fantastic addition, what has it been like working with her?

Marko Hietala – She’s brilliant! She’s a powerhouse vocalist who wants to perform, sing, and loves doing shows. I’m pleased with how things are now. Of course some people have been complaining that I’m hanging a little bit more in the shadows now that she is there, but I’m not. I’m doing a shitload of vocals and background harmonies; there are just a good bunch of songs and we do them the best way they will sound.

Cryptic Rock – Understandable. It is about what the music calls for. If the music calls for you to be more upfront and center, then you will be.

Marko Hietala – Indeed. It’s not like I don’t have things to do. I have bass playing, which on some nights with hot lighting, is compared to shoveling in its calorie consummation. (Laughs)

Cryptic Rock – (Laughs) Well you have done a great job. Speaking of new music, Nightwish recently released the epic new album Human. :II: Nature. What was it like putting this record together?

Marko Hietala – There are certain ways we have gotten used to doing things. We had a month and a half of summer camp rehearsal sessions and then started recording. Kai (Hahto) went to a different studio to record the drum bottom tracks because our summer camp didn’t have the space with the proper ambiances for that to be recorded. We then put up the amps/vocal mics and we laid down all the other stuff for the album pretty fast and comfortably.

Of course there was this thing that we started to do, which is apparent on the album, where we had some pretty nice harmony vocal sessions. I have spoke about this a few times, but when we did the Decades Tour, we wanted to do something different for the oldies – so we figured with Troy, me, and Floor that we could do a bunch of live harmonies to beef them up. It sounded so nice that we figured that we could do them more on the album. Tuomas (Holopainen) wrote stuff so we could do those harmonies, and we ended up doing quite a lot of them.

A lot of our barbecue sessions at our summer camp there would be an acoustic guitar or battery-operated keyboard; we would try some lines out, figure out ideas and swap them. I would say Troy and I were writing that stuff mostly, but Tuomas and Floor were also always around so we could test things and see how they went. It was nice.

Cryptic Rock – The end result is quite good. It is a very well-balanced collection of heavier and more somber tracks. What can you tell us about the concept behind the album?

Marko Hietala – I guess if you take human nature, and either two words, separate or combined, the theme is a bit loose. All the songs on the album connect to those things – human or nature, or human nature.

Cryptic Rock – Very interesting. Then there is the second disc, which is predominately all instrumental. Were you apart of the second half of the album at all?

Marko Hietala – I didn’t really work on it. When Tuomas was writing it, he did ask the rest of the band if it was okay to have a classical orchestra for the second half of the album. Basically, the only people who worked there was (Troy Donockley) with some piping and Floor with some vocals.

Cryptic Rock – It is a great addition to the first half of Human. :II: Nature. You also released your solo album, Pyre of the Black Heart, earlier this year. What was the process behind that album?

Marko Hietala – It was a long time dream for a guy like me who writes a lot. When Nightwish had a sabbatical, I called a couple of friends of mine to work on the album; there was Tuomas Wäinölä on guitar and Vili Oillila on keyboards, who I have known 10-15 years. I had this idea this album was not going to drop into a straight Heavy Metal box, but that it was going to be more Prog Rock or Hard Rock with Metal in between. They helped me finalize the arrangements.

Tuomas Wäinölä also ended up recording and producing most of the album. It turned out to be an inside project with me and those guys. Then we ended up hiring a drummer who we also knew, Anssi Nykänen. As a result of the making of the album it started to grow into a band. We actually had a little tour in February before everything closed out. It was really great, a lot of people liked it and we had a lot of wide grins in the audience.

We also did a Finnish version of the album. About half and half of the songs were written in Finish or English. I just had to crisscross translating them to get both albums out.

Cryptic Rock – Very cool! It really turned out well. You have offered your talents to many other bands through the years. To name a few, you have worked with Eternal Tears of Sorrow, To/Die/For, Charon, etc. Do you enjoy collaborating with others?

Marko Hietala – Yea. When I was in my twenties I got to be an apprentice recording engineer. That is why I was sitting in the studio and helping people out. I was also doing a lot of studio vocal work; both coaching, arranging, and singing harmonies. It had been an interest of mine, but I do have to say lately I have been putting the brakes down. (Laughs) At some point in time I was doing so much work it started to lose its point. These days, I try to very basically keep it to projects who I am friends with and whose music interests me.

Cryptic Rock – Understandable, you do not want to spread yourself too thin.

Marko Hietala – Yes, but also, interesting things are interesting. A couple of years back, for the first time, I did a Modern Classical thing with Ayreon. There were a lot of words, melodies, keys, tempo, and time signature that was changing all the time. I have to say before the premier I was crapping my pants, but I pulled myself together and it went well.

Cryptic Rock – It sounds like that was an exciting new challenge. Obviously we are in the midst of this worldwide pandemic. It is hard to tell what tomorrow will bring, but is Nightwish going to resume touring when they can?

Marko Hietala – We have had cancellations for the summer festival. We were also supposed to go to China in April. We are trying to move some things to 2021. The Central European tour, it should be sometime next fall, it’s still open. With the summer festivals, it seems like we are watching dominoes fall.

Cryptic Rock – It is unfortunate. Hopefully we can return to some sense of normalcy soon.

Marko Hietala – I agree, but what can you do? It’s a god damn virus, you cannot reason with it. This is the situation. Although, we have the album out and hopefully people are getting to listen to it. Hopefully we get to see each other some time in the future. I love doing shows and I’m really bummed out that we have no shows. It would have been really great to go out there and start doing it together. After all, there are vibes involved when you build up that bubble for people, yourself, and your bandmates. When you do it together, it’s a vibe that you are hooked to… at least I am.

Cryptic Rock – Yes, a lot of people are hooked to those vibes. Last question. If you are a fan of Horror and Sci-Fi films, what are some of your favorites?

Marko Hietala – In Science Fiction, a film that went kind of under the radar was Predestination (2014). It has a brilliant time travel story. Of course everyone knows Interstellar (2014), which was big and great. Europa Report (2013) was also great as well.

Horror is more problematic for me, because I can’t be scared anymore. Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House was pretty good.

#marko hietala #nightwish #2020 interviews

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sophie-e-b · 7 years ago

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“The idea of doing new versions of songs I’ve sung for years is really exciting”

We caught up with Sophie about her upcoming Orchestral Greatest Hits, which you can order from here.

- Hi Sophie, how are you?

I’m really good, thanks. Just getting ready to go away to India for a week with Richard tomorrow, for Save the Children. It’s going to be amazing, I think.

- There’s been a great response to the news of your new Orchestral Greatest Hits album.

Yeah, it’s been really cool.

- Why didn’t you want to just release a standard greatest hits?

I don’t think there’s much need for that these days, because everything’s out there anyway. Also from my point of view, that’s not very exciting for me. I think one of the lovely things about having a fairly long career is that you can keep evolving things and shaping things. The idea of doing new versions of songs that I’ve sung for years is really exciting.

- When did you have the idea?

I did a performance with Amy Langley and her string group at the Union Chapel three or four years ago. She did an arrangement of Groovejet which sounded really different. It brought a sort of leftfield, slightly darker driving sound. It was really great. So this idea all came from that.

- Have you already begun picking which songs will be on the album?

Yep, I have a tracklisting in mind already. The wheels are in motion - we’ve got our first recordings in December and Amy’s already working on the arrangements. We’re hoping to have this all done by February. I kind of wanted to go from theaudience right through to now and pick at least a couple of songs from each album. I think it’s going to be a lot of the songs that people would hopefully be expecting. But we’ll have to wait and see how much I stray from that!

- Do you know how many songs will be on there.

We’re thinking 16 at the moment. And I had to really whittle it down to get to that. If you write out all the singles, I’ve probably had getting on for 30. So you have to be quite brutal and make sure you get all the colours. And Amy’s being really quite bold with what she’s doing. We’ve got French horn and harp and timpani and everything.

- Presumably Fuck With You will on be on there?

Ha ha ha ha ha! Yeah, that was obviously the first one we put down! But, yeah, I had a couple of hours with Amy where we’ve just sat down and listened through to loads and loads of stuff, coming up with ideas.

- And Ed Harcourt will produce it.

Yes, he’ll be the one in charge of organising and getting the best out of the players and me. Steering the ship really! He’s been really good at creating a nice environment for me when I sing.

- How many players will there be?

It depends on the songs, but some of them are all bells and whistles, with a full 16 or 18-piece orchestra. And some of them might be a lot smaller. We’re talking about maybe having a choir on a couple of things too. We’re trying to be quite ambitious and just bring the best out of the whole concept, so that when you listen to it, it’s got real dynamic. We want some of the songs to be really sprightly and driven, too.

- Have you been inspired by things like the Hacienda Classical project?

I haven’t been to see that myself, but a friend of mine said it was amazing. But I think it might have been more zeitgeist-y really. Maybe part of the reason that Union Chapel performance of Young Blood and Groovejet resonated with me is exactly the same reason that my peers are thinking, “We’ve grown up with these songs, now what else can we do to move it forward?”.

- And the Pledge Music campaign is something you haven’t tried before.

Yeah. When I was making Wanderlust and Familia, I was aware of things like Pledge, but I didn’t feel it was the right thing for me at the time because I didn’t know exactly what kind of records I was making. And I didn’t really want to say to people, “OK, I’m going to make an album and I’m not sure exactly what it’s going to sound like, but do you want to come on this journey with me?” Plus it felt like I was taking a bit of a risk and I didn’t really want anyone else to feel that they were shouldering any of that. I wanted to do it myself and be responsible for the things I was doing. But also to be able to make decisions without having to let people know what was going on. It was quite nice to make it and then just reveal it.

- But you felt differently for this project.

Yes, this one is more straightforward. I think as soon you say it’s an orchestral greatest hits you have quite a clear idea of what that album’s gonna be. This album is going to be made no matter what, but the Pledge aspect is just quite an exciting and new way to start the process early. So by the time it comes out, there’s all these things in place that mean people have been sharing with you as it’s going on, and they can see things develop as they happen.

- It’s going well so far. Some aspects sold out inside 24 hours.

Yeah, it’s really lovely. For me this whole enterprise is just going to be a different chapter. When I take it on tour, I’ll be looking at different venues and we can make it really unique. It doesn’t mean that I don’t still want to do dance and disco and stuff, but sometimes it’s really healthy to explore new avenues. But I’ve just done a guest vocal with this young German DJ, so I have got a dance thing coming out in the new year too!.

- So the plan is to tour the Orchestral Greatest Hits?

Definitely. I can’t imagine not touring it. I think it’s going to be really special. We’re looking at around May or June next year, but watch this space.

- Does it feel like a taking stock moment to be releasing a greatest hits?

Yeah, very much so. Next year will be 21 years since I signed my first deal. I always had it in my head that it’d be quite nice to acknowledge that somehow. I’ve really loved what I’ve done with the last two records - I’ve loved the other stuff too, but it’s just been really nice to change things up a bit and reinvigorate. I think this project just feels like a nice way to take stock but keep things moving forward as well. It’s definitely keeping me stimulated.

- And it’ll be interesting to sing some of these old songs again.

Yes, I love the idea of that. If I listen to a recording of them, it’s me when I was maybe 18 or I was 21. It’s going to be really interesting to see how I’ve changed over the years when I re-vocal them. I really am excited about this whole project!

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ayngelface · 5 years ago

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Sony H.ear On 3 Review | Are they better than the Sony WH1000X-M3?

Listen, hear real quick. Today I’m comparing the new Sony WH-910N H.ear On 3 headphones to the Sony WH1000X-M3. I’m going to break it down into 4 sections. Design, usability, sound quality and at the end awesome features. Are you ready…let’s go.

SONY wh-h910n h.ear on 3 - current price

Design

So when I first unboxed the new WH-H910N Hear On 3 headphones I thought they looked smaller and felt lighter than the 1000X M3. After further inspection, I discovered the truth. Which is there’s not that much difference in size & weight. I put both sets headphones on a scale and there both around 220 grams. The XM3 maybe a couple of points over. But anyway… Let’s get the obvious differences out of the way first.

The 1000X M3 are available in two colours matt black & a gold tan & the Hear on 3 come in 5 different colours with each one having different patterns on the padding. Some style points for the Hear on 3’s Also, the finish on the Hear on 3 is this kind of textured matt, where the 1000XM3 is kind of smooth & much more prone to fingerprints.

The way the fold down the same making them compact, However you get a much more premium hard case with the XM3’s and just a canvas draw bag with the H.ear on 3. Something I like about the Sony Hear on 3 is the provided analog cable which matches colour of the headset. That’s not to say the XM3s don’t…but just colour…nice.

Button and port placements are almost identical, with the only difference being the location of the USB C port. The H.ear on 3 has it all in 1 place and the XM3s are on the opposite side. The Sony Branding locations are also different but quite subtle on both. Of course, the flagship 1000X M3 having a little more bling with the rose gold trim and branding on the band.

The outer NC mics are in the same spot on the backs of the ear-cups. But the forward and back NC mics are slightly closer together on the Hear on 3’s just behind the hanger. The location of the voice call might appears to be in a better spot on the Hear on 3…a little be closer than the XM3. We’ll test that out un a min.

The Hinges and the Headband with reinforced plastic are pretty much the same. However, there is a big difference. it’s the drivers. The Hear on 3 has 25mm drivers and the 1000X M3 has 40mm. This will of course impact the sound quality and sound stage performance. I’ll get into that in the sound quality section of the video.

Although the Hear on 3 drivers is smaller. Sony has made some tweaks here to help improve the sound delivered by the 25mm drivers. If you look closely at the inside of the WH1000X M3 ear-cups, there’s a bit of soft foam padding around the driver. Whereas on the Hear On 3 there’s just a fine netting & the drivers will sit much closer to your ear. Sony says the WH-H910n Hear On 3 headphones can achieve the same sound pressure as conventional 40mm drivers. We shall see. (In the sound quality section) Another difference here is the size of padding on the ear-cups. The Hear On 3 has significantly more…which could arguably make them more comfortable for some people.

Usability

So the number one and most notable difference here is the 35Hr battery life delivered by the Hear On 3. That’s 5 Hrs more than the 1000X M3. It’s also worth noting the 1000X M3 can deliver up to 38Hrs with ANC off and the Hear on 3 just 45Hrs. So that’s an interesting fact. This is something you should factor that in when making your purchase decision.

Touch controls are present on both. Swipe right or left to skip tracks. Up and down for volume. Tap to play pause, double-tap to answer calls and long push to wake your assistant. Lets not forget that placing your palm over the right ear-cup will activate the outer mics and mute your music so you can here what’s going on around you.

Sony have improved the placement of the voice call mic. It now sits bit closer to where your mouth would be when wearing them.

To see if the Mic quality has improved on the new Sony H.ear on 3 headphones watch the review video for audio samples.

When it comes to noise canceling. I’ve gotta say its virtually identical in my opinion. They both use Sonys class-leading QN1 chip and the same amount of NC mics. Honestly they so close. Both are amazing when it comes to ANC. Of course, the app functionality is the same. One cool thing you can do is customize the C button on the Hear on 3 within the app to wake Alexa, Siri or Google assistant & if your wondering yes you can do the same thing with the 1000XM3 by recapping NC/ambient button.

Comfort you’d probably think this would be a win for the Hear On 3 headphones just off if the amount of padding. But for me the clamping pressure is a little stronger…maybe that’s because they’re newer than my XM3’s…but if you asked me I say the XM3 are just a bit more comfortable.

If you have quite a small head you might find the headband too large…If you look at them side by side you can see the headband is quite a bit taller. for example, for me I use them. I wear them without extending the headband at all. Both headphones fair with for prolonged usage. Yes, your ears may heat up a little in warm environments.. but neither one considerably more than the other.

Sound Quality

So 4 tracks, five different genres. Let’s go. Watch the Sony H.ear On Sound Test video to see exactly what tracks I used in this review.

Hip Hop - So when it comes to the overall volume. They are very both very close to max volume. The difference I can hear now listening to the H.ear on 3 is there seems to be an emphasis on clarity. In the mids and Hi’s. The bass is certainly more powerful on the XM3.

Electronic - Again both amazing clarity. For this type of music, the H.ear on 3 performs well. Deep enough bass but not too much it’s overpowering the rest of the music. However, I gotta say I feel the soundstage is significantly wider on the XM3’s. The bass is more powerful and maybe a bit too powerful…but of course you can tweak that in the Sony Headphones app.

Rock - This has to be the closest category so far. Again the soundstage goes to the XM3. However, the H.ear on 3 delivers awesome clarity here. This is a well-suited genre for these.

Classical - So this category is all about the clarity of the vocals and soundstage performance of the orchestra. The XM3 wins on a soundstage but the Hear On 3 is impressive here with its fantastic clarity…but overall the XM3 edges out the victory.

Awesome Features

Hear on 3 • awesome colour range & build quality • Above average bass levels despite the smaller drivers. • 10mins 2.5hrs

The next 3 apply to both XM3 & Hear on 3 • crazy amount of customisation via the app • 360 reality audio support • Support Hi-Res Audio & LDAC • DSEE HX Audio Up-scaler • class-leading adaptive ANC

WH1000X-M3 • Adaptive noise canceling (XM3 barometer) • Immense Bass levels & wider soundstage • current price cheaper than the Hear on 3

SUMMARY

So ultimately it comes down to you… do you want a more striking colourful look. Plus 5Hrs more power when using ANC. If so the Sony H.ear on 3 are perfect pairs for you. Or is 30Hrs battery enough for you & you don’t care about the new striking colour and patterns on the ear-cups and care more about the overall sound quality… Then you should go for the 1000 XM3.

If you guys liked this review I’d appreciate a thumbs up. And if you’re shopping around you might want to take a look at the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 they’re a strong competitor to both of these headphones…thumbnails on the screen right now. Go check that out. If you just subscribed, you’re now one of the finest subscribers known to man. See ya in the next one…don’t be late.

h.ear on 3 - Current pice

SONY WH-H910N - H.Ear On 3 Headphones Unboxing Video