Is the Nectar Hive worth the upgrade from the Sony WH-1000XM3?
Verdict
Meaningful upgrade
The Nectar Hive scores 7.0 points above the Sony WH-1000XM3. That's a real improvement, though not the kind you'd notice on every track. The gains are concentrated in sound (8.0 to 9.0). You do give up ground on value (8.0 to 7.0). Worth checking: active noise cancelling goes Yes to No and weight goes 255 g to 370 g. That costs $87 more, or about $12 per point of score - reasonable value for the jump. Worth doing if you're replacing anyway; harder to justify as a pure upgrade if what you have still works.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound8.09.0
- Value8.07.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | WH-1000XM3 | Hive | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active noise cancelling | Yes | No | |
| Weight | 255 g | 370 g | |
| Driver | dynamic | Electrostatic | |
| Frequency response | 4-40000 Hz | 20Hz-7kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "WH-1000XM3 to Hive". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across over-ear and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.