I've had Sony WH-1000XM2 for two years now. Bought it just before boarding for a 7-hour flight, and it was great. Even after a dozen flights since then, I'd still recommend it anytime. Its noise cancelling is amazing (source: I've tested it in comparison with Bose QC35, everyday in the shop before going for this one). The XM3 has been released a while ago (minor update IMHO), has good reviews and is regularly discounted. With Black Friday almost there, you should get good deals on it. I personally don't feel the need to buy it since I have the XM2, but I could get it for my wife.
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> These controls are 10x worse than the much older versions that had volume and pause buttons on the headphones. I have the WH-1000XM2s and they do not have volume or pause buttons. Double tap to pause, slide up and down for volume. I can't comment on them compared to yours, but the touch element works extremely well on them.
Recommends it
I own the Sony version of them, the wh-1000xm2. They have xm3 and I think xm4 now and they are all highly praised. I bring them with me basically everywhere. They're especially incredible when flying.
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I've owned the Sony WH-1000XM2 for several years and while the Android app location collection is unnecessary, ear data is entirely optional. You have a valid point that the app can misbehave regarding updates and lack of internet connection. I personally find myself never using the app, it only really provides 3 somewhat useful features; equalisation (which forces the audio codec to SBC which is inferior to LDAC so I've never used it); automatic profile switching, e.g. ambient sound if detecting you are walking and finally, the level of noise cancellation to apply. This model has a dedicated switch on the headphones to change the profile where a long press even "calibrates" the sound based on atmospheric pressure, not sure I buy into that gimmick, but they're perfectly useable without the app. I have them paired with Android, Windows, macOS and Linux and all work perfectly (with the minor exception being Linux does not support Bluetooth absolute volume). The headphones also support volume control from the unit for devices which have an older Bluetooth stack which does not support absolute volume. Overall, I agree the app needs improvement but I'm not sure there's anything that warrants burying the company of these decisions. I suspect for many users, the app is entirely useless and not worth installing.
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I have a QC35 (the google assistant version) and it does keep away the noise and is super comfy. If comfort is a big reason when you pick your headphones, if you have big ears or glasses like I do, then this is the way to go. Audio quality is meh. I tried out my friends Sony WH1000XM2 and it has way better audio quality.