The best Sony headphones of 2025

Business Insider

3 days ago

Music fans, frequent travelers, and anyone looking for their next pair of headphones should consider Sony's offerings. I've spent more than a decade reviewing audio gear, testing hundreds of products from a range of brands, and Sony is always among the top performers. The best Sony headphones deliver great audio quality, comfy designs, and solid active noise cancellation (ANC).
For those with no spending limit, Sony's new WH-1000XM6 headphones offer the brand's most powerful ANC performance, rivaling high-end competitors from brands like Bose. But if you want to save some cash, the previous-gen WH-1000XM5 headphones are no slouch. They're not quite as good at blocking out unwanted distractions, but they offer similar sound quality for less money.
All of the Sony headphones I recommend were tested in various environments while listening to music and watching movies. I put each model through the paces to help determine what kind of user each is best for. They're all worthy picks at full retail price, but they're often on sale, so you can usually snag them at a nice discount.
Our top picks for the best Sony headphones
Best overall value: WH-1000XM5 - See at Amazon
Best overall value
The WH-1000XM5 might not be Sony's newest wireless headphones, but they're still my top recommendation for most people. These are the brand's flagship headphones from 2022, and though they've been succeeded by the XM6, they're still in stock and frequently discounted.
The XM5 provide good noise canceling, great audio quality, and a comfortable design, all at a more affordable price than the brand-new XM6. Of course, there are some areas where the pricier XM6 come out on top, but the cheaper XM5 deliver better value overall.
The XM5's 30 hours of battery life, lightweight design, Bluetooth Multipoint connection, and speak-to-chat features make them versatile headphones for use at home, at work, on the go, and for long stretches at a time. Though I prefer the wider headband used on the XM6, the XM5 remain comfortable to wear for hours on end.
Audio performance is great, as you should expect from flagship cans like this, with crisp mids and expansive bass. They work well for listening to music or spoken word and watching movies. They also support high-resolution audio for those interested in capturing every musical detail.
Sony's newer XM6 headphones do offer slight improvements in sound quality, but I found it hard to notice many meaningful differences when comparing them. However, the XM6's upgraded noise cancellation is more noticeable. Don't get me wrong, the XM5 are still good noise-canceling headphones, but the XM6 are better at blocking out more distractions.
It's also worth mentioning that the XM5's ear cups can't fold up to make them more compact for traveling. This is something that the XM6 can do. But given the current cost difference, I think most people will be more than satisfied with the WH-1000XM5, even if they can't quite match the XM6 in a few areas.
Best for noise-cancelling
Sony's new WH-1000XM6 are its most advanced wireless headphones so far, and they deliver the brand's best noise-canceling performance. In fact, they deliver some of the most impressive ANC I've encountered on any headphones.
The XM6 feature adaptive technology, which keeps the headphones actively adjusting the frequencies they block as your environment changes. The headphones include a new chip with more power than the XM5, so there are now additional built-in microphones (12 total) filtering out the noise around you.
On the audio front, you can expect the same excellent sound as the XM5, but with a touch more clarity. The XM6 also have a few welcomed design tweaks, like a thicker headband and a revised power button shape that helps differentiate it from other functions. The carrying case has also been altered and includes a magnetic latch instead of a zipper.
Overall, the XM6 headphones are more refined, with small yet impactful improvements. Unfortunately, the price has also evolved, as the XM6 retail for $450. That's $50 more than the XM5 cost at launch and around $150 more than they typically go for now.
Given their comparatively high cost, the XM6 headphones are best for those who travel a lot or work in especially distracting environments and are willing to pay top dollar to get premium ANC performance.
Best on a budget
If you're looking for a decent pair of wireless headphones but don't want to spend serious cash, the WH-CH720N are a compelling choice. These midrange headphones cost around $150 (and have dropped to as low as $88) but still offer most of the features that Sony's more expensive models are known for, like active noise cancellation, long battery life, and a comfortable, lightweight design.
Although the WH-CH720N can't match the ANC performance of the other headphones in this guide, they still provide a decent reduction in distracting noise. I wouldn't recommend these if powerful ANC is a priority, but they're effective enough for casual use. However, you should be aware that this model is missing a carrying case.
Though pricier than some budget headphones from other brands, the WH-CH720N stand out from less expensive offerings with a big jump in sound quality. Going from cheaper earbuds or basic, entry-level on-ear headphones to these will feel like a night-and-day difference. I found the mids to be clear, and there's a decent amount of bass to give songs a vibrant feel.
Of course, people craving a deeper and richer sound with improved clarity should consider spending more for one of my other picks in this guide. But, for the money, the CH720N headphones are strong performers.
I also like that they use physical buttons for play, pause, and volume adjustment. If you don't care for touch controls, that may be another reason to consider these over other Sony headphones.
For affordable headphone recommendations from other brands, visit our guide to all the best budget headphones.
Best for bass
Sony has long employed a bass button on its wireless speakers to give them an extra oomph. The ULT Wear headphones follow that same strategy to give listeners a head-shaking experience.
Pressing the ULT button on the left ear cup activates "deep, low-frequency bass," while hitting it a second time will switch to a second "powerful bass" mode. I can attest that these specially tuned EQ modes add a significant low-end boost to music. If you love your bass with a side of other instruments, then these are the headphones for you.
Beyond the headphones' focus on low frequencies, the ULT Wear still provide a rich and detailed sound overall. Though they're best for bass-heavy songs and action flicks, they're still solid cans for all kinds of music. Plus, they have handy features like Bluetooth Multipoint, so they can be connected to more than one device at a time.
But as good as the ULT headphones are, just be aware that they aren't quite as capable as Sony's 1000 series. The audio quality doesn't have the same level of delicate detail or exceptional clarity. Similarly, ANC performance is good, but it isn't as strong or as encompassing as the XM5 and XM6 in every environment. The headphones' fast charging takes a little longer, too. Three minutes of charging will give you 1.5 hours of listening time — the XM5 and XM6 can get three hours of listening time with three minutes of charging.
Best earbuds
If you prefer a pair of earbuds to keep the bulk down, then the WF-1000XM5 are the best Sony headphones for you. They sound exceptional with hard-hitting, punchy bass and clear vocals.
Unlike past WF-1000 earbuds, the XM5 model is slimmed down and should fit better in more people's ears. I had a hard time wearing the older XM4, but these aren't an issue to wear for hours. Even the wireless charging case is petite.
ANC performance is also great for a pair of earbuds. These are excellent at blocking out distractions on an airplane or in a busy office. In addition to multiple microphones and advanced ANC processing, the WF-1000XM5 also come with foam ear tips which tend to help block even more unwanted sound from creeping in. That said, their noise-canceling performance isn't quite at the same level as Sony's WH-1000XM6 over-ear headphones.
Other notable benefits include really good voice quality during calls, which makes you sound natural and not robotic or choppy. There's also a healthy eight hours of battery life available (solid for earbuds), and in a pinch, three minutes of charging will get you an hour of listening time.
Visit our guide to all the best wireless earbuds.
How we tested Sony headphones
I tested the best Sony headphones using several key metrics designed to evaluate audio quality, ANC, comfort, and extra features. Each pair of headphones was worn in various environments, including at home, on a plane, and in cafés. I wanted to see how they would handle noise in real-world places and if they travel well in my bag. I listened to all kinds of sources, including music, videos, and audiobooks.
To evaluate ANC performance, I also played simulated sounds of everyday annoyances like a vacuum cleaner and revving car engines through speakers while wearing the headphones to hear how well each blocked different noises.
I also connected the headphones to several devices to gauge how they handled playing music from different sources, like a smartphone and a desktop computer. In addition to comparing Sony's headphones against each other, I also pitted them against popular headphones from Bose, Sonos, Soundcore, and others to get a sense of where Sony's offerings fall in overall value and performance across the headphones market.
Sony headphones FAQs
What's the difference in ANC between Sony's various headphones?
Sony's pricier headphones use more advanced ANC technology than its cheaper options. For example, the ULT Wear headphones use dual noise sensor tech, while the more expensive XM5 and XM6 use more advanced multi-noise sensors. The XM5 has eight microphones, while the XM6 features 12 microphones to listen for and filter out surrounding noise.
While all of the best Sony headphones with ANC will dampen the drone of crowds and distant distractions, the pricer options can block out a wider range of noises. The 1000 series is also better at blocking stronger and closer bursts of noise than the options with less advanced technology.
For more recommendations outside the Sony brand, check out our guide to all of the best noise-canceling headphones.
Can Sony headphones be used for gaming?
All of the Sony headphones recommended in this guide can technically be used for gaming, so long as your console or PC supports a Bluetooth connection. However, Bluetooth technology can cause a delay, which isn't ideal for multiplayer gaming. For that reason, the best wireless gaming headsets all support 2.4GHz wireless technology to reduce latency.
So, in general, the Sony headphones recommended here are not optimized for gaming. That said, Sony does have a line of headsets called INZONE that are built specifically for gaming, and those models do support 2.4GHz connections.
How does Sony compare to other headphone brands?
Sony's consumer line of wireless headphones ranks well in performance and comfort, but it's not the only choice for headphones. I've spent significant time with competing headphones from Bose, Sonos, Apple, Master & Dynamic, and others, and am confident in saying that Sony's options stack up well.
At the top end, the differences between competing headphones tend to be minor, with distinctions around design, specific features, and small details. However, if your primary focus is ANC strength, then Sony is among the top brands we recommend, second only to the best Bose headphones.