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Engadget
9 hours ago
- Health
- Engadget
Father's Day gift guide: The best tech gifts for any dad
It's easy to feel the pressure in the run-up to Father's Day. Finding a gift that encapsulates all of the gratitude, love and appreciation you feel toward them is a high-pressure task. Thankfully, this is why we're here to point you in the direction of the best gifts you can get. And don't forget, dad isn't a name, it's a job title, so show your appreciation to whatever person filled that role in your life. Sony's XM series of headphones are the default option for pretty much every regular buyer these days. Sony's latest model, the WH-1000XM6, offer a better looking design, a more comfortable fit and even better sound than its predecessor. As Billy Steele wrote in his review, if you thought the XM5s couldn't get better, you'll be staggered by the improvement here. A lot of small things have been tweaked, including the fact there's an updated processor, more microphones and improved ANC. For $450, they're pricier than the previous XM5 model, but that one is still available as of right now, so it could be a good option if you need to stick to a budget. $448 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $448 at Macy's$450 at Adorama I'm a big fan of distraction-free writing machines that help me get my head down away from the temptations of the internet. reMarkable's e-paper slates have been a mainstay on this guide for years, and now the company has launched a new flagship model. The reMarkable Paper Pro is bigger and faster than its predecessor, but most importantly of all comes with a color display. On its own, it's a fancy pants e-reader with a stylus that'll let you write, draw and annotate PDFs. But when paired with its own Type Folio, it becomes something much greater indeed, a writing and editing machine that's perfect at home or on the go. If I'm struggling with a draft and need to get away from my desk, the Paper Pro is the perfect gadget to come with me. Plus, I can't get pulled into a Slack chat or avoid the problem by staring hopelessly at my emails. If there's a downside, it's the price. It was already more expensive than the equivalent slate from Apple, and tariffs exacerbated that. But if you've got siblings and can club together to get your parent the thing they need to harness their literary ambitions, you should. $579 at reMarkable I've been obsessed with Dremel's electric multi-tools ever since I watched Alexi Sayle ask 'did I mention we cut?' back in the early '90s. And yet, despite being an adult with my own home, I've never needed to actually go out and buy a Dremel like the 8220 I've had my eye on for years. Look at the thing — it's like an electric Swiss Army Knife, complete with drill and screwdriver bits, sanding bits, polishing bits, metal-cutting discs, grinding stones and engraving tools! Just think about all of the things I can drill, screw, sand, polish, cut, grind and engrave if I had one of those right now. It's 'cos my kids are still under the age of 10, and so haven't grasped the hints that I want them to buy me a Dremel. Hey kids, buy me a Dremel. Anyway . This year, the company launched Blueprint, a new range of dinky cordless power tools to tackle Dremel-sized jobs. That includes the Blueprint 3-in-1 Drill Driver, a handheld drill with a built-in stud finder and its own laser level, even if the latter is only attached to the body with sticky putty. I'm more excited by the Portable Saw Station, a handheld compact electric saw whose carry case turns into its own workbench. That includes templates for making bevel, miter and cross cuts, a line laser and guide track to keep your cuts nice and straight. You see, while my DIY skills might charitably be described as 'elementary,' I've always harbored an ambition to build my very own backyard TARDIS. You know, the blue police box from Doctor Who — hidden between the trees as a little piece of magic. I just need to take six months or so to learn how to do it, and I reckon these sorts of tools would be ideal for the job. Especially since I don't have my own woodshop and would need everything to fit down into as small a space as possible. $80 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $100 at Ace Hardware$80 at Lowe's If you own an iPhone, then the Apple Watch is essentially the default option for what smartwatch you should buy. There's only a handful of devices that match Apple's product for versatility, use and affordability. If you're concerned about your parent's health, then the fall detection features alone may justify the investment. Not to mention the general health tracking capabilities and the ability to keep them healthy with a Fitness+ subscription. I haven't even mentioned the built-in ECG, which is useful for enabling them to keep an eye on their own heart health. Benefits of the Apple Watch Series 10 include its bigger display that's far easier to look at from off-angles. It also carries its own water temperature tracking, so if your parent is a water baby, they can keep an eye on the conditions. This time around, Apple also improved the microphone, making it easier to make calls from your wrist — useful if your parent might want to use it as a lifeline when they're on their own. $299 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $300 at Target$670 at HSN Of course, there are people who don't want a smartwatch, or at least not one that looks like a smartwatch. I get it, some folks don't want to look like a neeeerrrrrrd in their dotage, and it's for those people that I recommend Withings' ScanWatch Nova. It's a hybrid smartwatch in the body of a classic diver's watch that embodies everything that most smartwatches can't. Withings' policy is to build a best-in-class hybrid watch, like the ScanWatch 2, and then put those same guts in a classier body. It has a digital subdial for notifications and an analog one for step counting, which can be set to meet your specific goals. But lurking underneath that body is also an ECG, SpO2 (blood oxygenation) monitoring and a temperature sensor – which can be used for cycle tracking and to warn of infections. All of that tech is hidden in a submariner-style diver's watch that comes with black, blue or green face and bezel options. Put it on and you'll instantly feel like a rugged, outdoors-y type who has their poop together, and is ready to either Do An Espionage or Solo Pilot A Yacht Around The World. Withings is even smart enough to throw in a whole bunch of tools to help you size your band without needing to schlep to a jewelry store. Oh, and I didn't even mention the 30-day battery life. $667 at Amazon Let's face it: You want your loved ones to stay healthy, keep an eye on their heart and generally be around for as long as possible. One way to do that is by upgrading your bathroom scales to something like Withings' Body Cardio smart scale. Designed to look as unobtrusive as possible, but hidden inside its shell is a number of extra special features you don't get elsewhere. You'll get a heart-health check, automatic person tracking and a full body composition breakdown, telling you how much fat, water and muscle you're carrying. I'd be remiss not to mention, too, Withings' class-leading Health Mate app, which is great for collating large chunks of health data and helping you understand it in an easy-to-digest manner. $160 at Amazon Even if your dad isn't an A/V nut, there's a good chance they've still watched those YouTube videos of people building their own cinemas. But the idea of owning a projector is often better than the reality, which can be quite the time and labor-intensive process. That's why I'm smitten with the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE, a portable projector with the power of a full one. It's small enough to stow in a cupboard when not in use, and can go anywhere in your home or outdoors on warm evenings. Plus, it lacks many of the compromises inherent in those dinky projectors you often see on the market. It'll pump out 1,800 ANSI Lumens of bright, 4K Dolby Vision-tuned light to a screen size of up to 200 inches. The automatic setup is effortless, and I tested it on a wall painted gray and it was able to compensate for the color quite easily. It's not as expensive as some rivals on the market and it'll do a fairly fantastic job no matter the task you ask of it $1,100 at Amazon There are a lot of Bluetooth turntables which are designed for the hip crowd who want to show off their ye olde-fashioned record player. But if you're looking for something a bit more capital-S serious without shelling out for a high-end Technics unit, Audio Technica's romantically-named ATLP120XBT might be worth a glance. The fact it could be confused for a Technics SL-1210, right down to the s-shaped tone arm is, I'm sure, just a total coincidence . The sound is good, and you'll get adjustable pitch control alongside the belt-driven turntable (sorry, no scratching on this unit). And connectivity-wise, it's well-stocked, with Dual RCA-out, USB or Bluetooth 5.0, with support for aptX. It's a unit I'm thinking about getting for my mum, since it'll enable her to digitize her stack of 78rpm records over that USB connection. $439 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $499 at Adorama$499 at Macy's Look, if your dad is anything like me, then they're probably not a massive gamer, or might just play the odd title. I'm told that there's a whole genre of Dad Games out there that apparently appeal to the fathers in our lives, which are all about following some sort of process. It's likely then that they won't have paid much attention to The Legend of Zelda series, which feels as un-Dad a game as you could imagine. Which is why I'm here to say that, until the start of this year, I felt the same, but I've since had my eyes opened to how amazing it really is. Even better, is that there's a brand new title in the Zelda series, Tears of the Kingdom , which I'd urge all of you to check out. You play as Link, a little dude who – much like Mario – has to rescue a princess countless times throughout history. That normally involves traversing a beautiful, unspoiled paradise called Hyrule that's scattered with all sorts of monsters who want to kill you. From the outside, you might think that it's all just button-mashing and hyperactive combat, which is not a dad-friendly genre. But, in fact, the game puts far more emphasis on puzzle-solving and lateral thinking, and it has the best 3D puzzles this side of the Portal series which alone makes it ideal for dads the world over. Not to mention the freedom to tackle the game any which way you want to, giving you the choice to build your own solution rather than being forced to comply with Nintendo's. In the last game, Breath of the Wild , you could harness the game's physics and chemistry engines to dispatch troublesome enemies by using the environment against them. For instance, you could freeze them and then give them a whack, building up the kinetic energy to such an extent that they're sent hurtling miles away from you. Or, if you approach them in the middle of a storm, you can get them to raise their metallic swords in anger and get a dose of lightning. In this one, you can find scattered electronic components and assemble them however you want to jury-rig vehicles to help you get around. I mean, what could be more Dad-Game than that? $70 at Macy's Explore More Buying Options $70 at Target$70 at HSN And if you're buying Tears of the Kingdom , then you might want to get the console to go with it. Nintendo's Switch OLED Edition takes the same portable-home console hybrid you already know and love, but dials it up to 11. Now, you might be wondering why I'm not recommending you get your elbows out and try to snag a Switch 2 instead. Honestly? If your dad is more of a casual gamer, then the existing Switch is already such a compelling option, it's hard to justify the extra cost for the newer model. After all, the OLED Edition got a lot of necessary hardware upgrades, including a far better display. Given the game recommendation, my preference would be the Tears of the Kingdom specific Switch. It comes with gold Joy Cons with lovely Zonai designs on the body and a gorgeous white and gold TV dock. Even nicer is the concentric circle watermark on the underside, which looks significantly classier than the plain option. Especially if they're going to play the game on the go, when they might want to let the world know that they appreciate the finer things in life. Plus, the Switch has a mature and deep library of games that won't be going anywhere in a hurry, especially given the emphasis on backward compatibility between the old and the new. $410 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $310 at GameStop At school, one of my friend's dads converted one of his home's bedrooms into a White Room. It's a soundproofed room with nothing but a single armchair facing a fancy HiFi, a dedicated space for Music Appreciation. In retrospect, the fact that my friend's bedroom was half the size and he had to share with his younger sibling was pretty rough. I suspect, deep down in the DNA of every dad, is the Dad Urge (™) to develop an unhealthy interest in high-end audio gear. Thankfully, there's an easy way to prevent your parent blowing your inheritance on a pair of B&W Nautilus. Chinese high-end audio masters Fiio produce a wonderfully elegant desktop DAC and speaker pair that'll do the same job as a White Room at a fraction of the cost. The R7 has an Android music player in front that'll connect directly to their streaming service of choice. And it can also play locally stored music, or connect it to another player via AirPlay, USB, Bluetooth, optical or analog audio lines. The R7 can be paired with Fiio's matching set of SP3 speakers that have 3.5-inch woofers, 1-inch tweeters and wonderfully smooth sound. The price all-in is a bit steep, but it might scratch that itch without causing any ructions around the Thanksgiving dinner table. $700 at Amazon I'll make no bones about the fact that, as a dad, I'm writing this guide as much as a vehicle for wish fulfillment as I am to dole out consumer advice. And, like a lot of people. I've gradually grown more and more obsessed with Fujifilm's X-series of cameras. A combination of old-school rangefinder styling, great photo quality and relatively limited supply has made them a hot ticket. The fact the X-series comes with film simulation modes is, for many, the thing that puts it on top over plenty of cameras from other manufacturers. But the high price of the flagship – edging north of $1600 — X100 means it's a pricey and dicey proposition for any hobbyist photographer. Thankfully, Fujifilm has a cheaper and I might even argue better option in the form of the X-T30. It's a step down on the spec list, with an older 26.1-megapixel sensor compared to the 40.2 of its newer sibling. But what it's got going for it is the smaller body size which makes it so portable as to be pocketable, ease of use and the same analog dials for fine-grain control. Not to mention that, when paired with the 35mm f/2 lens, it's wicked fast and takes pretty beautiful shots. I've been into my local camera shop multiple times to try out the X-T30 with this lens but, so far, neither of my kids have picked up the hint and bought one for me. $899 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $900 at Best Buy If anyone asks me what TV to go for, my knee jerk reaction is to recommend LG given the broad advantages it has over its competitors. The company's OLED TVs remain best in class and I think the base-ish model OLEDs offer excellent value for money. 2023's OLED C3, for example, offers plenty of the same features as its higher-priced siblings. There may not be too many extra bells and whistles but for pure picture quality, you're good to go with its massive contrast ratio and great black reproduction. Essentially, it's a TV for people with champagne tastes but something a bit closer to a Bud Light budget. $1,197 at Amazon I suspect a lot of dads fall into the trap of having the ability to buy themselves nice things, but never actually go through with it. (I could easily buy myself a Dremel, for instance, but I still haven't!) One thing they've probably thought about but not followed through on is to upgrade their coffee routine from whatever they bought before you were born. I myself was making at home lattes with instant coffee and a microwave for far longer than I'm prepared to admit. But I was wary about buying a bean-to-cup machine given that they can become a time-consuming hobby in and of themselves. So, after plenty of research, I bought the Creatista Plus, a Nespresso-compatible machine that makes pretty decent coffee at home. As well as producing standard drinks, you can use the built in steam wand to prepare milk for something that's close enough to barista-standard. Now, I'll say that it is a lot pricier than some of the machines in its class, but I chose it as much for how it looked as what it did. Sure, there's a built-in digital display that'll give you fine-grain control over every fact of your coffee, but it also looks like a proper grown-up coffee machine. And it's the sort of thing that should stand proudly on your countertop as it forms a key part of your dad's morning routine. $600 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $600 at Macy's Do you find that it's harder and harder to relate to your folks as you, and they, get older? Some of this, I'm sure, is down to the media they consume, especially if they've become trapped in the echo chambers found in the basement of your cable TV guide. If they're an avid reader, however, then it might be worth offering them Capitalist Realism by the British philosopher Mark Fisher. It serves as a relatively short, and fairly gentle introduction to Fisher's viewpoint on the culture at large, especially given what's going on right now. At 81 pages, it can hardly be called a weighty tome, and it lacks some of the florid language you often see from philosophy books. Fisher often draws parallels between his points and various pop culture milestones that most folks will be familiar with. A treatise on Office Space's rules around pieces of flair dovetails into an exploration of how politicians focus on metrics for success will hide the diminished quality of whatever they're trying to improve. References to lines of dialog from Heat become points to connect the destruction of community and the way mental health has become an individualized issue, rather than a societal one. And it might just help make your Thanksgiving dinner conversations a little more pleasant in future. $14 at Amazon
Engadget
3 days ago
- Engadget
The best Father's Day gifts for any dad in 2025
It's easy to start feeling the pressure in the lead up to Father's Day. Finding a gift that expresses your love and gratitude to your beloved dad can feel nearly impossible, but that doesn't have to be the case. There are plenty of great Father's Day gifts out there for every type of dad, whether they're a tech lover, a gamer, a runner or a combination of many things. Here, we've compiled a list of the best gifts you can get your dad to show you appreciation for all of the parenting they've done, and likely still do. Sony's XM series of headphones are the default option for pretty much every regular buyer these days. Sony's latest model, the WH-1000XM6, offer a better looking design, a more comfortable fit and even better sound than its predecessor. As Billy Steele wrote in his review, if you thought the XM5s couldn't get better, you'll be staggered by the improvement here. A lot of small things have been tweaked, including the fact there's an updated processor, more microphones and improved ANC. For $450, they're pricier than the previous XM5 model, but that one is still available as of right now, so it could be a good option if you need to stick to a budget. $448 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $450 at Adorama$450 at Best Buy I'm a big fan of distraction-free writing machines that help me get my head down away from the temptations of the internet. reMarkable's e-paper slates have been a mainstay on this guide for years, and now the company has launched a new flagship model. The reMarkable Paper Pro is bigger and faster than its predecessor, but most importantly of all comes with a color display. On its own, it's a fancy pants e-reader with a stylus that'll let you write, draw and annotate PDFs. But when paired with its own Type Folio, it becomes something much greater indeed, a writing and editing machine that's perfect at home or on the go. If I'm struggling with a draft and need to get away from my desk, the Paper Pro is the perfect gadget to come with me. Plus, I can't get pulled into a Slack chat or avoid the problem by staring hopelessly at my emails. If there's a downside, it's the price. It was already more expensive than the equivalent slate from Apple, and tariffs exacerbated that. But if you've got siblings and can club together to get your parent the thing they need to harness their literary ambitions, you should. $579 at reMarkable I've been obsessed with Dremel's electric multi-tools ever since I watched Alexi Sayle ask 'did I mention we cut?' back in the early '90s. And yet, despite being an adult with my own home, I've never needed to actually go out and buy a Dremel like the 8220 I've had my eye on for years. Look at the thing — it's like an electric Swiss Army Knife, complete with drill and screwdriver bits, sanding bits, polishing bits, metal-cutting discs, grinding stones and engraving tools! Just think about all of the things I can drill, screw, sand, polish, cut, grind and engrave if I had one of those right now. It's 'cos my kids are still under the age of 10, and so haven't grasped the hints that I want them to buy me a Dremel. Hey kids, buy me a Dremel. Anyway . This year, the company launched Blueprint, a new range of dinky cordless power tools to tackle Dremel-sized jobs. That includes the Blueprint 3-in-1 Drill Driver, a handheld drill with a built-in stud finder and its own laser level, even if the latter is only attached to the body with sticky putty. I'm more excited by the Portable Saw Station, a handheld compact electric saw whose carry case turns into its own workbench. That includes templates for making bevel, miter and cross cuts, a line laser and guide track to keep your cuts nice and straight. You see, while my DIY skills might charitably be described as 'elementary,' I've always harbored an ambition to build my very own backyard TARDIS. You know, the blue police box from Doctor Who — hidden between the trees as a little piece of magic. I just need to take six months or so to learn how to do it, and I reckon these sorts of tools would be ideal for the job. Especially since I don't have my own woodshop and would need everything to fit down into as small a space as possible. $80 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $100 at Ace Hardware$80 at Lowe's Let's face it: You want your loved ones to stay healthy, keep an eye on their heart and generally be around for as long as possible. One way to do that is by upgrading your bathroom scales to something like Withings' Body Cardio smart scale. Designed to look as unobtrusive as possible, but hidden inside its shell is a number of extra special features you don't get elsewhere. You'll get a heart-health check, automatic person tracking and a full body composition breakdown, telling you how much fat, water and muscle you're carrying. I'd be remiss not to mention, too, Withings' class-leading Health Mate app, which is great for collating large chunks of health data and helping you understand it in an easy-to-digest manner. $160 at Amazon If you own an iPhone, then the Apple Watch is essentially the default option for what smartwatch you should buy. There's only a handful of devices that match Apple's product for versatility, use and affordability. If you're concerned about your parent's health, then the fall detection features alone may justify the investment. Not to mention the general health tracking capabilities and the ability to keep them healthy with a Fitness+ subscription. I haven't even mentioned the built-in ECG, which is useful for enabling them to keep an eye on their own heart health. Benefits of the Apple Watch Series 10 include its bigger display that's far easier to look at from off-angles. It also carries its own water temperature tracking, so if your parent is a water baby, they can keep an eye on the conditions. This time around, Apple also improved the microphone, making it easier to make calls from your wrist — useful if your parent might want to use it as a lifeline when they're on their own. $299 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $400 at Target$670 at HSN Of course, there are people who don't want a smartwatch, or at least not one that looks like a smartwatch. I get it, some folks don't want to look like a neeeerrrrrrd in their dotage, and it's for those people that I recommend Withings' ScanWatch Nova. It's a hybrid smartwatch in the body of a classic diver's watch that embodies everything that most smartwatches can't. Withings' policy is to build a best-in-class hybrid watch, like the ScanWatch 2, and then put those same guts in a classier body. It has a digital subdial for notifications and an analog one for step counting, which can be set to meet your specific goals. But lurking underneath that body is also an ECG, SpO2 (blood oxygenation) monitoring and a temperature sensor – which can be used for cycle tracking and to warn of infections. All of that tech is hidden in a submariner-style diver's watch that comes with black, blue or green face and bezel options. Put it on and you'll instantly feel like a rugged, outdoors-y type who has their poop together, and is ready to either Do An Espionage or Solo Pilot A Yacht Around The World. Withings is even smart enough to throw in a whole bunch of tools to help you size your band without needing to schlep to a jewelry store. Oh, and I didn't even mention the 30-day battery life. $614 at Amazon Even if your dad isn't an A/V nut, there's a good chance they've still watched those YouTube videos of people building their own cinemas. But the idea of owning a projector is often better than the reality, which can be quite the time and labor-intensive process. That's why I'm smitten with the Nebula Cosmos 4K SE, a portable projector with the power of a full one. It's small enough to stow in a cupboard when not in use, and can go anywhere in your home or outdoors on warm evenings. Plus, it lacks many of the compromises inherent in those dinky projectors you often see on the market. It'll pump out 1,800 ANSI Lumens of bright, 4K Dolby Vision-tuned light to a screen size of up to 200 inches. The automatic setup is effortless, and I tested it on a wall painted gray and it was able to compensate for the color quite easily. It's not as expensive as some rivals on the market and it'll do a fairly fantastic job no matter the task you ask of it $1,100 at Amazon There are a lot of Bluetooth turntables which are designed for the hip crowd who want to show off their ye olde-fashioned record player. But if you're looking for something a bit more capital-S serious without shelling out for a high-end Technics unit, Audio Technica's romantically-named ATLP120XBT might be worth a glance. The fact it could be confused for a Technics SL-1210, right down to the s-shaped tone arm is, I'm sure, just a total coincidence . The sound is good, and you'll get adjustable pitch control alongside the belt-driven turntable (sorry, no scratching on this unit). And connectivity-wise, it's well-stocked, with Dual RCA-out, USB or Bluetooth 5.0, with support for aptX. It's a unit I'm thinking about getting for my mum, since it'll enable her to digitize her stack of 78rpm records over that USB connection. $429 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $499 at Adorama$499 at Macy's Look, if your dad is anything like me, then they're probably not a massive gamer, or might just play the odd title. I'm told that there's a whole genre of Dad Games out there that apparently appeal to the fathers in our lives, which are all about following some sort of process. It's likely then that they won't have paid much attention to The Legend of Zelda series, which feels as un-Dad a game as you could imagine. Which is why I'm here to say that, until the start of this year, I felt the same, but I've since had my eyes opened to how amazing it really is. Even better, is that there's a brand new title in the Zelda series, Tears of the Kingdom , which I'd urge all of you to check out. You play as Link, a little dude who – much like Mario – has to rescue a princess countless times throughout history. That normally involves traversing a beautiful, unspoiled paradise called Hyrule that's scattered with all sorts of monsters who want to kill you. From the outside, you might think that it's all just button-mashing and hyperactive combat, which is not a dad-friendly genre. But, in fact, the game puts far more emphasis on puzzle-solving and lateral thinking, and it has the best 3D puzzles this side of the Portal series which alone makes it ideal for dads the world over. Not to mention the freedom to tackle the game any which way you want to, giving you the choice to build your own solution rather than being forced to comply with Nintendo's. In the last game, Breath of the Wild , you could harness the game's physics and chemistry engines to dispatch troublesome enemies by using the environment against them. For instance, you could freeze them and then give them a whack, building up the kinetic energy to such an extent that they're sent hurtling miles away from you. Or, if you approach them in the middle of a storm, you can get them to raise their metallic swords in anger and get a dose of lightning. In this one, you can find scattered electronic components and assemble them however you want to jury-rig vehicles to help you get around. I mean, what could be more Dad-Game than that? $70 at Macy's Explore More Buying Options $70 at Target$70 at HSN And if you're buying Tears of the Kingdom , then you might want to get the console to go with it. Nintendo's Switch OLED Edition takes the same portable-home console hybrid you already know and love, but dials it up to 11. Now, you might be wondering why I'm not recommending you get your elbows out and try to snag a Switch 2 instead. Honestly? If your dad is more of a casual gamer, then the existing Switch is already such a compelling option, it's hard to justify the extra cost for the newer model. After all, the OLED Edition got a lot of necessary hardware upgrades, including a far better display. Given the game recommendation, my preference would be the Tears of the Kingdom specific Switch. It comes with gold Joy Cons with lovely Zonai designs on the body and a gorgeous white and gold TV dock. Even nicer is the concentric circle watermark on the underside, which looks significantly classier than the plain option. Especially if they're going to play the game on the go, when they might want to let the world know that they appreciate the finer things in life. Plus, the Switch has a mature and deep library of games that won't be going anywhere in a hurry, especially given the emphasis on backward compatibility between the old and the new. $415 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $310 at GameStop At school, one of my friend's dads converted one of his home's bedrooms into a White Room. It's a soundproofed room with nothing but a single armchair facing a fancy HiFi, a dedicated space for Music Appreciation. In retrospect, the fact that my friend's bedroom was half the size and he had to share with his younger sibling was pretty rough. I suspect, deep down in the DNA of every dad, is the Dad Urge (™) to develop an unhealthy interest in high-end audio gear. Thankfully, there's an easy way to prevent your parent blowing your inheritance on a pair of B&W Nautilus. Chinese high-end audio masters Fiio produce a wonderfully elegant desktop DAC and speaker pair that'll do the same job as a White Room at a fraction of the cost. The R7 has an Android music player in front that'll connect directly to their streaming service of choice. And it can also play locally stored music, or connect it to another player via AirPlay, USB, Bluetooth, optical or analog audio lines. The R7 can be paired with Fiio's matching set of SP3 speakers that have 3.5-inch woofers, 1-inch tweeters and wonderfully smooth sound. The price all-in is a bit steep, but it might scratch that itch without causing any ructions around the Thanksgiving dinner table. $700 at Amazon I'll make no bones about the fact that, as a dad, I'm writing this guide as much as a vehicle for wish fulfillment as I am to dole out consumer advice. And, like a lot of people. I've gradually grown more and more obsessed with Fujifilm's X-series of cameras. A combination of old-school rangefinder styling, great photo quality and relatively limited supply has made them a hot ticket. The fact the X-series comes with film simulation modes is, for many, the thing that puts it on top over plenty of cameras from other manufacturers. But the high price of the flagship – edging north of $1600 — X100 means it's a pricey and dicey proposition for any hobbyist photographer. Thankfully, Fujifilm has a cheaper and I might even argue better option in the form of the X-T30. It's a step down on the spec list, with an older 26.1-megapixel sensor compared to the 40.2 of its newer sibling. But what it's got going for it is the smaller body size which makes it so portable as to be pocketable, ease of use and the same analog dials for fine-grain control. Not to mention that, when paired with the 35mm f/2 lens, it's wicked fast and takes pretty beautiful shots. I've been into my local camera shop multiple times to try out the X-T30 with this lens but, so far, neither of my kids have picked up the hint and bought one for me. $899 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $900 at Best Buy If anyone asks me what TV to go for, my knee jerk reaction is to recommend LG given the broad advantages it has over its competitors. The company's OLED TVs remain best in class and I think the base-ish model OLEDs offer excellent value for money. 2023's OLED C3, for example, offers plenty of the same features as its higher-priced siblings. There may not be too many extra bells and whistles but for pure picture quality, you're good to go with its massive contrast ratio and great black reproduction. Essentially, it's a TV for people with champagne tastes but something a bit closer to a Bud Light budget. $1,197 at Amazon I suspect a lot of dads fall into the trap of having the ability to buy themselves nice things, but never actually go through with it. (I could easily buy myself a Dremel, for instance, but I still haven't!) One thing they've probably thought about but not followed through on is to upgrade their coffee routine from whatever they bought before you were born. I myself was making at home lattes with instant coffee and a microwave for far longer than I'm prepared to admit. But I was wary about buying a bean-to-cup machine given that they can become a time-consuming hobby in and of themselves. So, after plenty of research, I bought the Creatista Plus, a Nespresso-compatible machine that makes pretty decent coffee at home. As well as producing standard drinks, you can use the built in steam wand to prepare milk for something that's close enough to barista-standard. Now, I'll say that it is a lot pricier than some of the machines in its class, but I chose it as much for how it looked as what it did. Sure, there's a built-in digital display that'll give you fine-grain control over every fact of your coffee, but it also looks like a proper grown-up coffee machine. And it's the sort of thing that should stand proudly on your countertop as it forms a key part of your dad's morning routine. $600 at Macy's Explore More Buying Options $670 at Amazon Do you find that it's harder and harder to relate to your folks as you, and they, get older? Some of this, I'm sure, is down to the media they consume, especially if they've become trapped in the echo chambers found in the basement of your cable TV guide. If they're an avid reader, however, then it might be worth offering them Capitalist Realism by the British philosopher Mark Fisher. It serves as a relatively short, and fairly gentle introduction to Fisher's viewpoint on the culture at large, especially given what's going on right now. At 81 pages, it can hardly be called a weighty tome, and it lacks some of the florid language you often see from philosophy books. Fisher often draws parallels between his points and various pop culture milestones that most folks will be familiar with. A treatise on Office Space's rules around pieces of flair dovetails into an exploration of how politicians focus on metrics for success will hide the diminished quality of whatever they're trying to improve. References to lines of dialog from Heat become points to connect the destruction of community and the way mental health has become an individualized issue, rather than a societal one. And it might just help make your Thanksgiving dinner conversations a little more pleasant in future. $14 at Amazon
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Business Insider
The best Sony headphones of 2025
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.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Sony WH-1000XM6 wireless headphones have major design change that I love – but are they worth it?
Design and comfort While the all-new XM6 borrow some of the same minimalist styling as the XM5, Sony's made enough changes here that it feels like an upgrade. The earcups are rounder and more sculpted, ditching that slightly squared-off look that never quite grew on me. They look more polished, with no seam running down the side of the earcups. But beyond the cleaner design, one of the first things you'll notice is that they fold again. After abandoning the hinges on the XM5, Sony's brought them back, and it genuinely makes a world of difference. The headphones now collapse inwards into a much more travel-friendly shape, making them easier to chuck into a bag. The only annoying bit? Despite the smaller footprint, the case is still just as big as the zip-up one that came with the XM5. That said, I genuinely love the design of the new case. You fold the headphones up, pop them in and close the lid. It's instant – it clicks shut with a magnetic flap, so there's no faffing about trying to line up a zip. You still get an internal pocket for cables, and the whole thing feels sturdy and protective. There's also a wider headband. It's still wrapped in that soft vegan leather, but the underside is now flatter and thicker towards the back, so it's easier to tell which way round to wear them without feeling around for the tactile L marker. The tweak is supposed to improve comfort and weight distribution – and maybe it will for some people – but I actually found its predecessor more comfortable. The new fit has a firmer clamping force that improves sound isolation, but after long sessions, I started to feel a bit of pinch at the crown. It's not unbearable, but a little more noticeable than I'd like. The XM5s felt more relaxed on my head, especially when wearing them for a full day. They didn't fall off or rattle around my head when I was wearing them at the gym, however. Talking of tactile markers, the power button has a small but welcome glow-up. It's now circular and slightly recessed, making it much easier to locate by touch, so no more thumbing around the cup wondering if you've just hit the ANC toggle by mistake. That's still a longer, flatter strip, so the two are thankfully easy to tell apart without looking. You can also turn the ANC button into a microphone mute button in the Sony Sound Connect settings – this will mute and unmute your mic if you click the ANC button twice. There are minor changes to the touch controls, but they feel more responsive this time around. I didn't find myself repeating gestures as often as I did with the XM5. There's still no haptic feedback, but there are sound effects, so you know when swipes and taps are registered. The XM6 come in black, platinum silver and a new midnight blue colour. Overall, it's just a much more refined pair of cans compared to the XM5. Features The WH-1000XM6 are just as feature-packed as ever. If you've used the XM5s, most of this will feel familiar. Speak-to-Chat (which pauses your music the moment you start talking) isn't turned on by default anymore, a welcome change if, like me, you've always found it more annoying than helpful. Quick Attention mode is still here and works well – just cover the right earcup and it'll pipe in the outside world without you having to fumble with buttons. You've also got support for LDAC, high-res wireless audio, multipoint for two devices, and DSEE Extreme upscaling. But there are new tricks worth flagging. The first is auto switch, a feature borrowed from Sony's newer LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open. It automatically switches the music to your LinkBuds speaker when you return home (or pause your music on your headphones). Leave the house, and it'll switch it straight back to your headphones again. It's a really neat little feature. One of my other favourite features from the LinkBuds is also here: Background Music mode. This pushes your music outwards, so it feels like it's coming from a distance, a little like listening to a playlist in a café. It's really good if you need to focus but don't want it to be completely silent. It'll stop you from singing along to tracks because it sounds so far away. The XM6 also feature a new QN3 processor that's said to be seven times faster than the QM1 chip in the XM5. It powers smarter noise cancelling, with a new adaptive NC optimiser that adjusts on the fly depending on your environment and how much you're moving (but more on that below). There's now a dedicated Cinema mode that upmixes stereo sound into Sony's 360 Reality Audio. I tried this while watching a couple of shows on Netflix and was genuinely surprised by how immersive it felt. Dialogue still sounded clean and centred, but ambient effects and music had a bit more air and spatial separation. Is it Dolby Atmos? No. But for stereo content, it's surprisingly convincing. There's also a new ten-band EQ (up from the 5-band EQ on the XM5), including a dedicated Gaming preset, plus support for Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast, though there's not much that takes advantage of those just yet. One neat upgrade is that you can now listen while charging – something the XM5 didn't allow. Sadly, there's still no USB-C audio, so wired playback is limited to the 3.5mm jack. Noise cancellation and call quality Sony's noise cancellation has always been among the best, but the WH-1000XM6 improve that even further, making noise cancellation more consistent and natural. The XM5 had a slightly annoying lag with the ANC when the noise level changed. I found that if I walked from a quiet room into a noisy office, I'd hear that swoosh of sound sneak in before the ANC kicked in to silence it. It wasn't a deal-breaker, but it was distracting. I'm pleased to report that doesn't happen on the XM6 in my initial tests. With the new adaptive NC optimiser, it now feels much more stable and immediate. It handles shifts in environmental sound well without drawing attention to itself. It's better in every way. It's not quite as forceful as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, which still has a kind of vacuum-seal feel, but the XM6 is less fatiguing and more natural over long sessions. Wind noise was barely an issue in testing, even when walking outdoors or near traffic. Saying that, I still think ambient mode is better on the AirPods Max. While it's definitely improved, and you can hear practically every sound in your environment, the AirPods always make it sound like you're not wearing any headphones at all. There's still a little bit of blunting of environmental sounds with these headphones. In terms of call quality. Sony's new beamforming setup now uses three mics per earcup instead of two, and combined with some clever AI, it's remarkably good at isolating your voice. I made a few long calls in loud environments and didn't get a single 'Can you repeat that?' back. However, it still struggles a little with the wind. If you wanted better and more subtle noise-cancelling from your headphones, Sony's really delivered with the XM6 on first test. Sound OK, Sony's done it. These are my favourite-sounding noise-cancelling headphones right now – and I don't say that lightly. I already liked the tuning on the XM5s, but I always found that the bass lacked a little richness. These fix that issue and bring the sound to an all-new level. There's a newly developed 30mm driver built with the same carbon fibre composite materials in Sony's premium Walkman range, and it has been tuned in collaboration with Grammy-winning mastering engineers. Sony says this gives your music better separation, deeper bass and more clarity across the board. There's also a look-ahead noise shaper built into the processor, designed to smooth out sudden changes in volume and reduce distortion when streaming. Even without playing around with any EQ settings, the XM6 sound more spacious and balanced. When I listened to the vocals on Olivia Rodrigo's Sour, I could feel more depth and better separation in the mids. Bass is stronger too, but not in a showy way; it's less murky, more present. The rubbery synth bassline on MGMT's Little Dark Age used to feel a bit bloated on the XM5s, but here it's tight and punchy, gliding underneath the track without swallowing everything else. Dan Romer's Station Eleven score also sounds sparse and intimate. The XM6 do a better job of capturing string swells, with a sense of texture that wasn't quite as defined on the XM5. If you're coming from the XM5s, it's a clear step up, and I think the XM6s are more musical than the Bose QC Ultra or the AirPods Max. After a few days of listening, these are excellent. As for battery life, it's still rated at 30 hours – the same as the XM5 – but I haven't had long enough with them to say how accurate that claim is just yet. They've held up well so far, even with ANC on, but I'll need more time to test them properly across longer stretches. Still, in 2025, 30 hours doesn't feel quite as generous as it used to. Plenty of cheaper models can eke out more.
Stuff.tv
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Stuff.tv
WH-1000XM6: the secrets behind Sony's best headphones
The Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones aren't designed for audio obsessives. At least, not exclusively. They're also made for commuters, remote workers, casual gamers, frequent flyers, and anyone who wants great sound — and noise cancellation — with minimal faff. And it's precisely this versatility that makes them interesting. Because, as it turns out, they weren't easy to make. At a press event held at Sony's slick 5020 Studios in Madrid, the company pulled back the curtain on how the WH-1000XM6 came to be. What emerged was a picture of a product shaped as much by collaboration, restraint, and problem-solving as by cutting-edge innovation, worthy of topping our list of the best headphones. Shaping the sound The sound of the WH-1000XM6 wasn't grown in a sterile lab. It came from repeated sessions between Sony's engineers and mastering engineer Mike Piacentini, who works at Sony Music's Battery Studios in New York. Having mastered records for artists including Bob Dylan, Depeche Mode, Rage Against the Machine, and more, Piacentini's job was to help tune the XM6 so that they sound good with any genre, on any pair of ears — a task that's easier said than done. 'Koji's team came over twice,' Piacentini said, referring to Sony audio engineer Koji Takamura. 'They brought prototypes — different driver designs, different tuning profiles — and we just listened. We'd sit in my room, compare them to other headphones, my speaker setup, and argue about EQ. That's kind of the job.' He wasn't just tweaking software presets. 'They'd come back after I gave them notes and literally change the physical design — airflow, diaphragm shape, materials,' he said. 'Like, I'd say 'make the snare pop a bit more,' and a few weeks later they'd show up with a totally reworked prototype that actually did it. It's always impressive how they turn abstract EQ feedback into real, physical changes.' Takamura explained that the XM6's 30mm driver is structurally similar to the one found in the XM5, but with key upgrades. 'The dome is carbon fibre composite — more rigid now — so the high frequency response is more natural and clean,' he said. 'The diaphragm edge is soft, and we added airflow holes in the bobbin to make the sound smoother and more natural.' Unlike professional-grade studio headphones used by producers and sound engineers (where the goal is to use the flattest, most clinical-sounding pair of headphones possible), designing a pair of consumer headphones is a different beast entirely. 'With studio headphones, you know who you're building for. With these, you don't. They'll be used by people listening to everything from Dylan to EDM. So it's about making smart compromises that still feel musical.' Piacentini also spoke about the reference material used in testing — a tight selection of tracks he either worked on directly or knew intimately. 'You listen to the same songs 50, 60 times while tuning,' he said. 'You're listening for balance — does the snare hit the same way? Is the vocal sitting right? And more than anything, does it translate from the studio to these headphones?' Interestingly, other engineers brought in by Sony — including Randy Merrill, Chris Gehringer, and Michael Romanowski — all made similar tuning decisions. 'It was reassuring,' Piacentini said. 'We weren't working in a vacuum. The choices we made seemed to land with everyone.' The tuning process itself, once the hardware was fixed, also took time. 'We started with a few different EQs,' Takamura said. 'Then we brought it to Mike. He helped us tune it more precisely, and we saved that as a preset.' Naturally, one of the other key challenges was balancing ANC with sound quality. 'If the noise cancelling is too strong, you lose clarity,' Takamura continues. 'We worked on an algorithm that adapts to your head shape and your surroundings. That's new.' The sound of silence On that note, Sony's noise cancelling has long been among the best — and the XM6 pushes things further. The jump from eight microphones to 12 (six per earcup) gives the system more data to work with, and it's all handled by the new QN3 noise-cancelling processor, combined with a powerful, all-new algorithm. According to Sony, it's seven times faster than the QN1 chip used in the XM5, enabling more responsive real-time adjustments to changing environments. But it's not just about the hardware. Takamura explained how the new algorithm adapts not just to background noise, but also to head shape and air pressure — crucial for keeping ANC consistent in different situations. Still, he acknowledged the trade-offs. 'There's always a small difference between sound with ANC on and off — but we tried to keep it as small as possible.' In testing, the WH-1000XM6 delivered one of the most effective ANC performances I've used. On a flight, engine noise faded to near silence. In a busy home office, keyboard clacks and fan hum dropped to a distant murmur. Even without music playing, the XM6 created a noticeably quieter bubble — and once audio kicks in, external distractions all but vanish. The ambient mode (Sony's take on transparency) has been improved too. It now adjusts automatically based on surroundings — opening up more in quiet spaces, pulling back in louder ones — with no need for manual tweaks. Some power users may lament the lack of customisable ANC controls regardless, and I totally get that. For me, I have zero complaints about the ANC autopilot in the WH-1000XM6. Though I wouldn't mind seeing a future app update with customisation options. Power to the people, and all that. Nips and tucks While not a million miles away from the design of the XM5, there are some notable changes in the XM6 which, according to Sony designerChai Yee L., was led by a mixture of user feedback and stubborn attention to detail. 'We call it evolutionary, not revolutionary,' she said, 'but each change solves a specific problem.' One example, is the headband. On the XM5, it was perfectly symmetrical — sleek, but occasionally confusing. 'Some users wore them the wrong way round,' she admitted. 'That affects the seal, and sound quality. So the new headband is slightly asymmetrical, with a seam at the back to help you identify the correct orientation by feel.' Even the way the headphones fold was rethought. 'We brought back the folding design because people missed it,' she said. 'But we also reworked the hinge. There's less swing, more stiffness, a straighter profile. We wanted to reduce what we call the 'Mickey Mouse effect' — that triangular gap between the earcup and the head.' The carry case, too, has had a rethink — prompted by Sony's Inclusive Design Workshop in 2024. 'The old zip was hard for some people to use. Now it's a magnetic flap. You can open it with one hand.' Play Other small but considered changes include a redesigned power button (to avoid accidental presses), softer synthetic leather pads, and increased clamping force for better ANC performance. 'You can now wear it around your neck with closed cups too,' she added. 'We wanted it to look and feel more portable.' Sony WH-1000XM6: the best headphones for most people If someone were to ask me what headphones they should get, I'd point them in the direction of the WH-1000XM6 without hesitation — budget permitting, of course. They aren't exactly cheap. But if you're after a single pair of headphones for every conceivable task, and are willing to spend a premium, you won't be disappointed. And as for the inevitable XM7? I'm looking forward to what Sony's engineers and designers will cook up over the next few years.
