The Best Sony Headphones
Before we dive into specific models, let’s talk about why Sony keeps winning. Having tested everything from $50 budget cans to $600 audiophile monsters, our team has noticed something consistent: Sony gets the fundamentals right more often than not.
Their noise cancellation technology remains industry-leading, particularly in their flagship models. The battery life consistently exceeds what competitors offer at similar price points. And while sound quality is subjective, Sony’s tuning tends to please a wider range of listeners than the more polarizing approaches from some other brands.
What really sets Sony apart, though, is how they’ve segmented their lineup. They’re not just making one great pair of headphones and calling it a day—they’ve created distinct options for different needs and budgets. During our testing, we found that even their mid-range and budget options incorporate technology that trickles down from their premium models, which is honestly pretty rare in this industry. Sony consistently ranks among the top three headphone manufacturers globally when it comes to active noise cancellation performance and overall user satisfaction. That’s not marketing hype—that’s backed by rigorous testing standards and real-world usage.
Ready to buy? Sony WH-1000XM6 is our #1 pick — see it on Amazon
Everything We Recommend
✅ We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that’s designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter to bring you these selections.
⭐ 2.5 million+ people assisted in the last 30 days ⭐
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The Best Overall
Advanced processors with 12 microphones deliver real time noise cancellation for immersive, distraction-free listening.
Co developed with mastering engineers, carbon fiber dome drivers produce balanced vocals and precise high fidelity sound.
HD Noise Canceling Processor QN3 runs seven times faster than QN1, enhancing noise control and call clarity.
Six microphone AI beamforming system ensures ultra clear calls by isolating voice and reducing background noise.
Up to 30 hours battery life supports fast charging, delivering three hours playback from a three minute charge.
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The Best Value
Dual processors controlling eight microphones deliver powerful noise cancellation for immersive, distraction free Bluetooth listening.
Four beamforming microphones with advanced signal processing ensure clear hands free calls in noisy environments.
Up to 30 hours battery life plus fast charging gives three hours playback from a three minute charge.
Lightweight over ear design with soft fit leather provides long lasting comfort for extended listening sessions.
Intuitive touch controls manage playback, volume, calls, and voice assistant with simple finger gestures.
The Best Budget
Sony’s lightest 192 g wireless noise canceling headphones deliver exceptional comfort without sacrificing advanced audio technology.
Integrated Processor V1 with Dual Noise Sensor Technology enhances noise cancellation for immersive, focused listening anywhere.
Up to 35 hours battery life supports all day use, with quick charge giving one hour playback.
Smart features include Adaptive Sound Control and adjustable Ambient Sound mode that respond to surroundings automatically.
Beamforming microphones enable clear hands free calls, while multipoint connection switches smoothly between two devices.
The Best for Bass
Dual noise canceling with V1 processor delivers signature 1000X series performance for immersive, high quality listening.
Press the ULT button to unleash massive bass power for deeper, more impactful sound.
Thermo foaming ear cushions and swivel fold design ensure comfort and easy portability for travel.
Up to 30 hours battery life with quick charging provides 90 minutes playback from a three minute charge.
Beamforming microphones, multipoint connection, wearing detection, and recycled materials enhance calls, convenience, and sustainability.
What We Tested and How We Tested It
Our testing methodology might seem intense, but we believe in being thorough. Each pair of headphones in this guide went through at least two weeks of daily use by multiple team members. We evaluated them across several key criteria:
Sound Quality: We listened to a diverse playlist spanning classical, jazz, hip-hop, rock, and electronic music. We paid attention to bass response, midrange clarity, treble detail, and overall soundstage. Each tester used both streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music) and high-resolution audio files to gauge performance across different sources.
Active Noise Cancellation: We tested ANC in various environments—airplanes, busy streets, coffee shops, and our own office spaces. We measured both the effectiveness of blocking out different frequency ranges and how natural (or artificial) the silence felt.
Comfort and Build Quality: Long-term wearability matters. We wore these headphones for hours at a stretch, noting pressure points, heat buildup, and overall ergonomics. We also examined building materials, hinge mechanisms, and durability factors that predict long-term reliability.
Battery Life: Real-world battery testing, not just manufacturer claims. We ran actual usage scenarios with ANC enabled at moderate volume levels to see how long these headphones actually last.
Features and App Experience: We explored the Sony Sound Connect app extensively, testing every feature from EQ customization to spatial audio. We evaluated how intuitive the controls are and whether the companion app enhances or complicates the user experience.
Top Sony Headphones Our Picks
Best For: Anyone who wants the absolute best noise cancellation and premium features
Battery Life: 30 hours with ANC
When Sony announced the WH-1000XM6 in May 2025, we’ll admit—we were skeptical. The XM5 was already phenomenal, and the XM4 before it had become legendary. Could Sony really improve on near-perfection?
The answer hit us the moment Sarah, one of our senior testers, put these on during her red-eye to San Francisco. She texted the team at 2 AM: “I need to tell you about these RIGHT NOW.” That kind of enthusiasm from someone who tests headphones for a living made us all pay attention. The constant low-frequency drone of airplane engines that even the best headphones struggle with? The XM6 makes it vanish in a way that feels almost unsettling. Sarah said she kept taking them off to make sure the plane was still running—that’s how effective the silence is.
What really sold us wasn’t just raw specs, though. It was watching how these headphones solved actual problems we didn’t realize we had. Take Mark, our work-from-home tester who shares an apartment with two roommates. Before the XM6, he’d constantly ask people to repeat themselves on Zoom calls because his brain couldn’t fully disconnect from background noise. With these? He processes meetings with crystal clarity, even when his roommate is practicing guitar in the next room. That’s the kind of real-world transformation that makes us believers.
Sony’s new HD Noise Canceling Processor QN3 processes sound seven times faster than the chip in the XM5, coordinating twelve microphones (versus eight on the previous model) to create an invisible fortress of quiet. The technical specs matter less than what they enable: these headphones adapt in real-time to whatever chaos surrounds you. When Marcus tested them during his morning subway commute—easily the most acoustically hostile environment we encounter—the screeching brakes and platform announcements faded into background murmurs rather than piercing interruptions. He could finally finish his audiobook without constantly rewinding.
The return of the folding design sparked genuine excitement in our testing group. The XM5’s non-folding approach meant carrying a bulky case everywhere, which drove frequent travelers crazy. When Jessica unboxed the XM6 and realized they folded again, she actually cheered. The magnetic clasp on the carrying case is one of those tiny engineering victories that feels luxurious every time you use it—no more fumbling with zippers when your flight’s boarding and you’re juggling a coffee and a boarding pass. The case slides into any bag corner without hogging space, which sounds trivial until it’s the difference between fitting your laptop or not.
Here’s where comfort becomes critical, and the XM6 nails it in ways that surprised us. Sony redesigned the ear cups with a more concave shape that follows your head’s natural contours. During our longest test—a ten-hour work marathon where Alex wore them for an entire editing session—he reported zero pressure points and no hot spots. Compare that to the AirPods Max, which gave him a tension headache after four hours. The secret is subtle engineering: slightly softer padding, more even weight distribution across the headband, and crucially, enough space inside the ear cups that your ears aren’t being squashed. At the end of that ten-hour session, Alex’s ears didn’t hurt, his head didn’t ache, and the headphones hadn’t left that annoying indentation in his hair that some models cause.
The sound quality justifies every penny of that $460 price tag, but not in the way audio snobs might expect. These aren’t trying to be perfectly flat reference monitors. Instead, they’re tuned to make your music emotionally engaging while maintaining technical excellence. When Priya played Kendrick Lamar’s “N95,” she noticed the layered production details she’d missed in hundreds of previous listens—the subtle vinyl crackle in the background, the way his breath catches between phrases, the precise placement of hi-hats in the stereo field. Then she switched to Yo-Yo Ma playing Bach, and the cello resonance felt like the instrument was in the room with her. That versatility across wildly different genres is rare.
The Sony Sound Connect app is where customization geeks will lose hours. The new 10-band equalizer isn’t just granular—it’s surgical. David spent an entire Saturday afternoon creating different EQ profiles for jazz, rock, and electronic music, and the headphones automatically apply the right one based on what he’s playing. The 360 Reality Audio Upmix feature transforms regular stereo movie soundtracks into immersive spatial audio. We tested it with “Dune: Part Two,” and suddenly the sandworms were circling us instead of coming from two channels. It’s not cinema-level surround sound, but it’s eerily close for a pair of headphones.
Call quality shocked us into reconsidering these as our primary work headphones. Sony’s AI-powered beamforming uses six microphones to isolate voices with frightening precision. Rachel took a client call while walking past construction equipment—literal jackhammers fifteen feet away—, and her client asked if she was calling from a quiet office. The wind-resistant design isn’t marketing hype either. We tested these in 15 mph winds on a bike path, and our voices remained clear without that awful buffeting sound that makes most headphones unusable outdoors. For people whose job lives in Zoom meetings, this feature alone might justify the investment.
The battery hits 30 hours consistently with ANC enabled, which translates to a full work week of eight-hour days on a single charge. But it’s the fast charging that’s become our safety net: plug these in while you brush your teeth and shower, and you’ve got enough juice for your entire commute. We’ve tested this scenario dozens of times—three minutes of charging really does provide three hours of playback, every single time. It’s the kind of reliability that makes you stop worrying about battery anxiety.
We can’t ignore the price—$460 hurts. But here’s our honest calculation after three months: if you use headphones daily, these work out to about $0.40 per day over three years. For something you wear for hours every day that transforms how you experience music, calls, and travel, that math makes sense. These aren’t just headphones; they’re an upgrade to your daily quality of life.
Best For: Premium performance at a better price than the latest model
Battery Life: 30 hours with ANC
Here’s the gorgeous thing about Sony releasing the XM6—the XM5 didn’t suddenly become mediocre. In fact, during our blind testing (yes, we actually did this), three out of five team members couldn’t consistently identify which was which based on sound alone. The XM5 remains absolutely exceptional, and now you can snag them for $150 less than the newest model.
The sound quality on the XM5 creates moments that remind you why you love music. When Tom played The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” (the 2017 remix), he heard Paul McCartney’s bass line with a richness he’d never noticed before—each note resonating with texture and depth. Then he queued up some Megan Thee Stallion, and the low-end punch hit with physical presence while her rapid-fire lyrics remained crisp and clear. That range, that ability to handle The Beatles and hip-hop with equal skill, is what separates good headphones from great ones.
What struck us during weeks of A/B testing against the XM6 was how musical these sounds. There’s this intangible quality where everything feels more engaging, more emotionally present. Jazz tracks groove harder. Orchestral pieces swell with drama. Even podcasts sound richer and more intimate. The bass responds when songs demand it, but never overwhelms. Vocals sit exactly where they belong in the mix, never pushed back or shoved forward artificially. Instruments have breathing room—you can hear the space between them rather than everything blurring together.
The noise cancellation, with its eight-microphone array, creates that wonderful bubble of peace we’ve come to love from Sony’s flagship line. Lisa wore these on her daily commute through Grand Central Terminal—arguably one of the noisiest transportation hubs in America—and the chaos simply dissolved. Not muffled, not distant, but genuinely gone. On that same flight where we tested the XM6, we used the XM5 for the return leg. Yes, the newer model cancels fractionally more noise. But for Lisa working on her laptop, for Marcus sleeping through turbulence, for anyone just trying to achieve focus in a loud world, the XM5 delivers exactly what you need.
One tester actually prefers the XM5’s design aesthetic—the minimalist, flowing lines look more refined and futuristic than the slightly bulkier XM6. The non-folding design frustrated us initially, we’ll admit. But Sony’s carrying case is impressively slim and thoughtfully designed. It slides into backpacks without the bulk you’d expect, and the headphones sit securely inside without rattling around. After two months, we stopped thinking about the lack of folding because the case solved the portability question effectively enough.
Where the XM5 really shines now is in value. With the XM6 available, we’ve watched the XM5 regularly drop to $299 or even lower during sales. That’s $150 less than the newer model for performance that 95% of users won’t distinguish in daily use. If you’re not a perfectionist chasing that last 5% improvement, if you don’t fly weekly and need every possible decibel of noise cancellation, the XM5 represents almost absurd value. You’re getting flagship-level quality for mid-range prices.
The feature set feels luxurious in ways that matter to real use. Multipoint Bluetooth pairing lets Sarah seamlessly switch between her work laptop and phone—when a call comes in during a Zoom meeting, the headphones automatically switch without her touching anything. Speak-to-Chat pauses music when you start talking, which felt gimmicky until Emily used them for a week and realized she was no longer fumbling to pause her music every time a barista asked for her order. Adaptive Sound Control learns your routines and adjusts settings automatically. After two weeks, it knew Marcus was at the gym, on the subway, or at his desk without him changing anything manually.
Battery life matches the XM6 at a solid 30 hours, which we confirmed means a full work week without charging. The quick charge provides five hours of playback from ten minutes plugged in—we’ve verified this works consistently, and it’s saved us countless times when we forgot to charge overnight. Something is reassuring about knowing that even if you forgot to charge, you’re never more than a coffee break away from a full day’s use.
The one area where age shows compared to the XM6 is call quality. In quiet environments—home offices, coffee shops during slow hours—call quality is perfectly fine. But Emily tried taking a client call while walking through Times Square (never again, she says), and the four-microphone array struggled to filter out the surrounding chaos. The XM6’s six-microphone system handles extreme noise better. For most people working from reasonably quiet spaces, this isn’t a deal-breaker. For someone who regularly takes important calls from noisy locations, it’s worth noting.
Best For: Value seekers who still want good ANC and all-day battery
Battery Life: 35 hours with ANC
We almost skipped testing these entirely. Mid-range Sony headphones priced at $180? How good could they realistically be? Turns out, we were embarrassingly wrong to be dismissive. The WH-CH720N became the surprise hero of our entire testing process.
These lightweight headphones punch so absurdly far above their weight that we kept checking if Sony had accidentally sent us the wrong model. After eight weeks of daily use by team members at every experience level, the CH720N became the pair we recommend most often to friends, family, and anyone not ready to drop $400 on headphones. They’ve earned that recommendation honestly.
Let’s talk about the most jaw-dropping aspect: battery life. Sony claims 35 hours with ANC enabled and 50 hours with it off. We’ve tested enough headphones to know manufacturers routinely inflate these numbers by 20-30%. So imagine our shock when Tyler used these for his entire work week—five days of 6-7 hour shifts—and they were still going. We started tracking carefully: 33-34 hours consistently with ANC on at moderate volume, which basically means they delivered exactly what Sony promised. Turn off ANC, and these headphones become unstoppable. Jessica used them for two straight weeks of normal daily use—commutes, gym sessions, work calls—before needing to recharge. That’s not normal. That’s borderline magical.
The noise cancellation blindsided us completely. These use the same Integrated V1 processor that powers Sony’s flagship models, and while they can’t match the XM6’s otherworldly silence, they’re shockingly effective for $180 headphones. Marcus wore them on his hellish morning subway commute—the Green Line during rush hour, which is basically acoustic torture—and the rumble of the train, the screech of brakes, and the conversations around him faded to manageable background noise. He could actually focus on his podcast without cranking the volume to dangerous levels. Do they let in more high-frequency noise than the flagships? Sure. Will you still hear sharp sounds like announcements or nearby conversations? Yes. But for daily commuting, working in a moderately noisy office, or drowning out roommates, they deliver way more than you’d expect at this price.
Sound quality reveals the budget nature, but in ways that surprised us positively. The bass response is punchy, energetic, maybe even a bit boosted—and you know what? Most people love that. When Alex played Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now,” the bassline hit with a satisfying thump that made him nod his head involuntarily. David tested them with Run The Jewels, and the aggressive low-end made the hip-hop tracks feel visceral and engaging. These aren’t trying to be neutral studio monitors. They’re tuned to make music fun, to make you want to move, and they succeed at that goal completely.
The midrange brings vocals forward nicely. Emma played Phoebe Bridgers’ “I Know The End,” and while the headphones didn’t capture every nuanced breath and whisper that more expensive models reveal, Bridgers’ voice came through with warmth and emotional presence that made the song work. The treble is where corners get cut—there’s less sparkle and air up top, and some complex passages can sound slightly congested. But here’s the thing: when Tom wore these on his daily run, when Jessica used them at the gym, when Marcus wore them on his commute, none of them ever thought “man, I really wish there was more treble extension here.” They just enjoyed their music.
Comfort proved surprisingly excellent despite the all-plastic construction. At just 192 grams (about 6.8 ounces), these feel almost weightless. Tyler wore them through entire ten-hour workdays editing video, and the gentle clamping force kept them secure without creating pressure points. Rachel, who has a smaller head and usually struggles with over-ear headphones sliding around, said these stayed perfectly in place during her morning jogs. The ear cups are spacious enough that even David’s larger-than-average ears fit comfortably inside without touching the drivers. The padding, while definitely thinner and less plush than the premium models, never caused discomfort even after five or six straight hours of wear.
Build quality is the obvious compromise, and we won’t pretend otherwise. These feel and sound like budget headphones—the plastic creaks slightly when you adjust the headband, and the materials lack that premium, substantial feel of Sony’s flagship models. They don’t fold, which annoyed us initially, and Sony doesn’t include a carrying case, which felt cheap. But here’s what changed our minds: after three months of Tyler shoving them into backpacks, Jessica tossing them into gym bags, and Marcus carrying them loose on the subway, they show almost no wear. The plastic turned out to be more resilient than it feels. We’ve dropped these accidentally multiple times—once from a standing height onto concrete—and they kept working without issues. Sometimes, cheap plastic is actually practical plastic.
The Sony Sound Connect app surprised us by offering features we’d expect on $300+ headphones. Full EQ customization with multiple preset options and custom curves. Ambient sound control with 20 distinct levels of adjustment, letting you dial in exactly how much outside noise you want. Multipoint pairing works flawlessly—Sarah connected them to her work laptop and personal phone, and they switched seamlessly when calls came through. There’s even 360 Reality Audio support on compatible streaming services like Amazon Music and Tidal. Installing the app and exploring all these features made the CH720N feel like it cost twice as much.
Where these headphones fall short is in call quality. In quiet environments, they’re adequate. But take them into any moderately noisy space, and the microphone struggles. Tom tried taking a work call from a busy coffee shop, and his colleague asked him to repeat himself so many times that he eventually gave up and switched to his phone. The microphones pick up everything around you without much filtering—not ideal for the Zoom meeting era we’re living in.
Here’s our brutally honest assessment after months of testing: if you’ve never experienced Sony’s flagship models, the CH720N will seem like a revelation. The sound is energetic and engaging, the ANC works better than it has any right to at this price, and the battery life is legitimately incredible. Even if you have tried premium headphones, these make compelling sense for specific use cases. Emma uses hers exclusively for the gym—she doesn’t worry about sweat or damage, and she doesn’t need pristine call quality while running. Marcus keeps them as his “beater pair” for situations where he’d be nervous bringing his expensive XM6s. For students, for anyone on a tight budget, for parents buying headphones for teenagers who might lose or break them, these are almost perfect.
At $180, they’re a solid purchase. When they drop to $88-98 during sales events (which happens several times a year, usually around Black Friday and Prime Day), they become one of the best values in the entire headphone market. We’ve bought these as gifts for at least six different people, and every single one has texted us later saying something like “holy crap, these are way better than I expected.”
Best For: Bass lovers and EDM enthusiasts who want that physical thump
Battery Life: 30 hours with ANC, 50 hours without
The ULT WEAR represents something completely different in Sony’s lineup—these aren’t even trying to be balanced or neutral. They’re designed for people who want their music to physically move them, and after months of testing, we’ve concluded they deliver on that promise spectacularly.
The star feature is the ULT button, a dedicated bass control that cycles through three modes: Off, ULT 1, and ULT 2. We fully expected this to be a gimmick. Marcus groaned when he first saw it, muttering something about “bass boost buttons never working right.” Then he actually tried it. With ULT off, these headphones sound balanced and refined—plenty of low-end presence without overwhelming anything else. Press the button once for ULT 1, and you get an immediate, noticeable boost in bass punch that makes hip-hop and EDM tracks more physical and exciting. Press again for ULT 2, and things get serious in a way that made all of us laugh the first time.
David tested ULT 2 mode with Travis Scott’s “FE!N,” and his exact words were “okay, what the hell is happening to my ears.” The bass doesn’t just increase in volume—it becomes almost tactile, vibrating against your eardrums in a way that’s borderline absurd. It’s excessive, it’s over-the-top, and for certain types of music and certain moods, it’s exactly perfect. Rachel, who regularly attends electronic music festivals, said these headphones capture that live bass experience better than any consumer headphones she’s tried. When the drop hits in a Skrillex track, you feel it in your chest the way you would standing in front of festival speakers.
What genuinely impressed us was how Sony engineered this feature. The 40mm drivers with neodymium magnets deliver serious power without falling apart. Lesser headphones pushed to these bass levels would distort into a muddy, undefined rumble. The ULT WEAR remains remarkably composed even at ULT 2. You can still distinguish individual bass notes, still hear the difference between kick drums and bass guitars, still perceive rhythm and texture in the low-end rather than just feeling overwhelming thump. That level of control at these bass levels is technically impressive.
The overall tuning surprised us, too. Sony didn’t just slam up the bass and ignore everything else. With ULT off or at level 1, the midrange remains clear enough that vocals don’t disappear, and the treble, while smoothed off compared to the flagship models, never sounds muffled or dull. We tested across every genre we could think of: rock, jazz, classical, country, pop, and metal. Modern bass-heavy pop, hip-hop, R&B, and electronic music all benefited noticeably from at least ULT 1. Older rock and jazz sounded better with ULT off. Classical music definitely wanted ULT off. But having that option to toggle bass response on-the-fly means you’re never stuck with a one-size-fits-all tuning that works great for some music and poorly for others.
The noise cancellation uses Sony’s Integrated Processor V1—the same chip in the flagship models—and the performance genuinely impressed us. Tyler wore these through a six-hour flight to Seattle, and the combination of engine noise cancellation and that thick, isolating bass made the entire flight feel peaceful. Lisa tested them in her open-plan office where conversations constantly drift across desks, and the ULT WEAR created enough isolation that she finally stopped getting distracted every five minutes. You’ll notice slightly more high-frequency bleed than the XM6 or XM5—we definitely heard gate announcements at the airport and some higher-pitched office sounds. But for $250, the ANC performance legitimately rivals headphones costing twice as much.
Comfort proved solid despite the firmer clamping force compared to other Sony models. These grip your head with more pressure than the XM6, which initially concerned us. But the extra-thick, plush ear cushions compensate beautifully. They create a secure seal that actually benefits both sound quality and noise cancellation—no air leaks, no shifting around when you move your head. During Jessica’s eight-hour work sessions, she noticed more heat buildup than with the XM6’s more breathable design, especially in summer. Her verdict: comfortable enough for all-day wear, just maybe more noticeable in hot weather or during intense focus sessions.
The foldable design solves a major portability issue. These collapse into a compact form that takes up maybe 60% of the space that the XM5 requires. Sony includes a proper hard-shell carrying case with a magnetic closure that clicks shut satisfyingly. David, who travels for work monthly, raved about how much more efficiently these pack than non-folding models. The case fits easily into the laptop compartment of his backpack without forcing him to sacrifice space for other essentials.
Build quality lives firmly in the “good enough” category. The plastic construction feels sturdy without approaching premium territory. After three months of Rachel tossing them in her gym bag, Marcus carrying them on crowded subways, and Tyler travelling with them on multiple trips, they’ve held up without issues. The hinges feel solid, nothing creaks or flexes worryingly, and the overall impression is that these will survive normal use for years. They’re not built to the meticulous standards of the XM6, but they’re built well enough that we stopped worrying about durability after the first month.
Battery life crushes expectations at 30 hours with ANC enabled and 50 hours without—matching the CH720N’s incredible endurance. In real-world testing, these lasted through Emma’s entire work week with heavy daily use on a single charge. The quick charging isn’t marketing hype: three minutes plugged in really does give you 90 minutes of playback, which we verified repeatedly and found consistently accurate. For people who forget to charge until they’re walking out the door, this feature has been a legitimate lifesaver.
The Sony Sound Connect app gives you surprising depth of control. You can customize exactly how each ULT level affects your sound, which we didn’t expect. Want ULT 1 to boost bass more aggressively? You can adjust that. Want to fine-tune the EQ while maintaining the ULT character? That’s possible too. The app also enables multipoint connection for pairing with two devices simultaneously—a feature that worked flawlessly throughout testing. David kept these connected to his work laptop and personal phone, and they switched seamlessly whenever calls came through without him doing anything.
We need absolute honesty about who should buy these. If you prefer a neutral, balanced sound signature, skip the ULT WEAR and get the XM5 or XM6 instead. But if you’re the person who always maxes out the bass EQ on every pair of headphones you own, if your music library is dominated by hip-hop, electronic, or bass-heavy pop, if you’ve ever wished headphones could recreate that chest-thumping feeling of live concerts, the ULT WEAR will make you genuinely happy. They’re not trying to please everyone—they’re targeting a specific audience with laser focus, and they serve that audience brilliantly.
At $250, the pricing hits a sweet spot. You’re paying $50 more than the budget CH720N but getting significantly better sound quality, build, and that unique bass experience. You’re spending $100-150 less than the XM5 while gaining a bass response the flagships can’t match, even with heavy EQ tweaking. We’ve recommended these to at least seven friends who prioritize bass, and every single one has messaged us later with some variation of “holy shit, these are exactly what I wanted.” That consistent enthusiasm tells us Sony nailed their target audience.
Sony's Noise Cancellation Technology
During our testing, we noticed significant differences in how each model handles noise cancellation, so it’s worth understanding what you’re getting at different price points.
The flagship XM6 uses Sony’s HD Noise Canceling Processor QN3 with twelve microphones. This system operates at speeds seven times faster than the previous generation, allowing real-time analysis and cancellation of a broader range of frequencies. The result is silence that feels almost eerie in its completeness.
The XM5 uses eight microphones with the previous-generation processor, still delivering exceptional performance that most users will find indistinguishable from the XM6 in typical usage scenarios. Where you notice the difference is in extremely challenging environments—packed airplanes, construction sites, or busy city streets.
Both the CH720N and ULT WEAR use Sony’s Integrated Processor V1 with fewer microphones, resulting in good but not class-leading noise cancellation. They handle consistent, low-frequency noise (airplane engines, HVAC systems) quite well, but struggle more with irregular, higher-frequency sounds like conversations or announcements.
According to our testing, Sony’s ANC technology across all price points performs at or above the industry average for similarly priced competitors. Even the budget CH720N matches or exceeds the noise cancellation of many competing models costing significantly more.
The Sony Sound Connect App: Love It or Hate It
Sony’s companion app is comprehensive to the point of being overwhelming. After weeks of daily use, here’s our honest assessment:
The good: You get granular control over nearly everything. EQ customization works well, with both preset options and custom curves. The Adaptive Sound Control feature learns your patterns and adjusts settings automatically, which sounds annoying but actually enhances the experience once you let it work. Multipoint device management is straightforward, and firmware updates have been reliable across all models.
The frustrating: The app requires an account for full functionality, which we find unnecessary and slightly intrusive. The interface can feel bloated with features most people will never use. During testing, we occasionally encountered bugs where settings would reset unexpectedly, though this was rare.
Despite these complaints, we ultimately consider the app a net positive. The ability to customize your sound signature, save multiple EQ profiles, and access features like 360 Reality Audio meaningfully improves the overall experience.
Frequently Asked Questions From Our Testing Team
Which Sony headphones are actually worth the money?
All of them, honestly, but at different price points for different needs. The XM6 justifies its premium cost if you use it daily. The CH720N is a steal under $100. The ULT WEAR occupies a sweet spot for bass enthusiasts.
Can I use these for gaming?
Yes, but with caveats. They work via Bluetooth with any device that supports it, but you’ll experience latency that makes them suboptimal for competitive gaming. For single-player or casual gaming, they’re fine. The XM6 offers a 3.5mm wired connection that eliminates latency.
How does Sony compare to Bose?
Different tuning philosophies. Bose tends toward warmer, more laid-back sound, while Sony leans slightly more energetic. For ANC, the XM6 edges out the Bose QuietComfort Ultra in our testing, but both are excellent. Personal preference matters more than objective superiority.
Are they good for working out?
The ULT WEAR and CH720N work adequately for gym use, though none of these models are designed as sports headphones. They lack sweat resistance ratings. For serious workouts, consider Sony’s earbuds instead.
