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Sony has been one of the largest audio companies in the world since its inception in 1946 – its name comes in part from Sonus, the Latin word for sound – and its latest headphones continued the tradition in 2021.
The company continues to innovate and adds new features such as Bluetooth wireless connectivity, active noise cancellation and battery life throughout the day, without sacrificing sound quality or convenience.
While these values are reflected in all of Sony’s headphones, we found four pairs that are superior to the rest, proving that the equipment is competitive and in many cases superior to the best equipment of any other company.
What are the best Sony headphones?
There are many factors to consider when choosing the best Sony headphones for you; below are the most important ones we took into consideration when researching this list.
Bluetooth: All of the Sony headphones in this guide use Bluetooth to connect wirelessly to your phone, tablet, computer or TV. Bluetooth is an open standard, which means you can use these headphones with devices manufactured by any company.
Battery life: Bluetooth headphones run on rechargeable batteries and must be plugged in regularly to keep working. This can be a hassle, which is why we chose wireless headphones that last between six and 20 hours.
Weight: Because headphones sit on your head or in your ears for hours, it is important to consider weight. Wireless earplugs weigh much less than a large ear-pair, but we made sure our heaviest recommendation was just over half a pound.
Active noise cancellation: Some of the Sony headphones we recommend support ANC technology (active noise cancellation), a feature that uses the microphones of the headphones to block certain frequencies.
If ANC is activated, you do not have to increase the volume on your headphones so much, which can damage your ears. The downside is that this feature will drain the battery life of the headphones much faster.
Wired backup: All the ear-and-ear headphones in our guide have a 3.5 mm audio output, which you can connect to a telephone, tablet, computer or aircraft media console with a 3.5 mm audio cable couple.
1. Best over-the-ear headphones: Sony WH-1000XM4
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Sony’s WH-1000XM4s are the latest headphones in the over-the-ear audiophile range, being the first to give Bose’s noise suppression a chance to make money.
The Bluetooth headset gets up to 30 hours of music playback on a single charge. If you plug it in for ten minutes, you get five hours of music playing; almost enough for a plane ride across the continent. Many Bluetooth headphones over-the-ear get 20 hours of battery life, so the WH-1000XM4s stand out.
Sony has achieved world-class noise cancellation by placing two microphones on both earbuds to block annoying noises (an office fan, aircraft engine, etc.) before it reaches your ears. The first headphones in the WH-1000XM series have blown everyone away, and this fourth generation is doing an even better job of placing a barrier between you and the outside world.
We tested the WH-1000XMs for ourselves and really like how it sounds. You will hear many details in your music, without too much bass or a shrill treble. You can customize the headphone’s EQ in Sony’s Headphones Connect app (iOS and Android) to customize it to sound right for your ore.
One of the main reasons why audiophile Bluetooth headphones are usually avoided is that Bluetooth compresses music files, which reduces the sound quality. The WH-1000XM4s use artificial intelligence to “upscale” music files at low bit rate so that they sound better.
It’s the heaviest headphone in this guide at 8.9 ounces (ounces), but it’s lightweight for Bluetooth over-the-ear devices that can weigh as much as 12 oz. The filling on the ear cups and headband is soft and also offers more comfort than we expected.
When you buy Sony headphones, the WH-1000XM4s sound good, feel good and last a long time.
2. Best earphones: Sony WHXB700
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The Sony WHXB700s offer the sound quality you’d expect from an ear-pair, in a sleeker, lighter design.
It inherits the best features of the WH-1000XM4: 30 hours of battery life, soft earbuds, a charged headband and the ability to adjust the sound via Sony’s Headphones Connect app. But at 6.9 grams, it is lighter and even easier to carry for longer.
These WHXB700s are part of Sony’s Extra Bass headphone range, giving a pleasant boost to low frequencies without overpowering the mid or high end. You will see the difference, especially on bass-heavy tracks, but it’s never enough to be annoying. We tried a couple of Sony’s Extra Bass headphones, and they make music sound a little more artificial, but fun to listen to.
One of the key features that the WHXB700s do not have is active noise cancellation. There are virtually no ear-to-ear headphones – Marshall’s Mid ANC is a notable exception – but this is something to consider.
Aside from the slight disappointment, the WHXB700s are an excellent pair of Sony’s everyday Bluetooth headphones. Their size and battery life are especially remarkable because it lets you wear them all day without fatigue.
3. Best earplugs: Sony WF-1000XM3
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The WF-1000XM3s are Sony’s latest premium, totally wireless headphones, surpassing Apple’s AirPods in some key areas.
They offer up to eight hours of music playback per charge, which is two to three hours longer than we would expect from totally wireless headphones. Their charging bay offers up to 18 extra battery life, and you get up to 90 minutes of playing time with a charge of ten minutes.
Sony designed the WF-1000XM3s with digital noise suppression, which uses a personal processor and microphones to isolate sound. It is different from active sound suppression, but the result is similar. Sony’s disc also optimizes the sound quality of your music while listening, but does not increase it.
The biggest advantage of totally wireless earbuds is their size, and the WF-1000XM3s do not disappoint. They weigh only 3.5 ounces. You can tap the buttons to activate the smart assistant of your phone (Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa), or tap them to play and pause your music. You can also swipe over the eyes to adjust their volume.
The WF-1000XM3s are also water resistant, with an IPX4 rating which means they are not damaged by sweat or splashes of water (think rain). This means you can wear it while exercising or running indoors without any problems.
Sony’s WF-1000XM3s are not only the best wireless earbuds in the portfolio, but also one of the best choices in this category.
Best Budget: Sony WH-CH510
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If you want a pair of high-quality headphones for everyday casual listening, you have the Sony WH-CH510s covered.
The Bluetooth ear-to-ear headphones offer up to 35 hours of music playback on a single charge. You can get up to 90 minutes of music playback if you plug it in for ten minutes. These features come in a pair of headphones that weigh 4.6 grams – barely more than Sony’s Bluetooth earbuds.
The WH-CH510s meet the high sound quality you would expect from Sony, but do not have many extras. They cannot add your music, do not support any noise suppression or customization via Sony headphones.
It may seem basic compared to Sony’s other headphones, but it costs the base and costs less than $ 40. The Sony WH-CH510 delivers the headphones in their price range.