Sony LinkBuds S.
Built-in buds for loud noise cancellation
Sony WH-XB910N
The best noise canceling headphone from Sony Extra Bass
Show more (7 items)
Sony has cemented itself as a mainstay in the audio industry, manufacturing some of the most popular The best wireless headphonesEarbuds and wired headphones. Sony headphones range from budget earphones to high-end headphones with great sound quality for the listeners that matter. Today’s leading noise-canceling headphone, the WH-1000XM5, features first-class noise-canceling capabilities along with excellent sound quality and voice calling performance.
I’ve tested all of the Sony models on this list and will update them with new Sony headphones and earphones when they hit the market. The latest additions are new CH-720N Noise Canceling Headphones & Earbuds CH-520 Economy.
Read more: The best wireless earphones of 2023
battery life Rated up to 32 hoursNoise canceling Yesmultipoint YesHeadphone type Over-the-ear wireless headphonesWater resistant There is no IP rating
When you have a product that a lot of people love, it can be risky to change. Such is the case for Sony’s WH-1000XM5, the fifth generation of the 1000X series of headphones, which was first released in 2016 as the MDR-1000X Wireless and has become increasingly popular as it gets better with each generation. Over the years Sony has made some design tweaks, but none as exciting as what’s been done with the WH-1000XM5. Other than the $400 higher price ($50 more than the WH-1000XM4), most of these changes are good, and Sony has made some huge improvements with voice calling performance as well as better noise cancellation and more accurate audio.
Read our Sony WH-1000XM5 review.
battery life Rated up to 30 hoursNoise canceling Yesmultipoint YesHeadphone type Over-the-ear wireless headphonesWater resistant There is no IP rating
No earbuds are perfect, of course, and not everyone will like the fit of the Sony WF-1000XM4 or be able to afford its high price (MSRP $279). But if you’re looking for great-sounding earbuds with excellent noise cancellation, solid audio calling capabilities, and good battery life, these headphones check all the boxes. And unlike the previous WF-1000XM3, it’s waterproof with an IPX4 splash-proof rating.
Read our Sony WF-1000XM4 review.
Sony’s Enhanced Noise Canceling Headphones, the CH-720Ns, are a little plastic and budget-friendly, but they’re lightweight and comfortable. Part of me was expecting them to sound mediocre, but I was pleasantly surprised. No, it doesn’t sound as good as the WH-1000XM5s. But it feels more premium than it looks (and feels), and its overall performance is a nice step up from its predecessor, the CH-710Ns. Is it worth $150? Maybe yes and maybe no. But the good news is that, like the CH-710N and WH-XB910 before them, those should see some nice discounts in the not too distant future, which you might want to wait for.
Read our Sony CH-720N review.
Sony released its new CH-720N noise-canceling headphones in 2023. They’re pretty good, but if you can’t afford them (they clock in at $150), the company’s new budget CH-520 in-ear headphones are: an interesting option for only about $50.
It lacks noise cancellation and is no-frills, but it does sound good for its price, is lightweight and very comfortable for earbuds, and also has excellent battery life (it’s rated for up to 50 hours at moderate volume levels). Plus, they have multipoint Bluetooth pairing, so you can pair them with two devices at once (such as a smartphone and computer) and switch audio. Voice calling performance is good, but not at the level of what you get with the CH-720N.
Note that there is no wired option – this is a wireless Bluetooth headset only. The CH-520 delivers an overall balanced sound with decent clarity. The bass has some punch but doesn’t get loud, and you won’t get quite as wide a sound range as you get from Sony’s more expensive over-ear headphones. But these definitely sound better than Sony’s previous entry-level headphones, and they sound better than I thought. I tried the white but they also come in blue and black.
battery life Rated up to 9 hoursNoise canceling Yesmultipoint noHeadphone type Wireless headphonesWater resistant Yes (IPX4 – Splash Resistant)
Unlike the “open” LinkBuds, the LinkBuds S are traditional noise-isolating earbuds with tips that stick into your ears. It’s more compact and lighter than Sony’s flagship WF-1000M4, and it also features Sony’s V1 processor. While sound and noise cancellation falls short of the WF-1000XM4’s, it comes close and costs less. It’s a Sony headset for people who can handle larger buds like the WF-1000XM4 but want 80-85% of these buds’ features and performance for less money.
Read our Sony LinkBuds S review.
battery life Rated up to 30 hoursNoise canceling Yesmultipoint YesHeadphone type Over-the-ear wireless headphonesWater resistant There is no IP rating
Sony released the new WH-1000XM5 but the WH-1000XM4 is still on sale. While I prefer the WH-1000XM5 – it’s a bit more comfortable, has improved noise cancellation, more accurate sound and noticeably better voice calling performance – the WH-1000XM4 is still a great headphone and some people might prefer it’s slightly more active sound and how it folds In a case smaller than that of the WH-1000M5. They also cost less and we should see some great discounts on them from now on.
Read our Sony WH-1000XM4 review.
The LinkBuds are, in a sense, Sony’s answer to Apple’s standard AirPods. While they don’t sound as good as the noise-isolating Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds, they offer an innovative, discreet design and a more secure fit than the AirPods, as well as good sound and very good voice calling performance.
Like the third-generation AirPods, their open design lets you hear the outside world—that’s what the Ring is all about. This makes them a good choice for people who want to hear what’s going on around them for safety reasons or just don’t like having ear tips jammed in their ears. They also have some extra premium features, including Speak to Chat and Wide Area Tap. Instead of tapping on a bud, you can tap on your face, right in front of your ear, to control playback.
They’re IPX4 splash-resistant and thanks to their fins — Sony calls them arc supports — they lock securely in your ears and work well for running and other athletic activities.
Read our Sony LinkBuds review.
battery life Rated up to 10 hoursNoise canceling nomultipoint noHeadphone type Wireless headphonesWater resistant Yes (IPX4 – Splash Resistant)
While the C500 shares more design sensitivity with the high-end WF-1000XM4 than its predecessor, the WF-XB700 Extra Bass, the C500 isn’t a noise-canceling model and is pretty basic in terms of earphones, with no ear-detection sensors or transparency mode. But the buds are compact, lightweight, fit comfortably, and sound good for an entry-level model. Read our first take on the Sony C500.
battery life Rated up to 50 hoursNoise canceling Yesmultipoint YesHeadphone type Over-the-ear wireless headphonesWater resistant There is no IP rating
For the WH-XB910N, this is the scale model from the WH-1000XM4. It’s an Extra Bass model, so it has the majority of the bass. I liked the previous version, the XB900N, and it was a good deal when it went on sale for around $150. This updated version looks the same but offers improved noise cancellation and multipoint pairing via Bluetooth, so you can pair it with your phone and PC at the same time. It also supports Sony’s LDAC audio codec.
While improving, noise cancellation doesn’t quite reach the level of the WH-1000XM4 or WH-1000XM5. And the WH-XB910N doesn’t have some of those models’ extra features, like Speak to Chat, wear detection sensors, and Sony Precise Voice Pickup technology. However, it does have a quick attention mode that allows you to rest your hand on the earcup to switch from noise cancellation to ambient transparency mode. Also, this headset now comes with a hard case like the WH-1000XM4. Battery life is rated at up to 30 hours at moderate volume levels – that’s about the same as what you get from the WH-1000XM5.
Amazon put the blue version on sale for $138 during a one-day flash sale recently. This is a good deal at this price, so look for their selection when they go on sale again if they pique your interest.
battery life unavailableNoise canceling nomultipoint noHeadphone type Wired headphonesWater resistant There is no IP rating
Introduced long ago in 1991, the Sony MDR-7506 is the headphone of choice for recording engineers and other audio professionals (yes, those are wired headphones). Their design origins go back much further than that, as the MDR-7506 headphones are actually an update of the Sony MDR-V6 introduced in 1985. Both models were designed for the professional audio market, but they are still very popular with consumers.
While the two models have the same design and are very comfortable, they don’t look identical. Both offer very balanced sound and excellent clarity for their modest prices – and both are great overall values. But the MDR-V6 headphones make the bass and sound more quiet and comfortable, while the 7506 headphones are smaller in size with a more pronounced treble range, making the sound clearer and more vivid. Read our Sony MDR 7506 review.
Read our Sony MDR-7506 review.
battery life unavailableNoise canceling nomultipoint noHeadphone type Wired headphonesWater resistant There is no IP rating
The Sony MDR-Z7M2 may not be the flagship audiophile headphone in Sony’s lineup (that would be the MDR-Z1R), but it’s still a high-end model that lists for several hundred dollars. I reviewed the previous Z7 (the M2 ultimately refers to the Mark 2, or second generation) and it looked great and was comfortable. To be clear, this is an audiophile’s headphone and sounds best with appropriate audio equipment, which may include a headphone amplifier or a high-fidelity portable music player (note the Sony Walkman player, not included, pictured).
battery life unavailableNoise canceling nomultipoint noHeadphone type Wired on-ear headphonesWater resistant There is no IP rating
If you’re looking for an inexpensive wired headphone, the ZX Series is as good a bet as any over-the-ear headphone. It costs $10 – or $20 for the version with a mic.