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The best Sony headphones you can buy
Sony headphones are known for their quality, wide selection, and great design. The brand is competitive in almost everything it does, and that includes audio equipment. Not all Sony headphones are made the same, so we have put together a list of our favorites to save you the hassle of looking through a sea of options.
The best Sony headphones:
Editor’s note: This list of the best Sony headphones was updated to include the Sony WH-1000X4 and will be regularly updated as new devices launch.
1. Sony WH-1000XM4
The WH-1000XM4 headphones offer top-of-the-line specs and features, including Alexa voice assistant support, placing them among the best Sony headphones around. Dollar for dollar, this model outperforms its closest competitors in sound quality, noise attenuation, and comes close on battery life. Consequently, we recommend the WH-1000XM4 for over-ear fans.
The Sony WH-1000MX4 also includes a nifty feature called Chat-to-Speak, which pauses your media when speaking to someone and resumes playback 30 seconds later, so you don’t miss the person’s response. There’s also Bluetooth multipoint, something their predecessor didn’t have.
2. Sony WH-CH710N
The Sony WH-CH710N headphones feature noise-cancelling technology and boast a more neutral-leaning frequency response. This is great for anyone with an eclectic taste in music as it’s tuned to reproduce audio closer to how the audio engineers intended for it to be heard. Unlike the older Sony WH-CH700N, the headset charges via USB-C and has an excellent microphone system that does an okay job of rejecting background noise.
You can control playback, volume, and access Google Assistant or Alexa directly from the onboard buttons. While this isn’t as high-tech as touch controls, it does mean misfires are less likely to occur. If you have a hard limit of $200 and want pretty good noise cancellation, these are the headphones for you. Not to mention you can often find them on special and get them for much less.
3. Sony MDR-7506
Sony's MDR-7506 headphones can be found in classrooms, studios, and speech labs.Edgar Cervantes
Although they’ll work in any context, the Sony MDR-7506 is intended for studio monitoring. In general, these are reliable and legendary headphones with that “it” factor. The long 9.8-foot cable is great for studio use but may need tying up to avoid comical unwieldiness while out and about. They can be found in classrooms, studios, and speech labs. If you’re looking for headphones under $100 that have proven they last for years on end, these are the ones to buy. There are other great affordable options, though. You can see some of them in the link below.
4. Sony MDRXB50AP Extra Bass
Sony headphones are nice, but they can get costly. Those looking for something affordable without sacrificing quality can look at the Sony MDRXB50AP Extra Bass earbuds. These earbuds sport a large housing and, like the company’s other “Extra Bass” products, these place a great deal of emphasis on the low-end. Unfortunately, the designers omitted any sort of control module.
Also read: The best cheap earbuds
5. Sony WI-1000XM2
The WI-1000XM2 is for people who want a better audio experience from their smartphone while driving or doing other activities without covering their ears. This product will vibrate if you get a call. The added size of the neckband grants more battery life. This one will last up to 10 hours on a single charge.
These Sony headphones also come with improved noise-cancelling, better sound quality, and smart features that adjust to your surroundings.
6. Sony WI-C400
The neckband headphones listed above are great, but they are a bit expensive. Sometimes all you want is a cheap set of in-ears, and the Sony WI-C400 is about as inexpensive as you get without straying into “really bad” territory.
While these neckband earphones won’t exactly light the world on fire with their performance, they are a little better than their price would suggest, even if they don’t have access to the latest and greatest codecs out there.
7. Sony WF-1000XM4
The Sony WF-1000XM4 true wireless headphones are expensive, but these are also some of the best the market has to offer. It’s definitely a good buy if you have the extra cash to spare. These have a great battery life of well over 7 hours per charge, and the case can charge them at least a couple of times. These are also known for having great active noise cancelation, and the mic quality is decent. The company has also managed to make them smaller than the WF-1000XM3, making them much more comfortable.
8. Sony MDR-Z1R
The MDR-Z1R are the absolute best Sony headphones you can find, but they are also the most expensive. Edgar Cervantes
These are the absolute best Sony headphones you can find, but they are also the most expensive, with an MSRP of $1,798. You can usually find them a little cheaper on Amazon, but they will be pricey even with a discount.
All that cash gets you massive 70mm drivers, up to 120Khz frequency response, a resonance-free all-metal housing, and comfortable leather. Professionals swear by these, and their Amazon rating holds up.