I've heard a lot of premium wireless headphones in the past few months. No, seriously, when I say a lot, I mean a lot.

The Sony WH-1000XM6, the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless, the Apple AirPods Max 2, the Sony 1000X The Collexion, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2; the list just goes on and on.

And yet, this Amazon Prime Day, I would pick one pair above all others. Those aforementioned headphones are all excellent, sometimes spectacular, in their own respective ways, but one pair stands head and shoulders above the rest: the Sennheiser HDB 630.

At £400 / $500 / AU$1000, they're not cheap, and discounts aren't exactly common, but if you see a drop this Prime Day, across any of the major retailers, I would urge you wholeheartedly to snap it up while you can.

In fact, even if they don't budge an inch, I'd still be urging you to get hold of the best wireless headphones Sennheiser has ever made.

It's going to be a crazy twist of fate if some of the best wireless headphones you can currently buy this Prime Day aren't currently available on Amazon. Well, it's their loss.

In truth, forget Prime Day and Amazon altogether. Forget discounts and price cuts, and even brand loyalty. Just remember one key fact: if you want the best premium noise-cancelling wireless headphones, you want the Sennheiser HDB 630. It's that simple.

Why? Well, mainly because these are sound-first headphones that have pushed the needle for how good Bluetooth over-ears can sound at this sort of price. The HDB 630 are exceptionally smooth and natural-sounding headphones, with a beautifully realised bass reproduction, a sweet, immersive mid-range and a crisp, sharply defined treble.

They're fun, dynamically adept and musically expressive, walking that tricky tightrope between analysis and entertainment with sure-footed precision.

Part of that quality comes from the Sennheiser's super-clever BTD 700 USB-C dongle that you simply plug into your device’s USB-C port to give it aptX Adaptive superpowers.

That means that any source device, including your iPhone, gains aptX Adaptive hi-res streaming up to 24bit/96kHz, even if it wouldn't natively support it. That is, quite simply, an absolute game-changer, and it works terrifically.

Plus, you get wired listening via 3.5mm and USB-C-ended cables, around 60 hours of battery life with ANC switched on, very solid noise cancelling, a luxuriously comfortable fit and very solid voice calls, all of which combine to make an exceptional all-around package.

We get that Prime Day should be all about Amazon and, of course, all about deals, but the HDB 630 are so exceptional that all sort of goes out of the window.

Discounts don't really matter (although they're great to see). Retailers don't matter. What matters is that, if you can, you pick up a pair of some of the best-sounding premium wireless headphones we've ever heard.

MORE:

Discounts galore! These are the best early Amazon Prime Day Bluetooth speaker deals

Amazon Prime Day 2026 Live Q&A: personalised hi-fi and home cinema buying advice, direct from our experts

Prime Day Predictions: the What Hi-Fi? team’s hopes, fears and dreams for Amazon Prime Day

Welcome to Game Mode, our new hub for home cinema enthusiasts and hi-fi fanatics who also strive for picture and sound perfection for their video games.

We've been discussing the benefits of HDMI 2.1, trying out the latency on the top premium projectors, and dabbling in Dolby Atmos gaming for quite some time, so it only feels natural to dig a bit deeper and scout out the best products, settings and tips to help your games look and sound incredible on your home cinema set-up.

We're kicking things off with a premium pair of gaming headphones. Meet the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite.

At £600 / $600 / AU$1349, it's hard to deny that these headphones are anything but super premium. For reference, they cost more than the Apple AirPods Max 2 and Sony 1000X The Collexion, and they're only marginally cheaper than Bowers & Wilkins' PX8 S2 premium noise-cancelling cans.

So, do these headphones justify that high asking price? I've been putting them through their paces with some seriously intense gaming sessions over the last couple of months to put them to the test – these are just the sacrifices I make...

Game changing sound...

These headphones tick a lot of boxes for me. For reference, I've been using the Sony PlayStation Pulse 3D Wireless Headset since 2020, so these premium cans were quite the departure.

To contextualise, that's sort of like upgrading from a Volkswagen Golf to a Rolls-Royce.

Everything feels more premium, from the luxurious aluminium yokes to the memory foam ear cushions covered in a smooth vegan leather-style material; comfort is an immediate A+.

SteelSeries also justifies that sky-high price tag with an extensive list of features, including a 40mm driver, made from a two-piece design that features a carbon fibre drive unit with a brass surround in each earcup.

The headset also supports an extensive list of spatial sound formats, including Dolby Atmos and DTS. SteelSeries claims that they're the first gaming headphones on the market to support Hi-Res and Hi-Res Wireless audio, with support for signals up to 96kHz/24bit.

The headphones themselves are only half the magic, as SteelSeries also includes a rather impressive wireless receiver called the GameHub in the box.

Outfitted with a small OLED display, it can show detailed audio signal information, adjust settings, and it even has a spot to charge a spare battery, meaning your headset is essentially never out of charge – I don't mean to be dramatic, but I don't know how I ever lived without this feature.

There's also a feature called OmniPlay, which allows you to physically connect up to three consoles (or two consoles and a gaming PC) at one time, plus a smartphone or handheld system via Bluetooth.

I also can't forget to mention the Arctis app, which unlocks a huge array of game-specific EQ settings that have been created by SteelSeries' team of sound engineers in tandem with developers and pro-level gamers.

It's worth mentioning that this is my first time using a gaming headset with active noise cancelling (ANC), too. I wouldn't call it game-changing for day-to-day use, but I do see the appeal for those who like to "lock in" with absolutely no distractions.

However, what you're really here to find out is if these headphones justify their price tag when it comes to sound quality. After playing a whole host of titles, including (but not limited to) Grand Theft Auto V, Marathon, Battlefield 6, Rainbow Six: Siege and Forza Horizon 6, I think they're really quite impressive.

With large-scale action games such as Battlefield 6, the Arctis Nova Elite sounded hugely spacious and placed me right in the centre of the action, and yet they remained impressively precise when needed for competitive Marathon matches.

The engines of muscle cars in Grand Theft Auto V growled with an extra layer of texture and low-end rumble, while spent bullet casings clinked upon the ground with a pleasing sparkle in Rainbow Six: Siege.

So far, so good. However, it's not all perfect.

During a session of Forza Horizon 6, it felt as though the headphones leaned towards a fairly zingy and bright presentation. In our experience, gaming headsets tend to be tuned this way on purpose, so it's not necessarily an issue that's exclusive to the Arctis Nova Elite.

In some ways, it can be useful, as the pronounced treble does a great job of drawing your ear to subtle sounds. A key example is being able to hear far-off gunshots and nearby footsteps in Marathon; in this regard, the Nova Elite has truly helped me improve my situational awareness, and I'm willing to bet that it's helped me come out on top during several intense firefights.

However, the audiophile purist in me does make me wish that they were tuned slightly more neutral at times, as cinematic single-player games can sound somewhat flavoured.

I also found that a lot of the top-end features require you to hook these cans up to a PC. As someone who does practically all of their gaming on a PS5, it was a shame that I couldn't squeeze all the features out of this pricey pair of headphones. However, to cut SteelSeries some slack here, that's more of an issue with the PS5 than anything else.

Should you buy them?

These aren't your traditional hi-fi headphones, and they're certainly not an investment you should take lightly, but I do think that these are ultimately a rather impressive pair of gaming-focused headphones.

With a bucket-load of features, a high-quality and comfortable build, and crisp, detailed and spacious sound, it's hard to pick faults. The hot-swappable battery is a genuine game-changer, too.

That being said, those who prefer a more neutral sound may prefer something a little bit more traditional. Plugging in a pair of the best headphones directly into your controller will likely yield a more authentic sound; however, that involves being tethered by a cable.

It's also worth noting that SteelSeries has recently launched a step-down model in the form of the Arctis Nova Omni, which appears to share many features with the Elite at a lower (but still considerably premium) price tag.

But if you are a serious gamer who takes competitive matches seriously, or you want a pair of headphones that don't compromise on the features front, then the Arctis Nova Elite are a mighty fine option.

MORE:

Read our full Sony PlayStation Pulse 3D Wireless Headset review

As well as our picks for the best gaming TVs

PS5 vs Xbox Series X: which console is right for you?

Cassettes are going the way of vinyl, with sales up 53 per cent last year in the UK, hitting 164,000 units. This is not solely a British phenomenon – 446,500 tapes were sold in the US in the same year, an increase of 17.5 per cent year-on-year.

Which got me thinking. Could we see the OG portable cassette player, the Walkman, make a comeback? And not as a Walkman-branded phone or digital music player, but as a proper, bona fide tape player? As the proud owner of at least two Walkmans during my childhood, I certainly hope so.

Here's why the time is right for the Sony Walkman to once again strut its stuff.

1. A big anniversary is coming

It seems like only yesterday that we were celebrating the iconic player's 40th birthday – but its 50th is just three years away.

Mark the date in your diary: 1st July 2029. That's when the grandaddy of portable tape players hits the half century. The world of music on-the-go has changed massively since then, with first compact discs, then MiniDiscs, digital downloads and now streaming all having their time in the sun.

But the backlash against digital is building. As vinyl's sustained resurgence has shown, people are willing to put up with the inconvenience of physical media if it makes for a more rewarding experience. While no one's arguing cassettes are the last word in sound quality, they certainly have their appeal. A special edition Walkman would make the perfect 50th birthday present from Sony.

2. Sony is no stranger to special editions

Sony loves a special edition product. Recently we reviewed the Sony 1000X The Collexion, which was launched to celebrate a decade of Sony's world-conquering 1000X wireless headphones.

Sony deserves credit here. It would've been very easy for it to release the Award-winning WH-1000XM6 with a slightly different finish, but instead, it chose to launch a proper standalone product.

Admittedly they 'only' scored four stars, as opposed to the fives that Sony headphones are accustomed to. But it shows that Sony is not above celebrating its heritage, and in the most appropriate way possible – by releasing something new.

3. The digital backlash continues

No one's arguing with the convenience of streaming, but more and more people are seeing the appeal of physical media. It's tactile, it gives you more of a connection with the artist, and it's easy to display and show which artists you like. You can't put a stream on your shelves.

This cuts across age groups. Yes, there are those of us old enough to remember vinyl and cassettes the first time around, but Gen Z is also discovering the joy of cassettes. (It helps that they're much more affordable than vinyl.) As Sound Records' owner Gareth Simon told us earlier this year: "The kids have figured it all out – they see vinyl as a way to express their interests in a physical form."

I recently used the Gadhouse Miko Bluetooth cassette player, and while I wasn't enamoured with the sound quality (especially over Bluetooth), I did get an undeniable thrill out of feeling the cassette turning inside the player. As I wrote at the time: "Seeing the cassette's spokes revolve, and feeling the player's mechanism at work in your hand, makes it feel alive in a way that a solid-state device never will. It connects you to the medium as a physical thing, rather than a bunch of ones and zeroes flying through the air."

4. The nostalgia element

I'm not alone in feeling this nostalgic thrill. Whenever I told anyone I was trying out a portable cassette player that has Bluetooth, the reaction was the same: "Cool!" Or a slight variation thereon. Now admittedly these were all men of a certain age, but you get my point. Cassettes have made a comeback. And so should the Walkman.

Whether Sony should stuff it with mod cons like Bluetooth... sure, I mean, why not? As long as it sounds good. And if it can implement the mega bass feature of my childhood Sony WM-EX16, then even better.

But really this is about celebrating an iconic product that changed the face of portable music half a century ago. Make it so, Sony, and I'll get my pre-order in now.

MORE:

Sony Walkman turns 40: 6 things you didn't know about the iconic player

Feeling nostalgic? We Are Rewind's limited edition cassette player takes you back to the '80s

Is the cassette tape a viable hi-fi format in today's audio world? Discuss

Sony and B&W are two of the biggest names in the wireless headphones market, and with Sony recently launching its ultra-premium 1000X The Collexion headphones, there is little doubt that it had the B&W Px8 S2 squarely in its sights.

We’ve already put each of these headphones through their respective paces, with both gaining very respectable four-star reviews, but if you’re thinking of spending upwards of £550 / $800 on your next pair of headphones, where is your money best spent between the two?

We’ve put them head to head in a battle of the flagship wireless cans to help you decide – read on to find out which pair comes out on top.

Sony 1000X The Collexion vs Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2: price

We already know that these two pairs of headphones don’t come cheap – after all, they are the premium options in their brands’ respective wireless lineups.

However, the B&W Px8 S2 are still a chunk of change more expensive than their Sony competitors at £629 / $799, compared with the Sony’s asking price of £550 / $650.

You probably aren’t considering either of these headphones if budget is a prime concern, but an £80 saving between the two is still not to be sniffed at. The win goes to the Sony The Collexion if you’re keen to save a bit of cash, but there are listeners who will find value in the extra outlay for the B&W. More on that below.

** Winner: Sony 1000X The Collexion **

Sony 1000X The Collexion vs Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2: design and comfort

There’s one big difference between the design of the 1000X The Collexion and the Px8 S2 which is likely to divide opinion, and that is their materials. Sony has chosen to play it safe with a faux leather across the earcups and headband, while B&W has decided to revert back to animal products for its premium line, and use Nappa leather.

There’s not a lot of difference in the feel of the two, and you probably wouldn’t know the Sonys weren’t leather, or vice versa, if we hadn’t mentioned it. Still, we’d say B&W’s over-ears edge it as the more premium-looking of the two, with their signature aluminium plates on the earcups and exposed cable design on the arms giving the classy cans a higher perceived value than the Sonys.

We also worry with the Sony 1000X The Collexion that their faux leather exterior can be prone to marking and scratches, something we found when trying out our test pair.

Sony uses aluminium on the arms and over the top of the headband for its rival over-ears. They still look smart and nicely finished, but are bulkier (even though they’ve been slimmed down compared with the WH-1000XM6) and are just a little plainer overall.

However, Sony gains back some points when it comes to actual wear. The Sonys are very comfortable, and put hardly any pressure onto the ears or the top of the head while listening. There is also a bigger space inside the earcups, so they are more accommodating to larger ears. They are actually a touch heavier than the Px8 S2, at 320g compared with B&W’s 310g, but you wouldn’t know that from wearing them.

The B&W Px8 S2 are by no means uncomfortable, but do offer a slightly snugger fit across the board, and that just makes you more aware of them during longer listens. This does make them feel a bit more secure than the Sonys, though, which can feel a touch unstable and prone to movement on smaller heads.

As for controls, the B&W Px8 S2 goes all in on physical buttons, while the Sony 1000X The Collexion offer a mixture of touch controls for playback and call control, alongside a couple of buttons for switching between sound modes and noise cancellation.

We did find the B&W controls slightly awkward to use at first, but it’s always a learning curve with any on-ear controls, so users might find themselves acclimatising over time. The touch controls on the Sony, conversely, are responsive and slightly easier to use on the go, and we would generally find their system preferable to the one found on their rivals.

It's a close run on this one, with plenty of positives – and indeed drawbacks – on both sides. Considering the use of leather could write the Bowers & Wilkins cans off for a whole section of listeners though, we’re going to label this one a draw.

** Winner: Draw **

Sony 1000X The Collexion vs Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2: features

Sony’s headphones tend to have some of the richest feature sets of any wireless headphones we test, and 1000X The Collexion are no different. The premium over-ears use Sony’s Sound Connect app, which is packed with ways to make the headphones sound your own.

As usual, alongside the standard noise cancellation and customisable ambient sound settings, Sony offers Adaptive Noise Cancelling mode, which can alter your noise cancellation level automatically depending on what you are doing. This has long been a great feature of established Sony headphones, such as the WH-1000XM6, and one we do find ourselves using pretty regularly.

Another useful feature is Scene-based Listening, which can have the headphones play music when the app detects you’re doing certain things, such as walking, running or on your commute home.

There are other features that we don’t turn to as often. There are now three spatial audio settings for ‘Music’, ‘Cinema’, and ‘Game’, plus a ‘Background Music’ setting for making your music sound like it’s playing in the distance – supposedly to better aid your concentration while working.

These are fun to play around with, and we did enjoy testing the ‘Cinema’ setting while watching movies, but we envision these will be ‘nice to haves’ rather than anything you’ll find ourselves using daily.

Bowers & Wilkins’ app is much more straightforward, with options for noise cancellation or ambient sound, the ability to turn on wear detection and a 5-band EQ. By comparison, Sony offers a 10-band offering (and a number of presets) on The Collexion. There’s no spatial audio support on the Px8 S2 either, nor is there Bluetooth LE as there is on The Collexion, though there have been promises for these in the future via a firmware update.

Both headphones support the standard SBC and AAC codecs, as well as higher-quality codecs for compatible devices – that’s LDAC for the Sony 1000X and aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive for the B&W Px8 S2.

B&W’s Px8 S2 do grant the better battery life at 30 hours with ANC on, compared with the Sony 1000X’s 24 hours, the latter of which feels a little stingy.

Still, for the pure amount of features offered on the Sonys, they take the win here.

** Winner: Sony 1000X The Collexion **

Sony 1000X The Collexion vs Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2: ANC and voice calls

Sony’s over-ear headphones have offered some of the very best noise cancelling you can buy for some time, and although Sony has said sound quality has taken precedence over the very best ANC here, it’s still really good.

The 1000X use the same QN3 chip and 12-mic array as found in the WH-1000XM6, and we find they do a great job of suppressing noise throughout the frequencies.

The noise cancelling on B&W’s Px8 S2 is a little disappointing by comparison. They still block out a good chunk of background whirrs and rumbles, but higher frequency noises are more prone to cutting through – much more than we notice on the Sonys. We imagine that’s at least in some part down to the fact the B&W have four mics fewer than the Sony, offering eight in total.

Call quality is good across both pairs, with a decent level of noise reduction and callers sounding clear and detailed. Our callers largely reported the same, though they did say there was more richness to our voice through the B&W Px8 S2, with the Sony cans sounding ever so slightly thinner.

Overall, the better noise cancelling on the Sony 1000X The Collexion is the biggest win here, so we’re giving this one to them.

** Winner: Sony 1000X The Collexion **

Sony 1000X The Collexion vs Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2: sound quality

Behind both of these headphones’ respective performances are optimised drivers that were created especially for them. The 1000X The Collexion use a bespoke carbon composite 30mm drive unit, adapted from the one found in the WH-1000XM6, with a soft edge and hard centre.

The Px8 S2 uses a new 40mm carbon cone driver, also adapted to have a stiffer chassis, alongside a new motor system and voice coil.

The Sony 1000X exist to deliver a performance worthy of a 10^th birthday celebration, promising more refinement, detail and maturity compared with the standard XM6 – and they do live up to that promise. They have a wide open presentation, excellent detail levels and incredible clarity and insight, all complemented by a powerful yet controlled low end.

To be fair, all of that can also be said of the B&W Px8 S2, but we are particularly impressed with their handling of low frequencies, with plenty of power and authority in the bass. In our review, we also highlighted how engaging they are when listening to Keane's Everybody's Changing, writing: “The rise and fall in dynamics is handled superbly. The instruments deliver enthusiasm and life but the Bowers also communicate the tinge of sadness that comes from the lyrics".

While there’s a greater sense of scale on the 1000X over the B&W Px8 S2, it’s how these headphones make us feel that is perhaps the biggest difference between the two – and it’s here that the Sonys fall down.

The Sony 1000X simply aren’t as explicit or dynamic as we’d like, which makes them sound more removed and ultimately not as engaging as the B&W.

In our review, we described them as “standoffish”, and said that they “trade off some of that signature expressiveness we’ve heard in other Sony headphones for greater openness and detail, something that reduces the extent to which we feel truly involved with our music”.

In absolute terms, that means the Px8 S2 are just more interesting to listen to long-term, and we feel more emotionally connected to our music when we are listening to them. For that, they take the win.

** Winner: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 **

Sony 1000X The Collexion vs Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2: verdict

If you’re considering spending this much money on a pair of headphones, you want to make sure you’re spending wisely. Thankfully there are clear winners across our categories, and which pair you ultimately pick will depend on your given priorities.

The B&W are the more expensive, but they do at least justify this by being the more premium feeling of the two. The compromises here are that they come with minimal features for customisation and good-but-not-great noise cancelling, all of which is worth considering if you like your headphones to be the complete package.

For those who are looking for more in those aforementioned areas, the Sony 1000X The Collexion make a solid case for themselves, thanks to their decent build and handsome feature set.

This is backed up by a spacious, detail-rich sound – plus they’re a bit cheaper. Yet for the better sound quality of the two, we recommend the B&W Px8 S2 for their rich, detailed and more engaging personality.

** Overall winner: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 **

MORE:

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs 1000X The Collexion: which premium wireless headphones should you pick?

Apple AirPods Max 2 vs AirPods Max: what are the differences?

The best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy

Welcome to Rewind, the weekly column where we sum up all the latest big (and small) developments in the worlds of hi-fi and home cinema.

This week, our team was particularly busy. First, our senior staff writer visited Denon and Marantz in Japan to check out the companies’ reference systems.

Then, back home, our reviewers were hard at work testing Sony’s new premium wireless headphones.

Here’s what you need to know.

Denon and Marantz’s reference system is pretty amazing

Denon and Marantz are two big names in home audio. The two are behind some of the top hardware that we still use as reference equipment in our review rooms.

Which is why our senior staff writer took the time to check out the firms’ reference systems while visiting their HQ in Japan. Combining more than £200,000 of hardware and fitted in a bespoke room, it was quite the experience.

Read the full story: Denon and Marantz took me to hi-fi and home cinema heaven with its £200,000 reference system, and it sounded out of this world

Is reel-to-reel making a comeback?

Reel-to-reel has never been “mainstream” in the way vinyl, CD or tape has. But that hasn’t stopped it from getting its own retro-revival.

Throw a stone in audiophile circles, and you are quite likely to hit at least one enthusiast who swears by it or is at least interested in the format.

Eager to understand the appeal, last week our regular contributor, Joe Svetlik, took the time to talk to some of the enthusiasts, manufacturers and record labels fueling the format’s resurgence.

Read the full story: Forget vinyl, reel-to-reel tapes are the last word in sound quality – and they’re making a comeback

We tested the Sony 1000X The Collexion

Sony’s wireless headphones have been on a winning streak for a while. Jump to our current What Hi-Fi? Award-winners list, and you’ll see plenty of examples proving that point.

Because of this, we were excited to review its new 1000X The Collexion wireless over-ears last week. Sitting above their five-star Sony WH-1000XM6 siblings, The Collexion are direct rivals to the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2, Dali IO-8 and Focal Bathys.

They feature a completely new design and bespoke carbon-fibre 30mm drive unit, and Sony is pitching them as its most premium and refined wireless offering to date.

There is undeniably some truth to that boast, with The Collexion offering a spacious, open and mature sound with exceptional levels of textural detail. But, they didn’t quite deliver in one key area we care about: fun.

Read our in-depth Sony 1000X The Collexion review

Naim’s NAC 552 / NAP 500 DR impressed our reviewers

Last week, we tested the latest generation of the Naim NAC 552 / NAP 500 DR. The original version of the set-up launched around 25 years ago, and while the latest iteration looks similar, Naim has been making subtle refinements to it over the years.

This latest version in our test room, then, is a fairly different beast from the original. It’s also why this remains a stellar option for serious hi-fi fans looking for a premium amplification solution to drive their high-end setup.

Though they require careful partnering – as the combination is ruthless with its ability to expose components’ flaws – when matched properly the results are excellent. As we say in our NAC 552 / NAP 500 DR review:

“The Naim NAC 552/NAP 500 DR pairing remains an exceptional performer and is up there with the best we have heard at this level. Highly recommended.”

Read our in-depth Naim NAC 552 / NAP 500 DR review

The inside skinny on turntable design

What makes a great turntable? It’s a tricky question that engineers and members of our reviews team have spent entire careers trying to answer.

Last week, our deputy editor, Andy Madden, took up the challenge, interviewing some of the top names in turntable design on the topic. And, as is often the case with hi-fi, the answer, if you could even call it that, is incredibly complicated…

Read the full story: “The tiniest difference in a component can significantly change the sound” – hi-fi engineers discuss the subtle art of turntable design

MORE:

These are the best stereo amplifiers we have tested

We rank the best turntables for vinyl fans

Our picks of the best AVRs

The Sony WH-1000XM6 have been the brand's most premium wireless headphones for the last couple of years, with the flagship, What Hi-Fi? Award-winning pair our firm recommendation as the most entertaining wireless headphones around.

There is now a fresh pair of premium Sony over-ears in town, with Sony marking 10 years of its 1000X wireless line with a completely new addition: the Sony 1000X The Collexion over-ears, which offers a distinct sound, design philosophy and materials from the XM6, and all for a significantly higher asking price, too.

We can predict your next question already: is the WH-1000XM6 still the best pair to go for if you want stellar Sony performance in the upper echelons of the wireless headphones market? Or do the new 1000X The Collexion offer a better performance for their higher price?

To answer those queries, we've broken everything down so that you can see how the two overlap, where they differ and, crucially, which is the right pair for you.

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs 1000X The Collexion: price

The Sony WH-1000XM6 are priced at £400 / $450 / AU$699, although discounts will often knock up that official RRP down a little during sales events.

The 1000X The Collexion will set you back £550 / $650, making them the costliest wireless Sony headphones yet, and the closest that Sony has ever come to operating within the more rarefied area of the market currently occupied by the likes of the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 (£629 / $799) or the Focal Bathys (£699 / $799).

£150 / $200 is quite a considerable jump to The Collexion from the WH-1000XM6, so if you're keen to save quite a few pennies, it's the What Hi-Fi? XM6 Award-winners we'd pick for outright value.

**Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6 **

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs 1000X The Collexion: design and comfort

Considering that what we have here are two premium pairs of Sony headphones, you'd be within your rights to assume that they would be cut from a very similar aesthetic cloth.

You would, however, be misguided, because design-wise, there's plenty to distinguish one pair from the other.

Externally, the 1000X The Collexion are classier cans, with a clean, minimalist exterior and oval earcups adorned with a few metallic physical buttons on the left cup. Think of a slightly more prestige spin on the look of the Sonos Ace and you'll be in the right sort of ballpark.

Everything on the 1000X The Collexion is made either from metal or faux leather, contrasting with the predominantly plastic construction of the XM6. The latter don't have the same premium look or feel as a result, but their smoother edges are less susceptible to marks and scratches than the faux leather surfaces found on The Collexion cans.

We sense that the more expensive The Collexion over-ears are designed as much to be admired as listened to, whereas the WH-1000XM6 feel more durable and practical for day-to-day portable use. That said, neither set have an official IP waterproof rating, so we'd urge you to be cautious when taking either out in wet weather.

Still, the XM6 fold away completely, something their more premium stablemates can't do, and offer a lighter overall weight: 254g against the 312g of their counterparts.

That light weight makes the XM6 a pleasure to live with, with a nicely judged clamping force and firm-yet-forgiving earpads rarely putting our our ears under any undue strain or causing excess overheating over time.

In fairness to The Collexion, they're still comfortable and easy to wear, even with their slightly greater mass. The headphones' slimmer profile does help to mitigate their on-head weight somewhat, with the width of the earcups measuring around 40mm from inside to out, compared with the 45.4mm of the WH-1000XM6. However, some members of our review team found The Collexion didn't clamp over their head as snugly as the XM6 do.

Both over-ears use a predominantly touch-based control system accompanied by a few on-unit buttons. In both cases, haptics are expertly implemented, responding quickly and effectively to our commands and offering ample levels of control customisation via the Sony SoundConnect app.

The 1000X The Collection sport the more luxurious, premium aesthetic, but if you want a pair of headphones capable of surviving the rigours of everyday use, the WH-1000XM6 are the ones to pick.

**Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6**

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs 1000X The Collexion: features

There's not much to choose between our rivals here, with both sets of wireless cans offering generous, high-performing features to keep you satisfied beyond the bounds of mere sound. There are, however, some key distinctions to be aware of.

If you’re a fan of spatial audio, both offer support for Sony’s ‘360 Reality Audio Upmix’ tech. This comes in the form of a ‘Cinema’ mode for the XM6, expanding out to 'Music' and ‘Game’ iterations with The Collexion. Those settings add varying degrees of spatial processing depending on your content, and we find that they grant you a more open, immersive experience as a result.

Both the 1000X The Collexion and the XM6 support standard SBC and AAC codecs alongside higher-quality LDAC for streaming hi-res music at higher data rates over Bluetooth from a compatible source device.

You can listen to either set via a wired connection thanks to an included 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable, though note that your headphones will have to be switched on to do so. Be aware, however, that there's no wired listening via USB-C on either set; the USB-C port is for charging only.

Sony’s Speak-To-Chat feature, which drops the volume level when you start talking, is available on both, though we found that, with the 1000X The Collexion in particular, the headphones can often confuse human speech with other sounds. If you don’t want your cans to keep cutting out every few minutes, you can turn Speak-to-Chat off via the companion Sound Connect app.

That app, by the way, is the one you'll be using for both pairs. No, it doesn't exactly look particularly swanky, but what you do get with the Sound Connect platform is excellent customisation for your headphones. From a ten-band equaliser to touch control personalisation, Sony does a fine job of ensuring you can enjoy your cans your way.

Both headphones offer some form of Sony's DSEE digital upscaling tech, although the given flavour depends on how much you're spending.

The more affordable WH-1000XM6 support DSEE Extreme to help improve poor-quality digital audio files to near high-res quality, but The Collexion take things a step further with DSEE Ultimate. Essentially an even more powerful iteration of Sony's patented software, The Collexion are the first Sony wireless over-ears to make use of the tech.

Battery life is the one area where The Collexion headphones fall behind, with 24 hours on offer with ANC switched on (extending to 32 hours with ANC off). You'll get a fair bit more from the XM6, which offers 30 hours of playtime with ANC turned on.

**Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6**

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs 1000X The Collexion: ANC & call quality

These are two areas where we can't see either Sony pair letting you down. That's not to say both are identical, but we're dealing with very capable operators when it comes to voice calls and ANC.

The WH-1000XM6 feature 12 microphones in total, with six on each earcup bolstered by various noise cancelling algorithms and an adaptive noise cancelling optimiser which constantly adapts to changes in your environment as you’re moving around.

Across noise cancelling and voice calls, the XM6 are superb. ANC is natural and immensely effective, damping down bass and midrange rumblings with ease, and while some might prefer the cocoon of isolation provided by the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), the Sony cans' natural, subtle handling of external sounds really is up there with the best.

Voice calls are similarly outstanding. Three exterior mics with beamforming AI concentrate audio on your voice, resulting in precise, natural-sounding conversations which all-but entirely shut out background noise.

While Sony warned us that noise cancelling wasn’t such a focus for The Collexion as it was for the WH-1000XM6, the costlier cans are still very good in this particular arena. Much of the same tech from their established siblings is on-hand, including a QN3 processing chip and 12 mics to capture surrounding noise.

The Collexion do a fine job of suppressing noise throughout the frequencies, and while you might get the slightest hint of a shrill bird tweet just about breaking through that barrier, middle and lower range sounds are filtered out nicely. It isn't quite as effective as the XM6's noise-cancelling talents, but it still works at a reasonably high level.

Call quality is excellent, too. The Collexion house six beamforming mics complemented by a wind noise reduction structure for enhanced vocal clarity and reduced external sonic intrusions, with voices coming through as clear, articulate and emotive.

Background sounds, meanwhile, rarely intrude on our conversations, even in rough weather or near to rumbling traffic.

Great showings from both, but the WH-1000XM6 have the edge here thanks to their top-notch ANC.

**Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6**

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs 1000X The Collexion: sound quality

Dispel the notion that, because these are both premium Sony headphones, they're going to sound all but the same. Quite the contrary: the XM6 and The Collexion are from the same family, but they take different approaches to how they deliver music to your ears.

Okay, there are some core similarities. Both are hugely detail-rich, teasing out lavish helpings of textural detail and providing instruments with ample body and clearly defined leading edges. Both trade heavily in sonic precision thanks to how sharply they draw out each note, and both have sufficient punch and power to lend proper grunt to their excellent levels of insight.

Listen a little more, though, and the differences become clear. The Sony WH-1000XM6 boast excellent detail and clarity, yes, but they're also irrepressibly entertaining to listen to. They're not quite as fun-focused as some of their predecessors (see the super-punchy WH-1000XM4), but their authority, spark and fantastic sense of rhythmic drive still make listening a joy.

In fact, the XM6 strike a marvellous sonic balance. To quote from our review: "You get to enjoy every element individually, but it all gels together cohesively. The undercurrent of piano, the rumble of the drums, the strings and the texture of the subtly bellowing bass notes in the soundfield all combine to draw you in."

Sony's established Award-winners are great at bringing out the essence of the tracks you feed them, switching gears intuitively depending on the mood and feel of the music being played. Quiet ballads have genuine intimacy and refinement, yet when the time comes to switch gears and swing for the fences, the WH-1000XM6 are more than capable of bringing the metaphorical thunder.

The new 1000X Collexion, on the other hand, are more even handed in their approach, opting for a slightly removed, stepped-back presentation which, while not necessarily as thrilling, allows you to see the big picture as your music plays.

The more premium Collexion trade primarily in spaciousness, detail and clarity, with a cinematic sound that really delivers when you want to sit back and see tracks laid out before you with the utmost precision.

They're immensely well-organised, too – play Massive Attack’s Atlas Air and you'll feel the full force and punch of the tune’s full-blooded drum hits, and while the bass is separated from the overlaid synth sounds above, it's never to the extent that the composition lacks a sense of cohesion between the frequencies.

Such a gratifyingly composed approach does have its drawbacks, though. As we said in our review: "These Sonys really are impressive performers, but they appeal more to the head than to the heart, trading off some of that signature Sony expressiveness for greater openness and detail, something that reduces the extent to which we feel truly involved with our music.

"Talented as they are, there’s something slightly removed, almost standoffish, about their reproduction".

The Collexion's sound unquestionably has its place, especially if you're all about picking your music apart and analysing those nitty gritty details, but they don't have the verve and natural musicality of the XM6.

In straddling the line between analysis and entertainment, the WH-1000XM6 are incredibly hard to beat, and sound-wise, are the headphones we'd recommend to most of the people, most of the time.

**Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6**

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs 1000X The Collexion: verdict

There’s much to admire about Sony’s 1000X The Collexion over-ears.

We can see the poised, detailed and more open sound appealing to some listeners, along with their classy build quality, but they aren’t quite the across-the-board success we might have hoped for at this higher price.

As a more well-rounded set of headphones, the WH-1000XM6 do everything so well that they don't have any real blind spots, and while they don't sound as refined or analytical as the 1000X The Collexion, their spark, punch and overall musicality make them the more entertaining of the two.

If we had to pick a 'one-size-fits-all' pair, it would be the more practical, durable and entertaining-sounding WH-1000XM6.

**Overall winner: Sony WH-1000XM6**

MORE:

Read our full Sony WH-1000XM6 review

And our 1000X The Collexion review

Apple AirPods Max 2 vs AirPods Max: what are the differences?

The best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy

Stop what you’re doing – there’s a new pair of Sony wireless headphones in town.

The 1000X range has been Sony’s flagship wireless series for a whole decade, and the brand has decided to mark this anniversary with a completely new addition to its established line-up: the Sony 1000X The Collexion over-ears.

These may be ‘celebratory’ headphones, but think of The Collexion as a fully fledged product in their own right, rather than a limited edition one-off designed for the sake of novelty or sentimentality. These are headphones which exist separately from Sony's WH-1000XM6 – with their own unique sound, design philosophy and materials – and sit comfortably above their stablemates in price.

In fact, Sony has focused on sound above all else for The Collexion cans, for what it has dubbed “the best sounding headphones we’ve ever made”. When you consider some of the absolute gems the Japanese brand has produced in the past few years, that’s a mouthwatering claim. We’d be letting you down if we didn’t give them a listen…

Price

While the 1000X series has always remained a decidedly premium line, Sony had always resisted the urge to move up into the sort of ‘high-end’ territory occupied by the likes of the the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 (£629 / $799) and the Focal Bathys (£699 / $799), but with the 1000X The Collexion clocking in at £550 / $650, these are the closest Sony has ever come to operating within that more rarefied area of the market.

With the B&W and Focal rivals above them, the new Sonys have the likes of the Apple AirPods Max 2 (£499 / $549) and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) (£449 / $449 / AU$700) sitting just below.

If you need reminding, the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Sony WH-1000XM6 are priced at around £400 / $450 / AU$699, even if discounts are now knocking a few pounds or dollars off that RRP, while the five-star rival Sennheiser HDB 630 will set you back around £400 / $500 / AU$1000.

Build & comfort

Get hold of a pair of Sony’s latest and, if you squint your eyes a little, you might be fooled into thinking that you’d picked up a pair of Sonos Ace instead. The Sonys have the same clean, minimalist exterior as the Ace, as well as similarly designed oval earcups adorned with a few metallic physical buttons on the left earcup.

Sony’s engineers describe 1000X The Collexion as a pair of cans that should both look good and make you feel good when you wear them, and for the most part, that aim has been achieved. Everything on The Collexion is made either from metal or faux leather, with a nicely padded headband designed to spread pressure evenly for extended user comfort and slightly firmer ear padding than found on the WH-1000XM6.

We don’t have an issue with the look or feel of the faux leather, though our test pair are more susceptible to marks and stains than the smooth plastic of most of Sony’s other headphones. That faux material adorns pretty much the whole exterior of the earcup, so grubby fingers, not to mention the rigours of everyday use, do end up making their mark after a time.

A slimmer profile does help to add lightness, though, with the width of the earcups measuring around 40mm from inside to out, compared with the 45.4mm of the WH-1000XM6.

That does make for an appreciably lightweight and unobtrusive wearing experience, and though The Collexion actually weigh more than their XM6 counterparts – 312g against 254g – rarely do we feel that extra weight.

Some of our testers did experience some rocking and instability from the earcups when walking from place to place, but if you’re stationary, the new Sonys often simply melt away into obscurity as you forget you’ve got a pair plonked on your head at all.

While there are a few physical buttons to be found, touch controls are the main way of controlling your Sony over-ears. They work as well as you’d expect, responding quickly and effectively to our various commands, with ample levels of control customisation available via the useful Sony SoundConnect app.

Unlike the XM6 over-ears or the Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), these aren’t headphones which fold up into a ball, but their flattened profile and accompanying carry case – with its hollowed-out handle putting us in mind of a small handbag – mean they’re still relatively portable.

Features

Sony has very much positioned its new premium cans as sound-first headphones, but the 1000X The Collexion’s feature set matches the same generous level as that found on the do-it-all WH-1000XM6.

Battery life clocks in at around 32 hours with ANC off and roughly 24 hours with noise cancelling switched on, and while that’s down from the 30-or-so hours of the WH-1000XM6, it’s still a reasonable lifespan. The AirPods Max 2 only manage around 20 hours, although the Sennheiser HDB 630 are streets ahead with a whopping 60 hours with noise cancelling in play.

If you’re a fan of spatial audio, you get three versions of Sony’s ‘360 Reality Audio Upmix’ tech – ‘Music’, ‘Cinema’ and ‘Game’ – each of which add varying degrees of spatial processing depending on the media content. They’re fun modes to play around with, and we particularly enjoy the more immersive ‘Cinema’ setting which just about lives up to its billing by providing a more open, cinematic experience when watching movies.

On the subject of signal processing, these are the first Sony headphones to make use of its DSEE Ultimate tech for improving lower-quality digital audio files. In the app, you also get access to a 10-band equaliser for tweaking the sound alongside several simple presets, or you can deploy ‘Background Music’ mode to make it seem as though your tunes were playing in the distance to better aid your concentration.

The 1000X The Collexion support standard SBC and AAC codecs alongside higher-quality LDAC – which lets you stream hi-res music at higher data rates over Bluetooth from a compatible source device, such as Sony’s latest smartphones. Bluetooth LE Audio is also on board for lower power consumption and better-quality sound. You can also listen to the Sony headphones wired, thanks to the included 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable, though note that the headphones will have to be powered on when listening through a physical connection.

Sony’s Speak-To-Chat feature, which drops the volume level when you start talking, also returns, though we’d caution that the headphones can often confuse human speech with other sounds, particularly wind. If you don’t want your cans to keep cutting out every few minutes, we’d suggest switching Speak-to-Chat off when you’re outdoors and it’s a bit blustery.

ANC & call quality

While Sony has warned that noise cancelling wasn’t as much of a focus for The Collexion as it was for the WH-1000XM6, it’s still operating at a decidedly high level. Much of the same tech from the XM6 is on-hand here, including the QN3 chip and a total of 12 mics to capture and monitor surrounding noise.

When working in full noise-cancelling mode, Sony’s latest over-ears do an excellent job of suppressing noise throughout the frequencies, and while you might get the slightest hint of a shrill bird tweet just about breaking through that barrier, middle and lower range frequencies are filtered out expertly. The ANC quality on the WH-1000XM6 is still Sony’s best, but it’s very unlikely that you’ll feel short-changed by the noise cancelling on offer with The Collexion.

Call quality is excellent, too. The Collexion house six beamforming mics complemented by a wind noise reduction structure for enhanced vocal clarity and reduced external sonic intrusions, and it really pays off. Voices are clear, articulate and emotive, while background sounds rarely, if ever, intrude on our conversation as we stand next to a busy motorway on a decidedly blustery day.

Sound

Let’s reiterate what we mentioned in our introduction – the 1000X The Collexion are distinct headphones in their own right, with a sound, says Sony, which prioritises refinement, detail and maturity over the punchier, more flavoured personality of the WH-1000XM6.

To achieve this, The Collexion headphones feature a bespoke carbon composite 30mm drive unit, constructed using soft edging and a hard centre in pursuit of an “exceptional frequency response”. Sound has been optimised using a low-phase noise crystal oscillator, while premium components and circuitry, including advanced gold-containing solder, aim for an improved signal to noise ratio to reveal finer musical details and offer a wider soundstage.

That’s a lot of tech under hood, but how does that translate to the real-life listening experience?

Well, in many ways, the Sony 1000X The Collexion do live up to their billing. Just as described by Sony, they’re headphones that deal primarily in spaciousness and clarity, qualities which suffuse nigh-on every track as we bounce from Max Richter’s Never Goodbye to Radiohead’s Everything In Its Right Place.

That latter track sounds particularly good – The Collexion’s wide, open presentation grants the track a broad canvas on which to play, like an epic drama unfolding on a lovely big widescreen TV.

Detail levels are excellent, and when you have a pair of over-ears that offer clarity, textural insight and spaciousness to this extent, it’s hard not to be impressed. The elegiac strings on Never Goodbye are rich and mournful, while the piano on Debussy’s austere Sarabande strikes a wonderful balance between rich intent and subtle delicacy.

For all of their openness and delicacy, the Sonys don’t lack musical muscle. Think of them as being like a pro ballerina – nimble and graceful, yes, but strong and immensely robust when the time calls for it. It’s a nice balance to have, all aided by a deep, powerful yet controlled lower-end reproduction.

Bass tones are expertly handled, something that really comes across when we load up Massive Attack’s Atlas Air and feel the full force and punch of the tune’s full-blooded drum hits. That bass is nicely separated from the overlaid synth sounds working away above, yet not to the extent that the composition starts to lack any sense of cohesion between frequencies.

These premium Sony headphones really are impressive performers in so many aspects, but they appeal more to the head than to the heart. They certainly trade off some of that signature expressiveness we’ve heard in other Sony headphones for greater openness and detail, something that reduces the extent to which we feel truly involved with our music. Talented as they are, there’s something slightly removed, almost standoffish, about their reproduction.

That’s not something of which we’d accuse the outstanding, and cheaper, Sennheiser HDB 630. The Sennheisers have a more natural fluidity, especially with how they handle dynamic shifts, which makes them a more engaging listen. For us, the Sennheisers seem to strike that balance between naturalness, entertainment and analysis a touch more acutely than the Sonys.

Their rather aloof personality also robs the Sony cans of some of their intimacy. Listen to the first 30 seconds of Black Veil Brides’ Saviour II, and there’s a greater feeling of closeness to the opening guitar and vocal lead when listening via the costlier Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2. When the track opens up as the chorus hits, however, The Collexion show their hand, allowing it to blossom and reveal its gothic grandeur with more scale than the rival B&W cans.

Verdict

There’s much to admire about Sony’s 1000X The Collexion over-ears. It’s impossible to ignore their poised, detail-rich performance, while that ample feature set and classy construction make them tough to resist.

There is a ‘but’, however. In pursuing a particular sonic signature – namely, one that goes after scale, detail and clarity – it’s hard not to feel as though Sony has slightly thrown the baby out with the bathwater.

Yes, these are seriously talented performers, but deep down, they feel like headphones which were built to impress rather than entertain. As a result, we find ourselves admiring them rather than completely falling in love.

Review published: 19th May 2026

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Sony WH-1000XM6

Also consider the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2

Read our Sennheiser HDB 630 review

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs 1000X The Collexion: which premium wireless headphones should you pick?

Best wireless headphones reviewed and rated by our in-house experts

After weeks of teasing, Sony's new premium over-ears, the 1000X The Collexion, have officially launched, and they have one simple aim: to be the best-sounding wireless headphones the company has ever produced.

That's a tall order considering this is the brand which, in recent years, has given us the Sony WH-CH720N, WH-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM6 Award-winners, not to mention a raft of class-leading wireless earbuds.

The Collexion have been released to celebrate 10 years of the 1000X line, and sit above the WH-1000XM6 as the brand's new range-topping headphones. While these may be ‘celebratory’ headphones, they're a fully fledged product in their own right, not a limited edition one-off model.

The new over-ears feature a bespoke carbon fibre 30mm drive unit, constructed using soft edging and a hard centre in pursuit of an “exceptional frequency response”. Sound has been optimised using Sony’s Walkman technology and a low phase noise crystal oscillator, while premium components and circuitry shoot for an improved signal to noise ratio to reveal exceptional levels of detail and provide a wide, open soundstage.

The 1000X The Collexion support standard SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs alongside higher-quality LDAC if you have a compatible source device – most recent Sony smartphones should do the trick.

These are the first Sony headphones to make use of DSEE Ultimate for improving lower-quality digital audio files, while three flavours of Sony’s ‘360 Reality Audio Upmix’ tech – ‘Music’, ‘Cinema’ and ‘Game’ – are available for adding spatial audio processing to your content.

Battery life clocks in at around 32 hours with ANC off and 24 hours with noise cancelling switched on, which is a little less than the 30-or-so hours (ANC on) of the WH-1000XM6.

While Sony has warned that noise cancelling isn't such a focus for The Collexion as it is the WH-1000XM6, the pricier cans share much of the same tech as their Award-winning siblings, including Sony's QN3 processing chip and 12 built-in microphones to monitor surrounding noise.

Pretty much everything on the new headphones is made using either stainless steel or faux leather, with The Collexion boasting a slimmer, lighter profile than the WH-1000XM6.

Unlike the XM6, however, they don't fold away – though you do get a carry case, complete with a hollowed-out handle, for taking your cans out and about.

The Sony 1000X The Collexion are available now in a choice of black or platinum finishes, priced at £550 / €630 / $650. Are these really the best sounding wireless headphones Sony has ever produced? Read our full 1000X The Collexion review now to find out.

MORE:

Check out our review of the Sennheiser HDB 630

Also consider the Sony WH-1000XM6

Best wireless headphones 2026: reviewed and rated by our in-house experts

Those Sony headphones have leaked again. But there are some clues that this leak was set up by none other than Sony itself.

The cans in question are the Sony WH-1000X The Collexion. This name was trademarked last summer, and has since leaked a couple of times. They look like a pricier take on the Sony WH-1000XM6 timed to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the Sony MDR-1000X launch.

Though as we'll see, they could actually be worse than the XM6 in one key area.

If you recognise the person wearing the new headphones, that's because he's an actor – none other than Damson Idris from the Apple TV movie F1.

When you consider this with the fact that the photos are very natural looking (dare one even say, posed?), it's all starting to look a bit like a plant.

These photos were posted by Complex Style on X, only for the official Sony Electronics account to reply with a 'eyes wide open' emoji. Which also seems suspicious – usually, companies try to play down leaks and rumours.

The Sony WH-1000X The Collexion have also been referred to as the Sony WH-1000XX and by the product code YY2998.

They're said to have the tagline 'Master the art of listening' and to come in white and black options, with active noise cancellation, the Mediatek MT2855 system on a chip and Sony's DSEE Ultimate tech. They're said to have metal hinges but do not fold.

At €629 (around £550 / $740 / AU$1000), they look like a more premium proposition than the XM6, but according to The Walkman Blog, they will only have 24 hours of battery life with ANC activated. That's far short of the XM6's 30 hours. Could it be a case of style over substance?

They're thought to launch on 19th May, so we should find out soon enough.

MORE:

The best Sony headphones around

The best wireless headphones from all brands

I wore the Sony XM6 for 10 hours on trains – here are my thoughts

Sony's next headphones have leaked. Last summer, Sony trademarked the name '1000X The Collexion', and now it seems its new pair of wireless over-ear headphones will be called just that.

That's according to Sony's websites in both Australia and New Zealand, The Walkman Blog reports. It would appear Sony accidentally posted a holding page for the new cans on both websites (which has since been removed).

While there were no photos, the name was revealed in a text description of what the missing image would be ("A man in a black coat stands against a brown gradient background, wearing white 1000X The Collexion headphones"). This is known as an alt-text, and is used to improve websites' ranking in internet search engine results.

The full product name is said to be WH-1000XX, which would be an over-ear model similar to the WH-1000XM6. The new model's name could be a reference to the Sony MDR-1000X, which launched 10 years ago this year (the extra 'X' could represent 10 in Roman numerals).

The tagline is "Master the art of listening".

Other details that have already leaked include the colour options (a black model will be available alongside the white), noise cancellation, the Mediatek MT2855 system on a chip, DSEE Ultimate and the fact they have metal hinges but do not fold.

They're also said to be made in Vietnam and to have a premium build quality. But it's the price that's raising eyebrows: €629 (around £550 / $740 / AU$1000) is much more expensive than the Sony WH-1000XM6 (which launched at £400 / $450 / AU$699). That suggests these will be much more than a mere special edition, and more likely a new flagship pair.

Could they be the first in a new range? They're said to launch on 19th May, so we should find out then.

MORE:

These are the best Sony headphones around

And the best wireless headphones of all stripes

Walking the Walk(man): a brief history of the portable music player

Some brands have trouble following up a successful product with an even better sequel, let alone doing it three or four times in a row, with each new model outperforming the previous one.

But that’s exactly what Sony’s achieved with multiple generations of flagship wireless earbuds as it now attempts to make it five in a row with the WF-1000XM6.

It’s a testament to the tech giant’s ability to evolve its earbuds over time, add new features, improve existing ones, and still keep improving where it matters most – sound quality – but in today’s market, there’s no shortage of competition for Sony to contend with.

Bose has always been there or thereabouts, Apple has upped its game in recent years and the recent emergence of Technics as best-in-class won’t make the job easy.

But if anyone can do it…

Price

The Sony WF-1000XM6 launched in February 2026 for £250 / $330 / AU$500. These figures are pretty much par for the course at this level, but given the older WF-1000XM5 cost £259 / $299 / AU$419 at launch, you’ll see it’s a mix of good and bad news depending on the territory.

It’s similarly mixed news when you see that the WF-1000XM6 are cheaper than the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) in the UK (£250 versus £299), but more expensive than the Bose in the US and Australia, where they cost $330 / AU$500 (versus $299 / AU$450).

The other big rival for the Sonys comes in the shape of the five-star and Award-winning Technics EAH-AZ100, which cost £259 / $299 / AU$499. The Technics dropped lower (£209) during Black Friday last year, and over Christmas, but at the time of writing, they are back to their normal price. We’d expect them to follow a similar pattern this year.

Will we see any discounts on the Sony WF-1000XM6? Given they’ve only just launched, we doubt there will be any immediate cuts. Potentially, during Prime Day or Black Friday you could see some money off, but any drops will only be temporary and won’t be huge.

Design & comfort

Sony has a habit of tweaking the design of its flagship earbuds with each iteration, and WF-1000XM6 is no different.

The first sign that things have changed is the wireless charging case, which is surprisingly bulkier and taller than the WF-1000XM5 case. Its rounded top and straight sides actually give us slight WF-1000XM3 vibes for those of you who remember Sony’s likeable third-generation earbuds.

The case does feel a little cheap, though, and we’re struggling to understand why it’s bigger than before. It's taller and wider than the slim case that comes with the Technics EAH-AZ100.

Flip the box open, and you’ll see the body of each earpiece is also a bit more, er, boxy, especially when you compare them to the more teardrop-shaped WF-1000XM5.

The rectangular shape is to accommodate an extra mic and help give room for the new ventilation structure (highlighted by the perforations on the underside of each earbud), which increases airflow within the device to reduce any internal noise you might hear generated from things like chewing or footsteps.

The WF-1000XM6 have also been designed to be more ergonomic and sit in the ear more comfortably – Sony claims this has partly been achieved by making them 11 per cent slimmer than the WF-1000XM5.

Inside each earbud, you’ll find an 8.4mm driver unit similar to the one used in the previous model, but the design has been tweaked so it now uses a ‘soft edge’ surround for greater bass performance, and also has a new fitting which makes it easier to squeeze into each earpiece.

The antenna used in the WF-1000XM6 is one-and-a-half times larger than the one used in XM5 and claims to allow for a more stable and solid connection.

During testing, we find this to be the case and don’t have any issues in crowded airports or train stations, where the headphones are competing with multiple wireless signals bouncing around.

WF-1000XM6 comes in two different finishes – black and platinum silver. Gone is the glossy, slightly slippery plastic of the older model, and instead, it’s been replaced by more of a matte feel.

We certainly find them easier to get to grips with, but it’s interesting to note that there are subtle differences between the new finishes too.

The black boasts a slightly smoother surface, while the platinum silver finish has more of a texture to it, which comes from, according to Sony, “added metal flakes and glass beads”.

Sony has chosen to stick with the same eartip material as the older model and the same sizes: extra small, small, medium and large.

We were hoping Sony might revisit the material or at least include an extra large eartip size to experiment with – a couple of members of our test team don’t feel quite as confident with the fit and seal as they do with rival models from Bose and Technics.

Sony does provide an air pressure fit test in its Sound Connect app, which gives you a tick if your fit/tip choice is isolating you properly.

After a few attempts, our fit gets the green light, and during long listening sessions, the WF-1000XM6 don’t feel uncomfortable, but everyone’s ears are different, so we always recommend trying them for yourself.

Features

Brand new for WF-1000XM6 is Sony’s third-gen HD Noise Cancelling processor QN3e. It’s the brains behind multiple elements of the earbud’s performance, from helping to control the mics and noise-cancelling to reducing the signal-to-noise ratio and improving the DAC performance.

The new model carries over the integrated processor V2 from the old model but it’s now capable of handling 32-bit processing, compared to 24-bit previously.

Sony’s DSEE Extreme processing is once again present and has been a mainstay for a couple of generations now. It helps improve the sound of low-quality music files, and if you do tend to listen to tracks that are compressed, even podcasts, we’d recommend having this switched on. In our experience, it does provide a subtle but audible uplift in sound quality.

The Sonys are IPX4 rated and also offer Multipoint Bluetooth so you can connect up to two devices simultaneously. Technics still has the edge here, though, as the EAH-AZ100 give you the option of hooking up to three devices at once.

Anyone who wants to tinker with the audio from their WF-1000XM6 earbuds can delve straight into Sony’s Sound Connect app. Here you’re given a wide range of customisation options, including a 10-band graphic equaliser which will help you fine-tune their performance.

Know the kind of sound you like, but don’t want to get your hands dirty playing with the manual EQ? You can use the Find Your Equaliser function, which takes you on a journey of different sonic signatures so you can settle on your favourite flavour.

The Sony app also give you other customisation options which include rearranging the functions of the touch controls (which, incidentally, work well and are responsive), optimising the earbuds for spatial audio, and altering the intensity of Sony’s Ambient Sound (transparency) mode when you’re out and about.

The mode gets a boost for the WF-1000XM6, and it’s impressive the amount of information the earbuds allow you to hear while they’re still in place, even if it does give voices a slightly processed edge when talking.

The same goes for the Quick Attention mode, which kicks in when you press and hold down on the left earbud. It lowers the volume so you can, say, hear an announcement that’s going on in the background.

• 6 settings you should immediately tackle on the Sony WF-1000XM6 wireless earbuds

Battery life

Battery life for the WF-1000XM6 comes in at eight hours, which we’d call solid but unspectacular for a flagship pair of earbuds. It’s longer than the six hours offered by the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) but two hours short of the ten you get from Technics EAH-AZ100 with noise-cancelling turned on.

We’re a little disappointed Sony hasn’t been able to stretch it out to nine or more, but it appears the new processor requires a little extra juice, which has prevented Sony from going for longer from a single charge.

You do get two extra full charges out of the wireless charging case, which makes for a total battery life of 24 hours.

ANC & call quality

As we’ve alluded to further up this page, Sony’s taken several steps to get the best noise-cancelling and call quality possible out of WF-1000XM6.

The addition of the new QN3e processor ups the computational power, and you’ve got four mics in each earbud, which work to isolate you from outside noise.

You’ve also got Adaptive NC Optimiser, which automatically adapts the ANC algorithm to your fit and for the environment you’re listening in.

And during testing, it certainly feels like the quality of ANC has been given a bump compared to the XM5, especially in the midrange and higher frequencies.

We took the Sonys on the London tube and on a couple of short-haul flights, and they impressed us with their consistency and ability to extract both low-frequency rumbles of carriages and aeroplane engines, but also more high-pitched screeches and whistles that crept into our environment.

It still doesn’t quite feel as intense as Bose’s ANC and the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) might still have the edge in blocking out low frequencies, but the gap between Sony and Bose is now as small as it’s ever been.

Like their ANC performance, Sony’s recent premium earbuds have performed strongly with regard to call quality, and the WF-1000XM6 continue this trend.

The AI beamforming, mixed with the bone conduction sensors, the presence of the extra mics and the wind noise reduction design all combine to great effect.

During testing, we find the Sonys do a great job subduing and minimising background noise, including tricky-to-handle wind noise – voices come through loud and clear with a great level of detail.

Sound

It’s great to have ANC and call quality that’s up to scratch, but where do the Sonys stand sonically?

Speaking to Sony at a press briefing for the WF-1000XM6, representatives told us to expect a more natural sound than the WF-1000XM5.

And during testing, it doesn’t take longer than a minute or two to hear that the new buds are quite a different beast.

There’s a newfound sense of natural warmth throughout the frequency range. But before you start getting worried that this is achieved at the expense of detail and insight, don’t be.

Everything that you expect to be present in a pair of flagship wireless earbuds is there: a fantastic sense of timing, an expressive midrange, weighty yet well-defined bass and crisp, nicely controlled highs. The Sonys cover all the bases and then some.

The WF-1000XM6 make the WF-1000XM5 sound lean and lacking substance in comparison. They also show the Bose up as being overblown and lacking sophistication and refinement.

Listen to the two, one after the other, the Bose sound like a blunt instrument compared to the Sonys, which dispatch not just lows, but also highs and mids with accuracy and razor-sharp precision.

But don’t think the Sonys deliver analysis at the expense of emotion, which can sometimes be the case with earbuds that just want to deconstruct the music. This is where their natural tone and superb sense of integration come into play.

The Sonys make instruments and vocals sound believable, just as if you were standing in the room getting a private performance.

Playing Tom Odell’s Black Friday, the Sonys give you a front row seat and reveal themselves as expert communicators. There’s delicacy and subtlety in spades, which helps the earbuds extract fantastic emotion and feeling from the track.

As fingers slide up the neck of the acoustic guitar, you can explicitly hear the little shifts in dynamics and the fine details in the gentle piano play, both of which mix beautifully with the sweeping strings that flow alongside both instruments.

The WF-1000XM6 capture and express the sadness and raw emotion in Odell’s voice superbly. They drag you in even further than the Technics EAH-AZ100, and make the Award-winners sound like they’re holding back dynamically. The Technics are still sweet-sounding, smooth and refined, but the Sonys give you a bit more insight into the music.

We switch to Dead Inside by Muse and the Sonys exhibit all the bass power and weight you could ask for, but it’s the way the notes are controlled and defined which really sets the Sonys apart from some of their rivals. They make the lows dispatched from the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) sound unkempt and overcooked.

There’s great depth to the bass notes and drum thwacks, but there’s also great agility. Notes don’t hang around longer than they need to, but they’re packed with texture and information and never feel like they’re telling you only half the story.

Add the Sony's newfound naturalness, and it brings the whole presentation together – the track sounds like a complete performance with no element too prominent or hidden away.

We finish off with Sugarhigh by King Unique, a slice of noughties dance music with a great mix of drum beats and percussion, and the Sonys’ rhythmic abilities come to the fore. The tribalistic drum beat drives the track along, and the XM6 dispatch it effortlessly.

As layers of electronica, percussion and drum machine come in from all angles, the Sonys keep a fine grip on all the different elements – the XM6 slot straight into a groove and never sound in danger of veering away from it.

Verdict

The premium wireless earbuds market has never been healthier, and your choices have never been wider and more varied.

But just when you thought Sony might be pulled back into the chasing pack, the WF-1000XM6 push the brand ahead again with a breathtaking all-round performance.

Sony might have changed the flavour of sound, but it’s all for the better with a natural tone that just connects with the listener, whatever track you care to throw at them. Dare we say, it’s benchmark-setting at the money…

Add noise-cancelling that’s up there with the very best, brilliant call quality and broad customisation options, and you’re left in no doubt the WF-1000XM6 are serious contenders.

Review published: 12th February 2026

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Comfort 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Technics EAH-AZ100

Also consider the Apple AirPods Pro 3 review

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs WF-1000XM5: which premium wireless earbuds are better?

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): which should you buy?

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Technics EAH-AZ100: which flagship wireless earbuds are better?

Best wireless earbuds: top pairs tested by our reviewers

Sony has trademarked '1000X The Collexion', which hints that new audio products are on the way.

The Walkman Blog spotted the trademark, which was filed in late June in both Japan and Canada. '1000X' refers to Sony's Award-winning range of wireless headphones, the latest of which are the WH-1000XM6 over-ears and WF-1000XM5 earbuds.

The WF-1000XM6 are expected to land this year, so this trademark could refer to a special edition model. But the trademark filing mentions other product categories too.

It reads: "Headphones; earphones; portable audio players; radios; loudspeakers; amplifiers; television receivers; telecommunication machines and apparatus."

So we could see a spinoff line of speakers or even Walkman personal music players that cash in on the well-respected 1000X name.

Which could be a smart move. Despite leading the field in wireless headphones of all styles and all price points, Sony is struggling to make a five-star Bluetooth speaker. Last year, its ULT Field 1 scored a respectable four stars, but the more recent ULT Field 3 only scored three in our reviews.

Obviously, we would rather Sony's speakers sounded better, but trading on the 1000X name could be a first step towards that.

But it could also refer to special edition models of the WF-1000XM5, WH-1000XM6 or forthcoming WF-1000XM6.

The WF-1000XM6 are rumoured to be in the final stage of testing, which suggests they could launch very soon. We're hoping for a more comfortable and secure fit, dynamic head tracking and a longer battery life, among other things.

MORE:

Sony WF-1000XM6: release date and price predictions, plus 6 features on our wishlist

The best wireless headphones

And the best Bluetooth speakers

Walking the Walk(man): a brief history of the portable music player

We love the Sony WF-C700N. These mid-rangers are among the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy, winning not only a What Hi-Fi? Award for two consecutive years, but the coveted Product of the Year gong for both years. That doesn't happen very often.

And now there's a sequel. The Sony WF-C710N promise more advanced noise cancellation and a better battery life, among other improvements. And having now thoroughly tested the WF-C710N earbuds, we can now give our definitive verdict on how they compare to their Award-winning predecessors.

The good news? Sony has managed to elevate the performance of its budget earbuds to another level. Read on to see how.

Sony WF-C710N vs WF-C700N: price

The WF-C700N launched in April 2023 for £100 / $120 / AU$200, but have since dropped much lower in price than that. You can snap up a pair for just £60 / $78 / AU$119 these days.

Thankfully, the new WF-C710N have the same launch price of £100 / $120 / AU$189 (that's actually slightly lower in Australia).

That's welcome for those looking for a great pair of affordable ANC earbuds. But bear in mind that with the C700N being end of life, more discounts are likely, so they could end up quite a bit cheaper than the new model.

**Winner: Sony WF-C700N**

Sony WF-C710N vs WF-C700N: design and comfort

The WF-C700N are sleek and compact, thanks to their 5mm driver, which is smaller than that used in some other Sony wireless earbuds.

They're comfy too. Just twist them and they slide into place. This makes them easy to use for long periods or while moving around a lot during exercise.

Like many other wireless earbuds, they attach to their charging case using magnets, so you don't have to be too exact in how you place them.

Your colour options are black, white, lavender and sage green.

The WF-C710N come in the same black and white finishes, but replace lavender and sage with pink and a transparent 'glass blue' that lets you see the innards. Which helps them stand out from the crowd.

We confess, we are a little bit in love with the glass blue finish. Just look at it!

The newer C710N buds feature touch controls, rather than the C700N's click buttons. The earbuds are also a little bigger and heavier than their predecessors, and noticeably so. The WF-C700N were some of the dinkiest earbuds we've tested, and the WF-C710N buds feel like a clear step up in size. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though – some users might find them easier to grip out of the case and manoeuvre into place.

The carry case is also a little chunkier than the C700N's. It immediately looks and feels bulkier, which hints at the improved battery capacity inside. The silicone eartips appear virtually identical to those used on the WF-C700N, and you get three sizes supplied in the box: XS, M and XL.

While the glass blue finish looks cool and fresh, giving you a peek at the inner workings, we'd recommend keeping an eye on how the plastics hold up over time. The transparent material feels nice and smooth, but scratches and scrapes could stand out, especially when they catch the light.

**Winner: Sony WF-C710N**

Sony WF-C710N vs WF-C700N: features, ANC, battery life

For a pair of the best cheap wireless earbuds, the WF-C700N have plenty of features.

They support the SBC and AAC codecs, but not the higher quality aptX or LDAC codecs. LDAC support doesn't seem to extend below the £100 / $100 mark, as it is reserved for the brand's premium WF-1000XM5 and sporty LinkBuds models.

Through Sony's Sound Connect app (previously called Headphones Connect), you can customise the button functions and choose to prioritise either sound quality or a more robust wireless connection.

It also lets you activate Sony DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) which upscales low-res digital audio files to higher quality.

Sony's Adaptive Sound Control feature lets the 'buds automatically switch listening modes depending on your location. You can connect to two devices and switch between them using Bluetooth Multipoint.

You also get Sony's Wind Noise Reduction Structure for silencing gales when you're on a call.

The WF-C710N offer all this and more.

One of the biggest improvements should be in noise cancellation. The 'buds feature dual noise sensor tech – with two mics in each bud, Sony is promising a significant improvement over the C700N.

We’re happy to report that in practice, these dual sensors do make a difference. You can hear the earbuds increase the intensity of the ANC and extract an extra layer or two of noise, especially in the lower mid and bass frequencies. While they're not as accomplished as more expensive rivals such as Sony's own flagship WF-1000XM5 model, the ANC on the WF-C710N is a definite step up from the WF-C700N.

Like their predecessors, they support Sony's 360 Reality Audio, but they also gain the wearer detection feature. This automatically pauses the music when you take the earbuds out of your ears and resumes when you pop them back in. In testing, this feature worked reliably, though there is a slight delay between pressing the touch control and the transparency mode fully activating.

Another big improvement is in battery life. The C710N last 8.5 hours from the buds, plus another 21.5 hours from the case, making a total battery life of 30 hours with ANC turned on. That's twice as long as the C700N's battery life – a welcome upgrade.

Turn off ANC, and that extends to 40 hours from a single charge. Impressive.

The C710N also promise to make calls clearer thanks to precise voice pick-up. This uses artificial intelligence (AI) to isolate your voice and filter out unwanted background noise. In our tests, this proved impressively effective – voices come through better defined and clearer, while background noise – including gentle gusts of wind – was suppressed noticeably better than on the C700N.

The touch controls on the C710N are also relatively hassle-free, with the slightly concave touch-sensitive surface helping to guide your finger into place. You can control volume, playback and sound modes, as well as activate your virtual assistant. However, we would prefer more customisation options, particularly for volume control – repeatedly tapping to adjust volume can feel a bit intrusive compared to the press-and-hold method used by some competitors.

The Sonys support Bluetooth 5.3 (the previous model was 5.2), and feature the same IPX4 water resistance rating as their predecessors, making them suitable for workouts and light rain. There's still no support for higher-quality LDAC codec, but the improved ANC quality and battery life are two huge green ticks in the C710N's favour.

**Winner: Sony WF-C710N**

Sony WF-C710N vs WF-C700N: sound

Having thoroughly tested the WF-C710N, we can happily confirm that Sony has managed to improve on the already excellent sound quality of the C700N.

The new model delivers a weight, solidity and fullness in the bass that makes the WF-C700N sound lightweight and a little top-heavy by comparison. Bass is tightly defined and punchy, with impressive weight that remains nicely balanced within the overall presentation.

Detail retrieval is also fantastic for earbuds at this price point. The WF-C710N extract an impressive amount of texture and definition across the frequency range, with crisp but not overcooked highs and natural, expressive midrange performance.

Sony's trademark musicality is present in spades too – the WF-C710N maintain excellent timing, and stay fleet-footed even when dealing with complex rhythmic patterns. They don't get bogged down in dense musical passages and maintain composure throughout.

The sonic performance too, has been notably enhanced. While the C700N were already impressive in the bass department, the C710N take this to another level with fuller, more controlled low frequencies while maintaining excellent detail throughout the frequency range.

That’s not to say that the C700N don’t sound fantastic. They would have to, to win the Product of the Year Award two years running. They're particularly impressive in the bass department, and the bass never overwhelms the sound. It's a solid presentation with a great sense of musicality. Their sense of timing and organisation is still very impressive, even in this esteemed new company.

Having said that, the newer WF-C710N build successfully on this Award-winning performance, delivering an even more refined, capable and balanced sound.

**Winner: Sony WF-C710N**

Sony WF-C710N vs WF-C700N: verdict

Better noise cancellation, longer battery life, added wearer detection, and the same winning design – the WF-C710N looked like a decent improvement on the multi-Award-winning C700N when they were first announced, and having thoroughly tested them, we can confirm that the improvements are meaningful across the board.

Sony has managed to elevate the performance of its budget earbuds to another level – the WF-C710N improve on their predecessors in several key areas, including ANC performance, call quality, and most importantly, sound quality.

While the earbuds and case are larger than before, Sony has wrapped it all up in an attractive package for the same price as the original model, which is seriously impressive. The transparent 'glass blue' finish also adds a distinctive visual appeal that will be attractive to many users.

If the C700N drop further in price, they could be the better buy, depending on your priorities. However, the C710N are the better all-round performer, and worth the investment if your budget stretches to their full retail price.

MORE:

Read our original Sony WF-C700N review

And the new five-star Sony WF-C710N review

Sony WF-C710N vs WF-C510: which wireless earbuds are better?

Check out the best cheap wireless headphones

There's been no shortage of activity lately at the higher end of the wireless headphone market, with the Apple AirPods Max 2, Sony 1000X The Collexion and Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless all being reviewed since we last updated this article. But that's not what we're here for.

Rather, we're dealing with the best cheap wireless headphones, and here there's been less movement. Not that that's a bad thing – the pairs on our list are all phenomenal for the money, so if any headphones are to take their place they'll certainly take some shifting.

While these pairs might be affordable, they're certainly not lacking in features. Many offer abilities that were once the preserve of pricier models, like active noise cancellation (ANC), ambient mode, equaliser presets, app controls and more.

Of course, they sound pretty amazing for the price too, otherwise they wouldn't be on this list.

We should know. We've tested each pair thoroughly, running them in to ensure we're hearing them at their best, and using them in a variety of situations with all different genres of music. We try all their features too, in order to make sure we're seeing – and hearing – everything they can do.

After extensive evaluation, we have given each of the below five stars in our reviews, and some have even won Awards. That's mighty impressive given they cost less than £100.

For more information about our testing process, check out our how we test section further down the page.

The best cheap wireless headphones we recommend in 2026

Best overall

If it's cheap wireless headphones you're after, Sony should be your first port of call.

True, the market has responded since Sony's clean sweep in the wireless headphones category at the 2023 What Hi-Fi? Awards, but Sony still featured heavily in the most recent Awards, especially in terms of budget pairs.

The jewel in its pound-shop crown? The WF-C510.

They replace the Award-winning WF-C500 in fitting style – the improvements are numerous, and significant. Crucially, they have a longer battery life, which is often one of the main compromises when a brand decides to slum it and launch a budget pair.

They also offer a new ambient mode, which allows in some outside sound to make you more aware of your surroundings. Which makes them unique, as that feature is usually only for pairs with active noise cancellation.

As you would expect, they do feel like their price would suggest. But then when that launch price is significantly lower than their predecessors, we can forgive it.

And they provide a snug, comfortable fit – combined with their IPX4 protection, they're ideal for sports use.

Bluetooth Multipoint lets them pair with two devices at once and switch seamlessly between them, so you can go from listening to music on your phone to a Zoom call on your laptop without faffing about with any re-pairing.

You can use each earbud independently of the other, too.

Thankfully Sony didn't just beef up the spec sheet and think 'That'll do'. It's improved the sound quality too.

You wouldn't expect an overly analytical performance from a pair costing this much, and that's not what you get. Rather, the C510 are fun, engaging and musical, but without sacrificing Sony's signature sound profile.

"You can tell the WF-C510 are part of the Sony family, such is their musicality and rhythmic ability – even complex pieces of music don't unravel and their sense of timing and ability to just get into the groove of a song works with any music you play through them," we wrote in our Sony WF-C510 review.

Compared to the C500, they're a little richer and fuller-bodied, which is why they won a What Hi-Fi? Award. Sony's storming run continues.

Read the full Sony WF-C510 review

• Back to the top ⤴

Best budget

All of the headphones on this list are quite cheap, but the Earfun Air are cheapest even by these standards. They're the most affordable headphones of any style that we can heartily recommend.

Before the Earfun Air, we had never awarded five stars to a set of proper budget wireless headphones – despite testing models from well-known and highly respected audio brands.

In the Air, this little-known company has produced a comfortable, nicely built set of headphones that also boast excellent battery life, wireless charging support and a should-cost-more presentation. In many ways, it showed what's possible from a budget pair, kickstarting the current trend for well-specced wireless headphones that cost very little.

"Fans of a grippy, energetic listen to get you through a workout will find much to enjoy here," we wrote in our Earfun Air review.

"While similar budget-friendly headphones can come off somewhat congested, here the design of the driver and earpiece (which doesn’t sit too far into the ear canal) allows for a pleasant and spacious presentation."

The Earfun Air buds have a waterproof IPX7 rating, so they can be submerged in up to a metre of water for up to 30 minutes, and an impressively long battery life of 35 hours.

There are also touch controls and in-ear detection tech to pause playback when you remove them.

If you’re after dirt-cheap wireless headphones for casual listening, the Earfun Air could just be the ideal proposition.

Read the full Earfun Air review

• Back to the top ⤴

Best ANC earbuds

The WF-C710N follow the WF-C700N (a previous entrant on this list), and they're another Award-winning performance from Sony.

Like their predecessors, they sit between the non-ANC WF-C510 and premium WF-1000XM6 in Sony's wireless earbud lineup. They add a cool transparent blue finish that lets you see the inner workings of both the earbuds and case. It's a really nice touch, and unlike anything we've previously seen from Sony.

They are chunkier than their predecessors, and incorporate touch controls for the first time. The feature set is largely unchanged, but you get a slightly newer version of Bluetooth (5.3) and Multipoint at launch (it came via a later software update for the C700N).

Wear detection and auto pause are also new for this model.

One of the biggest improvements is battery life. You get 8.5 hours from the buds (an hour more than their predecessors), and 30 hours including the case – that's twice as long as the C700N.

The ANC now has Sony’s Dual Noise Sensor filters, which make a real difference. You can hear the earbuds increase the intensity of the ANC and extract an extra layer or two of noise, especially in the lower mid and bass frequencies. It's a definite step up from the C700N.

As is the sound quality. Bass has plenty of weight and solidity, and there's immense detail to be heard across the frequency range.

Thanks to their spot-on timing, they can handle even tricky tracks with aplomb. Playing Radiohead's 15 Step, the C710N "remain fleet-footed at all times and don't get bogged down in the music or lost in what feels like a million other elements going on in the track," we wrote in our Sony WF-C710N review.

At this price, that's nothing short of miraculous.

Read the full Sony WF-C710N review

• Back to the top ⤴

Best ANC over-ears

The WH-CH720N were designed to be an affordable pair of over-ears with a heavy feature set and a particular focus on budget noise cancelling.

In this sense, they've delivered exactly what Sony intended, and for a very reasonable price. They’re a dependably made, enthusiastic-sounding pair of headphones that, while occasionally straying into the realm of excessive bass, deliver strong ANC and a large feature set to the market's mid-to-low price bracket.

A big part of the CH720N’s appeal is to provide noise cancelling without a huge expenditure, and the novice cans don’t let themselves down.

While more premium models such as the WH-1000XM6 over-ears or the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) will block out external noises more effectively, we find these affordable Sonys do a pleasing job of dampening, if not silencing completely, outside noises and distractions.

Further features, including Bluetooth multipoint, voice calls, a hefty battery life and Sony DSEE sound upscaling, only sweeten the deal.

Sonically, the CH720N are great for the price, and while you'll certainly receive more refinement and balance the higher up the price ladder you go, the affordable cans feel like they're spoiling you for £100.

"No shrinking violets, they imbue their musical cargo with heft and conviction, operating on the front foot in delivering an immediate, assertive sound with an emphasis on forceful, burly bass," we wrote in our Sony WH-CH720N review.

Their energetic, lively style works best with the rock, pop and hip-hop genres, but subtler, quieter tracks are still lent plenty of texture.

Sony might have focused on features, but the sound these over-ears provide is detailed, robust and exciting. Job done.

Read the full Sony WH-CH720N review

• Back to the top ⤴

Best over-ears without ANC

The Sony WH-CH520 on-ear headphones are without a doubt one of the less glamorous products in Sony’s seemingly endless catalogue of headphones.

But it doesn’t automatically follow that they’re not worthy of attention.

You can’t really expect the Earth when you’re paying £49 / $59 / AU$79 for a pair of headphones, so keep your expectations realistic. If you do, there’s every chance you’ll be quite impressed with the feature set of the WH-CH520.

Wireless connection is via Bluetooth 5.2 (with ‘Fast Pair’ for Android devices). The Sonys have multipoint connectivity, and there’s compatibility with SBC and AAC codecs.

And they can run for as much as 50 hours between charges, which certainly exceeds our expectations at this price point.

The Sony WH-CH520 don’t take long to establish themselves as a nicely balanced, informative and enjoyable listen.

They’re not the most expressive headphones you'll have ever heard, but they do well to dig up detail across the frequencies and present it clearly, even if we would like a little more dynamic variation.

Their low end is "solid, deep and properly controlled at the leading edges," we wrote in our Sony WH-CH520 review. "They hit reasonably hard, and keep bass firmly in its lane where it can’t interfere with the midrange activity above."

Speaking of the midrange, it's informative, eloquent and projects well, which is a lot from headphones at this price.

Ultimately, what’s remarkable about these Sonys is how little compromise they demand of you, both in terms of audio performance and ergonomics. They’re a terrific bargain.

Read our full Sony WH-CH520 review

• Back to the top ⤴

Also consider

The best cheap wireless headphones alternatives we've tested:

Sony WF-C700N: These previously had a place on this list, until they were bumped off by their successors, the WF-C710N. Sound and ANC aren't quite as good as the C710N, and they're lacking a couple of features. But at a reduced price to clear stock, they are superb value. Get them while they're still around.

JBL Live Pro 2 TWS: If you prefer a 'stem' design to the more rounded look, these are for you. They have all the features you could want, and perform brilliantly too.

Sony WF-C500: Sony's end-of-life wireless earbuds won't be around much longer, but if you can pick them up cheap they're an absolute bargain. True, they are outgunned by the C510 in pretty much every respect, but for the money they are reliable, comfortable and sound very good indeed.

Sony LinkBuds Open (WF-L910): It's another Sony pair, but these offer something genuinely different – an open design that lets you stay aware of your surroundings. They're very comfortable and packed with features, plus they regularly drop below £100.

How to choose the best cheap wireless headphones for you

The best cheap wireless headphones come in all shapes and sizes. You can get some pretty decent wireless over-ears and in-ears for not much money at all.

Wondering which is best for you? Check out our guide to headphones vs earbuds.

Healthy battery life should be a priority for any of the best budget wireless headphones – anything around 20 hours and above for over-ear headphones and over six hours for earbuds (plus charging case battery life) is good.

If you're a fitness fiend who wants a secure fit and waterproofing, you're better off going for a pair of sport headphones with sweat/water resistance. Look out for an IP rating of at least IPX4, meaning they'll survive basic splashing but not a dunk in the drink.

You also might want to consider which version of Bluetooth they're running.

We're currently on Bluetooth 5 (5.4 to be precise, though Bluetooth 6 is imminent). Newer versions can offer improvements in performance over older versions when it comes to things like wireless range, so it could pay to do a bit of extra digging through the specs of any pairs you're considering.

Bluetooth Multipoint is another one to look out for – it lets you pair with multiple devices at once, and then switch between them seamlessly as and when you need.

Some cheap models offer active noise cancellation (ANC), while some might have an ambient mode which allows in some outside sounds to make you more aware of your surroundings.

The ANC on budget pairs will be more basic than found on pricier headphones – if you want more advanced features, you have to pay for them.

You'll also want to consider comfort, especially if they're going to be sat in or on your ears for any length of time.

Finally, you definitely want decent sound quality for the money. As the best cheap wireless headphones around, all of the above have come out of our testing labs with flying colours.

How we test cheap wireless headphones

In order to put these headphones through their paces, we use them in real-world conditions.

That means we run them down from full to empty to gauge battery life (multiple times) and use them outdoors in both built-up areas and open spaces to test how stable the wireless connection remains to the music source.

Using them outdoors also lets us check their noise-isolating properties, and active noise-cancellation (ANC) if they have it.

We try them with both smartphones and computers to see how well they stand up in different use cases. And if they're a sporty pair, we'll take them out for a jog or to the gym to check how well they stay in our ears while exercising.

Each pair is compared to the best in its price and style class – whether that's one standout pair or a few that we favour the highest among the 100+ pairs we listen to each year.

What Hi-Fi? is all about comparative testing, and we keep class-leading products in our stockrooms so we can always compare new products to ones we know and love.

All review verdicts are agreed upon by the team rather than an individual reviewer to eliminate any personal preference and to make sure we're being as thorough as possible, too.

There's no input from PR companies or our sales team when it comes to the verdict, with What Hi-Fi? proud of having delivered honest, unbiased reviews for decades.

For more information, check out our dedicated how we test headphones page.

MORE:

These are the best wireless earbuds in town

Bluetooth 6: everything you need to know about its new audio and features for phones and earbuds

Wi-fi for headphones is great news for sound quality, so is it the death knell for Bluetooth?

• Back to the top ⤴

F.A.Q.

Recent updates

• 19th June 2026: Updated the intro, and updated a reference to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen).
• 17th April 2026: Rewrote intro, but left the main list and 'Also consider' unchanged.
• 16th February 2026: Updated dates to 2026. Rewrote intro to mention the AirPods Pro 3 and Sony WF-1000XM6, both of which we reviewed recently.
• 19th December 2025: Rewrote intro. Updated references to What Hi-Fi? Awards. Deleted Panasonic RZ-S500W from 'Also consider' as they're no longer on sale.
• 21st July 2025: Added references to the recently launched Sony WH-1000XM6 and the rumoured Sony WF-1000XM6. Added links to the recent Bluetooth 6 feature.
• 19th May 2025: Replaced Sony WF-C700N with WF-C710N. Moved WF-C700N to 'Also consider'. Changed references to Sony WH-1000XM5 to WH-1000XM6.
• 20th March 2025: Added Sony LinkBuds Open (WF-L910) to 'Also consider'. Changed references from Sony WF-C500 to the newer WF-C510.
• 11th November 2024: Swapped Sony WF-C510 for C500 in main list, moved C500 to 'Also consider'. Expanded 'How to choose' section with more details and links. Added review quotes for each entry in the main list. Rewrote intro to link to our Sony WF-C510 review.
• 9th September 2024: Rewrote intro. Deleted headings from entries in 'The quick list'.
• 8th July 2024: Deleted Jump Menu and Test Results tables. Rewrote intro. Bolded advisory text in the How to Choose section.
• 30th April 2024: Changed to new Best Buy format. Removed Panasonic RZ-S500W and JBL Live Pro 2 TWS from main list. Added new 'Also consider' and F.A.Q. sections.
• 6th February 2024: Removed JBL Flow Pro.
• 11th May 2023: Removed Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus, added Sony WF-C700N and JBL Live Pro 2 TWS.

Today's best cheap wireless headphones deals

We first tested the Audio Pro Allroom Air One in 2013, and it impressed us enough to earn an Award. But a year is a long time in the wireless speaker market, and many new rivals have popped up.

Time for a rematch, then: does the champ have what it takes to hold on to its title? In short, yes it does. It's an attractive package with a good set of features and excellent audio quality.

Despite its relative age, it easily holds its own against newcomers.

MORE: Awards 2013

Design

They say first impressions are the strongest, but our second encounter with the Audio Pro has us falling in love all over again.

Wrapped in a choice of red, black or white leather, the speaker exudes quality.

Its impressive build quality and sophisticated finish are complemented by a high feature count and satisfying user experience. You can set up AirPlay a number of ways: there’s the Audio Pro app, and you can also go through your internet browser.

The quickest way, though, is to plug your Apple device into the USB socket on the rear of the Air One and when prompted, allow your handheld device to transfer its wi-fi settings to the speaker. This happens in a matter of seconds and it’s a feature absent from rival speakers.

If you don’t have your own wireless network, fear not. Press the Direct Link button on the remote control and the speaker creates its own network. Connect a computer or handheld device and as long as it’s DLNA enabled, you can stream straight to it.

Alternatively you can also use the Audio Pro’s USB socket to hard-wire (and charge) your iDevice and play it through the speaker.

A credit-card-sized remote control is supplied and, unlike those packaged with the B&W A5 and Cambridge Audio Minx Air 200 speakers, it’s easy to get to grips with. The buttons are a decent size and the speaker is quick to respond to your prodding.

Sound

The system is great to use – and things get even better when you start playing music through the Air One. It produces a wonderfully balanced, integrated sound, with refinement and finesse in spades. Hurts’ Somebody To Die sounds elegant and charming.

Vocals ooze quality as the speaker immerses the listener in the drive and emotion of the song. Strings sound dramatic and sharply defined but never bright or hard.

For a box this size, there’s a good sense of scale. You could easily fill a larger room, say, at a party.

There’s plenty of power, delivery is weighty, and dynamics are strong and far-reaching. Play Pharrell Williams’ Know Who You Are and there is funk aplenty.

Subtler moments are not ignored: there is refinement and nuance in spades, as well as ample texture throughout the frequency range. Timing is precise, too.

We found that placing the unit 30cm or so from a rear wall gave a good balance between weight and clarity.

Connections

Switching between AirPlay, Direct Link and the speaker’s USB socket we found subtle differences. The wired connection sounds a little more solid and composed, but the differences between the three aren’t huge.

The Air One also has an optical digital input – which means it can also double up as a soundbar. The speaker is quite tall though, so it could obstruct your screen if you don’t have a spare shelf to place it on. If you can accommodate it, your TV sound will be much improved.

Verdict

We really like the Audio Pro Allroom Air One. Its combination of good looks, great sound and varied specification means it’s a complete package, and it demands an audition.

MORE: Best AirPlay speakers 2015