All of Sony’s five-star wireless headphones have price drops ahead of Black Friday – but is now a good time to buy?

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

One area you’re guaranteed to see decent Black Friday deals this year is in the world of headphones, in particular, Sony wireless headphones.

Such has been the brand’s dominance of this category in recent years that many shoppers will be eager to see how far prices plummet for the five-star models that we’ve tested.

I’ve been looking at the current state of affairs to see if/how pricing has changed and which headphones you should be eyeing up in the coming days.

Let’s see what's currently on offer...

Sony WH-CH520

~~Tested at £49~~ now £29 at Amazon

If it’s a budget Christmas stocking-filler you’re looking for, for yourself or someone else, then the Sony WH-CH520 are a bit of a no-brainer. They are currently sitting at their lowest ever price over at Amazon and deliver all you could really want from a pair of no-frills, cheap wireless headphones.

You can’t really argue with solid build, a balanced, entertaining sound, 50-hour battery life and Bluetooth Multipoint. In my opinion, it’s unlikely these will go lower in the coming days, and if they do, it will most likely only be by a couple of pounds.

Sony WH-CH720N

~~Tested at £99~~ now £64 at Amazon

The WH-CH520N sit on your ear instead of over and don’t have any noise-cancelling functionality. If you want both of these features, then don’t worry, though. Sony has another pair for you to shop for in the shape of the WH-CH720N.

These headphones take you up a price level, but once again, there are savings to be had and again, you can find them at their lowest ever price on Amazon right now. They’re durable and boast a step up in terms of sound quality from their cheaper siblings, and you also have access to ANC. Battery life is 35 hours with Bluetooth and ANC on. I think they’re likely to stay at this price for the duration of Black Friday.

Sony WH-1000XM4

~~Tested at £350~~ now £178 at Amazon

This is where things get interesting. Sony is still selling not one but three pairs of premium wireless headphones, two of which are previous What Hi-Fi? Award winners. The cheapest of the three, the fantastic WH-1000XM4, originally came out in 2020 but there still seems to be plenty of stock doing the rounds.

This is great news for anyone looking to pick up a bargain because you’re still getting a premium build, excellent portability and quality sound for the money. Yes, newer models sound better, but they will cost extra. There’s only a small gap between these and the WH-1000XM5, looking at current Black Friday pricing, and I think there might be some more room for manoeuvre here, closer to the big day, to move some of that excess stock.

Sony WH-1000XM5

~~Tested at £379~~ now £200 at Amazon

The WH-1000XM5 launched back in 2022, and although sound quality is improved over XM4, they don’t, in our eyes at least, boast the same premium build and finish. They also moved away from the hinge mechanism of XM4, which makes XM5 a little less portable.

They fold flat and come with a hard carry case, although Sony has introduced a variant called WH-1000XM5SA, which swaps the hard case for a soft carry pouch. For a lot of people, this won’t be the end of the world and means you save a bit more on the asking price (which is the price you see above). Battery life is the same as XM4 at 30 hours with Bluetooth and ANC engaged. I also think there's a small chance the price could drop a bit more, closer to the big day.

Sony WH-1000XM6

~~Tested at £399~~ now £349 at Amazon

Sony’s most recent flagship wireless headphones arrived earlier this year and impressed us with their solid design, comfort and immense sound quality. With a new folding mechanism and tweaked earpads and headband, they are a slight departure from XM5 in terms of design but we think they are all the better for it.

The WH-1000XM6 are still comfortable and well-built, though, and their sound quality, noise-cancelling and call quality put them at the top of our list in terms of desirability. They’re currently sitting at the lowest price we’ve seen, and I don’t think they’re likely to drop any lower during Black Friday itself, but I could be wrong.

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Andy is Deputy Editor of What Hi-Fi? and a consumer electronics journalist with nearly 20 years of experience writing news, reviews and features. Over the years he's also contributed to a number of other outlets, including The Sunday Times, the BBC, Stuff, and BA High Life Magazine. Premium wireless earbuds are his passion but he's also keen on car tech and in-car audio systems and can often be found cruising the countryside testing the latest set-ups. In his spare time Andy is a keen golfer and gamer.

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