If you're in the market for a new set of cans, you might be lured in by the lowest-ever price on the Sonos Ace headphones, just £269 at Amazon. But, wait, right now there's a better option that's even cheaper.
For just £239 at Amazon, the Award-winning Sony XM5 headphones are £30 cheaper and some of the best headphones we've ever tested.
Why so cheap? Well, they've been discounted since the Sony's newest flagship headphones, the WH-1000XM6, arrived, but if you don't want to part ways with £399 for the latest model, you can still have five-star quality for £160 less.
When it comes to the Sonos Ace, we gave them three-stars (as opposed to the XM5's five) for performance weaknesses, including stunted dynamics, average call quality and lack of clarity.
So, we'd opt for the Sony XM5 even if they were a little more expensive, but fortunately for you, they're actually cheaper!
When our expert testers reviewed the Sonos Ace, they found that "the headphones safe sound is put to the sword by several rival headphones that are more exciting, more details, dynamic and expressive across the board".
And one of their biggest rivals is the Sony WH-1000XM5, which we praised for its precise, agile bass and hugely entertaining sound. And while the Sonos Ace is currently enjoying its lowest ever price of just £269, the Sony XM5 are better and cheaper.
For more on Sonos Ace vs Sony XM5, you can read our detailed debate, but let's focus on what the Sony XM5 have to offer. As five-star What Hi-Fi? Award winners, that should be a great indication of what we think about the Sony XM5, but here's why we recommend them.
The complete design revamp from the XM4 was significant, creating what Sony calls a "noiseless design" due to the slimmer, more seamless aesthetic reducing wind noise. It's worth noting that they'll fold flat, but they won't fold any smaller.
Feature-wise, they're packed out with useful tools, including 'Speak to Chat' that will pause playback when you start talking, 'Quick Attention' that lowers the volume when you cover the right earcup, and 'Wearing Detection' that allows them to sense when you take them off and automatically pause your audio.
And, we haven't even got into the sound quality of this pair. In our full review, we said: "The WH-1000XM5 possess all the elements that have made the previous generations class-leaders at the money, including that effortlessly musical sound. But the latest generation manages to deliver even greater clarity and a more open presentation. It's actually quite a jump."
For just £239 at Amazon, the Silver pair can be yours right now. It's £10 more for Smoky Pink and £269 for Black. But regardless of whether you pay a little more, they're still cheaper than the Sonos Ace, if not the exact same price.
MORE:
Read our full Sony WH-1000XM5 review
Check out the best wireless headphones rated by our in-house experts
And our pick of the best noise-cancelling headphones
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