1. The quick list
2. Best budget earbuds
3. Best budget ANC earbuds
4. Best premium earbuds
5. Best budget over-ears
6. Best budget ANC over-ears
7. Best premium over-ears
8. Best open
9. Also consider
10. Recent updates
11. How to choose
12. How we test
13. FAQ
14. Today's best deals
Looking for a new set of headphones and are dead set on them being a pair made by Sony? Then you’re in the right place as we’ve created this guide detailing the best Sony headphones we’ve tried and tested to help you find the perfect option for your needs and budget.
Having tested Sony headphones for more decades than we care to count, we can also safely say it’s a solid brand choice. If you’ve read any recent What Hi-Fi? reviews you’ll know Sony has been on something of a hot streak with its headphones recently – so much so that Sony won every trophy in the latest What Hi-Fi? Awards wireless headphones category.
While this is awesome, the sea of five-star accolades can also make knowing which specific set of Sony headphones is right for your needs and budget pretty tricky. This is especially true as the company currently has a lot of different options, each for a very different type of listener on sale.
This is why we’ve tailored this guide and our headphones testing process to cover every budget and use case we can think of. Key things we look for include audio excellence, comfort, battery life (where applicable), effective active noise cancelling (ANC) and general value for money. Whether it’s an affordable pair of Sony wireless earbuds or an ANC-focused set of Sony over-ears, this guide has you covered.
If you’re keen to learn more about how we test Sony headphones, you can also use the attached quick link.
The quick list
Best budget Sony earbuds
The WF-C500 are some of the best value wireless earbuds holistically, not just for Sony fans. During our checks, they proved to be fantastic value and are yet to be beaten at this price.
Best budget ANC Sony earbuds
The WF-C700N are the best-value Sony earbuds we’ve tested for buyers hunting for effective ANC as well as decent audio quality.
The best premium Sony earbuds
If you don’t mind paying more, then the Sony WF-1000XM5 are the best premium wireless earbuds we’ve tested and a fantastic option for music fans.
Best budget Sony over-ears
If you prefer an over-ear form factor then the Sony WH-CH520 are a fantastic option that won’t break the bank. But be warned, they don’t feature ANC.
Best budget ANC Sony over-ears
If you want a set of Sony over-ears with decent ANC performance, then the WH-CH720N are our testers’ current recommendation.
Best premium Sony over-ears
If you’re willing to pay for the best performance possible, are dead set on Sony and fancy an over-ear design, then the WF-1000XM5 are the best option we’ve tested.
Best open Sony earbuds
If you are a fan of the burgeoning open earbud design and insist on getting a set from Sony then the Linkbuds (WF-L900) are your only option.
I’ve been reviewing headphones and earbuds for nearly two decades. I’ve lost count of all the Sony models I’ve listened to over the years, from budget buds to multiple generations of wireless, flagship ‘XM’ over- and in-ears. This gives me a great overview of not just the general headphones market, but Sony’s specific portfolio as well. That’s why I take care of this guide, where I make sure to constantly update our advice based on our latest testing, making it quick and easy for you to find the right Sony headphones for your needs and budget.
Recent updates
10th March 2024: Completely re-written, adding new intro, quick list, author block, entry copy, also consider, how we choose, how we test and how we choose sections.
Best budget earbuds
The Sony WF-C500 are the best value wireless earbuds money can buy, even if you aren’t dead set on a pair from the iconic Japanese brand – we said as much when we gave them a What Hi-Fi? Award.
Despite costing surprisingly little, the wireless earbuds deliver a fantastic performance in most of the key areas we care about. Though the plastic doesn’t feel as premium as some of the more expensive sets on this list, the buds proved to be incredibly comfortable to wear during our checks, across multiple ear sizes.
They also lasted long enough to deliver a full week’s use for most buyers, offering around 20 hours of listening during our checks.
But most importantly they sound nice, with the 5.8mm neodymium full-range dynamic drivers delivering a surprisingly spirited and well-balanced performance across a variety of genres during our listening sessions. This is why our reviewers heaped praise on the fantastic value earbuds, reporting:
“Overall, we think the balance Sony has hit on here is understandable, sensible and enjoyable. Between their impressively neutral tonality, front-foot sonic attitude and fine levels of detail and insight, they’re well worth the investment.”
The only real downside is that the C500 don’t feature active noise cancellation, though at this price that’s fairly standard.
Read our full Sony WF-C500 review
Best budget ANC earbuds
If you want ANC, insist on a set of Sony earbuds, but don’t want to spend oodles of cash then the WF-C700N are the best option we’ve tested.
The WF-C700N are the direct step-up option in Sony’s current line of affordable earbuds, sitting above its cheapest option, the WF-C500.
For the little extra you pay you get a variety of benefits. The biggest of these is the addition of ANC. These aren’t the only set of earbuds you’ll find with ANC, but based on our testing they are one of the best performers. During our testing, the C700N managed to successfully block out general background office noise – a feat many other affordable ANC earbuds fail at.
But more importantly, they also sound good, for a set at this price. Featuring Sony’s own 5mm driver in their design, during our listening checks they delivered a detailed, dynamic and musical sound across a variety of genres. This plus their comfortable fit make them an easy recommendation and led our testers to conclude:
“The WF-C700N offer a jump in quality compared to the WF-C500 and a taste of the performance of the WF-1000XM4 in a cheaper package. This puts them in a very strong position and makes them an easy recommendation at the money.”
The only slight downside is that the inclusion of ANC does impact their battery life. During our checks, we only managed to eke out seven and a half hours of use with ANC on, which is well below rivals. As a rule of thumb, these days we’d expect ANC buds to at least offer 10 hours of listening.
Read our Sony WF-C700N review
Best premium earbuds
If you have the cash to spare then the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning WF-1000XM5 aren’t just the best wireless earbuds from Sony – they’re also the best on the market holistically and the set we recommend to any buyer with the cash to spare.
Even compared to other flagship sets, we found the 1000XM5 offers the best overall performance, featuring no obvious weaknesses. This plus competitive pricing also makes them fantastic value for money, from a performance-per-pound/dollar perspective.
Good battery life? Check. During testing we easily managed a lengthy 16 hours listening with ANC on during our tests.
Comfortable fit? Yep. With a new streamlined design and variety of tip options, every single one of our testers was able to get a secure, comfortable fit with a tight seal.
Reliable ANC performance? You got it, with the buds delivering effective noise cancelling, even when we checked it on the incredibly difficult London Underground, whose rumbling engines and screeching brakes knock out many cheaper earbuds’ ANC.
Good audio? Another tick in the box. Featuring a custom Sony Dynamic Driver X, the buds offered excellent audio with class-leading levels of detail and clarity and top notch timing during our tests.
Our testers conclusion says it all: “The excellent WF-1000XM5 are Sony’s most accomplished and analytical wireless earbuds yet.”
Read our Sony WF-1000XM5 review
Best budget over-ears
If you prefer over-ear headphones to earbuds and don’t need ANC then the WH-CH520 are our testers’ current recommendations. Despite costing surprisingly little, the CH520 proved to be a cut above the competing affordable over-ears we tested them against.
While they definitely don’t feel as premium as Sony’s more expensive over-ears, with our testers pointing out the plastic used feels quite cheap, the CH520 are well made and can survive being chucked in a rucksack with no trouble.
They’re also comfortable to wear, with the headband and earcups having enough clamping force to stay in place without pinching.
Bluetooth 5.2 is onboard, making them quick and easy to connect to smartphones and, despite the lack of aptX support, audio quality was the best we’ve experienced on a set of over-ears this price. Whether it was jazz classics or thumping drum’n’bass, the headphones delivered a balanced and engaging sound.
If that wasn’t enough to tempt you, battery life is also excellent, with our testers on average getting 40 hours listening out of them, which is more than enough for a full week’s use.
This combination of factors makes them an easy recommendation for Sony headphone fans on a budget. As we said in our WH-CH520 review:
“What’s remarkable about the Sony WH-CH520 is how little compromise they demand of you, both in terms of audio performance and ergonomics. They’re a little bit of a bargain.”
Read our Sony WH-CH520 review
Best budget ANC over-ears
The What Hi-Fi? Award-winning WH-CH720N are a great value pair of wireless, over-ear headphones that pack ANC.
While the ANC performance can’t match some more expensive headphones, including that which you’ll get from Sony’s more premium WH-1000XM5, it’s among the best we’ve experienced at this price. Background office noise was effectively blocked out, and it definitely diminished the distracting traffic sounds one of our testers experienced working from home with a window open.
On top of that, while our testers found they are a little over enthusiastic when it comes to bass, they otherwise performed excellently during our tests. Low-end qualms aside, they delivered a nicely forceful sound, which particularly pleased the rock and pop fans among our team. This led our testers to report:
“The WH-CH720N have delivered exactly what Sony intended. 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 good ANC and a strong feature set.”
Our only minor quibble is that they don’t have a foldable design, or come with a carry case, which is an annoyance for people who use their headphones on the go on a regular basis.
Read our Sony WH-CH720N review
Best premium over-ears
If you want the best Sony over-ear headphones possible and are willing to pay a little more, then the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning WH-1000XM5 are the best option we’ve tested.
During testing we found they are the best wireless headphones money can buy, and not just within Sony’s portfolio.
They were also a clear step up on their predecessor, which was our previous recommendation and a two-time What Hi-Fi? Award winner.
The headphones have a completely rethought “noiseless” design focussed on improving performance in key areas, including audio quality, ANC performance and battery life.
The design aims to remove superfluous hinges and design elements to reduce wind noise, improving mic and audio quality while out and about. But the standout change is inside, with Sony implementing a new 30mm carbon fibre driver.
Running it through a variety of listening tests covering a variety of genres, our reviewers’ opinion was uniform: the 1000XM5 offer clear sonic improvements on their predecessors, delivering a hugely musical and entertaining sound with an excellent sense of rhythm and oodles more detail.
Despite the redesign they offer a solid, comfortable fit, with enough clamping force to stay in place without crushing heads. ANC doesn’t beat the best in the business but proved effective enough to drown out background noise in our testers’ morning commutes, and the 30 hours listening we got with the feature on is brilliant. Add to this its stellar fast charging and rock solid wireless connectivity and they easily earned a place on this list.
Our WH-1000XM5’s conclusion says it all:
“The jump in sound quality from the previous generation is a big one, and rivals could once again have their work cut out. If you are looking for a new pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones, your auditioning should start here.”
Read our Sony WH-1000XM5 review
Best open
If you’re on the hunt for something a little different and are one of the growing number of music fans that want the convenience of small form factor wireless earbuds, but don’t like putting tips in your ears, then the Linkbuds WF-L900 are a solid option – if you can put up with some compromises.
The main selling point for the Linkbuds is their atypical open design. Rather than the tipped design you find on most wireless earbuds, the Linkbuds pack a 12mm ring driver. The ring is designed to slide into the bottom part of your ear and fires audio directly into them. Weird? A little. Effective? Surprisingly, in most ways, yes.
While, surprise, surprise there’s no passive, let alone active, noise cancellation, the Linkbuds still managed to deliver a balanced natural sound with an open and spacious presentation during our checks. Our reviewers went so far as to report:
“One big benefit of the ring driver and this more open design is you’re treated to a huge, spacious sound that’s a real highlight and very different from anything you’ll have heard from more intrusive in-ear designs.”
That said, they aren’t perfect. The sound has a slight lack of detail and their average battery life means you will be reaching for the charge case often. Our testers never managed to get more than five and a half hours per charge out of the Linkbuds. This is why we’re currently only recommending them to people who really want an open earbud design and insist on them coming from Sony.
Read our Sony Linkbuds WF-L900 review
Also consider
Sony WH-1000XM4: If you’re short on cash and don’t mind the older model then the WH-1000XM4 are still a solid option, especially now that their price has dropped.
Sony WF-1000XM4: If you’re after Sony earbuds but don’t fancy the XM5, then you should look at the XM4. Based on our tests they’re still solid performers and a lot of stores still have stock available.
Recent updates
- 09/04/24: Full rewrite adding new quick list, recent updates, author profile, quick tips, also consider, how we choose, how we test and FAQ sections.
How we choose
When choosing the best Sony headphones we look at the same key areas we do all headphones. The only caveat is that on this list we limit the selection to models made by the Japanese tech giant. We examine the key features included, value for money, comfort, features, battery life and ANC performance (where relevant) and most importantly, audio quality.
Value for money: This is a key area we check on every product we review. If something costs twice the price of its closest rival, we expect the performance to justify the difference. Equally, if we review a cheaper set of Sony earbuds, we factor the lower price into our buying advice – though we still expect it to deliver a baseline level of performance and enjoyable listening experience.
Comfort: Whether they’re over-ears or earbuds, headphones need to provide a comfortable fit for all head sizes. On top of that, unless they’re on-ear or an open design we also expect them to provide a solid seal and passive noise isolation.
Features: Many modern Sony headphones come with advanced app support and clever ambient modes, which make them safer to use when out and about and more. We check how competitive and up to date their feature set is before recommending them in this guide.
Battery life: When testing Sony’s wireless headphones we always check their battery life, both with ANC on and off. We keep track of the industry standard by comparing battery life to the average we get on all the headphones we review.
Active noise cancellation: If a set of Sony headphones has ANC, we expect it to offer competitive performance with rival options. As a baseline, we want it to at the very least be able to block out low-level background noise.
Audio quality: Last and most importantly we expect any Sony headphones we recommend to deliver solid, enjoyable audio quality. Though we temper our expectations based on their price, we expect them to provide an enjoyable listening experience if we’re going to recommend them. If they don’t do this it doesn’t matter how well they perform in other areas, they won’t make it onto this list.
How we test
We test Sony headphones the same way we do any other brand’s. This sees our team of testers run a series of checks both in our listening rooms and in the wild, to gauge their performance in the above areas. Key parts of the process include the steps detailed below.
Comparative testing: Whenever we test headphones we have multiple members of the team use them. During the checks they will listen to a variety of tracks in our listening rooms paired with reference systems/sources we feel are appropriate to their price. We will also directly compare them to rival products we think the buyer would also be considering. Any performance comparison we make will be based on our direct experience testing both, and we will never compare products based on memory.
Test tracks at varying quality from multiple genres: We use a variety of test tracks, varying in quality from hi-res to vinyl, CD and bottom-tier Spotfiy when testing Sony headphones. The test tracks we use cover multiple genres and aim to gauge everything from their rhythmic precision, detail and accuracy to their dynamism and general ability to deliver a “fun” listening experience.
Multiple testers: We never base our reviews on one person’s experience using the product. When we test Sony headphones at least two members of the team will have listened to the set and compared them to rivals. The reviewers will then compare their experience and if needed, more testers will be called in to help.
Real-world checks: On top of the above we will also use real-world tests to check key metrics, like battery life, ANC performance, connection stability and mic quality. For example, to test ANC performance we will use the headphones in environments with varying levels of background noise, ranging from office environments to rumbling commuter trains. For battery life, we’ll track how many hours of listening we got with ANC on and off on average throughout testing.
You can get a more in-depth look at our methodology and listening room set-up in our main “how we test” page.
FAQ
Are Sony headphones good?
The answer to this is that it depends on the specific set you’re looking at. Sony makes a lot of headphones and they aren’t all created equal, and usually have very different target markets. But if you’re asking if the ones included in this list are competitive with other brands’ offerings, then the answer is a definitive yes.
Sony’s latest wireless headphones and earbuds have been a staple part of our holistic best headphones and best wireless earbuds guide for the past couple of years and for good reason. Last year it won every trophy in the What Hi-Fi? Awards wireless headphone category. This is because, based on our experience with them, they tend to deliver on all the basics you’d expect – audio, battery life, ANC performance and comfort. However, that doesn’t mean you should automatically assume that just because they’re made by Sony, they’re good. You should always do your research on sites like ours, especially when buying at the top end of the market. There’s nothing worse than spending loads of money, only to end up with a lemon set of Sony headphones.
Do Sony headphones have ANC?
These days a lot of the Sony headphones and earbuds we test do feature Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). But there are still plenty, especially at the affordable end of Sony’s current portfolio that don’t. If ANC is a must-have feature for your specific needs you should always check the headphones’ or earbuds’ spec sheet. You should also manage your expectations if you’re buying a cheaper or older set. After multiple decades reviewing Sony headphones and earbuds, we can safely confirm ANC performance varies massively between sets. This is why we actively check its effectiveness as part of our review process. Even in today’s world, many cheaper ANC headphones are only capable of blocking out very light background noise, based on our experience testing them.
How much should you spend on Sony headphones?
Whenever you’re buying a pair of Sony headphones or earbuds you need to factor for your specific needs and what you can realistically afford. The one bit of advice we have is, where your budget allows, it can sometimes be better to invest a little more in a pair of headphones that will last multiple years, rather than an affordable set you’ll soon outgrow or that doesn’t fully meet your needs. In the long run, this can save you money as you won’t feel the need to upgrade them any time soon.
Which Sony headphones have the best sound quality?
If audio quality is your be-all and end-all – and you’re not interested in looking at our wider best headphones or more focused best-wired headphones buyers guides – then the Sony WH-1000XM5 are the best over-ears and the Sony WF-1000MX5 the best earbuds for audio quality that we’ve tested. They’re currently the most expensive option on this list, but for sound quality, they won’t be beaten. During our checks, both offered best-in-class sonic clarity and wonderfully precise and agile bass.
Is there a big difference between Sony’s WH-1000XM4 and WH-1000XM5?
During our review, we found the Sony WH-1000XM5 to be a big change, from both a design and audio perspective, on their predecessor. For starters, they’ve had a complete redesign that makes them slightly lighter, but also, to our testers' surprise, makes them feel slightly less premium than their predecessors. During our listening checks, we found they also have a very different sound to their predecessors – a fact heavily informed by the use of a new 30mm carbon fibre composite dome driver rather than the older 40mm unit seen in the XM4. Specifically, the XM5 sound clearer and more open than previous models with a more precise low-end. You can get a more detailed breakdown of the differences between the two in our dedicated Sony WH-1000XM5 vs WH-1000XM4 guide, where we ran the two head-to-head.
