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Best Sony Headphones for 2026
Sometimes brands earn your loyalty over the course of several years, and we’re not ones to judge. Countless people have enjoyed Sony headphones over the decades, and it’s because the company has offered some of the most popular models out there. If you’ve decided you want Sony headphones, here’s the best of what’s in stores at the end of 2025, and the start of 2026.
Editor’s note: this article was updated on December 11, 2025, to update picks, content, format.
The short answer:
If you don’t want to read an entire article just to get picks, below is a quick summary. Each widget has a link to the full review if you’d like to dig deeper and not just take our word for something.
Best for most people
Best for critical listening
Best for bass
Best for musicians
Best value
Best ANC on a budget
Best earbuds
Best open earbuds
The Sony WH-1000XM6 are the best Sony headphones for most people
Of course, Sony makes one of the consensus best picks in the ANC headphones category: the Sony WH-1000XM6. Sony’s newest flagship headset is one of the best options on the market and works well in just about any situation. The WH-1000XM6 is definitely on the pricey side at $449 USD (debuting at $50 more than the WH-1000XM5 headphones), but many noise canceling headphones are considerably more expensive.
The Sony WH-1000XM6 has some of the best noise canceling on the market and considerably better attenuation than the vast majority of competitors. The sound is a little odd, but still bound to please most consumers with minimal equalizing. The headphones also come with all the latest-and-greatest features of the headphone industry, like spatial audio, Auracast, a mechanism to locate your device, and more.
The MDR-MV1 are the best open-back headphones from Sony
We don’t recommend the Sony MDR-MV1 for casual listening, but as open-back headphones, they are a top pick for content creators focusing on mixing and producing spatial audio content. These headphones feature a comfortable, lightweight design with replaceable cables and the ability to fold flat, enhancing their portability despite their substantial size. They connect via a 6.3mm TRS plug and are designed with durability in mind, although the proprietary cable may be difficult to replace. Sony does offer more expensive headphones like the MDR -Z1 for consumer listening, but at almost $1,000 US it’s not a good fit for this list.
With an extremely bass-heavy sound profile, the MDR-MV1 excels in immersiveness, making them suitable for detailed audio work in studio environments. Users will likely need to apply significant EQ adjustments to mitigate the pronounced highs and enhance overall clarity. If you’re a content creator looking to upgrade your studio headphones, the MDR-MV1 might be the right choice. Still, others may want to consider different models that cater more to casual listening experiences.
The Sony ULT WEAR is for bassheads
The Sony ULT WEAR headphones will primarily appeal to bass lovers for their intense low-end output. But these headphones are also well-suited for commuters who appreciate robust active noise cancelation (ANC) without breaking the bank. The headphones are easily portable, folding flat into a compact case, making them ideal for travel. Control is managed through intuitive touch controls and a set of physical buttons, including a “ULT” button that significantly boosts bass to an overwhelming level. Or, you can tone down the bass using the Sony Headphones Connect app.
The ANC performs commendably well, making these headphones a solid choice for noisy environments, though they won’t compete with the highest-end models like the WH-1000XM6. To a casual listener, the Sony ULT WEAR will sound bassy and a bit dull, lacking detail like guitar picking or snare attack. It’s a strange sound, but it was popular even ten years ago. Though you can address this to a limited degree with the app’s equalizer, there’s only so much you can do.
The Sony MDR-M1 succeeds a legend
Students, video producers, and on-location soundguys will appreciate the successor to the Sony MDR-7506, the MDR-M1. With some upgrades to the design to make it more durable, the new headphones have a lot to offer the right kind of person, but these are very much a professional tool rather than something you get for just casual music listening.
While it lacks any official water-resistant rating, it’s extremely durable, and the ear pads are easy to clean at the end of a session. The headphones are even compatible with third-party replacements that fit the older MDR-7506, so you can keep this on your shelf for years and years. If you wear glasses, look into fabric or velour pads for the best results.
The Sony WH-CH520 is the best bang for your buck
The Sony WH-CH520 is a no-frills, entry-level set of wireless headphones that deliver reliability and comfort. With a lightweight plastic design and soft ear pads, these headphones offer decent sound quality and an impressive battery life—lasting over 55 hours on a single charge. They lack advanced features like ANC or high-bitrate codecs, but they do support Fast Pair and Multipoint, allowing for a hassle-free connection to multiple devices.
Where these headphones shine is their utilitarian approach. They are straightforward to use, with physical buttons instead of touch controls, and their on-ear design does a reasonable job of sealing out high-frequency noise. Although not aimed at audiophiles, they offer the essential functionalities that most users seek, such as long battery life and straightforward controls.
Need noise canceling on a budget? Get the Sony WH-CH720N
The Sony WH-CH720N represents one of Sony’s attempts to get some of its ANC and sound quality pedigree into a more affordable headset, and for the most part, it succeeds. Clocking in at an impressive 40 hours of battery life with active noise canceling (ANC) on, these cans prove to be a long-lasting companion for your needs. They offer both wired and Bluetooth options, and the noise canceling is respectable, peaking at 28dB of attenuation for low-frequency rumblings. Don’t expect the luxe feel of Sony’s flagship WH-1000XM5, but they still deliver where it counts.
Functionality and usability are straightforward, thanks to the ear cup-mounted buttons. The Sony Headphones Connect app extends the headphones’ capabilities, offering an equalizer, listening modes, and even ear analysis for optimized Sony 360 Reality Audio. They also support multiple codecs, including LDAC and AAC. Sound quality tends to lean on the bass-heavy side, but this can be fine-tuned through the app’s equalizer. The highs and mids perform adequately, contributing to an overall audio experience that satisfies basic needs.
Listen anywhere with the Sony WF-1000XM5 wireless noise canceling earbuds
As far as true wireless options go, the Sony WF-1000XM5 (notice a pattern here?) offers probably the best experience you’re going to get with true wireless earphones. By paying attention to both the big and little things that make a good set of true wireless earphones, this is among the best in its category.
The WF-1000XM5 improves sound quality, active noise cancelation, and battery life over the previous model, owing to its new V2 chip and Bluetooth 5.3 hardware under the hood. The earbuds are much smaller than their predecessors and also come with more varied ear tip sizes to meet a wider range of ear canal sizes. You also get a host of software features like Sony 360 Reality Audio, Speak to Chat, a custom EQ, and more through the Sony Headphones Connect app (iOS and Android). You’ll want to take advantage of that in-app equalizer, but the stock sound is pretty decent on its own.
Should you get the Sony LinkBuds Open?
The Sony LinkBuds Open offer an open-ear design that allows ambient sounds to pass through, making it ideal for users who need situational awareness, like during commuting or exercise. Although they lack active noise canceling and our testing shows they deliver modest sound quality, the LinkBuds provide a secure fit via a flexible ear fin. They also support Sony’s Sound Connect app for customization, including Sony 360 Reality Audio. While not suited for loud environments, these earbuds excel in settings where hearing your surroundings is essential.
Before you buy the LinkBuds Open, consider the LinkBuds Fit
I know, I know, the LinkBuds fit aren’t a set of open earbuds. However, they’re an interesting middle-ground that allows you to have the benefits of both open and traditional earbuds by offering ANC, and excellent transparency modes. Though the earbuds themselves aren’t truly open, the very gentle fit is secure, but doesn’t put much pressure on your ears at all — it takes some getting used-to. But if there will be situations where not having any isolation whatsoever is a hindrance to your life, the LinkBuds Fit are the better pick over the LinkBuds Open.
How we choose the best Sony headphones
It’s important to us that we relay as much useful information to our readers as possible. That means we present you with objective measurements from our Bruel & Kjaer 5128 head and torso simulator (HATS) that cover things like frequency response, isolation, crosstalk (when applicable), and more. But we don’t just acknowledge charts and numbers around here. It’s also important that we give you an idea of what it’s actually like to use a product day in and day out. That’s where the subjective part of our reviews comes into play. We make sure to address everything from the fit to the app experience and beyond. We’re then sure to score each product consistently to give you a good idea of how one product might compare to the next.
At the end of the day, our team discusses and votes on what products should (and shouldn’t) be awarded here. But we continue the work after we hit “publish” and keep our eyes peeled for noteworthy products as they launch. You may notice that product recommendations change over time or that sometimes we replace our top picks — we try to make sure that this page and others like it stay up-to-date and accurate. We don’t want anyone to come to SoundGuys and see outdated information.
Why you should trust SoundGuys
Not only is SoundGuys all of our day jobs, but each and every full-time writer here has had several years of experience covering the personal audio market. We also go out of our way to prove what we say rather than ask you to take our word for it: for example, we provide standardized microphone samples to compare products with. Our income depends heavily on people being happy with the products they buy after researching them.
Frequently asked questions about the best Sony headphones
Although the Sony WH-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM4 have a lot in common, like speak-to-chat, an in-app EQ, the option to prioritize sound quality over connection stability (and vice versa), and more, the headsets appear fairly different. Unlike the WH-1000XM4 and WH-1000XM3 before it, the fifth-generation WH-1000X headphones feature a clean design that more closely mimics the Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700.
With this next generation of WH-1000X headphones, Sony improves the sound quality and active noise canceling. The WH-1000XM5 outperforms the previous model regarding sub-bass attenuation and passive isolation above 2kHz. The XM4 ANC is still some of the best around, but the XM5 is just that much better. If you can find the WH-1000XM4, however, we do recommend it for those on tighter budgets: around the holidays and certain regional sale times, you may even be able to find it below $300 USD.
You can learn more about this headset in our Sony WH-1000XM4 video review.
The Sony LinkBuds WF-L900 is a quirky set of earphones, but it has a few foibles that prevent it from making it to “best.” Namely, these buds don’t isolate at all and don’t deliver much bass, either. But if you need something like the in-ear equivalent of open-back headphones, they suit that niche.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 and the AirPods Max reach close to neck-and-neck when it comes to ANC. Both of these headphones deliver great noise canceling, so you’ll have to consider other factors — for instance, whether you are already in the Apple ecosystem — when making your choice. If you already have an iPhone and feel like you can spend a pretty penny on the AirPods Max, they’ll likely work great for you. Meanwhile, Android users will be very happy with the Sony WH-1000XM4.
No. The Sony WF-C500 does not have ANC, but it does have decent isolation, which helps.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 do not have an ingress protection rating, meaning it isn’t certified to block out sweat. However, that doesn’t mean it will break with a workout — just that it doesn’t have an official sweat protection rating.
Editors note: This list was updated on October 29, 2024, to update formatting, and add the Sony INZONE H5 as a gaming pick, and the Sony LinkBuds Open as an open earbud pick.
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