So, Sony’s successor to the WH-1000MX5, the creatively named WH-1000MX6, just came out last week. As can be expected, Sony’s newest headphones, now occupying the spot as the brand’s most premium headphones, offer rich sound, all-afternoon comfort, and a price tag to match.
They’re excellent headphones… for $450. Sony jumped the price $50 over the retail price of the WH-1000MX5 when Sony released the latter in 2022. And since you can pick up the still-excellent WH-1000MX5 for $292—a significantly less sum than its successor—they’re a better value right now.
exquisite silence
Eight microphones built into the Sonys detect ambient noise pollution and adjust the active noise cancellation to pipe out sound waves that cancel out undesirable background noise. That’s the layman’s explanation for how active noise cancellation works, which is more effective than relying only upon the over-the-ear cups to block out unwanted sounds.
Sony says you can expect up to 30 hours of listening time between recharges, and that it takes only three minutes of charge to eke out three hours of listening time. As always, the way in which you listen will affect battery life. Louder volumes tend to use up the electric charge more quickly, as does engaging the active noise cancellation. You recharge the WH-1000MX5 via an included USB-C cable.
The WH-1000MX5 is available in four colors: Black, Silver, Midnight Blue, and Smoky Pink. Just the name Smoky Pink sounds enticing, and if you check it out you’ll see that there is indeed a distinct gray tint to an otherwise pastel pink.
They may not be the top dog at Sony anymore, but the WH-1000MX5 remains superior to most other over-the-air, active-noise-cancellation headphones. And at a significantly lower price than its successor, it’s the better value of the two.
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