Black Friday deals for Sony gear have arrived, and that means you can get some of the best noise-canceling headphones on the market at low prices. The still-excellent WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones cost less than $250, which is the lowest price we’ve ever seen. Yes, the latest model, the XM6, has technically replaced these in Sony’s lineup. But if the latest flagships are out of your price range, these former Engadget favorites are worth considering at this heavily reduced price.
Sony
We gave the WH-1000XM5 a score of 95 in our 2022 review, praising the extremely comfortable redesign, sound quality, and powerful ANC. Battery life of 30 hours is also quite respectable. We found the punchy bass to be better than their predecessors, and the overall sound is deeper and more punchy than the M4 headphones. As far as noise-canceling goes, Sony’s decision to double the number of microphones and processors used for ANC means improvements in blocking high-frequency sounds like the human voice. they are not Completely Kid-scream-proof, but still have some headphones.
Naturally, the WH-1000XM6, which replaced the M5 as Sony’s flagship model this year, offers even better sound quality and noise cancellation, while remaining extremely comfortable during long listening periods. But they’re also a lot more expensive, at $450, and if you’re deal-hunting this Black Friday, the WH-1000XM5 headphones are your go-to.