The Best Headphones Money Can Buy Have Dropped to Under $300 for the First Time.
Sony isn’t great at naming headphones, but it’s great at making them. Last year, my favorite wireless headphones were the WF-100XM5, but they’ve since been replaced by the Sony WF-1000XM6 .
Typically, when Sony releases a new version of its flagship earbuds, you can be sure they’ll be the best you can buy for the money until the next model arrives—and right now, you can get the WF-1000XM6 earbuds at a discount for the first time. They’re priced at $298 (originally $329.99), the lowest price since their recent release, according to price tracking tools .
The Sony WF-1000XM6 headphones are a direct competitor to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd generation) , both excellent options that we’ve reviewed here at Lifehacker. The Bose headphones are better suited for those looking for simplicity, ease of use, and comfort, while the Sony headphones are best suited for audiophiles who want to customize and personalize their sound experience exactly how they like it, with more options and features.
The Sony WF-1000XM6 headphones are my favorite for pure audio enjoyment. Yes, they’re comfortable and have incredible active noise cancellation, but the sound quality, especially with the equalizer and the option to listen to audio in LC3 and Sony’s own LDAC codecs, is the best among Bluetooth headphones on the market.
As you can read in the Lifehacker review , Sony has improved the number and quality of the microphones, making calls, active noise cancellation, and transparency mode clearer and more responsive to ambient noise. As for battery life, you can listen to music for eight hours with just the earbuds and for 24 hours with the charging case.
If you’re an Apple user, I think the AirPods Pro 3 are the best option, as they’re cheaper and better suited for the iPhone. If you’re not an Apple user, these Sony earbuds are my top recommendation, assuming you want the best sound quality from wireless Bluetooth earbuds, and the current price is the lowest I’ve seen (and I don’t expect it to drop significantly in 2026).