The Best Headphones You Can Buy Right Now Are on Sale for $300.
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 Last year, my favorite wireless headphones were the WF-100XM5, but they’ve since been replaced by the latest model, the Sony WF-1000XM6 .
Typically, when Sony releases a new version of its flagship earbuds, you can be sure they’ll be the best money can buy until the next model arrives—and right now, you can pick up the WF-1000XM6 at their best price yet. 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 seeking simplicity, ease of use, and comfort, while the Sony headphones are best suited for audiophiles who want to customize and personalize their sound to suit their preferences, offering more features and functionality.
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 still the best option, as they’re cheaper and optimized for iPhone. If you’re not an Apple user, these Sony earbuds are my top recommendation, provided 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).