Top 10 Headphones with Best Sound Quality 2026 – Expert Tested

I went through a half dozen pair of other options that were less pricey before settling on these. Other versions, I tried lasted, at most, a couple of months, before they broke. One pair broke while I was removing it from my head. Then I found these Sony headphones, which were a total game changer! I still have the first pair I purchased, which have lasted me for more than a year; and I recently purchased a second pair in another color for the office. They are such good quality, very comfortable, easy to adjust to fit children and adults, the sound quality is phenomenal, and they are easy to pair with your devices! I have used them for everything from Zoom calls, to music, listening, and beyond, without any issues. Several people at the office have ordered themselves a pair because they’re so great, and they have loved them as well! If you’re struggling to find headphones that last and/or can survive your kids’ wear and tear, look no further! These are well worth the money and they last, and look great! So far, I’ve ordered these in the blue color and the beige/cream color, and both are lovely, and do not look cheap at all. Highly recommend!

I bought these Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones as a gift for my daughter, and she ended up loving them. She uses them every day.The sound quality is really good, and the Bluetooth range works well around the house. They seem sturdy and well-made, which is important since they get used a lot.They also do a good job blocking out noise. In fact, sometimes they work a little too well because she can’t hear me when I call her from the other room.The ear support looks comfortable, and she hasn’t had any complaints wearing them for long periods.Overall, they feel like a good value, especially if you catch them on sale, and they’ve held up well with daily use.

I have a headphone problem, or so my wife says. I’ve owned the Apple AirPods Max, the Sony XM5’s, the Bose QC and QC Ultra the QC 45’s and 35’s both I and II, the Sonos Ace, and the Beats Studio Pro. Going into my XM6 purchase, my favorite are/were the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. I bought the QuietComfort Ultra during Prime Day for an unbelievable $329! I have found that they offer the best combination of comfort, sound and ANC for the price. So, how does the XM6 compare? The ANC is second to none. I augment our central air with a window unit, which sits right behind my head, and I can completely eliminate its sound. But static sounds are pretty easily muffled by most of newer ANC headphones, so how about dynamic sounds like a tv or normal conversation? The XM6 excel there, too. Put simply, they offer the best ANC of any of the aforementioned headphones. They are also pretty comfortable and clamp down relatively tight, though I haven’t found anything to be as comfortable as either the QC or QC Ultra. The XM6 are designed to be over ear headphones, yet my ear doesn’t seem to fit inside the cup like other over ear headphones. This, in my opinion, makes them less-comfortable then they could/should be. However, the memory foam is a nice touch and does help.The sound is well-balanced and pretty good right out of the box, though I had to make use of the ten-band EQ to get them to sound just a tad better than my QC. With my current EQ settings, I would say they offer the clarity of the Apple AirPods Max, but with the bottom end of my Bose QuietComfort. The bass isn’t overpowering, it’s actually pretty accurate (after EQ tinkering).In the final analysis, the XM6 offer the best sound of any of the headphones I mentioned, but not by much. Furthermore, the ANC is superior to everything else I’ve owned, but not by a staggering amount.So, which should you buy? If you’re like me and in search of the best possible sound, and won’t settle for anything less than the best ANC, then get the XM6. If, however, you prioritize comfort and value, and don’t mind making some very minor concessions regarding sound and ANC, then get the Bose QuietComfort or the QC Ultra (wait until you catch them on sale, which is pretty often). I hope that helps. Happy listening!Update: “6/02/2025: Intermittent crackling in left speaker. Had to return them. I have replaced them, though.Update 06/07/25: I received the replacement pair and everything seems great.I neglected to mention in my previous review how great the Sony app is and how customizable the XM6 are. First, you get a ten band EQ, instead of the Bose three bands. Additionally, there are some awesome (optional) features that are missing from Bose. Sony has speak to chat, which mutes your music and puts your headphones in aware mode when you speak. Also, there is an option to accept or reject calls by simply nodding or shaking your head, which is very cool. If you’re into features like that and general customization, then the Sony XM6 are for you.UPDATE 06/17/2025. Started hearing crackling again in the right speaker this time. This time I did a Google search to see if others were having the same problem, and it seems like turning on DSEE Extreme could be the culprit at high volumes. The DSEE Extreme setting is supposed to upscale compressed files. I turned off the setting and no more crackling. I replayed the same part of the same song with and without it engaged, it it’s definitely the DSEE Extreme. Consequently, I’ve turned off that setting and now everything seems fine.

Had only tried the beats studio pros before this and have to say these are better all around. They are quite comfortable and the active noise cancelling feature is amazing. Battery life is unbeatable and love the magnetic case it comes in. App is user friendly and sound is customizeable. Very happy with my purchase at this price point.

I just received these over ear headphones. I purchased them after my other headphones proved useless on a noisy airplane. These headphones are very comfortable, and I like that I can use them wired or connect via Bluetooth. I connected them to my tablet using both methods without any difficulty. The sound is very clear and the noise cancelling worked very well. They came with a very nice storage pouch and fold nicely. The price was very reasonable and on top of the price there was a generous coupon. I have not tried to use the Mic yet. I look forward to using them regularly.

The sound is crisp, loud and good. Great noise cancelling, feel high end

Excellent quality for the price. The sound is clear and powerful, and the noise cancellation really helps block out outside noise. They are very comfortable, easy to connect, and the battery lasts a long time. Without a doubt, a very good purchase.I also really like how comfortable they are; I can wear them for hours without any discomfort. Overall, they offer a quality and features that are usually found in much more expensive headphones. I definitely recommend them to anyone looking for good quality, comfort, and excellent value for money. 🎧🥰

I am very satisfied with these headphones; for me, they are ideal. Their sound is very clear, and they block out external noise perfectly. They come with their own charger, and the battery is long-lasting. Furthermore, they are incredibly comfortable, as the earcups feel great against the ears. Without a doubt, this was an excellent purchase for me.

I have used a wide variety of headphones including both wired and wireless headphones. I don’t like wired headphones, because they are quite cumbersome, very inconvenient and not noise cancelling. I also used to wireless headphones of Apple. They are so good, but it is easy for me to forget or lose, and their battery life is not what I expected.My criteria for buying a headset are good battery life, comfort when using, good sound quality. After a while for searching a headphone online based on my criteria, I found the right headphones for me, which are wireless over-the-ear headphones. The wireless over-the-ear headphones help you move freely without worrying about getting tangled or entangled in objects, with noise cancelling, it is light and very comfortable while using. These things are especially useful for doing housework, jogging and working.I begin to search a few types of headphones on Amazon. My budget to buy a new headphone about under 100 dollars. With this budget, I found quite a few quality headphones brands. Such as, Bose, Sony, JBL, Marshall… After a while, read reviews and compare the types of headphones with each other. I chose Sony WH-CH720N headphones for 88 dollars on Amazon. After using this headphone for about 5 months. I feel it worth the money spent. I like these advantages of it. Such as, good battery life (35 hours with noise cancelling), good noise cancelling, good quality sound (I can customize the sound quality according to my preferences through the app of the headphones). In addition, it has a lot of colors to choose and light weight (comfortable for using a long time). Although, I even don’t like a few things about this headphone as it is made of plastic so it is very scratchy, there is no headphone case.Sometimes, I also use it when travelling by plane, when I travel by plane, I often have tinnitus and very tired of the surrounding noise. But since using these headphones to fly, I have eliminated a lot of tinnitus and noise; it both entertains me and helps me sleep on the plane. I’m also quite impressed with its durability because I sometimes drop it when I don’t notice, but it’s scratched a little bit, not dented. This headset comes with a 3.5mm to 3.5mm microphone audio cable. It is very reasonable to spend on gaming, when connecting the cable, the sound delay will not be available, which will make the gaming experience more interesting. When I bought this headphone, the price was very good, only 88 dollars, usually I see that the price of this headphone about 179 dollars. The price of this headphone like a robbery.Overall, this headphone is a very good headphone in the price range. It fully meets the requirements that I wanted before buying it such as comfort, good sound quality, long battery life, good noise cancelling. Its disadvantages do not affect my experience too much. It’s a great headphone. I believe that if you choose it, it will not disappoint you. I will rate this headphone 4.5 stars.

found a deal so decided to splurge a little out of my typical <$40 range. first thing was box felt empty, they are so incredibly lightweight my little spectrum/migraine sensitive head was so happy, super duper plus! second, they actually comfortably fit my small adult head (I wear child size hats,) amazing because that is rarely the case and the number one reason for all my other returns! connected to bluetooth easy, prompted for app download, easy to follow set-up prompts for this old non tech savvy gal. NC seems decent enough but not great, it's an important feature to me but we'll see. I didn't custom set anything yet and sound was really good for my typical goth/techno/EDM. it also prompted to a 360 sound app- omg that was some crazy amazing quality but not venturing there at this time- but obviously these headphones have some quality to them sound wise. I usually have no issue with buying returns, and these were ok but definitely not mint, nor in a box, nor came with even the correct charger which was all that was included, and took 2 months to arrive (late) from the same coast I'm located- I'm least happy with the wait, seriously why?! the surprise was they were blue- I was settling for black because of the deal, and ended up with what I preferred! so if they last all-in-all twas probably worth the major discount and wait, if they don't then I'd probably still search them out again because it's taken a literal year and 24 pairs of exhausting headphone trials and returns to find something that actually fits and is lightweight and comfortable to boot~ WOOWOO! I kinda want to dock a star for the NC and not being honestly listed but for now I am definite 5 stars happy!

these headphones sound good; i thought it would have some static especially with loud noises but it was good. i used it to play games, listen to music, and make music. it’s amazing for the price and delivers what it promises. it doesn’t hurt my head at all and is very comfortable!

Need: daily use on computer/phone, no DJ, just want a pair of wired headphones for a decent price. Need some noise cancelling (not expecting too much at this price level)Review:Pros: The headphone has decent sound quality. Very good bass, better than my qc35. The pads are comfortable for long time wearing, but might be a bit too hot in the summer.Cons: there are several issues when I use it with my phone. I am using it with a 3.5mm to lightning converter on my phone.First, I’ve heard sharp beeps several times when I connect this headphone with my phone. This has never happened with my other wired headphones.Second, the connection via converter is very unstable. I have to plug and unplug several times to get the sound out from the headphone instead of my phone speaker.Not sure if this is converter or headphone issue, but as this never happens to my other wired headphones, I might consider returning it. If you don’t often use it on your phone, I still recommend these for good quality at this price.

Let me start off with a disclaimer that I am rather severely hard of hearing (require good hearing aids to hear well…ish) caused by a bout with bacterial menigitis as a toddler, so take the following review for what you will.General Summary: With these, I can hear/feel bass, I can now (occasionally) hear things I couldn’t hear before (eg: cymbals/high-hats on drums) and similar sounds (although my headphones are in the dangrously loud range of 85-90db+ range when I do so). Volume is not an issue with these by any means as I can actually turn them up to be loud enough to hurt my ears and force me to turn it back down (though I rarely ever have it that loud as my hearing is damaged enough as is lol).For music: The bass has will actually vibrate my headphones when turned up despite not having EQ tuned more towards bass (it’s pretty flat which is another bonus as it gives you a better baseline for EQ control). I can hear certain things I never could before such as things in the “back of the mix”, faint adlibs, subtle sounds such as cymbals and hi-hats on drums.For Gaming: Clarity is incredible and I have slightly more situational awareness when in games (though I still miss some things due to my hearing issues). Volume & sound feels rather “full” to me as well. I rarely ever have volume/sound issues in games with these headphones.For movie/video (youtube, netflix, etc): Outside of really soft speaking/whispering, I have absolutely no issue with hearing everything rather clearly (aside from added effects such as distortions of course, but I can barely understand that to begin with due to hearing). Even with distortions though, I can actually hear and understand it a little better than I have ever been able to with any other headphones I’ve ever used, personally. My previous headset was a Logitech Artimis which was surprising how good it was and until I got these, the Artimis headsets were the best I’ve ever used (though gaming focused)… Now? Sorry Logitech, but these are even better, however, with that said. Both are surprisingly affordable for their quality and neither use the dreaded “in-line controls” which always the weakest point and when that goes, the headphones stop working so any headphones without in-line controls will always be viewed far more favorably by me in durability… Speaking of…Durability: I’ve dropped these countless times (by accident… butterfingered klutz problems lol). Have accidentally “kicked” them, pulled a little too hard when there was not enough cord, and other various, minor mishaps common from daily use and they are still working fine with 0 issues or any actual damage.I have one minor gripe although I think that has more to do with my glasses (or me) than with the headphones and that is that sometimes I can’t seem to make them sit comfortably on my head, but rotating the cups a little seems to help though it still takes a few minutes to get used to it again but once I do… They are incredibly comfortable and remain comfortable even after wearing them for 12+ hours a day as I do most things on the PC and at my PC most of the day, so I’m wearing the headphones more often than not.These are durable, powerful, and comfortable. The only drawback for me *personally* has less to do with the headphones and more with hardware/software of my PC which is I wish this came with an app that could read db output so I can be more conscious and careful of my hearing for it is more dangerous (for me). Thus it is more likely to cause damage for me as my starting volume is considerably higher by default due to hearing loss as the 70db range is what I need to hear well enough to follow along (I can *hear* the 60db range, but have severe trouble understanding as it’s barely whisper level for me due to hearing). but that’s really close to 80db range and I can easily cross over into that (and into the 90s) for long extended listening periods which can damage hearing if done for extended amounts of times.All in all, I highly recommend this product whether your hearing is normal or damaged. I have found no legitimate faults with this product. I would definitely purchase again in the future (doubly so if they create and include an app that can help keep track of db levels to add a layer of hearing protection much like apple does with their air pod ear buds and the hearing section of the health app). I would hope that if they do the app, it is free or at least cheap and affordable (like 5-10 USD at most and not something like 50-100 USD).To the person reading this: I hope this review from someone with hearing impairments was helpful in spite of the fact that I have severe hearing damage. Thank you for taking the time to read this and have a great day/night.

I have owned these headphones for 6 months. I’m semi-audiophiliac. They’ve generally been my go to for listening to music. I’m only writing this review because I unlocked the truth i’d been missing out on for 6 months. That’s my resume.Here are my thoughts on why you should choose these over budget or more expensive headphones. ( & yes, you should, but read on.)These are great no matter what you plug them into. I’ll give them that. You will be generally impressed if you plug them into your iphone, android, mac, etc.. They’re pretty darned good. The volume is perfect, the highs are there but tame enough while keeping truth. You won’t blow your eardrum tweeter, but the highs are definitely there and serviceable to truthiness of the treble band. The bass is true bass. It’s not overly exaggerated; these WILL NOT give you an ear massage, it will however give you pretty close to exact bass. That’s actually a fantastic thing, learning to appreciate bass rather than it treating your ears as a trampoline is definitely an enlightenment.I mainly use these with Spotify for my music diet. I’m a premium subscriber which gives me the rights to their high quality streams. These WILL expose bad recordings. Certain punk rock will not sound good as high quality electronic or high end produced modern pop. The ATH-M50x’s keep the recording quality obvious, but I would go on to say that they’re pretty forgiving at the same time. If you picked up a pair of AT’s higher priced cans, you’d probably expose even more, and is that worth it? Ehhhh it’s up to you, but these are the sweet spot for the price if you’re really looking to find flaws in recording, ya geek.The biggest take away for these cans is this: while plugging them into anything will get you great audio, what they’re plugged into matters.They will expose the the truth of the audio output of the device they’re plugged into. An Iphone won’t sound as good as plugged into a macbook pro which won’t sound as good as a pc with a good sound card. I’d been running these on my dell monitors headphone jack, which runs into an nvidia 980ti GPU, which serves up audio through the mentioned audio jack. It was okay. Today I pulled out the long 3.5mm male to 2.5mm male (the connection on the ATH-M50’s is 2.5mm fyi) that came with these and decided to plug these into my gaming pc that has a decent realtek soundcard…Oh my lord panty dropping audio blissfulness, the gods have spoken, how the hell did I miss this, hot damn.It awoke the beast. I cannot say more until you try these in a preamp (coworkers recommended) or something that pumps out decent audio.These are a catalyst, you just need the correct crucible to handle it. You pair these babies with the correct output mechanism, and it will be one of the best 100$ range headphones you’ll have ever have bought. Sky’s the limit, just feed them correctly.Since owning these, I’ve bought other Audio-Technica audio and recording devices. Have a set of their ATH-CKS55XBT blue tooth headphones : Audio-Technica SOLID BASS Bluetooth wireless stereo headset ATH-CKS55XBTAs well as the AT2020 usb microphone:Audio-Technica AT2020USB PLUS Cardioid Condenser USB MicrophoneIt helps to live 3 miles from their main headquarters and warehouse, but my first venture with AT were these headphones bought from Amazon, and I haven’t looked back. These can’s established brand loyalty in me to AT. They are The Truth.

I just received these tonight, 2/11/2026. Went to the Gym which is an extremely loud environment. These NC Headphones did a very good job of canceling out most of the noise. Noise canceling is even better with my Glasses off as the bows of the glasses cause a noise leak as the earpads don’t seal. The foam in the earpads are super soft. Sound quality is pleasing and quite musical. They are comfortable to wear and seem to be nicely engineered. I loaded the APP and there are lots of pre-configured choices. I like the “Rock” setting but they sound phenomenal out-of-box. Overall, these are the best inexpensive pair of Headphones I have ever experienced in the economy line. I sent 4 others back that just weren’t good. I’m giving these a “5” based on the overall quality for the money. I recommend these for music which is the hardest to reproduce. Work very well for phone calls.

I am really enjoying these headphones, the battery life is long, and the listening modes are a revelation— I didn’t know how much I would really enjoy the transparent listening feature, something that has been needed in headphones for a long time. Normal mode is just like every other headphone listening experience, but when you switch to transparent, you can hear more of the world around you, now I can listen to records or audiobooks when I’m doing regular activities like grocery shopping and I’m less isolated from my environment. Plus with the Bluetooth controls, I can pause to communicate when I need to or turn down the feed temporarily. If you want a good demonstration of the difference in the listening modes, just put them in when you do something loud like running a bath— you can imagine what normal sounds like, but transparent mode means you can clearly hear the running water, and noise cancelling mode means you can nearly “switch it off” so you can hear the audio much more clearly. I own three pairs of these now, two for dedicated pairing sets for my work computers, and one in my backpack for traveling or running around town. They are comfortable for long listening sessions, have a sleek design, but almost earmuff quality to them that has made them very nice to have during the single digit degree winter months.

I purchased these Sony MDR-7506 headphones a couple of months ago. More recently, I’ve also purchased Sony’s very similar (but not identical – see below) Sony MDR-V6 Monitor Series Headphones. My reason for purchasing a second pair (and getting both models) was because the V6’s were very inexpensive at the time I ordered ($30 cheaper than the 7506’s), and because I was curious to see if I could tell a difference between the two. In reading many of the reviews here on Amazon and elsewhere, I knew that the two are constructed very similarly but there were different opinions regarding both the differences (if any) and which has the superior sound.These are both headphones in the $100 and below price category, which seems like a reasonable price to pay for high quality sound. I do not like to listen to music using earbuds, I prefer this style of “over-the-ear” headphone. although it does take some getting used to. I also have very inexpensive Koss KSC75 Portable Stereophone Headphones for occasions when I don’t want to use my more expensive Sony’s.I am very satisfied with the sound quality from these headphones (both models), and with the comfort. They are the first “quality” headphones that I have owned, and the level of detail in the sound, lack of distortion, and overall quality is simply superb. I am completely satisfied.Now, regarding both similarities and differences between the Sony MDR-7506 and Sony MDR-V6, here is what I have found:- externally, they are almost identical in construction and appearance. The V6 has red stickers on each headphone “for Digital”, and the 7506 has blue stickers “Professional”. The phono jack for the V6 is silver metal (all metal), for the 7506 is gold (rubber and gold). Those are the only visible differences I am able to detect.- when I listen to the two headphones back to back, at the same volume level and with the same music, I can detect a slightly clearer treble and midrange from the 7506, and very slightly clearer sound. This is consistent with several of the other reviewers on Amazon for the 7506, who say they can detect a slightly better sound separation and more open sound for the 7506, with the V6’s sounding a bit warmer. One reviewer also says that the internal grounding for the two headphones is different – the 7506 uses a separate internal ground for the left and right channels, where the V6 uses a single ground for both channels. (It seems to me that both grounds are going to the same place anyway, but if this is true – and I am not able to confirm whether or not it is – then maybe this contributes to a slightly different sound).- some reviewers state that the internal speaker drivers are different for the two headphones. However when I went to Sony’s website to check the specifications for the two models, that is not what I found. And here is what the Wikipedia page states for these headphones: “both models share the same part number for their driver, but the magnet therein is known to vary. The MDR-7506 was introduced with a samarium-cobalt magnet, as is currently used in the MDR-V6. However, at some point, the MDR-7506 switched to the slightly more powerful neodymium magnet. These changes were made without changing the driver part number.”- The box for the 7506 states “neodimium magnet”. The operating instructions included with the V6 state “samarium cobalt magnet”. Possibly either or both of these are out of date (as Wiki states, they may make spec changes over time) – the 7506 box is copyright 1994, and the V6 copyright is 1996.- The 7506 box includes an exploded view and parts list, which is very nice to have. The V6 box does not.- Both headphones include a soft case for storing/carrying the headphones, and both include an adaptor plug so that the headphone can be used with either a stereo mini-plug or a normal size plug.UPDATE 7/22/13 and 7/30/13: The Sony MDR-V6 and MDR-7506 headphones have just recently been reviewed by CNET, with similar comments to my own regarding the small differences in sound quality. Both headphones receive a very high recommendation from CNET. See the MDR-7506 review at […] and the MDR-V6 review at […]According to the specifications on Sony’s website (which should be up-to-date), the only difference between the two headphones is frequency response:- MDR-7506:- Neodymium magnet, 40.0 mm driver, 10-20kHz frequency response, 63 Ohm impedance, 106 dB/W/m sensitivity- MDR-V6:- Neodymium magnet, 40.0 mm driver, 5-30kHz frequency response, 63 Ohm impedance, 106 dB/W/m sensitivityI am not able to explain how Sony is claiming different frequency response for the two headphones if all of the other specs are identical, but this is what they are saying. And I do believe that the two headphones have slightly different sound.Although there is a slight difference between the 7506 and V6, the sound from both headphones is very neutral. The “professional” choice between the two seems to be the 7506, and it is the more expensive model. If you read other reviews you will find that the 7506’s are commonly used by studio engineers, because they are designed to reproduce the sound just as it is, without adding emphasis to the bass as some other headphones are designed to do. At this point, for me they are both excellent, and for thirty bucks less I’d go with the V6 if I could have only one of the two.I’ve been using these headphones with the Audioengine D1 24-bit digital-to-audio converter, and I am extremely pleased with the quality of the sound.As a final comment, some owners of these headphones comment that the ear pads wear out over time, and some owners also prefer different ear pads for better comfort. I also purchased a pair of Beyerdynamic EDT 250 Velour Padded Earcushions for this reason, and although I have not yet given them a try to compare them with the ear pads that come with the Sony headphones, I do like the fact that it is possible to fit different ear pads if desired in order to provide more comfort, as well as replace them when they have become worn (some owners use these headphones for many years).I notice that there are a very large number of reviewers for these headphones, many of them long-time owners who feel very strongly that these Sony headphones are the best. I’m just beginning to use them, but I have high hopes that they will be durable over time and that I will continue to be as satisfied with them as I am today.

Love em! These replace nearly identical Sony professional model I bought 20 years ago. That’s darn good I’d say. Definitely recommend for circumstances that require more than ear buds. Comfortable, soft, clear sound and blocks most ambient noise.

These are my comfort blanket now. When I’m studying in public or Im at the gym, these headphones are on. The app is easy to use for the most part. One annoying feature is speak to chat, you can cough or clear your throat and the music will pause. You are able to turn this feature off through the app- I suggest you immediately turn it off. Other than that the noise cancellation is pretty good, the sound quality is great, and they’re generally very comfortable to wear. Definitely worth the price.

I thoroughly enjoy what Sony has to offer in their product line. I have the PlayStation 5, a Sony Bravia 4K TV and several other Sony products. Yes although I have owned a few of their product line I will not try to be biased here with the review. What got me into Sony products was really their earphones dating back to 2011! They have the best earphones you could get for $20 back at the time in 2011 and now the quality they still continue to put out never disappoints! Here’s the pros and cons of the Sony WH-1000XM5.Update: I also picked up the XM4 Earbuds from Sony and take note that those are on a different level for listening to music compared to the XM5 Over the Ear headphones. Shares the same features like the XM5, not the same sound like over the ear obviously but also more marketed to those who goes to the gym and likes something more compact.Pros:Comfortable and lightweight!I don’t ever have a complaint with what they have to offer when it comes to comfort. These are better than BOSE in regards as to comfort. I think the one thing that makes them comfortable also is that they are light. They weigh only about 0.56 pounds! People tend to have problems with headphones if they are heavy in my opinion! I also assume they use a low density memory foam for cushioning which is great but will eventually need to be replaced or tended to if left compressed or squished for too long.Unique featuresNoise Cancelling is top notch but not much different than their previous lines in my opinion! It is a standard these days to get noise cancelling and the headphones are great for drowning out noise if need be. They also tend to those who need to be aware of their surroundings by implementing a ambient mode like previous models. Works great and works like a charm by either taking the headphones off or covering the touch control panel. Also the Speak to Pause Music feature is insanely nice to have! Helps when your hands are busy and or you just don’t want to adjust your headphones having to speak.Superb sound!The sound quality out of these are amazing! Does really well in all areas of music genres. Particularly really in low frequencies for bass! I get to enjoy these at a great volume and it pairs amazingly with my PS5 as a gaming headset! (Will mention the headphones does not come with a microphone for gaming when using a headphone jack.) As a pair of noise cancelling headphones, you can expect to hear a positively good detail in music, movies, gaming or even a phone call! They are clear and surprisingly really balanced. The microphone on these headphones for phone calls are great. Better than the previous versions.Fast charging!The charging rate of these headphones is incredible! I never knew how fast charging can be with this! There’s times I have left this powered on overnight as I’m at work for my 10 hour job and it was drained by the time I wanted to use it again. In those times I left it charging and goodness greatness these were ready to go in a about 10-15 minutes! I enjoy these so much that I’m actually glad they have a 24-30 hour battery life.Cons:Cost.Its expensive! If you can get these on sale, it’s worthwhile! If it’s in your budget go for it! You pay for what you get in my opinion and these are worth their weight in gold!Fitment.They don’t exactly fit around my short wide neck whenever I need to take it off and be present in a conversation or in my surroundings. Not exactly a big matter or deal breaker. More so it’s a personal perspective. My neck size is 15 ¾ inches in circumference and that’s pretty average I believe. I have to extend these in order to keep them around my neck without compromise. They also do not fold inward like the previous Sony headphone models but again never a issue.Cushion. Yes the ear cup cushions are comfortable but again when I place them around my neck it compresses the cushion to a point where it feels awkward after putting it back on. I’m looking at other options to replace their soft fit leather design.Update: There is different earcups that you can replace the OEM cups with but it comes at a cost of I believe $60 which is worth noting.Conclusion.Worthiness of $350+ (price as of 12/07/2022) during the holidays? Yes!Personal opinionated review:Sony WH-1000XM5 or other leading competition? Sony, easily Sony. I’ve never been unhappy about this purchase and I tell people that Sony is industrial leading company that continues to impress people when it comes to their headphones. Beats by Dre(Apple), Apple and Bose has always been great by popularity but Sony gets appraised by quality!I will update this review as I go until they put a new model out.