Sony WH-1000XM6 on the left; Sony WH-1000XM5 on the appropriate.
Nina Raemont/ZDNET
When Sony launched its WH-1000XM6 headphones final 12 months, I used to be immediately floored by the brand new headset’s stellar noise cancellation and traditional Sony sound. They match and sounded merely superb. The headphones had such sturdy noise cancellation that, whereas listening to them on a current flight, I did not understand the aircraft had launched into an emergency touchdown.
Additionally: Sony WH-1000XM6 evaluate: Nonetheless the king of ANC headphones? My verdict after months of testing
The XM6 headphones are nice, and that is for certain. They’re additionally $400 — not terribly reasonably priced. If $400 is just a bit out of your value vary, you is perhaps higher off choosing the $300 XM5 headphones that Sony unveiled a number of years in the past. It is a good time to purchase them, too, since Amazon’s Spring Sale is effectively underway. The headphones are 25% off proper now, however the low cost will possible solely apply throughout the length of the sale, which ends on March 31.
Additionally: Amazon Spring Sale dwell weblog 2026: Monitoring the largest value drops all week
The XM5 headphones do not have the up to date Bluetooth model or as sturdy of noise cancellation, however that does not imply they don’t seem to be nice headphones. They’ve the identical battery life because the newer XM6. What Sony improves on from the final era to the current one is its noise cancellation.
Aspect by aspect comparisons show that the noise cancellation on the XM6 is stronger. Nonetheless, the XM5’s noise cancellation remains to be nice. The truth is, in the event you by no means listened to the XM6, you most likely would do not know what you are lacking, anyway.
Additionally: Sony WH-1000XM6 vs. WH-1000XM5: I in contrast each headphones, and this mannequin wins
I would advocate buying these headphones in the event you’re in want of a brand new pair that may final all through a number of workdays earlier than a recharge, make your music sound vivid, clear, and thrilling, and really feel snug for hours on prime of your head.
How I rated this deal
It is a 5/5 deal as a result of Sony churns out some distinctive headphones, they usually usually value a pair hundred {dollars}. This deal marks the worth of the headphones down by 25%, taking $100 off its asking value. You are still getting a aggressive headset, even at that low cost.
When is Amazon’s Spring Sale?
Amazon’s Large Spring Sale runs March 25-31, 2026.
When will this deal expire?
This deal will possible run by means of Amazon’s Spring Sale, which ends March 31. Offers are topic to promote out or expire anytime. Our group of specialists recurrently checks in on the offers we share to make sure they’re nonetheless dwell and obtainable. We’re sorry in the event you’ve missed out on this deal, however do not fret — we’re consistently discovering new possibilities to avoid wasting and sharing them with you at ZDNET.com.
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Additionally: How we charge offers at ZDNET in 2026
