Sony’s WH-1000XM5 is our top pick in noise-cancelling headphones, and you can grab a pair in black or silver for $50 off MSRP during Amazon’s Prime Early Access sale. But you’d better hurry, because the sale ends today.
These headphones wowed us not only with the audio performance of their carbon fiber drivers and their best-in-class active noise cancellation, but also with whiz-bang features such as its touch-sensitive right-hand earcup: The WH-1000XM5 has just two buttons; you control all its other features by swiping or tapping on that earcup. And a speak-to-chat feature automatically pauses whatever music playing and switches the headphone into its ambient-aware mode, so you can converse with the person you’re with.
And we wouldn’t name the WH-1000XM5 as the best noise-cancelling headphone if it didn’t sound fantastic. Support for AAC and Sony’s own LDAC codec allow for high-res music over a Bluetooth connection.
These headphones are lightweight and super comfortable to wear, and when you need to stow them for travel, they fold into the most compact form on the market. As such, they’re great travel companions.
Author: Michael Brown, Executive Editor
Michael is TechHive's lead editor, with 30+ years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the smart home, home audio, and home theater. He built his own smart home in 2007 and used it as a real-world test lab for product reviews. Following a relocation to the Pacific Northwest, he is now converting his new home, an 1890 Victorian bungalow, into a modern smart home.