The Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2023 weekend is the best time to get the latest Sony headphones at a fraction of the cost and Sony has some really good headphones that are worth picking up. In this review, we feature some of the most anticipated Sony headphones that you should consider buying this Black Friday. These headphones have been upgraded by Sony to provide superb sound performance and come with active noise cancellation to provide a quiet listening experience which are comparatively better than Bose headphones (if you are looking for Bose headphones to get this Black Friday 2023, read our full guide here). Here are some of our top picks for the best Sony headphones to get this Black Friday 2023.
Sony Headphones Black Friday 2023
#1 Best Gaming: Sony INZONE H9 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphone
The Sony INZONE H9 is one of the most highly anticipated Sony headphones to get this Black Friday 2023. This headphone has an absolutely sleek gaming design and provides personalized 360 spatial sound performance for gaming – the sound is so precise that it will allow you to detect your rivals and enemies with precision. These over-ear gaming headphones deliver superb sound performance and deep bass, and we highly recommend getting these headphones this Black Friday 2023 at the fraction of the cost.
The Sony INZONE H9 headphones provide some of the most spacious sound performance we have heard with 3D mapping and good soundstage. You can hear all the details in the in-game world during gameplay such as the direction of the wind or the sound of an approaching vehicle from behind. The sound is crystal clear and in-game dialogues sound crisp and very clean. The H9 headphones also deliver a good deal of bass output and makes in-game scenes feel realistic and lifelike.
Apart from the sound performance, the INZONE H9 also comes with dual sensor noise cancelling technology which keeps out surrounding noises; the noise cancellation actually works pretty well and allows you to focus on gameplay without any interruptions. The headphone itself is very comfortable to wear and comes with a soft headband cushion and leatherette ear pads for a comfortable fit. The H9 headphone also comes with a flexible flip-up boom microphone with mute function that allows you to easily communicate with teammates during gameplay; if can just flip up the microphone to automatically mute it when not in use.
One of the things that we liked about the INZONE H9 headphones is that it provides up to 32 hours of continuous playtime on a single charge and can be used for PC and PlayStation 5 consoles. You can also personalize the EQ settings and listening profiles using the INZONE Hub software.
Overall, the Sony INZONE H9 is definitely one of the best headphones to get for Black Friday 2023 due to its superb sound performance and wireless gaming capabilities. It also has very sleek and comfortable ear-pad design for long hours of listening, and delivers really good 360 spatial sound performance during gameplay with good bass and sound effects.
#2 Best Bass: Sony WH-XB910N Extra Bass Headphones
The Sony WH-XB910N Extra bass headphones are some of the most bass-heavy headphones that have active noise cancellation. The headphone also comes with a built-in microphone for hands free calls and supports voice control including Google Assistant and Siri for music pairing. One of the standout features of the Sony WH-XB910N headphones is that they have an extremely wide frequency range from 7 Hz to 25 kHz, and they deliver exceptional bass performance down to 7 Hz (the bass goes so deep that it is barely audible to the human ear below 15 Hz). The headphone also supports Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC, AAC and LDAC audio decoding which makes it great for listening to high-resolution music files.
We really liked the sound performance of the WH-XB910N Extra Bass headphones. These headphones clearly have a lot more bass than we expected and has a very bass-leaning sound signature. We would say that these headphones sound warmer in the bass and midrange frequencies, but they still deliver some really nice highs and clear vocals. We played a couple of EDM and hip-hop songs such as “Golden Hour” by JVKE and the bass sounded absolutely stunning with great impact – the level of depth that you get with the bass on this headphone is very impressive. Despite its bass leaning sound signature, vocals sounded pristine and very clear, and you can push up the volume on these headphones without any distortion which is great.
The WH-XB910Ns come with neodymium magnet drivers with an impedance of 48 ohms, and have an effective wireless range of around 30 feet or 10m. You can listening to these headphones and walk around the house without hearing any lag or dips in sound performance. The noise cancellation feature works extremely well (as with most Sony headphones) and they effectively block up to 95% of ambient background noises. We did find that the bass feels much deeper and tighter with the active noise cancellation switched on. The ANC also supports ambient mode if you need to listen to your surroundings.
One of the things that we really liked about this headphone is that it comes with a built-in battery that delivers up to 30 hours of playtime on a single charge, with a charging time of approximately 3.5 hours. They are also very comfortable to wear and come with plenty of over-ear soft cushion padding that rests gently over the ears. The headband is also adjustable and conforms to the size of your head without exerting too much clamping force.
Overall, the Sony WH-XB910N is a really powerful headphone that is designed for bass heads with active noise cancellation. It delivers superb bass performance and we really enjoyed the deep low-end bass notes and sound performance that this headphone has to offer. If you are looking for Sony headphone that can deliver a tonne of bass, the Sony WH-XB910N is definitely the one you should get this Black Friday 2023.
#3 Best Noise Cancelling: Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Headphones
Long considered as one of the best noise cancelling headphones in the music industry, the Sony WH-1000XM5 deliver some of the most powerful noise cancellation that we have ever heard and can effectively block up to 98% of background noises and even conversational speech. The Sony WH-1000XM5 was designed as an upgrade from the WH-1000XM4 and goes further to boost audio clarity with crystal clear highs in the treble ranges. The XM5 headphones also uses two processors and eight microphones to filter out high and midrange sound, providing a very quiet listening experience with minimal interference. The WH-1000XM5s also use precise voice pickup technology that allows you to take hands free calls while filtering distracting background noises. If you are looking to get the latest noise cancelling headphone from Sony that provides extremely effective noise cancellation, the WH-1000XM5s are the headphones to get this Black Friday 2023.
Compared to the WH-1000XM4s, the Sony WH-1000XM5s also come with a newly developed 30mm driver that delivers crisp highs and very deep bass performance. When we tested out these headphones, we felt that the WH-1000XM5s have a really warm and bass-leaning sound signature that makes EDM and rock music sound extremely punch. The bass punches very deep and is the kind of bass that has plenty of depth – you can listen to all your favorite music soundtracks and hear low-end bass notes that you might have never noticed before. The headphone also provides crystal clear vocal clarity and you can listen to live jazz and classic rock music with pristine clarity, although we would say that the midrange feels rather “bass-heavy” and has a warmer coloration.
This headphone comes with Sony’s integrated V1 processor that works in tandem with the HD noise cancelling processor QN1 to control eight different microphones to cancel out ambient noise, with the WH-1000XM5s improving on the highs and midrange frequency blocking. This means that the WH-1000XM5s can cancel out conversational sounds and higher-pitched sounds for quiet listening, and makes them great for travelling or in-flight use. These headphones also come with Sony’s Auto NC Optimizer which automatically maximizes noise cancellation based on your surrounding environment.
One of the things that we really liked about the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphone is that they come with LDAC support, which allow you to listen to Hi-Res audio over Spotify. It also supports Sony’s DSEE Extreme to upscale compressed audio and provide really clear sound performance with very detailed sound – you can pick up on details in the music which you might not have noticed before. Furthermore, the headphone provides up to 30 hours of playtime on a single charge and supports really fast quick charging (a 3 minute charge for 3 hours of playback), which is much better than the latest Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones (a 15 minute charge only provides 2,5 hours of playtime). The headphone is also ultra-comfortable with soft padded earbuds and has a lightweight design that does not cause too much listening fatigue.
Overall, the Sony WH-1000XM5s provides some of the best active noise cancellation we have ever heard from a headphone with really good clarity and deep bass. The noise cancellation is exceptional and blocks up a lot of ambient background noise, and we would highly recommend getting these headphones during Black Friday 2023.
#4 Best On-Ear: Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Headphone
The Sony WH-CH520 is a really powerful on-ear headphone that delivers superb sound quality and deep bass, and continues to remain one of the best Sony headphones to get in 2023. The headphone itself is lightweight and comfortable on the ears, and provides an incredible 50 hour of battery life on a single charge with quick charging features. The headphone uses Bluetooth 5.2 and also allows you to listened to compressed audio files from Spotify through Sony’s DSEE audio codec, which is a great feature to get much more detailed sound performance. We also liked how customizable the sound settings are – you can customizable your music preferences with custom EQ using the Sony headphone connect app and set different listening profiles. Overall, the Sony WH-CH520 headphone is a really simple and comfortable on-ear headphone that delivers great sound.
We really liked the sound quality of the Sony WH-CH520 headphone. The headphone itself delivers really nice highs and low-end bass, and the midrange also feels present. We played a couple of EDM, rock and hip-hop music through these headphones and they sounded great with minimal distortion and very punchy beats. These headphones also get very loud and you can push up the volume to maximum while getting very low distortion; vocals remain consistently crisp and clean, and you can hear every single detail in the music with good precision. While the bass is not the kind of bass that you would get with the Sony WH-1000XM5s, they are decent enough and the headphones work great for daily commutes or walks.
The Sony WH-CH520 also comes with a bunch of features that make it really versatile; the headphone itself is lightweight and comfortable for all-day use. The headphone is made of lightweight plastic that does not clamp too hard or exert pressure on the head, and this makes the WH-CH520 very comfortable to wear on the ears. The battery life on this headphone is an incredible 50 hours and it also supports quick charging – you can use this headphone on a daily basis and only need to charge it once per week. The wireless Bluetooth connection is stable and it also supports DSEE which is a huge plus point for listening to compressed audio files. It also supports multi-point connection which allows you to quickly switch between two devices at once, and you can also connect the headphone with your PC with Swift Pair. Having said that, this headphone is fully wireless and does not have a 3.5mm auxiliary input jack.
Overall, the Sony WH-CH520 is an excellent headphone to get on a budget and delivers really nice sound with extreme comfort. The headphone does exactly what it was built to do and is very comfortable to wear (the headphones are very lightweight and do not exert too much clamping force). The battery life on these headphones is also an incredible 50 hours. We highly recommend getting these Sony headphones during Black Friday 2023 at a fraction of the cost and they deliver superb value for money.