For the past few weeks we've been putting TV manufacturers' feet to the fire. We're holding them accountable by grading them in key categories like design, performance, features and pricing — and now we're asking our readers to get involved.

We recently asked readers which brand they trusted most and one company was the clear winner. Now we're coming to you all directly with a short survey that will help us figure out what you love and hate about the six biggest TV makers: Hisense, LG, Samsung, Sony, TCL and Vizio.

Fill it out at your leisure and let me know in the comments what your biggest gripes are.

Here's how I'd answer

Testing TVs for a living has left me with an embarrassing amount of screens in my home. In my home office I've got a 75-inch TCL QM9K. Downstairs in my living room is a Samsung S95D OLED. In my music listening room I've got the Hisense U8N.

In the above survey, I'd mark all three down.

How long have I owned those TVs? Not all that long.

The first TV I ever owned was a massive CRT model that I used to play N64 and PS1 games on growing up. My parents bought that TV for me and my brother in 1996 and I was still rocking it to play Halo 2 a decade later.

These days, however, I'm trading out TVs every two to three years. That's probably a bit excessive, honestly, but as someone who covers this stuff, I want to make sure that I have access to all the latest and greatest technology to provide the best analysis to you guys.

Would I buy these TVs again? I absolutely would. They're all great value options. Not everyone probably feels the same as I feel, though. For some of you I'm sure the answer is going to be a resounding no. If that's you, drop a comment below letting me know why that is.

If the answer is yes, also drop a comment below letting me know why you like your TV so much. By doing so, you could be directly helping someone find their new favorite TV.

Stay tuned for the results of these surveys and check out our guide to the best TV brands in 2026 if you haven't done so already. You'll be seeing the results used in more stories in the coming weeks as we continue to break down what's working — and what's not working — in the world of TVs.

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RGB backlight technology is clearly here to stay, and it’s laying the groundwork to eventually replace traditional Mini-LED as the de facto standard among the best TVs. While more budget-friendly models like the Hisense UR9 are making the tech accessible, sets like the Sony Bravia 9 II represent the uncompromising high end, commanding a steep $3,599 starting price.

The seeds for this flagship were planted three years ago when I visited Sony’s Tokyo HQ to see early prototypes of its backlight drivers. Sony’s mission then was granular control in service of "artistic intent.” The original Sony Bravia 9 proved how potent that philosophy was, but the Bravia 9 II elevates it further by introducing a refined True RGB system.

The result is a display that feels worth every penny. If OLEDs hadn't made massive brightness leaps of their own recently, I’d call this a full-blown OLED killer. A handful of other TVs might push higher raw peak nits on paper, but the Bravia 9 II pairs OLED-rivaling blacks, rich color performance, and an elite anti-reflective coating with a level of visual finesse that makes it the undisputed champion of RGB TVs.

Sony Bravia 9 II True RGB TV: Price and sizes

The Sony Bravia 9 II is positioned at the apex of Sony's current TV offerings, and its pricing reflects its ultra-flagship status:

• 65-inch Sony Bravia 9 II (K65XR90M2): $3,599.99
• 75-inch Sony Bravia 9 II (K75XR90M2): $4,599.99
• 85-inch Sony Bravia 9 II (K85XR90M2): $6,499.99
• 115-inch Sony Bravia 9 II (K115XR90M2): $30,999 (not yet available)

All sizes feature identical internal performance capabilities, though it's worth noting the gargantuan 115-inch model omits the Mirage stand found on its smaller siblings. And frankly, nobody needs to spend $30,000+ on an LED TV, no matter how good it is.

While launch prices are steep, we have already seen modest discounts hit retailers, and you can expect more enticing sales around Black Friday.

Sony Bravia 9 II review: Design, ports and connectivity

In terms of design, the highlight here is the new "Mirage" stand setup. When viewed from the right angle, the TV appears to float effortlessly above your console thanks to a magnetic lenticular cover plate that conceals cables fed cleanly down the center base. Much like the metallic floating bezel on Samsung's latest flagship S95H OLED, Sony's design choices make the TV look distinctive and elevated. On a macro-level, I’m excited to see TV manufacturers introducing memorable flourishes right now.

But if you’re after the slimmest TV, the Bravia 9 II isn’t it. Because it is a backlit Mini-LED system, the chassis is naturally thicker and heavier than paper-thin OLED alternatives (1.75 inches and 58.6 pounds, respectively, for the 65-inch model we reviewed).

The Bravia 9 II also sports an upgraded anti-reflective screen coating. In testing, it proved exceptionally capable at suppressing harsh indoor light sources and window reflections, easily rivaling Samsung's matte anti-glare solutions. Paired with the screen's immense light output (which I’ll detail further below,) this set thrives in sun-drenched rooms.

Where Sony stumbles is in its port selection: For a flagship in 2026, offering only two HDMI 2.1 ports (out of four total) remains a frustrating point of contention for multi-console gamers and AV enthusiasts who need multiple high-bandwidth connections. On the plus side, it does include an ATSC 3.0 tuner for broadcast 4K signals — something rival sets from Samsung and LG skimped out on in 2026.

How we test TVs

We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom’s Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subject tests designed to rate the set’s performance.

For our technical tests, we use a Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRes spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays’s Calman calibration software to take measurements. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester for determining whether it’s one of the best gaming TVs. For a more detailed look at what we do and how we do it, check out our “How we test TVs” page.

Sony Bravia 9 II review: Performance

The Bravia 9 II’s picture performance impressed me most with its shadow precision and color vibrancy. Watching the rainy dock chase scene in “The Batman,” the colored lights piercing through the dark night sky looked completely controlled, intentional and hyper-vivid. Dark cityscape details remained intact without blowing out shadow details, while blooming around bright light sources was virtually non-existent.

Color handling is equally outstanding. In “Dune: Part Two,” the vast desert sands and open skies of Arrakis displayed buttery-smooth gradations with zero visible color banding.

I did notice some minor limitations in off-angle viewing, however. While Sony's wide-angle tech marks a huge improvement over the original Bravia 9, sitting far off-axis still introduces slight contrast drop-offs that you simply won't find on an OLED panel.

Gaming on the Bravia 9 II feels fluid, and has natural benefits for PS5 owners. Swinging through New York in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on PS5, motion remained crisp even during fast camera shifts. An input lag of 9.8 milliseconds is a monumental improvement over the Bravia 9’s 17 milliseconds, cracking the sub-10 millisecond threshold that’s pretty much the fastest we’ve seen on any Sony TV in the lab.

Sony Bravia 9 II review: Test results

Speaking of our lab testing, the Sony Bravia 9 II delivered premium benchmark results, reflecting a massive generational step forward for Sony's backlighting.

Out of the box, our production unit of the Sony Bravia 9 II reached 3,903 nits of peak HDR brightness in a 10% window (worth noting: a pre-production sample we tested previously managed 3,990 nits).

This represents a gigantic leap over the original Bravia 9's 2,713 nits. By shifting away from standard white LEDs to a True RGB backlight system, Sony proved it can drive immense luminance without blowing out color accuracy or clipping highlights. It comfortably outshines even the brightest flagship OLED we’ve tested (the Samsung S95H at 2,721 nits) while essentially matching its impressive 89.60% Rec. 2020 color gamut coverage.

Hisense’s UR9 remains the raw brightness champion at 4,370 nits and holds a slight lead in Rec. 2020 gamut coverage (93.14% vs 89.23%), but almost no content is mastered to saturate BT.2020 fully.

When comparing the Bravia 9 II’s premium over Sony's step-down Bravia 7 II, the lab numbers tell an interesting story. The Bravia 7 II holds its own with a respectable 2,077 nits and nearly identical color coverage, but the flagship Bravia 9 II nearly doubles its peak HDR output and delivers superior out-of-the-box color accuracy. That would make a significant difference in a sun-drenched room.

Sony Bravia 9 II review: Audio

Sony re-architected the internal chassis of the Bravia 9 II to create more internal air volume, pairing its primary subwoofers with side-saddled tweeters and a newly added upward-firing beam tweeter. The result is an expansive soundstage with undeniable punch.

The Bravia 9 II also gets Sony’s Voice Zoom feature, which offers six levels of dialogue adjustment in either direction to adjust vocal clarity. I personally like using it for watching live sports when I want the commentary to pop clearly over roaring stadium crowds.

While I think it sounds great for a standalone TV, I also think a display of this caliber deserves a dedicated surround setup. If you stick within Sony's ecosystem, Acoustic Center Sync allows the TV’s built-in drivers to operate as the center channel when paired with a compatible Sony soundbar or home theater system.

Alongside this TV, Sony introduced the Bravia Theater Trio, a condensed central soundbar with wireless left and right channels. I haven’t tested it myself, but I’m intrigued by how it offers flexible placement options.

Sony Bravia 9 II review: Software and interface

The Bravia 9 II runs Google TV, which is one of my personal favorite smart TV platforms for daily use. You can take it or leave it, but Gemini AI integration now allows you to ask questions about movies, request quick briefs on sports scores, or catch up on daily news digests.

Google TV Freeplay comes built-in, offering over 280 ad-supported channels for instant streaming. Users also receive free Sony Pictures Core credits (10 movie downloads plus 2 years of unlimited access to 100 curated Sony Pictures titles). Otherwise, app navigation for your subscribed services is generally fast and responsive, and it plays especially nice with YouTube TV for those like me who use it as their cable alternative.

When idle, the TV’s screensavers setting pulls from Google Photos, curated art galleries, or AI-generated art. Combined with the anti-reflective screen coating, the Bravia 9 II could satisfy that itch for an art TV aesthetic.

Sony Bravia 9 II review: Remote

Sony’s remote control is one of the best in the business. It features a comfortable, textured back and motion-sensitive backlighting that automatically illuminates the keys when you pick it up in a dark room and gently fades away once set back down. It’s fully rechargeable via USB-C.

Quick-launch shortcut keys are provided for Google TV Freeplay ("Free TV"), Sony Pictures Core, Crunchyroll, Netflix, Disney+, YouTube and Prime Video. There is also a customizable shortcut button that can be programmed to launch your most-used app or control Google Home smart devices.

I appreciate how it includes a dedicated Quick Settings toolbar button, too. It's a game-changer being able to tweak sleep timers or brightness levels without interrupting what you're watching.

Sony Bravia 9 II review: Verdict

I’m convinced the Sony Bravia 9 II is the undisputed champion of RGB TVs. By pairing extreme peak luminance with unprecedented dimming control and top-tier processing, Sony has delivered a display that easily holds its ground against the best OLED TVs on the market. It isn't cheap, and the persistent limit of two HDMI 2.1 ports will annoy power users, but those are minor compromises on an otherwise breathtaking television.

If you want something cheaper (and we wouldn’t blame you for doing so), the step-down Sony Bravia 7 II delivers much of the same True RGB color magic for a significantly lower price tag. Alternatively, if you're still not convinced anything can beat OLED's perfect black levels, the LG C6 remains a phenomenal pick for dark-room viewing.

That said, if you have a bright living space and want the absolute peak of cinematic color and brightness finesse, the RGB LED-powered Bravia 9 II is worth every single penny.

As Senior TV Editor, I see nearly every TV release year after year. It’s a special opportunity to share a ton of helpful context with folks shopping for a new TV, but it also means that I’m liable to lose sight of how the average person feels about the state of the industry.

This is why, for the last several weeks, we’ve been asking you — the readers — which major TV brand you consider to be the most trustworthy.

Between Hisense, LG, Samsung, Sony, TCL and Vizio, one brand proved more trustworthy than the rest — and it wasn’t particularly close. Sony, makers of some of the best TVs you can buy, rose above the competition. Here’s how the rest of the pack stacked up.

Trusted TV brands: Full results

In just over two weeks, our poll compiled just over 3,200 votes. Here's a breakdown of the results at the time of publishing:

Among our readers, Sony-branded QLEDs, OLEDs and True RGB TVs are the most trusted. LG and Samsung are closely positioned in second and third place, while TCL, Hisense and Vizio received far fewer votes overall.

It's an interesting time to analyze these results. We recently conducted a week-long exercise in which we doled out report cards to these brands, grading each on performance, features, price and more. Sony received our highest grade for performance (A). However, Sony was also the recipient of the lowest grade we handed out for price (C-).

Our reasoning for these grades is simple: Sony's superb engineering and unparalleled picture processing amount to some of the best performance money can buy. Unfortunately, the cost of this consistency is often passed down to the viewer, as Sony TVs tend to be priced higher than rival TVs.

Sony TVs in 2026 and beyond

If Sony's 2026 Bravia TV lineup is any indication, the company is perfectly comfortable assuming the role of a trusted premium TV-maker — even if its mid-range and luxury models are priced higher than the competition.

Interestingly, our poll proves that viewers and TV-shoppers aren't necessarily fazed by this arrangement. Among our readers, Sony is more trustworthy than LG and Samsung (brands that specialize in high-end performance) and far more trustworthy than TCL and Hisense (brands commonly associated with value-forward, budget-friendly models).

Recently, Sony spun out its TV business, with rival brand TCL taking on a 51% stake in the operation. It's tough to say how this might affect Sony TVs, TCL TVs and the reputation of both brands.

We'll be continuing to run the poll, so if you haven't responded to our poll about TV-brand trustworthiness, we want to hear from you: Your input could help shape how these companies will build, tune, and market these TVs in 2027 and beyond.

More from Tom's Guide

• We just graded every TV brand on price, performance and more — here’s how their report cards stack up
• This RGB LED TV is the one to buy if the Sony Bravia 9 II is outside of your budget
• TCL and Sony are joining forces to sell more TVs — but is that bad news for shoppers?

This week, Sony held its Q3 earnings call where the company confirmed that it is "cautiously" moving forward with plans to stop producing physical versions of PlayStation games starting in 2028, CFO Lin Tao said (see Tao's comments in this video from Kotaku's Ethan Gach).

“When we think about the future, and we put in a lot of thought and time, and we cautiously considered this, and we came to this conclusion. And we’re going to cautiously move this forward,” Tao said.

Sony has been receiving near-daily backlash from gamers online; most of the backlash isn't over the medium of discs itself but a perceived lack of ownership since most digital sales are "licenses," not something you actually own. Data from Circana analyst Mat Piscatella highlighted that in 2008 over 100 PlayStation games sold more than 100,000 copies. This year, only 7 reached that mark.

Unfortunately, Sony made this announcement just as prices are skyrocketing for RAM and storage, forcing hikes on everything from phones to laptops and anything that requires memory thanks to AI-driven supply constraints.

With that in mind, I decided to take a look at how much memory you would need for the 37 first-party games released for the PlayStation 5 since it launched in 2020.

Here's the full list of the games

• Astro Bot
• Astro’s Playroom
• Days Gone Remastered
• Death Stranding: Director’s Cut
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Demon’s Souls remake
• Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut
• Ghost of Yōtei
• God of War Ragnarök
• God of War: Sons of Sparta
• Gran Turismo 7
• Helldivers 2
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
• Lego Horizon Adventures
• Lost Soul Aside
• Midnight Murder Club
• MLB The Show 21
• MLB The Show 22
• MLB The Show 23
• MLB The Show 24
• MLB The Show 25
• MLB The Show 26
• Nioh collection (Nioh 1 & 2 Remastered)
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• Returnal
• Rise of the Ronin
• Sackboy: A Big Adventure
• Saros
• Spider-Man Remastered
• Spider-Man 2
• Spider-Man: Miles Morales
• Stellar Blade
• The Last of Us Part 1 remake
• The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered
• Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection
• Until Dawn remake

Using the listed download size from the PlayStation Store, I found that the 37 games totaled 2,989.1 GB, or about 2.99 TB.

The PS5 comes with 1TB of storage, which you can expand with an m.2 SSD or an external hard drive. To fit all of these games, plus whatever extra space is needed for the operating system and any patches you're going to want, at a minimum, a 4TB hard drive.

At the time of writing, the officially licensed 4TB WD Black NVMe m.2 SSD that PlayStation recommends sells for $789.99 on Amazon. That is $400 more than the same hard drive cost a year ago, and about as much as the PS5 Pro.

The cheapest 4TB drive, possibly compatible with the PS5, that I could find is a refurbished Samsung 990 Pro for $419.99 from Best Buy.

Unfortunately, those prices aren't likely to get better, as SK Hynix, one of the big three RAM manufacturers alongside Samsung and Micron, recently warned that 2027 will be even worse for RAM prices. And it's unlikely to get better by 2028, when Sony will stop making and selling physical copies of PS5 games.

Between rising prices and fears over ownership, gamers are stuck in a rough spot for the next few years. And that doesn't even account for the higher price they'll likely have to pay for a PS6 to play games from the next console generation.

More from Tom's Guide

• Sony TV report card 2026: Is the 'Sony tax' still worth paying?
• If PlayStation wants to succeed with all-digital, it needs to follow the Steam model — 5 ways it can win over gamers like me
• Sony TV report card 2026: Is the 'Sony tax' still worth paying?

This week, we handed out report cards to the biggest brands in the TV industry: Hisense, LG, Samsung, Sony, TCL and Vizio.

The goal was simple: grade each TV-maker on pricing, design, features and performance. We also took a hard look at each of these brands' software.

Now that these familiar names have received their respective report cards, it's time to meet them in the classroom for a conference about how they're doing this year. If you're shopping for the best TV in 2026, this ought to give you a pretty clear picture about how to spend your money.

Pricing

Of the six names in the mix, Hisense, TCL and Vizio led the class in the all-important pricing category. If you’ve shopped for a TV lately, this probably won’t come as a surprise.

Vizio has focused almost entirely on ultra-affordable TVs in recent years. While the rest of the big-name brands tinker with high-end, cutting-edge technologies like RGB LED and QD-OLED, Vizio is focused on more cost-effective hardware.

Meanwhile, the most-popular entry-level sets in Hisense and TCL’s primary lineups tend to be more affordable than those of LG, Samsung and Sony. In addition, it’s often the case that, when comparing similarly priced models, Hisense and TCL TVs offer a bit more bang for your buck when it comes to features.

Winner: Tie (Hisense, TCL and Vizio)

Design

When it comes to design, Samsung and Sony lead the way. Sony’s top TVs often arrive with multiple stand configurations, and its most recent True RGB TVs feature a unique stand design that effectively hides cables by way of lenticular lensing.

Samsung consistently innovates at the higher end of its lineup, too, popularizing matte-style screens, external connectivity hubs and, most recently, eye-catching metallic frames. Affordable, entry-level Samsung QLEDs lean into the simplistic nature of their display hardware, often arriving with sleek, slim panels that play the part of a more-premium set.

LG’s most noteworthy TVs — its OLEDs — are handsomely engineered, too, but the worldwide leader in OLED TVs doesn’t seem too eager to move away from tried and true formulas.

TCL and Hisense are purveyors of TVs with safe, middle-of-the-road designs that don’t innovate as much as they respond to (and replicate) industry trends. Their higher-end TVs tend to carry their best design characteristics.

Winner: Tie (Samsung and Sony)

Features

Years ago, LG was among the first TV-makers to outfit its TVs with a full slate of HDMI 2.1 inputs. This aggressive approach to supplemental features has carried all the way into 2026, where the company narrowly leads TCL and Samsung when it comes to gaming- and streaming-related enhancements.

Although Samsung’s top-shelf TVs are jam-packed with extras, there are plenty of people shopping in this higher price tier expecting the full package. Without Dolby Vision support, LG’s top TVs are the most feature-complete.

Sony is the last of these brands to embrace full HDMI 2.1 support. Fortunately, that seems to be the new standard for the brand as the company looks to leverage newer chipsets in 2026 and beyond.

This year, Hisense and TCL are similar in how they approach feature availability across their respective lineups, but for the last couple of years, Hisense has traded a fourth HDMI input for a USB-C DisplayPort on its higher-end models — a move that might disappoint home theater enthusiasts looking to plug in every single one of their HDMI-equipped devices.

Being the brand most concerned with affordability above all else, it’s no surprise that Vizio is the brand least concerned with premium features.

Winner: LG

Performance

Although TCL and Hisense make exceptional TVs, LG, Samsung and Sony are the brands to consider if you’re looking for top-tier, best-in-the-business performance.

Of the six brands we graded, LG, Samsung and Sony are the only three that make OLED TVs. Despite the rapid ascension of RGB LED technology, OLED remains the best all-around option (provided you don’t need super-high full-field brightness to overcome a sun-soaked room). And, of the graded brands releasing RGB LED TVs in 2026, Samsung and Sony have impressed me the most with the Samsung R95H and Sony Bravia 9 II.

These brands also deliver better picture processing than Hisense, TCL and Vizio. On the whole, Sony TVs feature better processing than any other brand, but LG and Samsung aren’t far behind.

At the mid-range and entry level, ranking the brands’ performance isn’t as cut and dry. Hisense and TCL have fortified their position as the best bang-for-your-buck brands in these price tiers because they typically offer brighter pictures with better contrast control. In many cases, you could spend the same amount of money on an entry-level or mid-range LED TV from LG, Samsung or Sony and walk away with a less-impressive picture.

Vizio is… Well, Vizio. The Walmart-owned brand doesn’t make high-end flagships anymore, and the rest of its TVs are affordably made models engineered primarily to generate ad revenue by way of its web-based software. There’s nothing wrong with buying a Vizio TV as long as you’re shopping for affordability instead of sheer picture prowess.

Winner: Sony

Smart TV platform

Hisense, TCL and Sony offer the smoothest streaming experiences thanks to their built-in Google TV smart platform. It’s my second-favorite choice behind the Roku operating system on account of its relatively straightforward interface and vast library of downloadable apps.

LG and Samsung fall to a lower tier, primarily because their respective software suites aren’t as easy to navigate. Both LG’s webOS and Samsung’s Smart Hub also come with a unique set of annoyances, like unnecessary AI features and auto-playing content.

Vizio is to be avoided if you’re hoping to avoid buying an external streaming device, as its proprietary software lags behind the five other brands. The interface is inundated with more ads than its competitors (including auto-playing commercials) and its app selection is limited.

Winner: Hisense, TCL and Sony

Overall Brand Grades

So, you’re shopping for a TV this year and you want to put all of this information to proper use. Allow me to simplify things.

If you’re looking to splash out on a top-performing TV with an emphasis on design and features, LG and Samsung ought to be at the top of your list of options. At the highest price tier, Sony’s TVs offer similarly excellent performance and design, but some of these models don’t offer as many gaming-related features despite their steep cost.

If you’re looking for a mid-range TV in the Goldilocks Zone between affordability and high performance, consider Hisense and TCL. These two brands are especially suited for mid-range TV-shoppers on the hunt for the brightest possible picture, since Hisense and TCL specialize in budget-friendly Mini-LED TVs that don’t skimp on display hardware. (For what it’s worth, Hisense and TCL flagship models are usually quite good — just not as impressive as flagships from LG, Samsung and Sony.)

If you’re looking to spend as little as possible, I strongly recommend shopping for something from Hisense or TCL over anything from Insignia, Pioneer or Onn. I also recommend Hisense and TCL over Vizio, unless you’re comfortable with Vizio’s ad-heavy software experience.

Next year, we’ll grade all of these brands again. That means there’s plenty of time for them to study up.

When buying a TV, you enter a long-term relationship with the brand that made it. For the next several years, your day-to-day viewing experience will be the result of countless decisions made by the folks who work for that company — from the TV’s performance to the feel of the software.

As professional TV-testers, no one understands this relationship better than us. That’s why we’re handing out report cards to the biggest names in the industry this week, grading each in categories ranging from price to performance and software. (Yesterday we evaluated LG's 2026 so far.)

Today, we’re taking a look at Sony, makers of OLEDs, QLEDs and, most recently, a lineup of TVs that tap a brand-new technology that the company has dubbed True RGB.

Pricing

Let’s start with the most controversial aspect of Sony’s presence in the TV space. You might’ve heard of something called “the Sony Tax,” a derisive term used to describe the often high price of Sony TVs relative to rival models.

I try to avoid this term on account of its flippancy, but there’s no denying that the cost of any given Sony TV is typically higher than TVs in the same class with similar specs.

Take, for instance, the recently released Sony Bravia 7 II. It’s the most affordable TV in Sony’s lineup to feature the brand’s True RGB display technology, but at the time of publishing, a 65-inch Bravia 7 II will set you back $1,999 at Best Buy.

For an entry-level RGB LED TV, this is relatively steep. Consider this: Hisense’s most-affordable RGB LED TV, the UR8, is $1,299. Even Samsung’s cheapest Micro RGB TV is $1,699 at the 65-inch size point.

Some TV experts and A/V enthusiasts would argue that Sony’s premium pricing is justified by the brand’s meticulous engineering and commitment to consistency. In fact, I’m one of those people — there isn’t a brand I trust more when it comes to how well a TV handles the little things. Everything from upscaling to motion handling is almost guaranteed to be exceptionally realized on a Sony TV, and Bravia TVs in particular are considered by many to be guided by the best picture processing in the game.

But there’s no way around it: Sony TVs are priced higher than most of the competition.

Grade: C-

Design

Just as Sony TVs are known for excellent processing, so too have they earned a reputation for showcasing thoughtful design approaches.

Oftentimes, Sony TVs arrive with multiple stand configurations to accommodate different home theater setups. Mid-range and high-end Sony TVs ship with remote controls that offer a full spread of buttons (including an input button), and in recent years, these remotes are often backlit — a hugely convenient feature.

The brand innovates in its design approach, too, which is not easy to do in an industry where standards are slow to change.

Take the Sony Bravia 9 II, for instance (Sony’s top TV for 2026). This TV’s pedestal-style stand is outfitted with a special, lenticular material that hides cables when viewed from the front.

The illusion is tough to explain unless you’re standing in front of the Bravia 9 II, but it’s unlike any design flourish on the market from competing brands.

Grade: A-

Features

For the majority of my career covering the TV industry, Sony has been behind the eight ball somewhat when it comes to features.

On one hand, the brand isn’t afraid to showcase relatively niche enhancements for audio- and video-related functions, and high-end Sony TVs offer a ton of ways to tweak the sound and picture. But, conversely, Sony lagged behind its competitors in standardizing out-of-the-box features like Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and it’s been slow to embrace the implementation of universal HDMI 2.1 inputs.

The good news is that the brand seems to be in the process of course-correcting. The Bravia 3 II — an entry-level model for 2026 — comes with a full slate of HDMI 2.1 inputs. Weirdly, though, the Bravia 9 II is limited to just two out of four inputs with HDMI 2.1 functionality, due to the fact that it was developed over several years with an older chipset.

Grade: B-

Performance

If you’re interested in an accurate presentation, nothing looks quite as sharp as a Sony TV. Its engineers sink countless hours into the development of new technologies designed to bring the picture as close as possible to the creator’s intent. Even at the lower end of the Bravia TV lineup, you can pretty much always count on Sony to make the most of a set’s hardware — whatever the limitations may be.

To give you an idea of Sony’s commitment to accuracy, consider this: For as searingly bright as the Sony Bravia 9 II is capable of getting, if you put a 10% white window on the screen and measure it in the TV’s Professional SDR picture mode, you will almost certainly receive a rating of 100 nits on the dot. This is because 100 nits is the industry standard for professional reference monitors when mastering for SDR.

Sony TVs may not be the brightest in any given year, but the attention to detail on display in everything from sub-4K upscaling to color gradients is staggeringly good. As a result, its TVs often lap brighter, punchier TVs in several key performance categories.

In other words, high-end Sony TVs are built for picture enthusiasts.

Grade: A

Smart TV platform

Like several competing brands, Sony TVs leverage the Google TV streaming platform. While not perfect, for most people, this is perfectly fine.

The worst thing I can say about Google TV is that its layout is stuffed with sponsored content. This is more or less the case with every streaming platform outside of a few, though, and there’s a lot to be said for the sheer volume of downloadable services available via the platform’s app library.

For what it’s worth, I’ve always found that Sony’s own menu software harmonizes pretty well with the skeletal structure of Google TV. Aside from the claustrophobia-inducing amount of ads, using a Sony TV in 2026 is mostly a breeze.

Grade: B+

Overall grade: B-

In 2026, Sony TVs are laser-targeted at home theater-owners, A/V enthusiasts and all-around picture purists. The attention to detail on display from a presentation standpoint is astonishing, and the brand's approach to design is among the best in the business, too.

Unfortunately, Sony TVs tend to be pricier than the competition. Even if you feel — as I do — that the higher pricing is often justified when considering the high level of performance associated with some of these sets, the fact of the matter is that it limits the scope of who can shop for certain Sony TVs.

If you're shopping for a Sony TV in 2026, the one to buy is the Sony Bravia 9 II. In a year chock-full of RGB LED TVs, Sony's flagship model is the gold standard. In many ways, given its unique design and intricate hardware, the Bravia 9 II is the "most Sony" TV that Sony has ever made.

We’re still evaluating the Bravia 9 II, but I’ll give you a little sneak-preview: Sony’s RGB LED flagship is one of the best TVs of the year.

The brand’s spin on the all-new display technology — dubbed True RGB — serves as a reminder that Sony is one of the top TV-makers in the world. But if you were hoping to get your hands on the Bravia 9 II, you’ll have to make peace with its ultra-high price tag.

Fortunately, there’s another way to get a taste of Sony’s True RGB engineering at a much friendlier price: the Bravia 7 II. Having tested the Bravia 7 II, we can confirm that it’s an impressive, mid-range alternative to its higher-end sibling. It's the set I recommend if you’re hesitant to splash out on the top TV in Sony’s lineup.

The Bravia 7 II is the mid-range RGB LED TV to beat this year

As Sony’s most affordable True RGB TV, the Bravia 7 II may not be as impressive as the flagship model, but there’s an argument to be made that it’s better than the 2024 Bravia 9 (one of the best Mini-LED TVs I’ve ever seen).

Let’s take a look at how the Bravia 7 II stacks up against the original Bravia 9 and the all-new Bravia 9 II.

As far as brightness goes, the Bravia 7 II peaks just below what we measured on the Bravia 9. This is plenty bright for most viewing environments, and while the Bravia 9 has some extra oomph, it’s not as significant as one might expect.

The real kicker is the Bravia 7 II’s ability to showcase color. Driven by Sony’s True RGB technology, it covers an impressive 87% of the BT.2020 color gamut. It’s a sizable step up from the Bravia 9 and right in line with the Bravia 9 II.

With a better array of RGB backlights with more-precise dimming, the Bravia 9 II is undoubtedly the better-performing TV. But make no mistake: The Bravia 7 II is packing a ton of horsepower under the hood.

Sony’s mid-range model also comes with a comparable set of features. Just like the Bravia 9 II, the 7 II supports 4K content at 120Hz across two of its four total HDMI inputs. You’re also getting Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Dolby Vision support and the Google TV streaming platform right out of the box.

Sony Bravia 7 II: outlook

None of this is to suggest that the Bravia 9 II isn’t worth buying. Far from it. But as is the case with many mid-range OLED TVs (like the LG C6), the Bravia 7 II feels closer in spirit to a high-end, luxury purchase than a middle-of-the road compromise.

Consider this: The 65-inch Bravia 7 II just went on sale for $1,999 at Best Buy. That’s $600 off its original price and only a couple hundred bucks more than the 65-inch C6 OLED.

The value proposition is even more compelling when you consider the top-shelf option. Right now, the 65-inch Bravia 9 II is $3,299 at Best Buy — a whopping $1,300 more than the Bravia 7 II.

The Bravia 9 II might prove to be one of the best-performing TVs of the year, but the Bravia 7 II will almost certainly be the set I recommend more often between now and the holiday-shopping season. This True RGB has a chance to be a true sleeper hit.

More from Tom's Guide

• Sony’s new Bravia 7 II has a secret weapon that makes it so good
• I saw Sony's Bravia 9 II up close and it completely shattered my expectations — here’s why it’s the king of RGB TVs
• There's a better cable for TVs than HDMI — but here's why we'll probably never use it

PlayStation is officially killing physical discs, and gamers aren’t happy. The company’s social media accounts can’t post anything without being slammed with negative comments, and even websites and influencers who are usually fans of PlayStation are taking them to task. Sony has yet to respond to any of this, which is likely making the situation worse. In short, this whole no-disc situation is a mess.

Sony says that digital now accounts for the vast majority of PlayStation game sales — hitting 85% in the most recent quarter — and it also nets a greater profit from digital purchases than physical, so it’s unlikely the company will reverse this controversial decision. However, if Sony wants to start (re)building trust with its fanbase, there are ways to make an all-digital future more palatable, namely by copying some of what has made Steam successful.

Steam has been a rousing success on PC for many years. Though Valve doesn’t offer physical games, it provides users with plenty of incentives to remain satisfied with their digital purchases and with the platform overall. I don’t expect Sony to completely copy Steam, but it can adopt similar policies if it ends disc production in January 2028.

Here are five practical, realistic adaptations Sony can take to make PSN more player-friendly.

More frequent (and enticing) sales

While PC gaming has higher upfront costs than consoles, it has become more affordable over time thanks to frequent Steam sales. Steam keeps its online store thriving with major seasonal sales and near-constant publisher promotions. Games also drop in price faster and more aggressively. This is why Steam users (like me) end up with libraries of hundreds of games. It’s hard to pass up a title when it’s just a few bucks!

The PlayStation Store has its own sales events, such as Days of Play, Black Friday, and other holiday sales, along with weekly deals. However, full-price windows for new games are longer, and we usually only see extreme deep discounts when a game is all but forgotten. I’ve taken advantage of PSN sales and snatched some good titles, but the sales and discounts still don’t match those of Steam.

In an all-digital world, Sony would have complete control over pricing. Using Steam-style volume-driven discounting on the back catalog (and even earlier on mid-tier titles) would encourage more impulse and library-building purchases, rather than people either waiting for huge discounts or skipping entirely.

A true “try before you fully commit” refund policy

Right now, Steam arguably has the best refund policy in gaming. So long as you play a game for less than two hours total, you have 14 days to receive a full refund. This is a fantastic way to avoid purchasing a game that doesn’t click for you. While not technically a game demo, it pretty much serves the same “try before you buy” ethos.

PlayStation also has a 14-day refund policy, but it only applies if you haven’t downloaded a game. Once you start downloading, you no longer qualify for a refund unless the file is corrupt or you make a strong case to customer support that you purchased a game in error. This is frustrating enough now, but it will feel even worse if you can’t refund a digital title priced at $70–$80.

A playtime-based refund window, similar to Steam’s, would go a long way toward increasing purchase confidence without requiring Sony to change its curated store model. It’s actually wild that Sony doesn’t already have a similar policy, but the company should try it now if it plans to go all-in on an all-digital console.

Stronger household/family sharing

Sharing games is one of the main reasons gamers love physical media. While sharing digital content isn’t the same as handing a copy to someone else, Steam has a digital sharing policy that could work well for Sony.

On Steam, up to six family members can share a unified game library. Multiple members can play different games at the same time (you need multiple owned copies of the same game for concurrent play).

PlayStation has sharing features, but they’re more limited.

Console Sharing lets you log in to your account on a friend’s PS5 so they can play your games. Share Play lets you share your screen with a friend online and virtually hand them your controller. Though both of these methods work as advertised, a person cannot simply play games from another account on their own console in a straightforward way.

Expanding sharing options on PlayStation so a household can more easily share a digital library (with reasonable restrictions against abuse) wouldn’t be as seamless as lending someone a physical game, but it would at least offer gamers something comparable.

Better discovery tools

Steam does a fantastic job with its wishlists, price-drop notifications, “players also like,” and other recommendations driven by player data. PlayStation has its own versions of these, but they could be updated to be more useful.

The store’s recent lowest-price-in-30-days indicator is a good step, but Sony can go further with smarter recommendations, clearer sale calendars, and stronger wishlist alerts. That last one really needs work — I feel like wishlist alerts are random at best, if I get them at all.

Improving discovery is an easy way to help players find and buy more games within Sony’s closed ecosystem. If you want people to buy digital games, you need to make it easier for them to find games they would actually like.

Clearer long-term library guarantees and library management

One of the biggest reasons Sony is facing so much heat right now is the lack of clear guarantees about long-term access to the games players buy. Without physical discs, players worry more about access, storage, and account longevity. This is something that Stop Killing Games founder Ross Scott detailed when we interviewed him about Sony's decision to stop manufacturing discs.

Sony can learn from Steam’s emphasis on transparent licensing, robust cloud saves, and better tools for managing large digital libraries. Explicit, public commitments to offline play and long-term download availability would go a long way toward easing the anxiety surrounding digital-only ownership.

This is arguably the most important issue Sony has to address. People (rightly) want some form of ownership of the games they buy, especially when those games are digital. I’m not saying this will please everyone — some folks are certainly ride-or-die physical gamers — but clearer guarantees would ease much of the current anxiety.

Bottom line

I want to be clear that I am not dunking on Sony or PlayStation. The PS5 Pro is my primary gaming platform, after all. But as a PlayStation gamer since the early 2000s (thanks to the Gran Turismo 3 PS2 bundle!), I want to see the company do right by loyal customers like me.

PSN is not inherently broken. Sony already runs a polished, high-production store. However, things need to change when discs disappear. Adopting some of Steam’s more player-friendly policies would not only benefit gamers but also Sony, which would benefit from a more committed user base.

Sony will ultimately do what it believes is in its best interest. That said, prioritizing what customers want, genuinely listening, and addressing concerns would go a long way. Hopefully, Sony does right by its user base and makes an all-digital future on its consoles as acceptable as it is on Steam.

More from Tom's Guide

• Valve gives official update on Steam Machine and Steam Frame launch
• Steam Machine reviews are here: 'Even Valve is disappointed'
• The new Steam Controller is the only PC gamepad I'll ever need

It seems like there’s no going back. I initially thought that Sony’s decision to phase out physical discs for PlayStation 5 had such a long run-in time that there was deliberate wiggle room for a slightly embarrassing U-turn before 2028.

However, The Verge is reporting that Sony’s Thalgau plant is already being repurposed to make optical microlenses instead. In other words, this wasn’t testing the waters with an announcement and checking for feedback — this was fait accompli: a decision already decided upon, with loyal customers the last to know.

No wonder the company’s popular Xbox-baiting game loaning video from the PS4 era is now being thrown back in its corporate face. Despite effectively taking brutal advantage of Microsoft’s anti-consumer error with a viral marketing video, Sony got to a very similar place in the end. It just took them longer.

Assuming there is no room for the expensive U-turn that Microsoft ended up screeching around 13 years ago, then that’s the end of the road for me with PlayStation.

It’s not that I’m averse to digital gaming, I just have very little faith in Sony’s ability to deliver it at a reasonable price.

The worst of both worlds

In theory, I can see the case for a digital-only console. A PS6 without a disc drive should be cheaper to manufacture (though that doesn’t mean cheap, given the soaring price of hardware), and as a PC gamer, I haven’t owned a computer with a disc drive in well over a decade.

But I consciously made the opposite choice when I pre-ordered my day-one PS5: I paid extra for the model with a disc drive, safe in the knowledge that over the long run, the extra cost would be recouped, after borrowing and trading in games had been taken into account.

Which isn’t to say I don’t see the benefit of digital. While nine times out of ten, I would buy the disc version for resale value and the ability to loan my favourite games to friends, I still would buy from the PlayStation store occasionally. After all, you can’t beat the convenience of instantly accessing a game no matter what time of day or night. The PlayStation Store never sleeps.

Indeed, 99% of my PC games come digitally via Steam, and it works brilliantly. But it’s not a like-for-like comparison, because ironically part of what makes Steam such a popular option is its competition. There’s no shortage of places to buy PC games from the Epic Store to GOG, so Steam can’t rest on its laurels: its prices have to stay competitive, especially during the frequent sales.

Sony could replicate this, allowing third-party game stores on PS6, but why would it? If there’s only one place to buy games, Sony can charge a healthy platform fee for every sale, safe in the knowledge that there’s no alternative (Valve gets away with between 20 and 30% depending on sales figures, despite gamers being able to vote with their feet).

There was outrage when it was announced that PS5 games would cost $70, but at least people knew they could recoup some of the costs when finished. With development costs spiralling, it wouldn’t be surprising if PS6 pricing goes even higher — and we’ve already seen some evidence of this price inflation with the MSRP of $80 plus for the digital-first GTA 6.

Without physical game shops to compete with, Sony has far more control over sales too. The company can reduce both frequency and discount percentage, safe in the knowledge that you’ve got no alternative. If you want the game, you’ll have to pay whatever Sony wants or go without.

That’s not even considering the other downsides of digital-only games. What if your account gets hacked and Sony bans you? You’ve lost access to all the games you’d paid for. What if Sony decides to remove a game before you downloaded it? Tough luck, it’s gone forever. That’s why PS4 consoles with the deleted PT demo were listed on Ebay for over $1,000 a decade ago.

Farewell PlayStation

With the expected price of PS6 blowing past even those PT scalping prices, I was already contemplating opting out of a Sony console for the first time since I was at university with my trusty GameCube.

This move seals the deal. I’ll keep playing PS5 games, but once publishers stop making them and I finish my substantial backlog, I’ll turn off a PlayStation console for the last time. If I have to play digital-only, my PC and Steam Deck will get all the love going forward. Thanks anyway, Sony.

More from Tom's Guide

• We spoke to Stop Killing Games about PlayStation killing discs
• Steam Machine vs. PS5 Pro — there’s a clear winner
• Splatoon Raiders hands-on preview: I'm already hooked

After a week of testing it with the darkest scenes I could find, the Sony Bravia 7 II True RGB TV made me reconsider what today’s TVs are actually capable of in low light. I lined up the usual stress‑test material — everything from “The Batman” to “House of the Dragon” — and watched it alongside my Samsung Neo QLED TV to see how each set handled the same challenges. I wasn’t trying to crown a winner right away; I just wanted to see how differently two modern TVs approach the same problem.

In our Bravia 7 II review, we praised the TV for its ability to deliver "really deep blacks" alongside "precisely managed highlights", but its handling of contrast goes deeper than that — what stood out to me was how the Bravia 7 II's True RGB backlight system treated near‑black detail.

Even before digging into side‑by‑side comparisons, it was clear Sony’s Bravia 7 II had a distinct way of presenting dark scenes that didn’t rely on simply brightening them. That contrast with the Mini LED-backed Samsung TV became more noticeable the longer I watched.

The main takeaway is that the Bravia 7 II doesn’t try to reshape dark scenes to make them easier to see — it leans into how they were graded. Sometimes that means a scene stays intentionally dim; other times it reveals details that are easy to miss on other sets. Taking into account how difficult it is to accurately capture the colour and brightness of all RGB TVs in photos, here's how the Bravia 7 II handled the darkest scenes I could throw at it.

‘House of the Dragon’

Like many people who watched the first season of HBO’s “House of the Dragon”, I was incredibly frustrated by one episode that was almost impossible to sit through. I’m talking about episode seven, “Driftmark” — the one filmed and graded so darkly that I could barely tell what was happening on screen, even while watching on Samsung’s flagship at the time, the QN900A Neo QLED 8K TV.

In his testing, Vincent Teoh from the YouTube channel HDTVTest revealed that some sections of the episode “barely went above 1 nit” of brightness, so it’s no surprise that my television’s backlighting system went haywire in an attempt to compensate for the darkness on display, resulting in extreme haloing and light bloom. The episode also reportedly caused many OLED TVs to auto-dim until the image was almost totally black.

The backlash from viewers was so intense that showrunner Ryan Condal would eventually comment on the matter, telling Variety that future seasons would “take much more into account the fact that we are making the show for people’s television sets versus in a perfectly calibrated movie theater environment.” In other words, the viewing experience was less than ideal for those of us without super expensive reference monitors.

Naturally, this particular episode was my first stop in testing the Bravia 7 II’s handling of dark scenes. Taking into consideration Sony’s claims that its new True RGB TV range is factory-calibrated, I went in expecting the Bravia 7 II to do a decent job. Sure enough, I was pleased by how I could now make out what was happening in one of the most problematic scenes, which features two characters walking and talking on a beach. While the scene was clearly filmed day for night and then graded down for the sake of additional darkness, shadow detail was now much more visible, and I was able to see the characters’ faces without much issue. Don’t get me wrong — it’s still a very dark scene, but the murkiness and overcompensating backlight from my previous experience was gone.

The Bravia 7 II’s exceptional tone‑mapping also deserves credit here. Sony’s XR processor does a good job of preserving what the filmmakers actually meant you to see, especially in tougher HDR scenes. Instead of letting deep shadows swallow everything, it balances the contrast just enough so textures in faces or the outline of a creature in a night shot remain visible without brightening the whole frame.

‘The Batman’

I absolutely loved “The Batman” when I saw it in theatres, and was excited to watch it again once it hit 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. While my current Samsung QN900C Neo QLED 8K TV did a decent job displaying most of the film, it did struggle with some of its darker scenes. The opening train station brawl, in particular, was one that caused my TV to raise the brightness until blacks became somewhat grey and washed out.

Predictably, the Bravia 7 II handled this scene far better, revealing far more shadow detail without dulling the film’s contrast‑heavy mood. The moment when Batman slowly emerges from the darkness to confront a group of thugs has always been a trouble spot on the aforementioned Samsung TV, yet here it finally looked as dark and dramatic as I imagine the filmmakers intended.

It’s likely that Sony’s XR Backlight Master Drive, which uses a proprietary dimming algorithm, played a big part in keeping “The Batman” moody and dark without letting the shadows turn into a murky blur. The automatic switch to Dolby Vision Bright could also have helped, lifting just enough detail out of the deepest parts of the frame without noticeably changing the film’s overall tone.

‘Only God Forgives’

Next, I moved to a film that’s notoriously tough on both OLED and Mini‑LED displays: “Only God Forgives”, from director Nicolas Winding Refn. Its relentless swings between pitch‑black shadows and hyper‑saturated neon highlights often expose local‑dimming delays, where the backlight or pixels can’t react quickly enough, creating faint ghosting that pulls you out of the moment.

The film’s heavy use of harsh red lighting against deep darkness also pushes the red channel hard, sometimes leading to clipping that bleeds into surrounding objects and wipes out fine detail along edges and contours.

A big part of why these issues show up is simply how most TVs generate brightness in the first place. Mini‑LED sets rely on a white backlight, and WRGB OLEDs boost luminance with a white subpixel. When a scene suddenly demands intense, saturated colour — especially neon red — the TV often leans on that white source to hit the required brightness. In a film this stylised, that can wash out the purity of the colour, lift nearby blacks, and make edges look a little less clean than they should.

Unsurprisingly, the Bravia 7 II’s ability to drive pure red, green, and blue light straight to the screen — without relying on any white backlight boost — made “Only God Forgives” look exactly the way I imagine the director and his cinematographer intended. While it’s still very much a dark film, the red highlights looked vibrant and well‑defined, without any noticeable bleed into faces or surrounding objects when viewed in person (that nuance doesn’t always translate perfectly in photos — as I mentioned earlier, TVs this bright and saturated can be surprisingly tricky to capture accurately).

In the end, the Bravia 7 II handled the darkest, most demanding scenes even better than I expected. It kept deep contrast intact while still pulling out the small bits of shadow detail that usually disappear on other sets, all without brightening the image in a way that would undermine what the filmmakers were going for. And with its True RGB backlight system doing the heavy lifting, the Bravia 7 II comes across as a strong option for anyone who cares about accurate, well‑controlled dark‑scene performance — one that gets about as close to a reference‑monitor experience as the consumer TV space currently allows.

More from Tom's Guide

• We just tested the Bravia 7 II — here’s why I think it could be the Sony TV to buy in 2026
• I saw Sony's Bravia 9 II up close and it completely shattered my expectations — here’s why it’s the king of RGB TVs
• Samsung's new Micro RGB TV is finally here — but I'd rather buy this OLED instead

The end is near for this year’s EOFY sales, with the price‑cut frenzy wrapping up as June 30 comes to a close. Even so, there’s still time to snag a last‑minute TV bargain before the new financial year kicks in.

If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your TV, this is the moment to stop scrolling and start grabbing. Retailers are clearing out stock fast, and the mix of price drops, bonus offers and surprise markdowns means you can pick up a genuinely great screen for far less than you’d expect.

I’ve seen bargains you wouldn’t believe. Door‑buster TV deals stacked higher than warehouse shelves, flash sales that lit up retailer sites like neon signs in the night. I watched prices plunge in the final hours of EOFY, deeper than anyone thought possible. All of those deals will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to buy.

I cannot stress this enough — this is your last chance to score an epic TV deal at clearance prices before the EOFY sales are over. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to refresh your home setup with a new Samsung, Sony or Hisense television, you won't find a better time than now — here are my picks for the best last-minute EOFY TV deals.

So there you have it — my roundup of best TV deals from this year’s EOFY sales. If you’ve been thinking about an OLED upgrade, want to see how the latest RGB tech performs, or simply feel like it’s time for a larger TV, these options are well worth a look. But you'd better act fast — the discounts won’t stick around past July 1.

I’ve spent the past couple of weeks putting Sony’s new Bravia 7 II True RGB TV through its paces (with a deeper dive coming next week), and so far I've been seriously impressed by its contrast, colour accuracy and brightness.

Despite being one step below Sony's flagship Bravia 9 II, the Bravia 7 II holds its own with the best of them. I went in expecting exceptionally vivid colours due to its use of individually controlled red, green and blue backlights, but what really blew me away was how it was able to achieve OLED-like black levels without any noticeable light bleed — all while keeping the kind of brightness you’d normally only see from the best Mini LED TVs.

As pointed out in our Bravia 7 II review, the TV is a beast when it comes to HDR performance, and my favourite thing about it has to be that it comes factory-calibrated to industry-standard levels, meaning it provides a look based on Sony's own master monitors (used by Hollywood colourists) right out of the box.

Best of all? The brand-new Bravia 7 II has already been discounted by upwards of AU$1,500 (depending on the retailer) as part of this year's EOFY sales. The biggest discount can be found on 85-inch model, which will usually set you back AU$7,499 but is currently down to AU$5,999 on Sony's online store with free shipping included. Alternatively, you could pick it up from The Good Guys for just AU$5,985, though that doesn't include shipping costs.

While the best deal can be had on the 85-incher, the next biggest discount can be found on the 75-inch model, which has dropped by AU$1,000 to just AU$5,499 AU$4,499.

Meanwhile, the 65‑inch model is now AU$700 off, dropping from AU$3,999 to AU$3,299, while the 55‑inch falls from AU$2,999 to AU$2,499, and the 50‑inch from AU$2,699 to AU$2,299.

Regardless of your preferred size option, those are are excellent deals. That said, you'd better hurry if you want to take advantage of this EOFY offer, as it'll expire after 11:59pm AEST on June 30, 2026.

After six months of lab testing the year's newest TVs, it has become clear that the best TVs of 2026 are pushing brightness and color accuracy to new heights. Today’s flagship TVs from Hisense and TCL deliver good performance, thanks in large part to a backlight technology called Mini-RGB that’s changing the game for picture quality.

Yet Sony isn't sitting on the sidelines. Its new "True RGB" technology also promises independently controlled red, green, and blue LEDs under the display panel but, according to Sony, offers “purer color expression, improved light steering, and ultra-wide viewing angles.” The best part? You don’t need to empty your pockets to get a taste. Despite it being used in the flagship Bravia 9 II sibling, you can get it on the Bravia 7 II at a lower price.

But does Sony’s new tech actually live up to the hype? After putting the Sony Bravia 7 II through our rigorous lab testing workflow and spending two days watching real-world content, the results didn’t blow my expectations out of the water, but I’m still very impressed.

Sony Bravia 7 II review: Pricing and availability

The Bravia 7 II is $300 more than the starting price of the 65-inch Sony Bravia 7 we reviewed in 2025. Pricing for the Sony Bravia 7 II starts at $1,600 / AU$2,699 for the 50-inch variant, and goes as high as $9,000 / AU$12,999 for the 98-inch model.

MSRPs / RRPs for the whole range are listed below:

• 50-inch: $1,599 / AU$2,699
• 55-inch: $2,099 / N/A
• 65-inch: $2,599 / AU$3,999
• 75-inch: $3,099 / AU$5,499
• 85-inch: $3,999 / AU$7,499
• 98-inch: $8,999 / AU$12,999

The 65-inch review unit we have comes in at $2,600 / AU$3,999. Sony’s flagship Bravia 9 II costs $3,600 / AU$5,999, so if you buy the Bravia 7 II, you can save an extra $1,000 / AU$2,000. Stepping down means sacrificing a handful of dimming zones, the anti-glare features, and slightly more premium audio features — but these compromises aren’t so bad given the price difference.

That said, the 7 II is venturing close to OLED pricing territory. The LG C6 OLED currently sits at $2,700, while the LG B6 costs roughly $2,000. TCL’s RGB offering, the QM8L, has a price tag of $3,000 for the 75-inch model while the Hisense UR9 costs $2,000 for a 65-inch screen after the nearly unheard of $1,500 discount it received immediately after launch.

Sony Bravia 7 II review: Design and ports

The Sony Bravia 7 II immediately felt different to me the moment I took it out of the box, largely due to its redesigned center-facing stand. As part of the setup, you slot a clear glass-like sheet into the front of the stand. Sony calls this the “Mirage Stand.” This helps hide the cables that might be behind the TV. It also helps light and color pass through.

The assembly was easy, involving building out both sides of the base, and then simply sliding the entire TV into place and fastening it with screws. Compared to my experience with setting up other TVs, the setup feels remarkably seamless. I wish other manufacturers would embrace this approach. The trade-off is that, on the sides, the Bravia 7 II is still slightly thick, similar to other RGB TVs in this class.

The other issue besides its thickness is that Sony skimped out on ports: On the left side of the TV, there are four HDMI ports, just like last year’s model, but two of them are the older HDMI 2.0b standard. (HDMI 1 and 2 are HDMI 2.0b, while HDMI 3 and 4 are HDMI 2.1.)

Those HDMI ports are all in addition to the two USB ports, optical audio out, S-Center speaker in, Ethernet, RS-232C remote, IR in, and a spot for a coaxial cable.

Finally, around the back, the non-detachable power cable is on the right rear. In that same area, Sony also gives you a spot to clip that cable to better help manage wires. The TV can be wall-mounted using the VESA holes on the back panel, should you prefer that.

My biggest gripe with the 7 II’s design is that, for this price, it should have HDMI 2.1 ports standard. If you own multiple game consoles like I do, you’ll only be able to fully enjoy them at 120Hz on two of this TV's four ports. It’s not a deal breaker, but it is a small disappointment.

How we test

Our TV review process at Tom's Guide for TVs is rigorous, but standardized. In our New York City test lab, my lab assistant and I test every TV across SDR and HDR benchmarks using the industry standard 10% window.

To ensure we are seeing the director's true vision, we switch the TV over to Filmmaker Mode which is typically the most color-accurate setting available. We also disable any AI features, Eco Mode, and any intrusive ambient light sensors that could impact readings.

We use the Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRes spectroradiometer to profile our Klein K10-A colorimeter. Once profiled, this high-end hardware works in tandem with a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator and a custom workflow in Portrait Displays Calman Ultimate software to map out the TV’s performance.

For gaming performance, we use a Leo Bodnar 4K Video Signal Lag Tester to measure exactly how responsive the TV really is. Once technical lab testing is done, we put the TV through subjective testing using a curated selection of films and shows. For more on this process, read our “How we test TVs” guide.

Sony Bravia 7 II review: Performance and test results

HDR performance is where the Bravia 7 II comes into its own league, with the peak brightness reaching 2,077 nits with our 10% test window. This is far ahead of what we've seen on OLED TVs like LG C6 and nearly double that of the original Bravia 7 model. However, it’s overshadowed by the Hisense UR9 and TCL QM8L.

When watching scenes in HDR from “The Batman” on our lab’s Blu-ray player, I immediately noticed the highlights from headlights and explosions against the shadows of the night. Yet despite all of this, the black in Batman’s suit and the Batmobile remained true.

Streaming “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Ghost War” on Amazon Prime, my initial impressions were corroborated: The TV rendered some really deep blacks and precisely managed highlights, ensuring that the riverside lamps in the introductory sequence showed absolutely no blooming against a black dark sky. This carried over into the film's climactic final battle, where even in dark night scenes, I could not spot any light bleed around the vibrant orange muzzle flashes or the crisp white LED signs on a building set against the dark night.

For SDR performance, Bravia TVs come with conservative brightness settings out of the box. As a result, SDR brightness measured just 100 nits in our lab testing for the TV’s best picture mode. This is significantly lower than competitors like the Hisense UR9, TCL QM8L, LG C6, and Samsung QN90. However, I do want to be clear this is no fault of the TV — Sony has a long standard of prioritizing accuracy and a true-to-Hollywood look over pure brightness in its Professional mode. Targeting 100 nits of brightness isn’t a bug to Sony. It’s a feature.

That said, your mileage will vary on how much you enjoy Professional mode. I watched a nature video of Norway on YouTube and the whites in the water lacked intensity and weren’t as bright as I hoped. Playing around with the various options in Sony’s new My Cinema presets in the settings menu optimized the SDR brightness to better suit my eyes.

Additional presets can optimize content from Netflix or Amazon Prime, but I found that switching to the standard Cinema Mode improved brightness better, pushing peaks closer to 750 nits. To be fair, Sony gives you full control and explains the various picture modes out of the box during setup, so it’s easy to change things around if you aren’t happy with the out-of-the-box settings.

So where does it falter? We measured a Delta-E of 4.79, which suggests the Bravia 7 II isn’t the strongest performer in color accuracy compared to the LG C6 or Samsung QN90F. (We reached out to Sony for clarification on why it’s higher than average and are still awaiting a response.)

Lab numbers don't always account for what the human eye can perceive through Sony's image processing. This means that sometimes a TV can still look good; personally, I felt that the TV delivered natural, balanced tones that you actually look for in real world-viewing. In SDR content like a NYC subway walkthrough on YouTube, faces still appeared lifelike.

The Bravia 7 II did not give the faces a cooler, washed-out look many other TVs in its class might produce. Similarly, in “Blade Runner 2049” on Blu-ray, the Las Vegas sequence kept true to the film’s orange hue without oversaturating natural skin tones.

Side viewing angles on this TV were impressive across all the content I watched, thanks to Sony’s X-wide Angle Pro technology. After moving my seat to both sides of the TV and rewatching the same scenes I mentioned earlier from “Blade Runner 2049,” “The Batman,” and “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Ghost War,” picture quality remained consistently strong. I didn’t notice any bleed or loss in color or brightness. This is an area where many non-OLED displays typically struggle, but the Bravia 7 II held up well.

Sony Bravia 7 II review: Gaming

Gaming performance on the Bravia 7 II is a big jump from the Bravia 7: We measured input lag at 10.4ms, a huge step up from the 17.1ms from the Bravia 7 — and more in line with what we’ve seen with other 2026 TVs.

I played Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight on the PlayStation 5 and had no issues. Controls felt tight and responsive during fast-paced fights where Batman and Robin took on street-level crime. There was almost no noticeable delay between my inputs and what I saw on the screen.

Since this is a Sony TV, there are added benefits when you pair it with a PS5: Auto HDR Tone Mapping lets you skip the HDR optimization you usually have to go through in most games.

But just be careful about which port you choose. If you connect to either HDMI 2.1 port on the TV, the Bravia 7 II will give you that sweet and smooth 120Hz refresh rate, support for variable refresh rate (VRR), and auto low-latency mode (ALLM). Pairing it with one of the two aforementioned HDMI 2.0 ports could result in the loss of some of this functionality.

Sony Bravia 7 II review: Sound

The built-in speakers on the Bravia 7 II are surprisingly pleasing. With a side-firing design, all the speakers are at ear level across the screen. This means dialogue and effects project clearly into the room rather than feeling trapped on the TV’s stand.

In action content like “The Batman” and “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Ghost War,” voices in films and shows were easy to follow even during more chaotic scenes. Rain, gunfire, and the orchestral score never broke the immersion that I experienced.

Interestingly, a step during the TVs setup process allows you to optimize the acoustics for viewing. Sit in front of the TV with the remote, and the TV will measure the sound levels in the room. This feature is great if you want to get the most out of the TV’s sound.

Sony Bravia 7 II review: Smart TV and remote

The remote isn’t the only part of the TV with a built-in microphone — there’s one built right into the TV. I’ve always found voice remotes awkward, having to hold the whole remote to my face just to speak to the TV, so this always-ready mic made searching and getting recommendations feel more natural and hands-free. And don’t worry, it can be quickly muted using a physical slider on the bottom left of the TV for added privacy.

Tying the whole system together is the Google TV smart platform whose interface remains clean and easy to navigate. No matter what I asked it, Google’s Gemini integration helped surface content across all my streaming apps in the more conversational, “ask a friend” style that I wish Siri on my Apple TV at home could do a better job with. It’s one of the best streaming TV platforms for a reason.

The remote design is largely unchanged from last year, still with its familiar plastic finish and blue-speckled detailing. Aside from swapping the arrangement of a few buttons, Sony has added a new favorites button that lets you quickly jump to a preferred streaming app and there’s also a handy remote-finder feature should you lose it. (Pressing the power button on the TV can trigger a buzzer on the remote if it gets lost.) This is a small — but genuinely useful — touch for those moments where your remote might get lost in the sofa.

Sony Bravia 7 II review: Verdict

Though it sits below the Bravia 9 II, the Sony Bravia 7 II still has solid HDR performance. It brings bright highlights, deep shadows, and impressively clean blacks with virtually no blooming thanks to its standout “True RGB” backlight. It also has a few upgrades from its predecessor — like the stand — that make it worth upgrading to if you own the original Bravia 7.

Its conservative SDR brightness can look dim in everyday viewing, however, and its higher-than-average pricing also pushes it close to more color-accurate OLED territory. Unless it’s Black Friday or Cyber Monday, you shouldn’t expect to see major discounts on it, either.

If the so-called “Sony Tax” is too steep for you, you might want to consider the often-on-sale LG C6 OLED or even last year’s C5 OLED, Tom’s Guide’s TV of the Year.

If you’re unfazed by the sticker price, the Bravia 7 II is a stand-out TV that I would recommend to folks who want an early look at an RGB TV’s benefits without shelling out for the Bravia 9 II.

Across the web, rumors are swirling about a brand-new Sony OLED TV dubbed the Bravia 6. It shouldn't come as a shock, considering the lack of an entry-level OLED in Sony's current Bravia lineup, and the Bravia 6 could very well be the LG C6 rival we've been waiting for.

Sony makes some of the best TVs on the market — and this could be its most exciting model yet. Here's what we know about it so far.

Sony Bravia 6: everything we know so far

I first came across Bravia 6 speculation via a report at FlatpanelsHD, who in turn cited High Def News on X (formerly Twitter). That post came as a result of a post on the AVS Forum message board.

Despite this game of telephone, the facts on the ground remain rather simple: Sony has registered the Bravia 6 namesake across several online databases.

On Sony's own website, Bravia 6 model numbers (seen below) are listed as being compatible with select wall-mounting brackets.

Interestingly, the Bravia 6 appears as though it'll be available in a similar size range as two of its rivals' most popular OLED TVs (the LG C6 and the Samsung S90H). This particular range of sizes would also indicate that the Bravia 6 will, at the very least, feature some WOLED-based panels, since we've yet to QD-OLED panels (manufactured by Samsung Display) in 48- and 83-inch sizes.

However, it's unclear whether all of the sizes in the Bravia 6 series would feature LG Display's standard WOLED panels, or just some of them.

Bear in mind that LG Display manufacturers different subtypes of WOLED panels, too. RGB Tandem WOLED panels are engineered for better brightness and color, and therefore tend to be attached to higher-end OLED TVs.

And then there's OLED SE, a new type of WOLED panel from LG Display that has already made its way into a more-affordable class of OLED TVs in 2027. The Bravia 6 could conceivably tap this OLED type, too.

Knowing what type of OLED panel the Bravia 6 uses could tell us more about its possible price range. Alternatively, knowing the Bravia 6's price range could reveal more about its panel tech. With neither piece in place, this is all very much up in the air.

Will the Bravia 6 go head to head with the LG C6?

This is the million-dollar question.

While LG and Samsung have offered annual, similarly structured OLED lineups with entry-level, mid-range and high-end options, Sony's Bravia OLED series have only a limited number of options.

For example, the Bravia 8 OLED that launched in 2024, spent much of its life living alongside the higher-end, quantum dot-equipped Sony A95L OLED.

In 2025, the Bravia 8's successor — the Bravia 8 II — incorporated quantum dots, elevating it closer to the A95L's higher-end stratum.

But, so far in 2026, Sony has yet to confirm the existence of a new OLED TV, and currently, all three of these higher-end Sony-branded OLEDs are sitting on shelves simultaneously.

For the Bravia 6 to compete with mid-range OLEDs like the LG C6 and the Samsung S90H, it wouldn't necessarily need to be Sony's mid-range model per se; it would only need to hover around the same price point as its rivals.

Hopefully Sony isn't backing away from OLED anytime soon. It was worrying that the brand was content to leave its current OLED lineup on shelves for another calendar year — but, if real, the Bravia 6 would prove that Sony still sees a place for OLED alongside its True RGB TVs like the Bravia 7 II and 9 II.

More from Tom's Guide

• I saw Sony's True RGB up close — and the downfall of OLED TVs might come sooner than expected
• TCL and Sony are joining forces to sell more TVs — but is that bad news for shoppers?
• We just tested the Bravia 7 II — here’s why I think it could be the Sony TV to buy in 2026

The world of soundbars has gotten a whole lot better over the past few years. The likes of the Sonos Beam Gen 2 have made it easier to get Dolby Atmos and a reasonably vibrant sound without having to spend thousands of dollars. Sony's take on this is the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6.

The Theatre Bar 6 is designed for those who want to cut out the fuss of improving their living room audio. Sure, it doesn't have fancy features like rear speakers, but it still comes with a wireless subwoofer for improved bass, and you can often find it for less than $600. That said, it's lacking some features that some of the best soundbars offer.

Is the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 worth buying, or should you look elsewhere for Atmos? I tested the Bravia Theater 6 Bar to find out.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 review: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? A compact Dolby Atmos soundbar that comes with a wireless subwoofer
• Who is it for? Folks who want to cut out the fuss of improving their living room audio.
• What does it cost? $699 / £449
• What do we like? Its sleek design and inclusion of a wireless subwoofer
• What don’t we like? The Bar 6 leaves a lot to be desired in the low end and it’s missing wireless features like AirPlay 2.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 review: Price and availability

Sony offers the Bravia Theatre Bar 6 at $699 or £449, which puts it squarely in mid-range territory — comfortably above the budget options, but also far below the high-end alternatives, including some of the options in Sony's lineup.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 review: Design

As a mid-range soundbar, the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 is pretty no-fuss in terms of design and setup. It’s a sleek black bar that measures 37.5 inches wide, 2.6 inches high, and 4.4 inches deep. That's bigger than some of the ultra-compact soundbar models out there, but also more compact than larger models like the Sonos Arc Ultra. It was able to fit between the legs of a 65-inch TV that I tested it with, but only just, and if your TV is smaller, or even if you have a model with narrower leg placement, you might need to move the soundbar in front of those legs instead of between them.

Sony actually includes a set of detachable feet that are designed to sit on the legs of some of its Bravia TVs, which is a nice touch for those in Sony's ecosystem.

On the top of the soundbar are small windows for the up-firing speakers, while the rest of the speakers' drivers fire out towards the front and sides. The front corners are rounded while the back corners are sharper, which is a nice design touch. On the back you'll find HDMI and optical ports, but that's it, apart from a power input. There’s only one HDMI port — so no HDMI passthrough.

The subwoofer offers a similar build quality and overall look to the soundbar, made from the same materials and in the same color. It is a little larger than the subwoofer that comes with some soundbars, but not overly so, measuring 8.31inches wide, 15.31 inches high, and 16.94 inches deep. You'll want to think about where you want to place it in your living room, though.

Last but not least is the remote, which is very simple. It's small and offers controls for power, input, volume, bass volume, night mode, and mute. If you connect your soundbar through HDMI eARC, you probably won't need to use the included remote all that much, as you'll be able to change volume using your TV's remote. But if you do prefer a separate remote for the soundbar, you'll get one, which is nice.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 review: Setup

Setting everything up is incredibly easy. All you do is plug the power in and connect the HDMI port to your TV's HDMI eARC port. If you're using a compatible Sony Bravia TV, it'll detect and connect to it right away, but even if not, when connected through HDMI eARC, your TV should know to output audio to the soundbar.

Setting up the subwoofer is very easy too. All you have to do is plug it in and the soundbar should automatically connect to it without you actually having to do anything.

Once you've connected the soundbar to your TV, you'll want to connect it to the app, and this is very easy as well. You don't even actually have to create an account if you don't want to, though doing so will give you additional controls and features. After you download the Sony Bravia Connect app, you'll be walked through connecting the soundbar to the app through Bluetooth, which took me under one minute, as the app can automatically detect the soundbar and initiate a connection.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 review: Connectivity and controls

One area where the Theatre Bar 6 doesn't quite match up to the competition is in connectivity. Of course, the main way to connect the soundbar is through HDMI eARC — which is how most soundbars connect to TVs these days.

Where it's lacking is in additional connectivity. There's no 3.5mm port for connecting something like a phone through a wired connection. Plus, if you want to connect your phone wirelessly, you're stuck with Bluetooth 5.3 and not a Wi-Fi-based standard like Apple's AirPlay 2 or Google Cast.

Wi-Fi-based connectivity is an area where budget soundbars often compromise, but there are plenty of options in this price range like the Sonos Beam Gen 2, which does have more advanced wireless connectivity for those who want to integrate their soundbar with a multi-room setup. In other words, if you're looking for a soundbar that will work with other speakers for whole-home audio, the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 probably isn't the soundbar for you.

The app in general is pretty bare bones, and that means that you won't get a ton of customization options. You will get controls for things like standby modes and DSEE, but you won't get an EQ that you can use to more finely tune the audio. That's a little disappointing.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 review: Performance

The Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 offers a 3.1.2 channel configuration, which includes three front-firing drivers coupled with two up-firing drivers and a wireless subwoofer for the low end. Those up-firing drivers allow it to support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, which isn't necessarily a given in this price range, but also not uncommon.

I found the overall audio response to be quite good. The drivers and their placement made for an immersive sound overall, including for both music and movies. The soundstage was decently wide when listening to music, and while you can certainly get more immersion from systems with rear speakers, I found the height effect on offer by the Theatre Bar 6 to be better than expected for a mid-range soundbar. It helped make the sound effects in Avengers: Endgame more immersive than they otherwise would be, especially when it came to some of the higher-frequency effects during the final fight scene.

Now, to be clear, the height effect that you'll get on the Theatre Bar 6 isn't perfect — and it's not necessarily ultra-convincing when it comes to hearing specific elements in the mix, but you do at least get some immersion from the soundbar when watching movies in Dolby Atmos. In other words, while it definitely adds a sense of height to the mix, it doesn’t quite separate out those elements in a way that might allow you to pinpoint exactly what you’re hearing in those height channels – especially in dense mixes, like the aforementioned final scene in Avengers: Endgame.

The subwoofer definitely helps allow the system to produce deep frequencies compared to systems that don't come with a subwoofer, but I wouldn't say it's the most powerful subwoofer out there, despite its somewhat large size. It can get reasonably loud, but its frequency range is a little limited, meaning that it can sound a little muddy and overly boosted in the low mids and upper bass rather than extending deep into the bass spectrum. That’s especially true in already bass-heavy tracks, like Kendrick Lamar’s Loyalty, in which the bass somewhat overpowered other elements in the track.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 review: Verdict

The Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6 is a well-built, decently compact soundbar with a solid audio response overall. It offers good spatial audio for the price, and it's nice that it comes with a subwoofer at all, when plenty of others at this price point don't. That said, the subwoofer leaves a lot to be desired in the low end, and the high frequencies aren't as crisp as I would have liked. On top of that, the soundbar is missing wireless features like AirPlay 2, limiting how much it can integrate with the rest of your speaker ecosystem.

Those things don't mean it's not worth consideration — it just depends what your priorities are. If you want a no-fuss soundbar and don't care much about getting something with Wi-Fi connectivity that can support, then the Bravia Theatre Bar 6 is actually a pretty compelling option. But, if you want more in the way of features, and a slightly better-rounded audio response, then something like the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is worth going for instead — especially as it allows you to add a subwoofer down the line anyway.

We've all been there. You're on a bus, train or other mode of public transportation, and you're consistently being disturbed by someone watching things on their phone — out loud, without using headphones or earbuds. When the 2026 FIFA World Cup starts in a couple of weeks, you'll see — hear, rather — people watching games out loud on their phones. Don't be that guy. No one likes that guy.

I, for one, know that I'll be using my phone to either catch up on games or watch them live, and there's an easy way to ensure you aren't disturbing anyone's peace, and that's by using a pair of the best headphones. I test headphones day in and day out, so for your convenience, I've shortlisted my favorite cans — all of which will arrive well in time for the first kick-off.

Whether you've got a budget of $100 or you're willing to spend nearly $500, there's a pair of headphones for everyone. The ones I've picked all feature highly effective ANC to make you feel immersed; clear vocals so that you can hear the commentary properly, and powerful bass so that you can feel the crowd rumbling and chanting in your chest.

Under $100

Under $200

Under $300

Under $400

Under $500

Under $600

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• I thought the Apple AirPods Max 2 were way overhyped — but I finally tried them and they're some of the best headphones I've ever used
• I've been testing the new Marshall Milton ANC for 3 weeks — they fix my biggest gripe with on-ear headphones, and are the new gold standard
• My doctor banned me from earbuds so I got these Marshall headphones instead — and I’m surprised I didn’t do it sooner

Sony — maker of some of the best TVs in the world — just now unveiled its 2026 TV lineup, and while it’s later to the party than LG, Samsung, Hisense and TCL, it’s nevertheless making a grand entrance.

This week, the brand officially announced the Bravia 9 II and Bravia 7 II, a pair of follow-ups to the Bravia 9 and Bravia 7 Mini-LED TVs. The originals were among the best-performing Mini-LED TVs in their class, but their successors — which carry the mark two designation — come with Sony’s all-new, True RGB display technology.

Needless to say, the competitive stakes are high. Sony’s rivals have showcased their own spin on RGB LED TVs, too, and pricing on these models have been relatively high. But we were lucky enough to get our hands on the Bravia 7 II for testing, and after poring over the results, it could be my dark horse candidate for the best RGB LED TV for most people in 2026.

Sony Bravia 7 II test results

While we’re still cracking away at our full review, here’s a sneak-peek at how the Bravia 7 II managed in our test lab. For context, I’ve included the test results of both the Bravia 9 II (Sony’s latest flagship True RGB TV) as well as the Sony Bravia 9 (the brand’s previous Mini-LED flagship).

As far as HDR highlight brightness goes, the Bravia 7 II is just under what we measured on the Bravia 9 a few years ago. This is plenty bright for most viewing environments, and if Sony’s picture processing delivers a similar HDR presentation as the flagship Bravia 9, I’ll be thrilled.

HDR brightness is shaping up to be one of the primary distinctions between the Bravia 7 II and the all-new Bravia 9 II. If you’re in the market for a Sony-engineered set and you’re chasing the brightest possible picture, you’ll have to splash out on the Bravia 9 II.

However, when it comes to overall color volume, the Bravia 7 II is right in line with its souped-up, RGB LED-powered sibling. Given that color is the bread and butter of RGB LED technology, it’s heartening to learn that Sony’s entry-level RGB LED TV is cooking with a similar set of ingredients as the brand’s top-shelf model.

And, while I’ll reserve my full judgment for after I’ve had a chance to spend some time with these new TVs, when I look at these test results, I can’t help but see the Bravia 7 II as a slightly stripped-down version of the original Bravia 9. This set was (and still is) one of my favorite Mini-LED TVs ever made, and while the Bravia 7 II isn’t quite as bright, it gets pretty close — all while delivering punchier-looking color.

Sony Bravia 7 II vs Bravia 9 II: pricing and availability

So, let’s say that you decide to go with the Bravia 7 II rather than springing for the flagship-level Bravia 9 II. How much money, exactly, are you saving?

Of the two, the Bravia 7 II is the only one available in sizes below 65 inches. If you’re looking for a 50- or 55-inch TV, the Bravia 7 II is your sole option.

But if you’re choosing between the two at the 65-, 75- or 85-inch level, you stand to save between $1,000 and $2,500 by going with the Bravia 7 II. Make no mistake: The Bravia 7 II’s pricing is on par with the MSRP of mid-range OLED TVs (like the LG C6), but you’re saving a significant amount of cash by choosing the Bravia 7 II over the Bravia 9 II.

Compared to the original Bravia 9 (now a few years old), the Bravia 7 II is a bit pricier at launch. Right now, you can get the 65-inch Sony Bravia 9 for $2,099 at Best Buy. This is much more affordable than it was when it made its debut in 2024, but it’s $500 more than the Bravia 7 II, and the same price as the 55-inch Bravia 7 II.

Sony Bravia 7 II: outlook

As mentioned, we’re still hard at work on our full reviews of both the Bravia 7 II and the Bravia 9 II, so we’re still evaluating other aspects of these TVs’ performance. Until the dust settles, I’m hesitant to make any formal declarations about which TV is a better fit for various viewers.

That said, while the Bravia 9 II is shaping up to be the crown jewel of Sony’s 2026 TV lineup, I must admit that I am mighty excited to spend some quality time with the Bravia 7 II, too. Given Sony’s track record for delivering finely tuned, detail-oriented TVs with top-notch picture processing, the Bravia 7 II might prove to be the all-around best option for people who are curious about RGB LED technology, but who’d rather not shell out for a first-generation flagship.

Of course, Sony will be up against a number of entry-level RGB LED TVs that offer a similar compromise, including the Samsung R85H and the Hisense UR8. How it fares against those sets remains to be seen.

More from Tom's Guide

• I saw Sony's Bravia 9 II up close and it completely shattered my expectations — here’s why it’s the king of RGB TVs
• Samsung's new Micro RGB TV is finally here — but I'd rather buy this OLED instead
• 3 reasons why you shouldn't buy an RGB LED TV in 2026

In case you missed it, the other week Sony dropped its $649 1000X THE COLLEXION headphones. But don’t worry, I’ll spare you the shouty caps and just refer to them as “1000X The Collexion” or simply “1000X” from now on.

An upgrade to the still fairly recent Sony WH1000-XM6, the 1000X have stolen the XM6’s accolade of being Sony’s flagship over-ears. And naturally, that demands a premium in price. The 1000X will set you back $649. So, some dollars indeed.

Sony sent us a few pairs to try out, and I’ve gotta say, they’re fairly impressive. As it happens, though, when the 1000X landed on my desk, I had at hand my daily drivers — which I think are the Sony headphones’ closest competitors: the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2.

Naturally, then, I did a little back-to-back test to see which came out on top. Here’s what happened.

But first, a note on price

Now, some important context before we start: there’s a $150 delta between these two sets of cans, with the Px8 S2 costing $799 at Amazon. The Px8 S2 don’t drop by much in sales events either, although you can grab a set used (Like New) from Amazon for $686. The Sony 1000X The Collexion come in $150 cheaper at $649.

My point here is to see whether — if you can afford to drop big bucks into headphones to begin with — it’s worth stretching that extra bit further to the pricier cans (spoiler alert… I think it is). For the target demographic, I'd say it's reasonable to assume an extra $150 shouldn't be a huge issue.

Sound quality: a close-run thing

Admittedly, both of these headphones sound fantastic. I went into my back-to-back sound tests thinking the Px8 S2 would wipe the floor with the Sonys, but it wasn’t a total wash out. The 1000X are marketed by Sony as offering a much more refined and spacious sound than the WH1000-XM6 — which are tuned more in line with what the mass market wants: bass.

That said, I still find the 1000X a little too warm in their tuning — for my tastes anyway. Now, I actually enjoyed this in songs where bass isn’t the overriding element to begin with — Metallica’s Seek & Destroy, for example, where the added power on Lars’ kick drum complements the drive and energy of the song.

Listen along to my testing playlist on Qobuz using the widget below.

Elsewhere, I still found softer percussion, shimmering effects and vocals often felt a little buried by the 1000X bass, especially in low-heavy electronica like Burn Water’s super-subby, atmospheric Ikigai. At least via the Standard EQ preset. This wasn’t a huge problem — Sony’s app has a wide range of preset EQs and a custom EQ. I really liked the Clear EQ setting, which controlled the bass a little better, for my tastes at least. But I had to play around a fair bit with EQ on a regular basis (a lot of people like doing this, but I find it distracting).

By contrast, I haven’t really ever needed to play around with the Bowers & Wilkins EQ. These cans just sound so clean and neutral out of the box, with so much fidelity everywhere you listen. Bass is better controlled, with plenty of detail in the treble, giving really bassy songs like Ikigai much more clarity by allowing the soft, ethereal backing vocals and effects the space they need. There’s bags of mid-range definition, too, which added so much crunch to the distorted riffs on Seek & Destroy.

Of note is that the 1000X use 30mm dynamic drivers. Size isn’t everything, of course, but I noticed perceptible distortion on some of the louder sub booms in Ikigai. The Px8 S2 suffered no distortion in the same areas, likely thanks to the larger 40mm drivers.

Both headphones are rather spacious for closed backs, but the Px8 S2 definitely have the edge, sounding noticeably cleaner, brighter and more open than the more intimate-feeling 1000X. Chris Stapleton’s Death Row was pleasingly dynamic on the Bowers & Wilkins, the bluesy guitar licks and Chris’ reverby vocals getting a little closer to the acoustic-esque experience of listening to the track through my Audeze LCD5-S open backs (although, obviously, the LCD5-S are in a different league, space-wise).

To supposedly help with that, the 1000X have a 360 upmix mode. I was excited to try this out, but unfortunately found it borderline unlistenable. I mean, it sorta works: Mk.Gee’s über spatial Dream Police was a perfect candidate, and the extra reverb and echoing made for a live-recording-esque kinda effect. But the sound was incredibly compressed, with a bucket load of audible noise.

An especially noticeable difference between the two is the Px8 S2’s greater detail at low volumes. We discussed this in our Px8 S2 review, so it was on my radar, but I hadn’t grasped the full extent until listening to them in earnest. Even at around 30% volume, the B&Ws retain an incredibly impressive amount of low-end texture and high/mid clarity. By contrast, I had to keep the 1000X at around 70% for a similar sound. Better for your ears, better for battery life, and better for the long term health of the drivers I guess.

Flawless ANC on both

Both the 1000X and Px8 S2 have fantastic ANC. In fact, it’s very hard to draw a verdict here. They both do a better job than my $1,200 Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95. Using the 1000X in the office, they cut virtually everything, including road noise from the open window next to my desk.

All I can say is that the Px8 S2 ANC is probably the best I’ve tested. Perhaps the strongest test was on the flight home from my honeymoon a couple of weeks ago. The seat in front hosted a screaming toddler, flanked by two dismayed parents, open-mouthed between kicks to the face. On the opposing aisle sat the similarly-unparented and only-slightly-older brother, listening to some mindlessly cheerful kids TV at full blast through his iPad speakers. In the midst of the chaos, a flight attendant fought desperately through the ruckus to ensure seatbelts were on — somehow, if the parents’ entitled faces were anything to go by, this was all her fault.

Tiny arms flailed. Dried fruit snacks flew. Someone probably lost an incisor. A flight attendant questioned her life choices by flying Ryanair. Many passengers did the same. Nightmare fuel, usually. But not with the Px8 S2.

Back in the sixth circle of hell — or the row behind the chaos — my wife looked aghast at me laughing maniacally. ‘How can you laugh through this?’ was the subtext. It was the poetry of watching all that happen in mime only, soundtracked instead by the screaming cacophony of Songs For The Deaf’s opener. “You can’t even hear it!”

No matter how loud the hellspawn in front decided to be, nor how long through the flight it decided to be so, I was alright. The Px8 S2’s ANC would drown out everything. And it did.

Everyday comforts

A lot has been said online about the supreme comfort of the 1000X, and I agree… for the most part. They feel like a premium set of cans, and if I’d bought them, I wouldn’t feel shortchanged in the build quality department.

Again, though, the Bowers & Wilkins have the edge. They go beyond premium to feel luxurious. After around an hour of wearing the Sonys, my ears started to feel a little toasty. The Px8 S2 use a more breathable material, as I wore them for most of a seven-hour train journey through Norway with no issues whatsoever.

Both sets of cans are a pain in the butt to carry around, though, as they don’t fold and use bulky carry cases instead. The Sony’s case is markedly thinner at least, so that’s the set I’d pick if portability were my biggest concern. Which it isn’t.

Battery life is another win for the Px8 S2, which offer up to 30 hours. After my seven-hour Norwegian train journey, they’d dropped to 83%, which tallies to our full battery test when we reviewed them. Battery life on the 1000X is just 24 hours. Admittedly, this is only an issue if you’re travelling away from power for any elongated period of time — not really a thing nowadays with the ubiquity of portable power banks.

Frustrating connectivity

I touched on apps a little earlier when talking about EQ, but there’s more to be said on this. Sony’s app is great, don’t get me wrong, but it’s fundamental to the operation of the headphones, and that really grates on me. You seemingly can’t even connect to the 1000X without the companion app, which feels extremely restrictive — especially for a product you’ve paid $649 for.

When you do try to connect, the Sony companion app acts like a typical Sony companion app: janky as all hell. It took me 16 minutes to get the headphones to connect. 16 minutes. To hook up over Bluetooth.

I love that with the Px8 S2, the app is essentially optional. You don’t need to download it in order to get the headphones working, and the driver tuning and default EQ are so good out the box that I rarely, if ever, need to open the app for tweaks.

The Px8 S2 also have USB-C and 3.5mm connectivity, as opposed to only 3.5mm on the Sonys. That means, if you want to play wired from your phone with the 1000X, you’re stuck using the technically subpar phone DAC. Will it make a noticeable difference? Probably not. But I like knowing that I’m bypassing my smartphone DAC altogether and using the Px8 S2’s internal conversion over USB-C, getting the best I can out of the cans when using my phone.

Still, if you’re concerned, you could always invest in a portable DAC/amp, like the FiiO KA13 ($65). Or my go-to portable DAC, the iFi hipdac 3 ($199).

The final word

So which would I buy out of the two? If you hadn’t already guessed, it’s the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2. Look, the Sony 1000X THE COLLEXION are decent headphones. But when you start pricing cans in the ultra-premium range, you’re gonna have to start mixing it with the big boys. And the 1000X can’t quite mix it with the chief.

If you don’t have the extra $150, I doubt you’ll be disappointed by the 1000X. They look great, sound great, and feel great on your head. It’s just that the Px8 S2 do, well, just about everything better.

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple AirPods Max 2 vs Sony 1000X The Collexion
• I tested Soundcore’s newest premium flagship earbuds — and they’re coming for the AirPods Pro 3’s crown
• I’m ditching my over-ear headphones for these Sony earbuds to beat the heat this summer — and they offer Bose-like sound for a lot less

This is the secret gadget that nobody knows you're wearing, but keeps you cool or warm based on your environment. The Reon Pocket Pro Plus has seriously changed the way I've been regulating my body temperature while at home, out and about, or at the office.

It offers cooling and warming settings, meaning that I've always been able to have my perfect temperature no matter the weather. I've always used handheld fans, but this year I'm going to rely on the Reon.

At the time of writing, the Reon Pocket Pro Plus isn't available in the U.S. market. That release is planned for Summer 2026, so it's not too long to wait, and you can sign up for launch news on Sony's website. It's currently available to purchase in the U.K. for £199 on Amazon.

How the Reon works

It's not a fan, and it's not a heater. So what is it?

Well, the Reon is unlike any thermo device I've used before. It is worn on your back under your clothes and works by using a stainless steel plate that sits at the top of your back to heat and cool the skin.

When the blood vessels under the skin detect this temperature change, it tricks your internal thermostat into thinking you're cooler or warmer than you are. And I was surprised at how quickly this works.

There's a tiny fan at the top of the device that pulls air through; this is connected to a vent that sticks out of the top of your shirt, but it's hardly noticeable. And if you have long hair like me, you can't see it at all. It's also completely silent.

Surprisingly comfortable

When I first checked out the design of the Reon, I had to admit, I was a little skeptical. I mean, this thing has arms that wrap around my neck to keep it in place, and I wasn't sure if that was going to be entirely comfortable for the day. But oh, how wrong I was.

Once I found the correct positioning for the arms, I felt totally secure. But that said, this isn't something you'd be able to wear while working out; it's just ideal for temperature control while walking or lounging around.

How it compares for the summer

So, as we head into the summer, how does the Reon hold up when compared to other cooling devices?

First of all, the Reon is discreet. It's not like a handheld fan where you need to be wafting it around your face to feel the effects. It's going to take on the heat like a silent assassin.

You also have a lot more control than when you use a handheld fan. Take the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool, for example. It's the hottest — or should I say coolest — fan on the market right now, but you can't make actual temperature adjustments. It just blows air at you for sweat to evaporate from your skin quicker. You can actually select the temperature you want with the Reon Pocket Pro Plus.

I'm excited to get using the Reon through the summer months and to find out more about the thermo device, including more information on the U.S. launch, you can read my full Reon Pocket Pro Plus review.

More from Tom's Guide

• Forget fans, I've been testing Sony's new wearable thermo device — and it's the gadget of the future
• I’ve been testing these hybrid shoes, and they’re the beach day addition I never realized I needed
• Stop doing 100s of sit-ups: I'm a personal trainer, and I use 'bear plank openers' to build strong abs and hips instead

Over a year ago, I ditched in-ear buds for over-ear headphones and didn't look back. You'll usually find me with my trusty Marshall Monitor III headphones around my neck, or sitting atop my head while I jam to my favorite tunes. While I love my headphones, I'm no stranger to itchy ears from sweating, and due to the very nature of over-ear cans, they can be tricky to wear for long periods of time during the summer.

The solution is a simple one, of course: get a pair of in-ear buds. In-ear buds don't sit around your ears, like over-ear headphones do, so they don't feel suffocating during the year's hottest months. And you don't need to spend big bucks to get a decent pair — which is why I'm opting for the Sony WF-C710N.

I tested the WF-C710N back in April 2025, and to date, they remain some of the best wireless earbuds I've ever tested. They're lightweight and ridiculously comfortable, and their see-through Glass Blue design is nothing short of delicious. Meaty bass, crisp treble, refined mids, and with highly effective ANC — these earbuds have got it all. And the best part? They're $170 cheaper than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2. It's time to upgrade your life for less with the WF-C710N.

Like you aren't even wearing them

Having tested and used many earbuds in my time, I believe that the true hallmark of a good pair is when you don't even realize they're in your ears. I should be able to go about my day without feeling earbuds digging into my ear canal. By that standard, then, the Sony WF-C710N are simply excellent.

Each earbud weighs just 0.18oz which is practically nothing. In my ears, they fit snugly and never once have they fallen out, even when I've been walking briskly or headbanging. There have been times where I've forgotten that the WF-C710N are in my ears, and that says everything you need to know about their comfort level.

In addition to that, the WF-C710N are sure to turn heads because they look stunning. Available in white, black and blue, I'd personally recommend the third option. You can see the wires and hardware on the see-through Glass Blue model, and this sets the earbuds apart from any others on the market right now.

They sound amazing

I would never recommend a pair of earbuds unless they sounded downright fantastic — yes, even if it's very comfortable and good-looking. The Sony WF-C710N have that covered, with their 5mm drivers delivering powerful bass and vibrant treble. Thanks to Sony's trademarked Digital Sound Enhancement Engine technology, sound is reproduced as close to the original recording as possible.

Through the WF-C710N, the distorted bass in 070 Shake's 'Elephant' and the reverberating bassline in Twenty One Pilots' 'No Chances' sound fantastic. It's powerful enough that you can you feel the music in your skull but not so booming that it overpowers the rest of the soundstage.

Treble is crisp but not overzealous, so you can clearly hear the high-pitched coins in Pink Floyd's 'Money' but that sound doesn't pierce through the soundscape or undermines the other instruments.

For a pair of in-ear buds, the WF-C710N provide an excellent, immersive listening experience. Combine that with the highly effective ANC that goes toe-to-toe with Bose, and you've got a winning formula. The ANC is so good that you can't hear the kettle boiling or the TV indoors, and the noise of a bus rattling while you're traveling is also muted. You're getting bang for your buck here.

In the summer, you need a pair of earbuds that enable your ears to breathe — and while headphones are great, they clamp down on your earlobes, leading to some discomfort, especially during heatwaves. Conversely, when it gets colder, over-ear cans are a great choice, because they can double as earmuffs and provide some warmth to your ears when temperatures drop.

What do you think? Do you swap between over-ear headphones (or on-ears) and in-ear buds depending on the weather? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below!

More from Tom's Guide

• Sony WF-C710N review
• Do you need to spend $449 on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen when you can get the new Marshall Milton ANC for $229? I tested both and I’m very surprised
• Not all on-ear headphones are uncomfortable: I’ve been using the new Marshall Milton ANC for 3 weeks and they’re ridiculously comfortable and offer outstanding sound too

The Reon Pocket Pro Plus is the most futuristic product I’ve tested yet (still waiting for that flying car). It’s essentially a personal air conditioning system that uses sensors, or your manual inputs, to regulate your body temperature. When worn, it sits at the top of your back and uses a stainless steel plate that warms and cools.

It has effective heating and cooling capabilities that are personally adjustable to you via an easy-to-use smartphone app, or with the on-board buttons — but these are a little hard to reach if you’re wearing the device on your back.

The decent battery life also means that it’s good for a full working day. So, to find out more about the device and see if it’s something you want to implement in your daily routine, keep reading my full Reon Pocket Pro Plus review.

Reon Pocket Pro Plus review: Specs

Reon Pocket Pro Plus review: Price & availability

The Reon Pocket Pro Plus is available to purchase in the U.K. for £199 from Amazon or directly from Sony’s online store. Unfortunately, it’s not available for purchase in the U.S. at the time of writing, but it is expected to become available in summer 2026 and will only be available for purchase directly from the Sony store. You can sign up for the mailing list to be notified of availability. And summer can’t come quickly enough, because this is an ideal cooling solution that can carry you right through and keep you warm in the winter.

Previous models of the Reon include the Reon Pocket 5, which is available for £149, and the Reon Pocket Pro for £199, but the Pocket Pro Plus comes with performance and comfort upgrades.

If you’re looking for something that’s going to keep you cool in the summer, you could also consider the Shark ChillPill for $149, which is a 3-in-1 cooling system that fits in your bag to go with you everywhere. Or alternatively, the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool ($99) is cute to hold with focused airflow and is actually pretty quiet.

And if you need to keep warm in the winter months, you’d need to look towards something like a space heater, or rechargeable hand warmers, like the Ocoopa UT4s ($26). But ultimately, there isn’t anything like the Reon Pocket Pro Plus on the market. It’s in a league of its own when it comes to personal temperature regulation, providing both heating and cooling in a single package.

Reon Pocket Pro Plus review: Design & comfort

The Reon Pocket Pro Plus looks a little like a Chinchou Pokémon. It has two antenna-like arms that come out of a long body and wrap around your neck, so the device sits securely on your back, running down your spine.

It measures 6.9 x 4.9 x 2.4 inches, so it doesn’t come too far down my back (I’m 5’4” for reference), and it’s slightly curved, so it follows the curvature from my neck to my back perfectly. After a while, I hardly noticed I was wearing it since it’s so lightweight at just 9.1 ounces. I was conscious about the arms that wrap around your neck at first, but much like the weight on my back, I got used to them quickly. It’s also worth noting that since the Reon sits on your back, you can’t wear it at night if you sleep on your back.

The back of the device, where it touches your skin, is made of stainless steel. I’d recommend letting it heat up for a second before using, as this can be freezing cold given the material, and a bit of a shock to the system.

This device is worn under your clothes, so inevitably, it gives a slight hump under whatever top you’re wearing. But honestly, it’s not that noticeable. There is an air vent that comes out of the top of your shirt slightly so the device has airflow, and if you’re wearing a tee with a higher collar, you can swap it out for a longer one, thanks to the included interchangeable vents.

The Reon also comes with a tag to sense the surrounding environment for Smart Mode. This tag has an included carabiner so you can attach it to your belt or bag. I kept mine attached to my bag. It wirelessly connects to the device and helps it regulate the temperature based on the environment, so you don’t need to change the settings manually.

Reon Pocket Pro Plus review: Controls & app

The controls on the body of the Reon Pocket Pro Plus are easy to use. On the left side, there’s a stop/start button, and the mode button sits just below it to switch between cooling and heating. On the right-hand side is a plus/minus button for increasing and decreasing temperature, and a button for activating Smart Mode. I found these controls very responsive during use, but a little tricky to reach when the device was on my neck.

So, if you want to make changes when you’re already wearing the device, rather than taking it off your neck to make adjustments, you simply use the mobile app to turn your phone into a remote control. I downloaded the Reon Pocket app from the iOS App Store, and it automatically connected to the device when I opened it.

Here, you can select warm or cool functions and then make adjustments to this temperature. I find this super useful as someone who works in an office with air conditioning that is always being adjusted by whoever walks past (I see you making those sneaky adjustments to the air). It means that I’ve been able to regulate my personal temperature easily.

Reon Pocket Pro Plus review: Performance

I’ve never used anything like the Reon Pocket Pro Plus before, but now, I’m not sure if I can use a regular handheld fan ever again. Most cooling fans make noise, although there are some silent ones on the market. And, as “handheld” suggests, need to be held in your hands, but the Reon ensures your hands are free at all times. The device operates between 41ºF and 104ºF (5ºC and 40ºC).

Cool

When using the Cool setting on the Reon manually, you can choose from five temperatures. This gave me a lot of control and I could make adjustments from the app, so if it got too cold, I could turn the temperature up accordingly.

In the Cool section of the app, you can also use Smart Cool. This gives a target temperature based on the selected mode. The modes include Low Cool, Slightly Low Cool, Medium (which is the recommended mode), Slightly High Cool, and High Cool. The app notes that the battery life lasts the longest in Low Cool mode and delivers the quickest in High Cool.

The response to changes in the settings was immediate, and there was no sound from the vent of the device. It kept me cool even when the heating was on in my house, and helped to regulate my entire body temperature despite just being at the top of my back. Obviously, everyone’s body is different when regulating temperature, but I could feel the temperature adjustments I was making instantly. This was a lot faster than using a handheld portable fan.

Warm

I was skeptical about the Warm mode but it worked perfectly. As someone who generally runs cold, I’m always eager for the heat to be turned up. But I can appreciate that not everybody has my nervous system’s affinity for the heat, so by using the Reon, I had my own personal central heating system.

Just like the Cool settings, you can use Smart Warm for heat. The smart mode setting works pretty much like a thermostat. You tell it the setting you want, and it works using the sensing tag that I talked about earlier to keep the temperature within range. This worked well, and I didn’t find myself reaching for my phone to change the heat or cooling settings in the app.

Again, like the cool system, the heat was instant. I was impressed by how quickly I felt the warmth throughout my body — it literally took a matter of seconds.

Reon Pocket Pro Plus review: Battery life

The Reon Pocket Pro Plus’ battery life depends heavily on the settings being used. The device is rated for 10 hours, but I found that the battery drained more quickly if I was using the heat settings compared to the cooling mode. And if you’re using either mode’s highest settings, it will drain faster.

10 hours of battery life should last you for the majority of your day. The average working day with the commute included is about 10.5 hours, so this amount of battery is enough to carry you through the hot subway and the chilly office air conditioning.

This is a decent amount of battery life for a personal cooling device, as the Shark ChillPill has nine and a half hours of battery at its highest setting, and the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool delivers up to six hours on the lowest setting.

Charging of the Reon takes 130 minutes to reach 90%, and getting to 100% takes a further 70 minutes — so just over three hours in total.

Reon Pocket Pro Plus review: Verdict

There’s nothing quite like the Reon Pocket Pro Plus on the market at the time of writing. It’s not a fan, and it’s not a heater. It’s more like a personalizable temperature regulatory device, and it’s given me effective heating and cooling results depending on my environment at the click of a button.

I like how fast the device responds to any changes I make within the user-friendly smartphone app. The Smart Cool and Smart Warm modes also make the device easy to use, as I didn’t need to go back and forth to constantly adjust the temperature while wearing it. The battery life is enough to get you through a full working day too, which I appreciate.

My only complaint would be that the buttons on the device itself are hard to use when you’re wearing it on your back. But since your phone can double as a remote, this is pretty much a non-issue.

I’m pretty sure we’re going to see everyone in big cities wearing these nifty devices before long — it’s way cooler than a flying car.

Sony's had something up its sleeve for weeks, and that something is finally here. Ever since paparazzi photos of an actor donning suspicious new headphones leaked, the audio world's been holding its breath — but hold your breath no more. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the XM line, the Japanese everything-brand is releasing its first uber-premium over-ear headphone: 1000X The ColleXion.

1000X The ColleXion is less aimed at the Bose QuietComfort (not Ultra) crowd and the JBL Tour One M3 Pro crowd, and more at the AirPods Max 2, Bowers and Wilkins Px8 S2 crowd. But how do these "premium" headphones actually compare to said competition?

To find out how 1000X The ColleXion really fares against the AirPods Max 2, I put the two flagship cans through a series of tests. Lock in, because it's about to move up a gear. Will the Sony 1000X The ColleXion or the AirPods Max 2 win?

Sony 1000X The ColleXion vs Apple AirPods Max 2: Specs compared

Sony 1000X The ColleXion vs Apple AirPods Max 2: Price

The Sony 1000X The ColleXion are an eye-watering $659 at their May 2026 launch, while the AirPods Max 2 launched in April 2026 for $549.

You're paying $110 extra for The ColleXion — and the AirPods Max 2 were already outrageously expensive. I'm not too sure what this extra $100 is getting you — sure, The ColleXion look nice and are much more premium than the WH-1000XM6, but still, $650 is a bit of a stretch.

Winner: AirPods Max 2

Sony 1000X The ColleXion vs Apple AirPods Max 2: Design

Right, so the AirPods Max 2 and the 1000X The ColleXion both serve a similar (unfortunate) purpose: being a fashion statement. Headphones should have one job — playing music — but Apple and Sony seem to be trying to make over-ears something you wear for the sole purpose of wearing them.

They have both kind of... succeeded, though? The AirPods Max 2 and ColleXion both look gorgeous, with aluminum and stainless steel finishes that scream premium. I suppose, if you're paying $550-$650 for headphones, you'd expect them to look good. Personally, I still think the AirPods Max 2 look better, but I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so it's fine if you disagree there.

The AirPods Max 2 have much more intuitive controls — no tapping randomly on the ear cups — but The ColleXion now have a Spatial Upmixer button, so you can cycle through music upmix and cinema upmix without the Sony Headphones app. I personally did not enjoy how the Spatial Upmixer made my music super tinny, so I never used this.

However, while the AirPods Max 2 win in terms of design and controls, The ColleXion win in terms of carry case. The AirPods Max 2 have no case worth talking about, but The ColleXion have a pretty awesome hard shell mini handbag case. Not only does this protect the headphones, it also looks pretty stylish. As a result, I'd say this round is a draw.

Winner: Draw.

Sony 1000X The ColleXion vs Apple AirPods Max 2: Sound quality

Both the 1000XX The ColleXion and the AirPods Max 2 sound divine. If you like expansive, melodic headphones capable of delicately balancing rich bass and subtle detail, you'll like both the Sony and Apple offerings.

To accurately compare the sound, I listened to both The ColleXion and the AirPods Max 2 as my daily drivers, playing every genre under the sun (including podcasts and YouTube videos). I listened to everything on Qobuz, the best music streaming service for audiophiles.

'Neverender' by Justice & Tame Impala is an electronic track with an intense synth-heavy instrumental and infectious metallic percussion. Neither the ColleXion nor the AirPods Max 2 lost any detail, and the vocals had unbeatable clarity, even during heavier sections.

When I played a heavier rock track, 'RIDING WITH MY GIRLS' by Die Spitz, the ColleXion handled the crunchy bass and metal-tinged guitars well. I wanted a touch more depth to the percussion — the cymbals kind of faded into the background — but in general, the ColleXion performed well.

When I listened with the AirPods Max 2, the details were louder and pulled forward, including the cymbals and crunchy guitar effects. Neither headphones managed to make the bass sound particularly excellent, but the AirPods Max 2 created a livelier soundscape.

Of course, I also had to test with LDAC, Sony's proprietary hi-res Bluetooth codec. 'Parachute' by Hayley Williams is a voice-led guitar track with heavy, almost over-processed bass and emotive vocals. Williams' voice sounded particularly incredible with LDAC enabled.

With the AirPods Max 2, 'Parachute' sounded clear, detailed, and had vibrant bass. Williams' voice was, again, front and center, weaving confidently between the over-processed bass and percussion.

The AirPods Max 2 just beat The ColleXion here — the ColleXion handle higher frequencies really well, but the bass was a bit too unrefined.

Both the AirPods Max 2 and the Sony 1000X The ColleXion have wired playback — USB-C and 3.5mm aux, respectively — which provides similarly lossless performances. Naturally, the AirPods Max 2 sound best via Apple Music and USB-C, and the Sonys sound best via Qobuz and 3.5mm wired.

Overall, both headphones sound great, and I'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed with either. The AirPods just take this round due to the more balanced bass response, though, as The ColleXion's bass can verge on unrefined in heavier genres.

Winner: Apple AirPods Max 2

Sony 1000X The ColleXion vs Apple AirPods Max 2: ANC

Both the AirPods Max 2 and The ColleXion have fantastic ANC, but the Sonys are the better performers here. During tests, I couldn't hear anything through the The ColleXion, not even high-frequency noises that often leak through even the strongest ANC, but I could hear things like clacking keyboards and chest-vibrating construction noises when listening to the AirPods Max 2.

For everyday use, though, you would get on just fine with either. I predominantly use my AirPods Max 2 and the ANC is everything I could need.

Winner: Sony 1000X The ColleXion

Sony 1000X The ColleXion vs Apple AirPods Max 2: Call quality

I've said it before (and I'm sure I'll say it again), but we've reached a point in the Bluetooth headphone life cycle where pretty much every single flagship over-ears will provide you crystal-clear sound.

I have only good things to say about the AirPods Max 2 and Sony 1000X The ColleXion's call quality. Both headphones have crystal-clear audio, no fuzziness or hissing in sibilant words. Both headphones reduce ambient noise wonderfully, so I have no reservations about recommending either headphones for calls in loud or quiet environments.

Winner: Draw.

Sony 1000X The ColleXion vs Apple AirPods Max 2: Battery

The battery life is my biggest qualm with the AirPods Max 2. I can't quite believe Apple released headphones with a 20-hour battery life in 2026, but here we are. While The ColleXion have a 24-hour battery, this still isn't particularly impressive, either.

It's better, don't get me wrong — I'll take everything I can get as long as it's better than the AirPods Max 2 — but when the Sony WH-1000XM6 have a 30-hour battery life for $200 cheaper, this is a huge miss from Sony.

Of course, the Sonys win by default, but really, there are no winners here.

Winner: Sony 1000X The ColleXion

Sony 1000X The ColleXion vs Apple AirPods Max 2: Verdict

Both the AirPods Max 2 and the Sony 1000X The ColleXion received 85 points, making this versus a draw. You won't be disappointed by either the AirPods Max 2 or The ColleXion.

It's near impossible to choose between these two headphones. Both ooze style, have premium sound quality, and an array of impressive features (although I disliked Sony's Spatial Upmixer, you might love it). Both earn their place as some of the most premium, best wireless headphones money can buy.

I would personally choose the Apple AirPods Max 2, but The ColleXion still have a lot going for them: Want lighter cans, don't mind a more unrefined bass, and love Sony's impeccable ANC? Go for the 1000X The ColleXion. If you value metal construction, vivacious sound, and don't mind a poorer battery life, the AirPods will treat you right.

Sony 1000X The ColleXion vs Apple AirPods Max 2: Ratings scorecard

Premium isn't new territory for Sony. The impressive build quality has made the 1000X series stand out from the crowd, becoming a top choice for listeners in the audio world. Today, the company announced a jump into the world of luxury audio with The 1000X ColleXion headphones.

The new headphones are Sony's take on refined luxury, with an uber sleek look that's totally eye-catching. The headphones were first leaked when Damson Idris, star of "F1: The Movie" was spotted wearing them out in public, and speculations have been swirling about the headphones' capabilities ever since.

They still have the distinct Sony headphone look and take inspiration from the WH-1000XM6 headphones, but it's clear that the quality has been upped here. But at what cost? Well, it's a big one, so hold onto your hats as we get into everything you need to know about the 1000X The ColleXion headphones launch.

How much do they cost?

As you can imagine, since these are luxury headphones, they come with a luxury price point. The new 1000X The Collection headphones are available to purchase for $649 /£550 / AU$999 from the Sony Online store.

In the U.S. and U.K., they're even pricier than the Apple AirPods Max 2, which cost $549 / £499, though in Australia, they're priced identically at AU$999.

Since Sony is a premium audio brand, their regular gear isn't exactly budget; its previous release, the WH-1000XM6 headphones, cost $399 / £379 / AU$649.

What do they look like?

The design of the new 1000X The ColleXion headphones clearly takes heavy inspiration from the WH-1000XM6 headphones, which were released last year. But there are some minor changes, which primarily include the materials used.

First, the headphones are available in Platinum or Black. This is a very basic color range, but we have previously seen Sony release more colors of headphones at a later date, so could it be something we see here? For example, the company is also launching a new Sandstone colorway for the WH-1000XM6 headphones today.

The headband of the new ColleXion headphones is metal with padding underneath. The earcups have also had a design change and are now covered in faux leather, but keep the same distinctive Sony shape. However, the earcup of the new headphones is a slimmer 40.1mm, compared to the XM6 earcups, which are 45.4mm.

Audio upgrades

The 1000X The ColleXion headphones see the introduction of DSEE Ultimate. Previously, only standard DSEE has been available in Sony's audio gear, and this technology rebuilds compressed music files. The Ultimate version uses AI technology to upscale the sampling rate (resolution) and bit depth (dynamic range), restoring any lost detail.

The ColleXion headphones also have Hi-Res wireless and LDAC audio codecs. The sound has also been optimized with Walkman technology, using more advanced internal components.

ColleXion has three modes of 360 Upmix for stereo music, cinema and gaming. This aims to give a more immersive experience across the listening modes.

General performance

1000X The ColleXion features 12 microphones (six on each earcup) and an Adaptive NC Optimizer seen in the WH-1000XM6 for noise cancelling that adapts to the environment around you. They also allow background music options with the Sound Connect app, which is one of my favorite features to use on the WF-1000XM6 earbuds.

With 24 hours of battery life with noise cancelling turned on and 32 hours with it turned off, the ColleXion headphones can support all-day listening. This is a significant reduction from what we see in the XM6 headphones, which support 30 hours with ANC and 40 hours with ANC turned off. But with that said, it's still more than enough to get you through the longest flights.

What do you think? Is it worth the upgrade to the premium model, or will you be sticking with the 1000X release from last year? Let us know in the comments.

Don't forget to check out our full Sony 1000X ColleXion review.

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• I tested the highly anticipated Sony WF-1000XM6 — and they're 'everything I could possibly need'
• Apple AirPods Max 2 review: ‘Everything from its predecessor dialed up to 11’
• I tested the Sony WH-1000XM6 for three weeks — here’s my verdict

It's been quite an eventful few week for cameras. Insta360 launched a Go 3S Retro Bundle, we saw the GoPro Mission 1 lineup, and on Wednesday May 13th, Sony and Canon dropped a camera each — what a time to be alive! Sony and Canon's announcements came out of the blue, with teasers posted on their respective social channels either a week or just a few days prior to the launches.

Canon has expanded its V-series lineup of video-first cameras with the new EOS R6 V, while the Sony A7R VI succeeds the four-years-old A7R V. Sony's offering sounds like the ultimate hybrid that builds on its predecessor's success, while Canon's latest camera looks like it could be the best mirrorless camera for video.

Needless to say, I'm excited and thrilled. As someone who reviews cameras for a living and loves photographing her surroundings, I'm intrigued by both cameras. But is there one I'm excited about more than the other? Well, that's what we're here to find out.

A quick rundown of specs

Who are the Canon EOS R6 V and Sony A7R VI for?

Both the Canon EOS R6 V and the Sony A7R VI have different target audiences — but with some overlap. The A7R VI sets a new gold standard for high-resolution full frame cameras with its 66.8MP sensor and 30fps RAW burst capabilities, which make it great for all genres of photography, including wildlife, sports, and portrait. It also features 8K/30fps video so it sounds like a fantastic all-rounder.

Bolstering the A7R VI's position as a powerful hybrid camera is its OLED viewfinder with a 120fps refresh rate and 9.44M-dot resolution. You also get a 3.2-inch 4-axis LCD monitor with a 2.1M-dot resolution. Oh, and 8.5-stops of in-body image stabilization (IBIS) which means you can shoot at very slow shutter speeds and still walk away with a usable photo.

And what about the EOS R6 V? It's the second R-V body Canon has introduced, and it joins the excellent Canon EOS R50 V. The 'V' version of the EOS R6 is also the fourth EOS R6 body in existence — and as the 'V' suggests, it's a video-first take on Canon's hybrid camera. There's no viewfinder so you must rely on the camera's 3-inch vari-angle screen and its 1.62M-dot resolution. The EOS R6 V offers 7K/60fps RAW and 7K/30fps Open Gate video capabilities, both of which make it ideal for content creation.

In addition to that, you get 40fps continuous shooting which is... surprising, and something I wasn't really expecting in a video-first camera. While this camera sounds like it would be peerless for video, I'm sure it will be ideal for capturing photos of birds in flight too with its 32.5MP CMOS sensor and best-in-class Dual Pixel CMOS II autofocus system. And did I mention it packs up to 8.5-stops of IBIS, just like the A7R VI? Yep, it's almost got it all.

The one I'm most excited for (and why)

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued by the Canon EOS R6 V. It features the same 32.5MP sensor as the Canon EOS R6 Mark III. As a video-first iteration of the series, it packs an active cooling fan — which you'll most certainly need if you're shooting 7K/30fps Open Gate... or even 4K/60fps, really, especially outdoors.

With the EOS R6 Mark III and its predecessors, battery life while recording video was always a sticking point, but this time around, Canon's going for the "best battery life" crown. The company claims the EOS R6 V can record for two hours or more as long as the built-in fan is toggled on, the overheat limit is set to high, and the camera's on a tripod.

While all of this sounds great (and I'm looking forward to test the camera for my full review), the EOS R6 V isn't the one I'm most excited about — it's the Sony A7R VI. The A7R VI packs a newly developed 66.8MP sensor and enables you to shoot RAW photos at 30fps. This will certainly be a boon for wildlife photographers such as myself.

I loved the Sony A1 II when I tested it and it's the one camera I've thought about buying myself time and again. I captured some of my best photos on it, and being able to make extreme crops was a walk in the park thanks to the 50MP resolution. But 66.8MP sounds even better, and the sensor's stacked nature delivers faster readout speeds and minimizes rolling shutter distortion. Then you've got the new BIONZ XR2 processor for 30fps blackout-free bursts, so you don't lose track of your subject because of, well, black screens between shots.

The A7R VI also borrows Auto subject detection mode from the A1 II, so you don't need to manually change the subject you're photographing — handy for anyone who captures a variety of subject. I loved this on the A1 II as I photograph birds, animals and (occasionally) humans and I can't wait to see how it holds up on the A7R VI.

A new trick up its sleeve

In addition to all the goodies the Sony A7R VI offers, it also features a new battery pack: the 2,670mAh NP-SA100. Sony says that with this battery pack, the A7R VI is CIPA-rated for 600 shots with the viewfinder or 710 shots with the monitor. Its predecessor, the A7R V, is CIPA-rated for 440 shots, so Sony's made some strides.

CIPA testing is done under strict conditions and the number is often conservative, so it'll be interesting to see how the battery holds up in real-world use.

I think it's going to be interesting to see how both the A7R VI and the Canon EOS R6 V perform in practice as, in theory, they both sound great in their own right. I'm obviously not pitting both cameras against one another. That would be unfair as they have different target audiences (and there's quite a bit of a price difference). Needless to say, though, it's an exciting time for photographers and camera enthusiasts. I can't wait to get my hands on both cameras and put them through their paces!

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• I tested the Sony A1 II for 2 weeks — and its autofocus results blew my mind
• I just tested the Canon EOS R5 Mark II to photograph wildlife — and this one feature has changed how I take photos forever
• ‘Few wildlife cameras come close to this’: why the OM System OM-1 Mark II is perfect for photographing birds in flight and other animals

Have you heard of "deinfluencing"? It's a popular social media trend where content creators advise their followers against buying overhyped or unnecessary products in a bid to combat excessive consumerism. My job, as a reviews writer, oftentimes feels like that.

I don't believe overconsumption is a good thing for us or the planet, and it's okay to not want the latest tech that everyone keeps talking about. See? Deinfluencing.

Today, I'm here to deinfluence you and tell you that you don't need two separate pairs of headphones for music and gaming. Historically, gaming headsets haven't been particularly great for audiophile listening because of how they're tuned, but I feel like that's changing — and leading the charge is the Sony Inzone H6 Air. It's one of the best gaming headsets as well as one of the best audiophile headphones I've ever tested, period.

I could go on all day about why the H6 Airs are wonderful gaming cans, but I want to talk about the audio quality instead, and tell you that this is the only set of cans you need. That's because the H6 Airs, unlike many other gaming-first headsets, have an ace up their sleeves: they use studio-grade drivers.

If you're an audiophile and a gamer, there is no better headset.

Open-backs > Everything else

The term "open-backs" is generally associated with regular, music-first headphones. Though Sony has a few open-back headphones under its belt, the Inzone H6 Air is the giant's first-ever open-back gaming headset (and it's nothing short of a triumph). Open-backs are usually more comfortable than closed-back headphones, such as the Fractal Design Scape gaming headset, or the Bose QuietComfort Ultra cans.

It's not that closed-back headphones are uncomfortable per se, all I'm saying is that open-backs are much airier and lighter than closed-backs. If you want a listening experience that's free of fatigue, open-backs are the way to go.

Rear air pressure buildup is extremely common on sealed cans because there's nowhere for the air to go (hence, the holes). The H6 Airs, like many open-backs, allow air to pass through the earcups (the holes, remember?), which reduces fatigue and eliminates sweat buildup, enabling you to wear the headphones for hours on end.

Also adding to their wearability is the fact that they weigh just 7.01oz — they're ridiculously lightweight. The suspended headband helps reduce pressure you’d otherwise feel on the top of their head. Finally, the H6 Air use light nylon ear cushions that nestle your ears like two clouds loosely hugging them.

I've tested the, extensively — for gaming and listening to music — and the longest I've gone wearing them has been nine hours straight. Whether you plan on gaming with them or listening to several albums back-to-back, the H6 Air has you covered.

Studio-grade drivers for audiophile sound

It's a good thing that Sony went wired with the H6 Air: Wired headphones are generally better than their wireless counterparts because there's no loss of information and compression occurring over Bluetooth. They transmit uncompressed audio data, leading to high-fidelity sound. Combine that with studio-grade drivers and you've got a winning formula — Sony does, at least.

The H6 Airs are fitted with 40mm Open-Back Dynamic which you'll also find in the Sony MDR-MV1 studio monitoring headphones. Naturally, as they're gaming cans, these drivers in the H6 Air have been re-tuned for gaming with enhanced bass. But they're still phenomenal for music.

You can read all about the gaming performance in the full review, so I'll discuss music quality instead. Hit play on the playlist below to listening along to my testing songs while you read my analysis.

The first thing I noticed while listening to ‘First Light’ by Lana Del Rey was the expansiveness of the H6 Air. It felt like I was standing in the middle of a crowded room at a gig, and my body was engulfed in the orchestral production.

The H6 Air feature spatial audio, and the headphones created a fantastic 3D effect in the 007 theme. Lana's "Will you? Will you?" whispers felt like they were positioned at different depths, and like they were swirling around my head instead of through detached left and right channels.

At the time of writing the review, I was obsessed with ‘Black Water’ by Poets of the Fall, and the song sounded the most beautiful it ever has through these headphones. The opening acoustic guitar carried startling clarity, with the zip of fingers sliding from note to note without sounding too harsh or distorted. The headphones never once got overwhelmed — whether that was when all the other instruments kicked in, or Marko Saaresto hit the highest note.

Despite being open-back, tight basslines are the H6 Air's specialty too. Airy high frequencies and accurate bass in 'No Chances' by Twenty One Pilots made me love the track even more. The bassline through the H6 Air reverberates in a way that you can feel it in your chest, and the subtle drop in notes felt apparent.

Lastly, 'Money' by Pink Floyd was another great testing track for the H6 Air, with the clinks of coins balancing well against the blues-based, driving riff played in an unusual 7/4 time signature.

One headset for two purposes

The Sony Inzone H6 Air have quickly become some of my favorite headphones, for gaming and listening to music. They're spacious and expansive, and they're extremely comfortable — perhaps the most comfortable over-ears I've tested so far. Being able to plug them into any device and console you own is a massive advantage, and the wired design means you're getting high-fidelity audio at all times.

You may still want a pair of wireless headphones for when you're traveling, and of course, open-backs doesn't boast the best active noise cancellation due to the limitations posed by their design. But if you want one pair of wired headphones for both gaming and careful listening, I can't think of a better option.

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At the time of writing, open-back headphones designed specifically for gaming haven’t been around for that long, and Sony has just dipped its toe into these waters. The Sony Inzone H6 Air is nothing short of a triumph, and the brand’s first-ever gaming open-backs offer studio-grade sound quality in both gaming and for listening to music.

Sporting a lightweight build that’s ridiculously comfortable for long gaming sessions, the H6 Air is a 10/10 in the design department. It’s compatible with an array of consoles and devices, making it the only headset you’ll ever need. The 40mm drivers are from Sony’s studio monitoring headphones, tuned here for gaming rather than production, so you know you’re getting best-in-class sound quality — regardless of what you’re playing or listening to. With a decent mic to boot, the H6 Air has quickly become one of my favorite sets of cans.

Is this the best gaming headset for you? Read my full Sony Inzone H6 Air review to find out.

Sony Inzone H6 Air review: Specs

Sony Inzone H6 Air review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? Sony’s first-ever open-back gaming headphones for all-day play
• Who is it for? Anyone who wants a comfortable headset with studio-grade sound quality
• How much does it cost? The Sony Inzone H6 Air retails for $199 / £179
• What do we like? The comfortable design, multi-platform compatibility, studio-grade sound, and great mic performance
• What don’t we like? The underwhelming software

Sony Inzone H6 Air review: The ups

There’s so much to love about the Sony Inzone H6 Air, from its comfortable open-back design and multi-platform compatibility, to the studio-grade sound quality in video games and music.

Ridiculously comfortable for all-day play

Not only have I reviewed my fair share of gaming headsets, but I’ve extensively used them outside of a work capacity. Comfort level is the first thing I consider before buying (or while testing) a gaming headset, because there’s no point spending any amount of money on an uncomfortable set of cans. The Sony Inzone H6 Air is the most ridiculously comfortable gaming headset I’ve used so far.

The H6 Air bears striking resemblance to the Sony Inzone H9 II ($349) but the biggest difference is that the H6 Air is an open-back headset. As is the nature of open-back headphones, the H6 Air offers superior comfort by allowing air to pass through the earcups. On sealed headphones, like the Fractal Design Scape ($199) and the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 ($199), rear air pressure buildup is common as there’s nowhere for the air to go. By opting for an open-back design, the H6 Air reduces fatigue and eliminates sweat buildup — and I can confirm that.

I’ve used the H6 Air extensively, and the longest I’ve worn it for has been a nine-hour gaming session. Not once did I feel like my ears were too hot or uncomfortable. Also aiding the H6 Air’s comfortable fit is its lightweight build. The headset weighs just 7.01oz (without cable and mic), making it much lighter than the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 (11oz) and the Fractal Design Scape (12oz). The suspended headband helps reduce pressure you’d otherwise feel on the top of their head, while the light nylon ear cushions nestle your ears like two clouds loosely hugging them. No complaints from me in the design and comfort department.

One headset to rule them all

A big advantage of using a wired headset is that, more often than not, it’s compatible with more consoles and systems than a wireless headset is. The Sony Inzone H6 Air, like all Inzone gear these days, is theoretically PC-gaming-first. However, it comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack as well as a USB-C Audio Box, so it’s compatible with essentially every console you own.

This includes PC, macOS, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android smartphones. You’ll be able to use it with your Steam Deck and other handheld consoles too. I tested the headset with my PS5 Slim by plugging the 3.5mm jack into the DualSense controller, and it worked like a charm.

Exceptional studio-grade in-game sound

The Sony Inzone H6 Air is an exceptional headset offering detailed, crystal clear sound quality, regardless of the video game genre you’re playing. The headset utilizes 40mm Open-Back Dynamic drivers. You’ll also find these drivers in the Sony MDR-MV1 studio monitoring headphones, but for the H6 Air Sony has re-tuned them for gaming with enhanced bass, and they’ve given me nothing to complain about.

The H6 Air covers a frequency response range of 10Hz-20,000Hz, which is standard for the best gaming headsets, covering from the highest frequencies down to deep bass tones. I was able to hear every soft footstep and every loud explosion with the utmost clarity, and it made for an immersive gaming experience. To test the headset, I played Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Cyberpunk 2077, and Control.

Cyberpunk 2077

In Cyberpunk 2077, I found infiltrating enemy bases stealthily a walk in the park as I could hear NPCs clearly behind closed doors. I could pinpoint their movements exactly, and I made a mental note of their patterns so that I could quietly open the door, take them out, and continue my approach.

This doesn’t mean the bass takes a backseat. Cyberpunk 2077 features a busy, techno soundtrack that often kicks in when you’re fighting an enemy or executing a stealthy takedown. I found the tonal separation to be fantastic, and the soundtrack never once sounded muddy. Even with the soundtrack at its peak, I could still hear enemies flanking me in close quarters combat, which helped me determine the direction of my attack.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

I also loved the emphasis on sharp audio cues in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which helped me time my parries perfectly in battles. The treble never sounded overzealous or like it cut through the rest of the soundscape. On the contrary, every aspect of the soundstage was perfectly balanced. I could still appreciate the bass-heavy orchestra soundtracking my battles, while appreciating the sound of my magical and physical attacks landing.

Roaming the vast open world in Expedition 33 was thoroughly enjoyable too. The gloomy yet vibrant atmosphere of the game was conveyed well through the H6 Air. The transition between my character walking on concrete and then scattered petals was loud and clear as I could hear the soft crunch of the petals.

Control

In a similar vein, the spooky atmosphere in Control was exaggerated by the H6 Air, and it truly felt like I was walking through a derelict, haunted building. Hissing noises in the hallways, droplets trickling down walls, alien-like NPCs croaking, and the protagonist Jesse Faden’s shallow breathing after she’d just sprinted down the hall, all added to my immersion.

There are plenty of dialogue-heavy cutscenes in Control, and I was able to hear every word spoken with clarity. Words never bled into one another, and I love that the headset made it feel like I was there, with the characters. For instance, in a cavern, the characters’ voices echoed well, but not too much so that it felt unpleasant or like I couldn’t understand what they were saying. If it’s lifelike audio you’re after, the H6 Air should be your port of call.

Superb for music listening, too

Because the Sony Inzone H6 Air utilizes studio-grade drivers found in monitoring headphones, I had to listen to music to test the headset’s caliber — and I was not disappointed. The opening acoustic guitar in ‘Black Water’ by Poets of the Fall had startling clarity, and I could hear the zip of fingers sliding from note to note. When the other instruments kicked in, the headset never got overwhelmed. Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound made the vocals feel like they were swirling around my head rather than playing left or right.

The H6 Air’s drivers produce tight, accurate bass and clear, airy high frequencies, and this was apparent when listening to ‘First Light’ by Lana Del Rey. Although the track doesn’t have a pounding bassline, it provides a subtle backbone to the song, and the bass through the H6 Air sounded nice and airy. This, in turn, made the orchestral crescendo feel grand rather than simply loud.

The headset creates a great 3D effect with the secondary vocals in ‘First Light’ too. The "Will you? Will you?" whispers felt like they were positioned at different depths, and Lana’s primary vocals had the centerstage here. This made the Bond theme feel more immersive and cinematic.

Great mic quality

The Sony Inzone H6 Air utilizes a detachable cardioid boom mic. A cardioid mic is like a unidirectional one, with a heart-shaped polar pattern that is most sensitive to sound at the front, and least sensitive at the back. This type of mic is great for gaming headsets, as it ensures that the words coming out of your mouth are the only ones that are heard. While it won’t replace the best microphones for streamers, it’s still decent for a headset.

To test the H6 Air’s mic, I first recorded myself with nothing else playing in the background. As you can hear in the clip above, my voice sounds loud and clear. It also sounds textured and true to what I sound like without a microphone. Unlike the similarly priced SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 and the Fractal Design Scape, my voice doesn’t sound tinny or unpleasant, and there’s no clipping either.

I then played an episode of Veep in the background, at approximately 50% volume on my phone, to see if the H6 Air isolated my voice. In the clip above, you can hear some background noise (i.e. characters’ voices) but it doesn’t particularly overpower my voice. The plosives are still clear and my words aren’t bleeding into one another. Again, better performance than the other two headsets previously mentioned.

Sony Inzone H6 Air review: The downs

The only real issue with the Sony Inzone H6 Air is that the companion software is a little underwhelming.

Underwhelming companion software

To customize the Sony Inzone H6 Air, you’ll need to download Inzone Hub on your Windows laptop. There’s no software available on macOS, Android or iOS, so you’ll be left feeling shortchanged if you don’t have a Windows laptop to hand. While Inzone Hub is easy to use, there isn’t much you can do in terms of customization on the H6 Air.

You’ll need to plug in the H6 Air using the included USB-C Audio Box to customize the headset, and once you’ve adjusted the settings, they’ll be saved to the Audio Box so that you can use them across consoles. Within Inzone Hub, you can customize the 10-band equalizer, adjust the sidetone, and enable spatial sound. There’s also the option to boost the bass or toggle an FPS profile, but I found the former to be overpowering and the latter didn’t really make much difference, as the H6 Air’s already tuned to give you an advantage in competitive gaming.

Wired cans in general don’t usually have companion apps, or when they do, there isn’t much there in terms of personalization. If you want extensive customization, you might want to consider a wireless headset, like the Fractal Design Scape or the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2.

A little on the pricey side

The Sony Inzone H6 Air is a capable and competent gaming headset, and one of the finest I’ve ever tested. It’s a little on the pricey side but before you start panicking, trust me, this headset is worth the premium. The H6 Air retails for $199 / £179 at Amazon and, at the time of writing, hasn’t received any major discounts yet (as it just came out in April 2026).

But a great thing about the H6 Air is that it doesn’t feel like an overpriced headset. A ridiculously comfortable and lightweight design, studio-grade sound quality and multi-platform compatibility make it worth paying full price for — unlike the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 which we thought was $25-$50 overpriced. And hey, the H6 Air is cheaper than the Asus ROG Kithara open-backs, which costs a whopping $299.

Sony Inzone H6 Air review: Verdict

“Are open-back headphones good for gaming?” The Sony Inzone H6 Air certainly proves they are. Sony’s first open-back gaming headset is simply outstanding. Packing 40mm studio-grade drivers, the headset delivers well-rounded, fine-tuned sound in video games and music. You feel like you’re the main character. If, like me, you love spending your weekend gaming away, you’ll be pleased to know that the H6 Air is extremely comfortable and fit for the job.

Would I change anything about the H6 Air? The software could certainly use a bit more oomph, but as I mentioned earlier, that isn’t a dealbreaker. If you want powerful sound quality with exceptional bass, treble and mids, there’s no reason to not get the H6 Air. This headset has quickly become one of the best products I’ve tested so far, and I’m now hesitant to go back to wireless cans.

Update (04/30): Sony has officially denied claims that it is implementing a 30-day timer for newly purchased digital games. It was previously claimed that keeping your console offline for more than 30 days would lock digital titles, preventing them from being played until you logged back into the PlayStation Network.

However, a Sony representative told Game File that this is not the case. Stating that, "a one-time online check is required after purchase to confirm the game’s license, after which no further check-ins are needed.”

So you don't need to worry that Sony is pulling an Xbox One-type verification system on gamers. Your digital games will remain playable regardless of how long your console goes without an internet connection.

Original story follows:

Remember back in 2013, when Microsoft announced that the Xbox One would need to connect to the internet every 24 hours, otherwise it would completely shut down? I sure as heck remember the outrage at the time, especially the controversial comments from then-Xbox CEO Don Mattrick that gamers who want an offline experience should just play the Xbox 360 — an already eight-year-old console at the time.

I bring this up because almost 13 years after Microsoft backtracked on those policies, furor has erupted online over the possibility that Sony may do something similar with the PS5 and PS4.

As reported by YouTube Channel Modded Warfare, the version 13:20 firmware update for the PS5 may have added some form of DRM to the console. While we haven't been able to verify this for ourselves, the video shows recent digital purchases with a 30-day timer attached — listed as a "Valid Period" in its information page.

This timer is likened to PS Plus games or rentals that were only intended to be playable for a set amount of time. It's been reported that if this timer expires, games will no longer be accessible offline until you reconnect to the PlayStation Network for validation. Apparently, it also doesn't matter if you have set a particular system as your primary console; the timer remains.

Wait, is this actually happening?

YouTuber Spawn Wave tested the DRM claims on their console and resorted to removing the console's CMOS battery to pull all power to the internal clock. Since the PS5 couldn't verify the time, it wasn't able to verify whether licenses for two newly-purchased digital games (Vampire Crawlers and Saint Slayer) were valid — locking the YouTuber out of both games.

Sony hasn't made any official announcement about this yet, which is only adding to the confusion. Various messages that are allegedly from PlayStation Support have shown up on social media, seemingly confirming that the new 30-day check is a new policy.

However, we have no way to verify these messages, and various online users seem to be getting conflicting information from the PlayStation Online Assistant — which is an AI chatbot. When I asked about this new license policy, it claimed that "digital games on PlayStation do not require a connection to PSN every 30 days to play."

So I'm still none the wiser about what's actually going on, and it further confirms my suspicion that AI chatbots are not the best source of information.

This is a horrible idea, but totally unsurprising

I will say this: It's ironic that Sony would introduce a policy like this, considering how much it mocked Microsoft for attempting something similar back in 2013. A 30-day timer, which operates on a game-by-game basis, isn't quite as extreme as what Microsoft proposed, but it's still a ridiculous thing to try and implement.

While we don't have any official explanation as to why, Modded Warfare thinks it's a way to clamp down on jailbroken consoles since they're usually kept offline to avoid bans. However, there's also the possibility that this is a bug, and only Sony will be able to clarify what's actually going on.

We've reached out to Sony and PlayStation for clarity and will update when we hear back.

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• Saros is everything I wanted from a Returnal sequel — and it fixes its predecessor's biggest problems

Five years ago, I labeled Returnal “the best reason to own a PS5 right now.” While subsequent console exclusives like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Astro Bot have bolstered the PS5 library further, Housemarque's heart-pounding rogue-lite remains one of the console’s finest games. If it’s spiritual sequel, Saros, had merely offered more of the same, it would have been an instant recommendation, but this follow-up goes further.

It retains all of Returnal’s best bits — the frenetic bullet-hell shooter gameplay, mysterious sci-fi world, intriguing, but cryptic, story and intimidating boss battles — but also makes a real effort to sand down rough edges. It’s not that Saros is any less demanding than Returnal, but this time, Housemarque wants to empower players to overcome its biggest challenges.

Saros offers a permanent upgrade system so even when you fall, you come back stronger. No obstacle feels insurmountable. Plus, it adds a more cinematic quality to its core narrative, while still giving lore-fantatics plenty of morsels to chew on. Oh, and it’s also a stunning PS5 Pro showcase, with the best use of the DualSense controller since… well, since Returnal.

Here’s why Saros is a PS5 exclusive that every console owner needs to play.

Saros: The Basics

• What is it? Saros is a third-person action rogue-lite, where you play a company soldier exploring a constantly-shifting alien world. Each run is different, with remixed levels and randomized weapons, upgrades and collectible items.
• Who is it for? Rogue-lite fans will definitely enjoy Saros, but it’s a must-play for anybody who loves fast-paced, demanding combat or has a passion for dark science fiction settings.
• What's the price? Saros costs $69 at Amazon. There’s also a Deluxe Edition for $79 on the PS Store with extra cosmetics.
• What other games has the developer made? Saros comes from developer Housemarque, who made its spiritual predecessor Returnal. The Finnish team also created numerous arcade-style twin-stick shooters like Dead Nation, Resogun and Nex Machina.
• What games is this similar to? Naturally, Saros most closely resembles Returnal. But it also takes several elements from popular action rogue-lite games such as Hades 2 and Dead Cells.

Carcosa calling

I definitely got a strong sense of déjà vu in my first few minutes playing Saros. Like Returnal, you’re thrown straight into the action with little context. Within moments, you’re staring down a boss who turns you to dust in a matter of seconds. Don’t worry, you’re supposed to lose.

After a quick revive, the stakes are set. You play as Arjun Devraj (voiced/modeled by “The Haunting of Hill House’s” Rahul Kohli), an enforcer for the Solatri corporation, dispatched to the mysterious planet of Carcosa to discover what happened to a group of colonists sent to the alien world, who disappeared shortly after landing and haven’t been heard from since.

The narrative unfolds primarily through ominous audio logs and text files, but you’re not alone in your quest this time. In between runs, you can catch up with your crew, which fleshes out Saros’ world and gives you insight into the psychological effects of the planet. It’s a smart way of dishing out story beats without taking the focus off Saro’s fast-paced combat.

I wish Saros’ audio logs weren’t randomized across its procedurally generated levels. After “beating” one biome in two runs, I found myself having to continually revisit it in the hopes of finding the remaining logs just so that I didn’t miss a scrap of story, which was unsatisfying.

Fighting for your life

Saros plays like a classic bullet-hell shooter, but with the production values cranked up several notches. To survive against its legions of multi-colored-projectile-spewing enemies, you’ll need to sprint, jump and dash constantly. Stay stationary for long, and you’re toast.

Added to the mix is a new bubble shield ability, which is an extremely powerful addition to your arsenal. It not only blocks incoming attacks, but can absorb projectiles, converting them into fuel for your formidable Power Weapon. Deciding the best time to pop your shield and when to use your dash to phase through projectiles is all part of Saros’ epic combat rhythm.

Rhythm is an apt word, as success in Saros often comes down to achieving a flow state. When you lock in, you’ll start anticipating enemy attacks before they land, and gracefully maneuver around the battlefield. One frustration is that the shield is tied to the same button as your melee attack. This results in a split-second delay when deploying it, which can lead to taking cheap, unavoidable hits as Arjun first throws a punch before activating his shield.

Like its predecessor, Saros is a rogue-lite. You set off from your home base into a series of randomised levels that mix-and-match static combat arenas and platforming sections. You might start to recognise certain sections after a run or two, but even a room you’ve visited numerous times can become a new challenge with the addition of fresh traps or enemies.

On each run, you’ll find different weapons, upgrade items and collectables. Ensuring that each trip into the depths of Carcosa feels unique. You can’t rely on a favorite weapon or an overpowered ability. Instead, you’ll need to make do with the hand you’re dealt. This necessitates strategizing on the fly. In one run, I had to face a tough boss with a shotgun. I was forced to get in my foe's face, rather than hang back, taking pot shots from the shadows, which is my default method.

Come back stronger

Where Saros differs most from Returnal is that death isn’t failure; it’s an opportunity to get stronger. Heck, death doesn’t even necessarily mean death. Early on, you can unlock an upgrade that gives you one instant revive per run, offering a second chance every time.

But if you do succumb to Carcosa’s many hostile threats, all hope isn’t lost. Back at your Passage base, you can spend currency collected on your last run to unlock permanent upgrades that range from basics like improving your armor to starting runs with key items.

Returnal’s comparative stinginess — players were stripped of basically all items/upgrades upon death, and forced to start a fresh run from near scratch — was a major pain point for some players. So, I suspect Saros taking cues from more accessible rogue-lites like Hades and Dead Cells will be some comfort. In Saros, even in defeat, there’s an element of victory, as the next time you head out in Carcosa, the odds are tipped a little more in your favor.

This isn’t to say Saros is an easy game, quite the opposite. If anything, Housemarque has ramped up the early game difficulty. The developers expect players to die frequently and be given plenty of opportunities to invest in upgrades to augment Arjun.

However, players craving Returnal’s more punishing nature aren’t neglected either. At the midpoint, you unlock the ability to make runs even harder by enabling a series of quite brutal modifiers (decreased damage, disabling your one-time revive, etc.). Or you can go the other way and switch on modifiers that make things easier, letting you customize your difficulty.

Another smart tweak is that the average run completion time has been dramatically reduced. In Returnal, a deep run could take north of 90 minutes. In Saros, runs will naturally conclude in around 20-30 minutes (Either through death or teleporting back to your base). This allows Saros to be enjoyed in more bite-sized chunks, and convinced me to keep playing just a little longer for “one more run” several times. Which would then quickly turn into three or four…

Pushing the PS5 Pro

Saros is one gorgeous-looking game. Of course, you don’t often get the chance to stop and drink in the impressive visuals, as there’s so much happening around you, but the mixture of neon projectiles, imposing enemy designs, and dark sci-fi locales is immediately striking.

More impressively, even when the screen explodes into a shower of sparks, multi-colored bullets and luminescent orbs, the 60 fps never drops. Even in the most intense battles, found in optional challenge areas crammed with a silly amount of enemies, I never noticed a hiccup. It’s a good thing, too. Saros is a game where a stable framerate is vital

Aside from just looking phenomenal, Saros also feels fantastic thanks to its novel use of the PS5 DualSense controller. The pad’s haptic feedback is used to great effect, but it’s the remarkably clever implementation of the adaptive triggers that once again steals the show.

Every weapon, from pistols to assault rifles, offers an alternative fire mode, and rather than being activated with a button press, you switch fire modes by pressing the left trigger down halfway. Press it down fully, and you’ll activate your Power Weapon. It was a great system in Returnal, and it’s no less exceptional here. You always feel in complete control of your weapons, without even needing to lift your finger off the trigger. I wish more games used it.

Saros review: Verdict

Saros is everything I wanted out of a follow-up to Returnal. It strikes the perfect balance between offering veteran players more of the frenetic bullet-hell gameplay that has become Housemarque’s signature style, while also being more approachable for new players.

The game is at its very best when you’re dashing across an enemy-filled arena, popping your shield at the perfect moment so you can power up your ultimate weapon and fire back an explosive rocket. And even in the (many) times I wasn’t quite quick enough to outrun the hellstorm of projectiles launched in my direction, my first instinct was always to dive back into the fray as quickly as possible, with a few new upgrades unlocked, to turn the tables.

Last night, April 16th, Sony announced the winners and shortlist of its 2026 World Photography Awards. Now into their 19th year, Sony’s World Photography Awards (WPA) celebrate and award existing and new photographic talent, giving its winners an international platform to showcase their work (not to mention cash prizes and a sack of Sony imaging gear).

This year, the WPAs received over 430,000 entrants from 200 countries across the world, making this one of (if not the) largest photography competition around.

The flagship award — the equivalent of ‘Best Actor / Actress’ at the Oscars, if you like — is Photographer of the Year. This year is has been scooped up by Citlali Fabián, a London-based visual artist originally from the Yalalteca Indigenous community, Mexico, whose work explores the intersections of identity with territory, migration and community.

The 2026 ‘Outstanding Contribution to Photography’ award — a lifetime achievement kinda deal — goes to legendary American street/documentary photographer Joel Meyerowitz. A pioneer of color photography, Joel was at Ground Zero to document the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11 — a visceral and haunting collection that simultaneously highlights the heroism and humanistic elements of the tragedy and cleanup.

The WPAs award a further 10 professional categories, though, each with a winner and two runners up. Not only that, but Sony and the WPA also foster the next generation of photographic talent through student and youth categories, plus an open category for anyone to enter.

I've included some of my favorite shots from this year's finalists and winners, but a full gallery of all the competition images are all visible on the World Photography Awards website.

London exhibition

If, like me, you’re lucky enough to be in London in mid-April, you can also check out the World Photography Awards exhibition, which runs from April 17 to May 4 2026 at Somerset House, London (tickets available via the link).

The exhibition will showcase over 300 entries from this year’s awards. I was given early access to the exhibition to see the entries, and it’s a fantastic showcase. The talent on display is phenomenal. My favorite series is by Seungho Kim, winner of the Perspectives category. His work documents his and his wife's lives after having an unexpected child, with a particular focus on how the family dog adjusted, and finally made friends with the baby.

I’ve interviewed many photographers in my time as a journalist, seen many exhibitions, and obviously gazed intently at many photos. I know full well that many photographers shoot deliberately with a final printed product in mind. There’s nothing like looking at an image in large printed format, in precisely the way the artist wanted it to be seen. It always beats digital in my book.

No Sony? No problem

If you’re inspired by this year’s awards — either the online gallery or physical exhibition — you can get involved in 2027’s competition, which will open on June 1 2026.

Importantly, while Sony hosts the WPA, there’s absolutely no stipulation for entries to be shot on a Sony camera. You don’t need to be rocking the latest, greatest Sony A7V to enter next year’s competition — maybe you’re rocking a humble Canon EOS R100 or, like me, a several-year-old Fujifilm X-E4. In fact, I talked to lots of the entrants in this year's awards, and even many of the pros shoot with other brands. Will Burrard-Lucas, winner of the Wildlife & Nature category, shoots on whatever old DSLRs he can find to jerry rig into traps or mobile recording devices (he literally straps cameras to RC cars to get close up wide-angle photos of hyenas!)

And that’s cool: it means you don’t need expensive gear to take part in the event. Remember, great imagery has more to do with the photographer than the camera.

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Sony's next-generation PlayStation consoles could come in a unique lineup featuring three models: a PS6 S (or Lite), a PS6 handheld, and a full PlayStation 6. The S and handheld models would feature the AMD-built Canis chipset, while the full model would have the more powerful Orion CPU.

The latest leak comes from the YouTube channel Moore's Law is Dead in a video where the host attempted to lay out pricing for Sony's future consoles.

The relevant portion starts about 15 minutes in, but here's the cogent bit for our purposes.

The price range for Sony's new lineup is $350 to $1,000. Again, this is an estimation on MLID's part based on component costs and potential tariffs. The price ranges below are based on estimates that factor in a 30% tariff protection and those that do not. MLID also notes that it's based on current RAM prices, which could change by the time Sony actually starts purchasing RAM.

• 'PS6 S' - $349 - $549
• PS6 handheld - $499 - $699
• PS6 full console - $699 - $999

He goes on to say that the Orion-based console could have two versions, similar to the PS5 at launch, with a disc-based variant and a digital-only one. Though I lean toward Sony finally ditching the discs in favor of a disc-drive add-on similar to what it offers now.

It'll be interesting to see how Sony prices the next generation since the current global situation has forced companies to raise prices. The base PS5 starts at $599 for the digital edition, while the Pro model is $899. Every single PS5 now costs hundreds more than it did at launch, something that rarely happens as a console ages.

What's coming?

Based on previous leaks regarding the Canis and Orion chips, the Canis chip should be more powerful than the Xbox Series S and the Nintendo Switch 2 but slightly less capable than the base PS5.

To date, Sony has been pretty mum on its plans for the next generation. Last fall, Sony's Mark Cerny confirmed that the PS6 was a few years away in a discussion with AMD's Jack Huynh.

They did say that the two companies are refining ray and path tracing to reduce the stress on the GPU. It could also have lower power consumption. The PS5 is a behemoth, and it would be nice if the next-gen could shrink back down a bit.

Cerny did seem to indicate that the PS6 chips could open things up for a handheld.

"There's a multitude of benefits for this, including lower power consumption, higher fidelity assets, and perhaps most importantly, the synergies that Universal Compression has with Neural Arrays and Radiance Cores as we work together to deliver the best possible experiences to gamers."

Current rumors suggest that the PlayStation 6 will debut in 2027, possibly 2028. Some of this may depend on RAMageddon, but 2027 has been the most consistent release window that we've seen.

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• I tested the AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6 — here's the winner
• I saw Sony's True RGB up close — and the downfall of OLED TVs might come sooner than expected
• TCL and Sony are joining forces to sell more TVs — but is that bad news for shoppers?

The AirPods Max 2 may look identical to the previous model, but it's what inside that counts. I gave them a fantastic 4.5-star rating in my review, and I love the improved sound, ANC and upgraded features like Live Translation. In my opinion, the AirPods Max 2 are some of the best headphones you can buy.

But that got me thinking... so are the Sony WH-1000XM6, which came out last year and received a solid 4-star rating from us. So how do the AirPods Max 2 and the WH-1000XM6 compare? How do both these flagship models sound? How do they feel? How's the ANC? I tested the Apple AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6 side by side to declare a winner.

AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: Specs

AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: Price

The AirPods Max 2 are the same price as their predecessor: $549/£499. This makes them more expensive than most other flagship over-ears.

The Sony WH-1000XM6 were $459/£399 at launch, and you can get them from around $449 (Sony) to $458 (Amazon) now. Overall, you're saving $90/£100, which is a considerable amount of money.

Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6

AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: Design

I'm not sure there are any tech brands that can beat Apple on the design front. Sony gear looks and feels good, don't get me wrong, but Apple always blows the competition out of the water.

The AirPods Max 2 are heavy, yes, which is my biggest complaint about the new cans. At a hefty 13.6 ounces, the Max 2 aren't about to let you forget you're wearing them. The mesh headband alleviates as much of the pressure as physically possible, but you cannot work out wearing these cans. They're for running errands rather than 5Ks.

However, the Max 2 look utterly divine. The metal ear cups are premium in every way, and the fabric cushions are super soft on my skin. I also have to hand it to Apple for mastering easy, intuitive controls — the 'Digital Crown' and ANC button on the right ear cup are both super easy to use.

Comparatively, the XM6 look a little lackluster. I tested the white/beige colorway, which is nice and unobtrusive, but isn't exactly winning any design awards. The ear cups are plasticky, which, of course, is how Sony managed to keep the weight down to a frankly delicate 8.8. ounces, but risks the headphones looking cheap.

The headband is padded, but still presses down on my head after a few hours of listening. So, while the XM6 are half the weight of the AirPods Max 2, you only really notice this when working out or while walking. If you're sitting at your desk or just relaxing at home, the weight difference is mostly unnoticeable.

The touch controls on the WH-1000XM6 are good. Even so, I wouldn't say Sony's controls are Apple-beating — in the search for a discreet, smooth design, one has to memorize complex hand magic to skip songs or pause.

Bring back the buttons! I promise, we won't get mad. So, while I've taken points away from Apple due to the Max 2's heft, the overall appearance and easy touch controls mean that Apple wins this round.

Winner: AirPods Max 2

AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: Features and connectivity

For your $549, Apple has stuffed the AirPods Max 2 full of AirPods-Pro-esque smart tech features, such as Live Translation and more Siri integration. Whether or not you use these is up to you — I personally don't have need for AI in my headphones, but if you gravitate towards these features, great!

The XM6 have tons of useful features, too. You can activate adaptive sound control, which uses your location to switch between ANC modes — so you can turn on ANC when you reach the train station for your commute, or turn off when you arrive home. This is pretty cool.

You can also cycle through listening modes: standard, background music (mimics background music in a cafe, for example), and cinema, which upscales content to mimic Dolby Atmos.

Apple offers this with Personalized Spatial Audio, but you need to be watching a Dolby Atmos-encoded video to take advantage of it.

Of course, if you're an Apple user, you benefit from seamless integration with your AirPods Max 2. Once the headphones are linked to your Apple ID, they switch seamlessly between all your devices.

On the other hand, the Sonys require you to download the Sony Connect app to manually control dual pairing — and even then, you can only connect up to two devices simultaneously. You can, of course, add more devices in the app, but you can't connect to more than two at once.

If you've got more than two Apple products — an iPhone, MacBook, and iPad, for example — it makes more sense to get the AirPods Max 2. However, Android and Apple owners would probably get more seamless connectivity out of the Sony.

The AirPods Max 2 and WH-1000XM6 both run on Bluetooth 5.3, which is disappointing to see on brand-new/relatively new flagship headphones. Samsung launched its Galaxy Buds 4 series in February 2026 with Bluetooth 6.1, which both future-proofs and improves reliability and range.

Both the XM6 and Max 2 have great features, but I'm giving this win to the Apple as its features are more versatile.

Winner: AirPods Max 2

AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: Sound quality

The AirPods Max 2 and Sony WH-1000XM6 are tuned similarly: both have a wide, expansive, detailed soundscape, with gentle-yet-confident bass, and a faithful balance across the entire frequency range. If you're used to a bass-heavy signature, for example Bose headphones, you may be put off by these.

However, I love this sound signature. I really appreciate being able to hear nuance and delicate tightrope-walking across the frequency range.

I listened to 'True Believer' by Hayley Williams, which is a piano-led track with layers of discordant keyboard riffs, choir background vocals, and powerful bass drum. The song sounded utterly divine through the XM6s, complete clarity in every frequency. I could hear all of the choral sections and delicate bass notes.

In the AirPods Max 2, the choir was handled just as delicately, with the strings driving the back-end of the soundstage being just as insistent.

I found the Sonys to be a touch narrower, with a louder bass section, but this will depend on your preference. Do you want the most expansive soundscape, or do you want a heavier bass response?

Next, I tested out both cans with an electronic track, 'If U Want my Heart' by Kettama. This song has a modulated vocal section with effusive synths and siren-synth sound effects. The XM6s handled this rich soundscape well, with depth in the vocals and instrumental.

However, the AirPods Max 2 were much more expansive, and the bass was even a little more pronounced. The vocals felt as if they were swarming around my head rather than playing into my ears.

Finally, I went for a softer, hazier track: 'Better Distractions' by Faye Webster. This bluegrass-meets-alt song is built from a lazy percussion section and wobbly slide guitar, with pianos twinkling in the right ear. This sound was immersive and wide through the AirPods Max 2, and I felt like I was in a sunsoaked bar in the Deep South.

Comparatively, the XM6 sounded much narrower again — I was longing for the same amount of width and immersion. This isn't to say the XM6 sounded bad, but different. I much prefer an expansive soundscape, so the AirPods Max 2 win this round for me.

Winner: AirPods Max 2.

AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: ANC

Both the AirPods Max 2 and the Sony WH-1000XM6 have excellent ANC. They offer the following modes: ANC on, transparency/ambient, off.

However, Bose is still the undefeated champion of ANC. The QuietComfort Ultra boast the best ANC I've ever experienced. When I was walking around the city with the Bose cans, I was effectively in my own universe. Traffic? Nothing. Sirens? No. Passers-by? Silent.

No, Apple and Sony haven't quite reached Bose's level, but that's not to say the ANC on these models is anything to sneer at.

When I was wearing the XM6 around the city, I was in near-silent conditions the entire time. The XM6 can definitely hold their own.

While the ANC on the AirPods Max 2 is considerably better than the originals, the XM6 still win here. I couldn't hear low-frequency sounds like motorbikes or buses, but some high-frequency tones still leaked through.

Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6

AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: Call quality

We've reached a point in flagship headphones where nearly all have guaranteed great call quality. You won't be disappointed by either the AirPods Max 2 or the WH-1000XM6.

I really like how the XM6 make your voice audible during calls, so you can monitor your speaking volume. I wish more headphones would do this! To test the call quality, I called my boyfriend, who reported that my voice was perfectly clear.

Again, the AirPods Max 2 are better than the Max 1 — the new over-ears sound like AirPods Pro 2/3 on calls — but the XM6 still takes this crown in this round.

Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6

AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: Battery life

The XM6 go for 40 hours on a single charge, 30 hours with ANC enabled. Comparatively, AirPods Max 2 will tap out at 20 hours with ANC. A 20-hour battery life is simply not good enough from a company with so many resources at its disposal.

At this point, I genuinely think 20 hours is the lowest battery life I've seen on lifestyle headphones, Apple or not. I'm giving the win to the Sonys.

Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6

AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: Verdict

AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: Ratings scorecard

This was almost too close to call. Sony finished with an admirable score of 83, and Apple just eeked out the win with 84.

I think most people would be happy with either the XM6 or the AirPods Max 2. While I personally prefer the AirPods' expansive, immersive, and rich soundscape, the XM6 sound great, too. It just depends on what you want: do you place immersion or detail higher on your must-haves list?

I'll be the first person to admit that the AirPods Max 2 have ho-hum battery life and are still heavy, but the sound quality makes up for it (for me). Similarly, the XM6s don't have that same expansive, energetic soundscape, and the design falls flat. I think I would buy the AirPods Max 2. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

Your PlayStation 5 could be getting a new home menu layout according to a beta tester. Being honest, it looks pretty good with the system apps and icons shifting from the bottom of the screen to the top in a move that is more reminiscent of the PS4 and PS3 menus.

An image of the new UI was shared on Reddit (spotted by Ben VideoTech on X) where the poster, who said they're enrolled in the PlayStation 5 beta program, discovered a new dashboard. The updated dashboard appears to move the Media, Games, PS Plus, and PSN Store icons to the top of the screen with the submenus

Nicely, it appears you can swap through the menus by pressing the L1 and R1 buttons on your DualSense.

Under Ben VideoTech's post an X user accused them of faking the image. However, another person shared a different photo of the new UI that looks much like the Reddit post. So, it appears this a real test.

Sony hasn't confrimed that this new home layout is in the works. However, based on these images the test looks fairly finished and I'm knocking on wood that it actually releases to the public soon.

Tom's Guide reached out to PlayStation for comment and will update if the company responds.

At this point in the PS5's lifecycle I've gotten used to the PS5 menu but if I had my druthers, I would prefer something similar to the PS4 dashboard. I loved the custom themes and wallpapers that you could install to personalize your console.

The PS5 has some themes like the 30th anniversary boot screen and the seasonal PlayStation shapes logos theme. Unfortunately, both of those get covered up by the splash screens for games and other menus and as such, the only way to really see them is in the the Welcome submenu.

If this update comes to fruition it will quickly become one that we'll all wonder why Sony didn't implement years earlier.

If you're a PS5 Beta member and you've got the new UI let us know and tell us what you think!

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This year's crop might be some of the best OLED TVs yet, but I’ve seen something from Sony that makes me think the days of OLED’s reign as the best TV technology could be truly numbered.

True RGB is the previously-rumored and now-confirmed name for Sony’s RGB Mini-LED backlight. It started back in early 2024 with Sony’s very first 22-bit Mini LED prototype that eventually made its way to the Bravia 9. Then in 2025, we saw a proof-of-concept RGB Mini-LED backlight. It was promising, even then, but it wasn't ready for mainstream TV buyers yet.

That changed last month when I finally got a proper, up-close look at Sony's imminent True RGB tech that I can not only talk about, but finally show you.

What is True RGB?

At a basic level, True RGB is Sony’s version of RGB Mini-LED. Each LED isn’t just one light source. It’s three separate red, green, and blue diodes that are individually controlled.

The result is simple in concept but hard to pull off. To execute more accurate colors at higher brightness level and better off-angle viewing, the backlight needs a brain that actually understands the complexity of the image it’s supporting and resources at its disposal.

Controlling three diodes per pixel is no joke. Most TVs are designed to handle one or two per pixel, maybe three with compromises. If your processing can’t keep up with a complicated scene, the TV may opt to play it safe and default back to traditional white color output (thus, rely wholly on color filters the way a traditional, less-expensive Mini-LED TV does.)

In fact, I’ve seen demos of several competitor RGB backlights that do exactly that. Sony says this is due to shortcomings in processing, especially when it comes to effectively managing “cross-talk” also known as color blooming.

The benefits of True RGB

Sony’s RGB demo felt different than any other one I’ve seen. The True RGB system essentially maps each diode to the content in real time. Strip away the LCD layer, and I could still make out the shapes and base colors of the scene. In an actual TV, this translated to accurate color reproduction, vibrant-but-realistic highlights and very minimal blooming.

It’s the kind of control that, until now, only OLED has been known for.

Although it's better at color reproduction than its predecessors, True RGB retains every bit of brightness. The system constantly adjusts each diode for efficiency, using heat mapping and advanced control algorithms to manage strain on the backlight.

In the spot tests I saw, the display hit higher peak brightness levels (approaching 4,000 nits) than competitor RGB Mini-LEDs, and it did so while using less energy.

Then there’s the fantastic off-angle viewing. True RGB retains color volume better than traditional LED when viewing a picture off-center. Again, it looked very OLED-rivaling to me.

What True RGB means for OLED

Although it matches some of OLED’s best qualities, True RGB isn’t about killing OLED, according to Sony. The company claims its true purpose is to address areas where OLED struggles, such as brightness and size scalability. We'd all love 97-inch or larger OLED TVs in our homes, but few of us can afford the luxury — and that's where True RGB could really shine.

The technology isn't quite at production level yet, but True RGB is headed to a consumer TV, and when it does, it won’t just be another incremental update that we've seen in years past.

I’ve been following this tech since it was just a promising prototype. Now that it has a name, and I’ve seen it in action, it’s clear that Sony wants True RGB to offer a compelling solution for folks who want top-tier brightness, immaculate color reproduction and larger screen sizes.

OLED will still be the best panel type on 2026 TVs, but come 2027 and beyond, it's very possible that Sony's new technology is the one that holds the crown.

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• Samsung’s 115‑inch Micro RGB TV colors look incredible
• Micro RGB vs OLED TVs: What’s the difference?

On Apple’s 50th anniversary, I can’t help but ponder the paths not taken. In recent years, the company almost brought a large, wireless charging mat to market called AirPower. At one point in time, Apple was reportedly developing an electric vehicle.

But of all the Apple products that never were, none have piqued my interest as much as the oft-rumored, Apple-branded smart TV. There have been Apple smart TV rumors as recently as late 2024, and while the company doesn’t seem to be focused on developing its own TV at the moment, I’d wager that we haven’t heard the last of these rumors.

Look, I’m not an Apple aficionado. I use an iPhone and AirPods, sure, but I’m nothing close to an Apple acolyte. That said, the thought of Apple going toe-to-toe with Samsung, LG and Sony — makers of some of the best TVs on the market — excites me. The company’s way into the market could be by way of the industry’s best display technology: OLED.

OLEDs blend excellent performance with elegant design — just like most Apple products

LG, Samsung and Sony, three of the biggest OLED TV-makers in the game, have mastered the art of building high-performance OLED TVs whose designs look as premium as the picture.

The best OLED TVs deliver excellent picture quality and eye-catching design elements, in large part because the technology allows for it. Because OLED TVs don't rely on a backlight, they offer benefits you won't find on even the best LED TVs, like perfect black levels, pixel-level dimming and ultra-wide viewing angles.

And, because there's no backlight packed into the panel, plenty of OLED TVs are mind-bogglingly thin. Some even offer a uniform profile so that they can be wall-mounted without a gap between the panel and the wall.

It's not hard to imagine Apple — a brand known for its sleek, minimalistic design approach — tapping OLED technology for its first foray into the TV market. Apple already leverages OLED displays for many of its products (including select iPhones and iPads), and the design flexibility associated with the display technology is seemingly aligned with Apple's philosophy of engineering thin, modern-looking products.

The relative ease with which OLED displays can be polished down into thin forms with clean lines also lends itself well to Apple's penchant for eliminating every-day, design-related pain points. If anyone can build a TV with a built-in, cable-management system that I'll consider using, it's probably Apple.

Perhaps there would, in fact, be an option for it to hang on the wall with a gap-free wall-mount, just as there is for LG's G Series OLED. A rechargeable, click wheel-equipped remote control with backlit buttons certainly seems like something Apple would pair with a smart TV of its own making.

But perhaps the biggest benefit of blending Apple design philosophy with a high-end smart TV has nothing to do with hardware at all — it's all about the software potential.

A TV that harmonizes with your iPhone, iPad and AirPods

Apple isn't unimpeachable when it comes to how it designs its software (Liquid Glass, anyone?). But for the most part, people have come to appreciate the brand's design language and how easy it is to navigate the software.

For instance, I appreciate how quickly my AirPods connect to my iPhone. I love how few hoops I have to jump through to securely rent or buy something from Apple TV+.

An Apple-made TV would likely be built around the brand’s tvOS software, which is what powers the Apple TV streaming box. I find the tvOS user interface to be just as snappy and easy to navigate as iOS, and a TV with the software suite built right in would likely eliminate my desire for a dedicated streaming device.

Apple wouldn't be the first brand to let people to control their smart TV with a smartphone, but it could be the best to do it.

There could be iOS app integration, for instance. Pulling up an iMessage group chat on my TV screen while my friends and I watch a new episode of "Severance" wouldn't exactly be my cup of tea, but I could imagine others getting a kick out of it. Accepting a FaceTime call on your TV? Sure, why not?

Bluetooth-enabled TVs are nothing new, but what if you could instantly swap from your Apple TV's on-board speakers to your AirPods? I mean, this already exists on Apple TV streaming devices.

The Apple ecosystem is more streamlined than Samsung's or Google's. Yes, this has plenty to do with its walled-off nature, but in a world of bloated operating systems stuffed with half-baked AI features, Apple is better poised to cultivate a useful smart TV experience that integrates an entire household of gadgets.

How much would an Apple OLED TV cost?

Let's not kid ourselves: An Apple OLED TV wouldn't come cheap. For one thing, the brand isn't exactly known for budget-friendly, first-generation products. Then you've got to factor in the going rate for a high-end OLED TV.

Upon release, flagships OLEDs from Samsung, LG and Sony cost multiple thousands of dollars in sizes 65 inches and above. These prices steadily drop throughout the year, but they never fall far enough that one can truly call them "cheap."

That's just the reality of buying a high-end OLED TV in 2026. And, while there are a handful of entry-level and mid-range options that offer the OLED experience at lower costs, I can't imagine Apple finally throwing its hat into this ring for anything less than a high-end TV to compete with flagships from Samsung and LG.

Unfortunately, there hasn't been anything in the rumor mill of late to suggest that Apple is actually considering entering the TV market, nor do I have any insider information on the matter. An Apple-branded OLED TV remains a dream — a highly realistic, downright-tangible dream.

But what about you? Would you spend what it would likely take to get your hands on an Apple OLED TV?

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• LG C6 vs LG C5: Is the newest OLED TV worth it in 2026?
• Which Samsung TV should you buy in 2026? Here’s my expert guide to Samsung’s newest OLEDs, Micro RGB TVs and more
• For OLED TVs, burn-in fears are overblown — here's what you need to know

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are the most daring earbuds Samsung has made thus far. Thanks to the bassy sound signature and a slew of AI features — whether you gravitate to said AI features or not — these are some serious contenders for the best earbuds title.

But every time there's a new contender on the scene, you can't forget the old faithfuls that came before. AirPods Pro 3, Sony WF-1000XM6, and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2 are all main players, so it's only right that we pit these flagship buds against one another. Right? It's all about the competition.

So I thought I'd throw the Bose and Samsung offerings into the ring and see which ones come out on top. Will it be the Bose QuietComfort Ultrs Earbuds Gen 2 or the new Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro?

Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen vs Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Specs

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen vs Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Price

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen are $299 from Amazon U.S. and £299 from Amazon U.K.. Comparatively, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are $249 from Amazon U.S. and £219 from Amazon U.K..

The writing's on the wall here: the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are $50 cheaper, therefore Samsung takes this round.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen vs Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Design

Just as with the Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, your opinion here might not match mine. Whether you prefer the Bose or Samsung buds will depend on how you like your buds: pebble or stem?

The Bose buds are closer to your "pebble" style, with a short stem and a mostly inside-ear design, whereas Samsung elected for an Apple-adjacent "stem" style that comes out of your concha. Don't get me wrong, the QC Ultra 2nd Gen aren't entirely pebble, but they're shorter than the Galaxy 4 Pro.

Personally, I'm a fan of stem style buds. Pebble styles tend to hurt my ears after a long time. If you have weirdly small ears (join the club!) then you might want to go for the Samsung option due to the smaller overall design.

Even so, if you have medium-to-large ears, the Bose option is more viable. These buds are larger in the nozzle, with a stout stem used for touch controls.

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro have a stem for touch controls, too. Both the Bose and Samsung options are easy to control, with customizable options in the relevant apps (Samsung's app isn't available on iOS).

Even though AirPods Pro 3 come with five silicone ear tips, the Bose and Samsung buds only come with three. Both Bose and Samsung's ear tips are easy to remove and apply, so fear not.

This is a really hard battle to judge, because I think the QC Ultra 2nd Gen look more striking, but hurt my ears after a while. On the other hand, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are a little plainer, a little less likely to attract attention, but they're more versatile for large and small ears.

I'm going to give this round to the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro as they're a comfortable option for more people.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds vs Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Features & connectivity

If I discuss every single feature present in the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, we'll both be here all day. You'll fall asleep at your phone. Let's just say that the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro can do basically everything you'd ever want from earbuds, except measure your heart rate.

If you use your phone's AI assistants, you'll be able to chat to these agents directly through the earbuds. There's also a live translation (Interpreter) feature, siren aware ANC, and Bluetooth 6.0

However, as expected, most of these features are locked behind Samsung's Galaxy ecosystem. Only AI-enabled Galaxy phones can take advantage of these. I tested out the buds with a Samsung Galaxy S25+ and all these features worked seamlessly — but they're also nonexistent on non-Galaxy Androids and iPhones.

Comparatively, Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen have fewer "impressive" features, but said features are more widely available. You can use Bose's Immersive Audio, multipoint (even from Android phones to MacBooks), and EQ presets for watching movies or listening to music.

See, it's a draw right now. I don't really gravitate towards any AI or health features anyway, so I'm not going to hold the lack of these against the Bose buds. However, I am going to hold the next feature against Bose.

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro have an IP57 rating... and the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen have an IPX4 rating. This means the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro can withstand (brief) immersion and are a little dustproof. However, the QC Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen can only survive being splashed.

The Sony WF-1000XM6 are only IPX4, too, so it's not unheard of at this price point, but I wish the Bose buds were a little more durable.

However, most of the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro's features aren't available on iOS — whereas Bose is usable with both iOS and Android.

It's tricky, but this round is a tie.

Winner: Draw

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen vs Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Sound quality

I'm going to start by saying the Bose and Samsung buds are both tuned in a way I can only describe as wall-wobbling, floor-thumping, eardrum-rattling bass. This isn't inherently positive or negative — it just is. Some earbuds are bassy, some are more detail-focused.

AirPods Pro 3 and WF-1000XM6 are both detail-heavy, so if you find the sound on those earbuds lackluster, you might be a secret basshead. Come to the dark side. Muahaha.

Although I listened to a lot more music than I have space to discuss here, I'll analyze three specific tracks: 'Crystalline Green' by Goldfrapp, 'Going Under' by Evanescence, and 'BLUE' by Billie Eilish. All three of these tracks have complex soundscapes, whether that's glitchy electro, crunchy nu-metal, or wispy harmonies.

As both the earbuds are bass-heavy, they have a similar signature sound. When listening with the Bose buds, the synth pulses on 'Crystalline Green' were prominent throughout the song, and the shifty bass effect trembled in the background of the track. The vocals were presented in the middle of the track, not overpowered by the laser sound effects or the glitchy bass.

Similarly, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro balanced the heavy bass with the distorted vocals well, and the tremulous bass wobbled in my ears delightfully. Both earbuds handle electronic exceptionally well.

When I played 'Going Under', the Samsung buds handled the volume of the crunchy guitars and glitchy percussion well. The piano riffs were a touch pushed back, as was the subtle electronic bassline. This was a similar issue on the Bose buds; the crunchy guitar pummeled the rest of the track, almost overpowering the subtle electronic bass. Even so, Amy Lee's fearless vocals led the song without shying away from the challenge.

Last, there's 'BLUE' by Billie Eilish. The Bose earbuds layered every instrument delicately: the floaty instrumental gave way to a guitar-driven verse, and Eilish's layered vocals danced across the soundscape like butterflies. The bass was a touch too loud, but this is adjustable with EQ customization in the Bose app. The electronic breakdown at the end of the track was excellent, with expansive sound and supreme instrument separation.

When listening with the Samsung buds, I noticed the same overzealous bass, but it was loud enough to overpower Eilish's soft vocals a little. This still isn't a major con, though, as the rest of the song sounded excellent; the guitar licks were audible in the right earbud, and the harmonies in the verses.

This is a close round, but it's going to be the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen. If you have an iPhone or a non-Samsung-Galaxy Android, you won't get access to Samsung's 'UHQ' listening mode. As the Bose buds sound better on a wider range of devices, it's got to go to Bose.

Winner: Bose

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen vs Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: ANC

For a long time, Bose has been the undisputed champion of ANC. Bose's premium line is literally called Quiet Comfort. Wait — Bose literally invented ANC. Yeah, it's serious stuff. For years, Bose has made the "best" ANC gear.

But other brands are catching up. Samsung's Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are utterly excellent. The ANC performance is divine: when I was testing these buds, I couldn't hear any office noise, nor traffic outside, nor any of my colleagues trying to get my attention. I recently tested them on a train, and it was so silent that I could've been in a private booth.

Even so, the ANC on the Bose QC Ultra 2nd Gen is still world-leading. As soon as I put in the Bose buds, I was in my own world. Usually, high-frequency sounds like clacking keyboards can leak through even powerful ANC.

Not with the QC Ultra 2nd Gen. I couldn't hear myself typing, couldn't hear any traffic noise. It was me and my music against the world. As much as Samsung and Apple are edging closer to Bose-level ANC, Bose are still unbeatable.

Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen vs Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Call quality

If you've got a Samsung S23 or newer, with the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro you get access to improved call quality. Even on my iPhone, though, these earbuds had near-perfect call quality. My voice was clear and audible, even when I was playing a traffic noise track at max volume. The person on the other end of the call couldn't hear any of this track, but did admit that my voice sounded a little muffled.

Even so, if you often find yourself in loud environments, you'll be able to trust that the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro will be able to isolate your voice.

Equally, the Bose QuietComfort perform exceptionally well. In our review, we wrote, "Despite the noise of the road I was walking beside. The AI noise isolation is top of the tree, and made chatting over the buds a joy."

Both Bose and Samsung have made some excellent-sounding buds with excellent call quality to boot, therefore this round is a toss-up.

Winner: Draw

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen vs Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Battery life

Samsung Galaxy 4 Pro have a rated battery of 7 hours in the buds and 30 hours in the case. Conversely, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen have a rated battery life of 6 hours in the buds and 24 in the case — the same as 2023's AirPods Pro 2. You'd think that Bose could do better than that, wouldn't you?

Still, neither buds are as impressive as the Sony WF-1000XM6 — 12 hours in the buds and 24 hours in the case. You'd be able to listen from dawn to dusk (and then from dusk back to dawn).

It's a no brainer, really — I'm giving the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro this round.

Winner: Galaxy Buds Pro 4

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen vs Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Verdict

This is a tricky decision, because it's so close. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are truly excellent and have put Samsung on the audio map. However, Bose won the more "important" rounds — ANC and sound quality.

It depends on what you look for in earbuds: do you want the best sound and ANC? Go for the Bose earbuds. Or do you want more impressive "flagship" features? Or do you want better battery life? Then you might want to go for the Samsung buds.

Or, if you have an iPhone, it's a no-brainer: choose Bose. The Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen are more versatile and work seamlessly across more ecosystems.

Ratings scorecard

Google TV is one of the most popular smart platforms. These days, TVs made by Hisense, Sony and TCL all arrive with Google’s streaming software built right into the experience right out of the box.

If you don’t want to sign up for a Google Account or you’d rather not connect your TV to the internet at all, Google TV offers a way for you to bypass the experience altogether, leaving your TV free to pipe in pictures the old-fashioned way: from a cable box, satellite, indoor antenna, or physical media player.

To enable Basic Mode, you need to do so during the TV's initial setup. This means that if you've previously set up Google TV, you'll need to perform a factory reset on your TV. If you're setting up Google TV for the first time, skip to step #2.

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Yes, it’s official: Samsung has a new flagship earbud ready to beat out the big-name competition. For a while, the commercial earbud game has been all about Apple, Sony, and Bose, but I think Samsung has really made something special with the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.

Are these new earbuds enough to be some of the best earbuds around, though? If you value bassy sound, then yeah, definitely. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are chock-full of meaty bass and appealing features… but most of these are locked behind the Galaxy ecosystem.

I decided to compare Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds 4 Pro to the iconic Sony WF-1000XM6 to see which earbuds come out on top. Bring it!

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Specs

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Price

The Sony WF-1000XM6 are pretty pricey these days: $329 from Amazon U.S. and £249 from Amazon U.K..

Comparatively, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are $249 from Amazon U.S. and £219 from Amazon U.K..

Obviously, this means the Samsung option is considerably cheaper, saving you $70 and £30 respectively. If you’re not fully sold on either the Samsung or Sony buds, though, you might want to check out the AirPods Pro 3 ($249/£219), the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2 ($299/£299), or my favorite underrated earbuds, the Status Pro X ($299/£225).

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Design

If you prefer a stem design, then the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro will suit you better — conversely, if you prefer a pebble design, then I’d recommend the WF-1000XM6.

This is a personal preference, but I would struggle to use pebble-style earbuds as my primary earbuds. I have weirdly small ears, and the bulbous design of the 1000XM6 proved a little painful during my testing. Even with the smallest tip size, I was only able to wear the buds for about an hour before my ears started aching. This is a play-it-by-ear situation, though, so don’t take my word as gospel if you’ve had luck with pebble earbuds in the past.

None of my colleagues seem to have this issue (darn, their normal-sized earholes!), but it’s worth noting that if you have weirdly small ears, I’d recommend stem-style earbuds. For example, I’d recommend the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro or AirPods Pro 3 — as they are a little more comfortable.

Both the WF-1000XM6 and the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro look fantastic, though, and have straightforward controls. You can easily adjust the controls via Samsung’s Android-only Wearables app or the built-in bud settings on Galaxy Phones. On iPhone, you can’t adjust anything.

Regardless of use with an iPhone or Android, you can customize all settings with Sony’s Sound Connect app.

Winner: Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Features & connectivity

I tested both sets of earbuds with three phones: my personal iPhone 16 Pro, my testing Samsung S25+, and our office testing Asus Zenfone.

Connecting both the 1000XM6 and the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro to all these phones is super easy. Simply hold down the pairing button and the earbuds know what to do. However, obviously the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are designed to sync seamlessly to Galaxy phones, just as AirPods are designed to work seamlessly with iPhones.

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro only have multipoint if you’re using Galaxy devices — for example, an S25 phone and a Galaxy tablet — whereas the WF-1000XM6 have multipoint built in as standard.

Even so, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro have super-new-and-stylish Bluetooth 6.1 — which boasts a range of 984 feet — whereas the 1000XM6 are trailing behind with Bluetooth 5.3 I’m a little disappointed that Sony didn’t use a newer version of Bluetooth — 6.0 and 6.1 came out last year — but AirPods Pro 3 use Bluetooth 5.3, as well, and the differences aren’t hugely tangible.

Although the WF-1000XM6 win for connectivity types, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro boast a slew of fancy-schmancy features. You get everything from seamless AI integration — think Bixby and Gemini, depending on your phone — to Interpreter (live translation), and increased call quality.

If you’re an iPhone user, you get many more features with the WF-1000XM6 than the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. However, if you’re a Samsung Galaxy phone user, you get loads more AI features with the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro than the WF-1000XM6.

Frustratingly, a lot of benefit comes down to which ecosystem you want to sink $$$ into: already got an iPhone? Then get the WF-1000XM6 or AirPods. Got a Samsung Galaxy, or want one? Then go for the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.

Features that everyone can benefit from, regardless of ecosystem, are also present. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are IP57-rated, whereas the Sony WF-1000XM6 are just IPX4. AirPods Pro 3 are also IP57, and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Gen 2 are IP55-rated.

While IPX4 sounds pretty mid, the WF-1000XM6 are still splashproof, so would survive bouts of rain.

Winner: WF-1000XM6, because said features are available on more devices.

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Sound quality

Now onto arguably the most important thing: sound quality. To test sound, I listened to music on both my iPhone 16 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S25+ on Qobuz, our best music streaming service for audiophiles.

I listened to genres from grunge to pop to electronic to glam rock to acoustic, and both the WF-1000XM6 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro performed extremely well. I really don’t think there’s much in it — both models are flagship earbuds, and boy oh boy, you can tell.

In general, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are better at handling bass, although sacrificing detail in heavy genres like metal. The WF-1000XM6 sound closer to the AirPods Pro 3 — treble and upper mids brought forward, bass pushed back a touch, but with a more expansive soundscape.

Personally, I actually prefer the sound of the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro ove the WF-1000XM6. The AirPods Pro 3 are able to strike the balance between expansive soundscapes, detail, and bass, but for me, the WF-1000XM6 are a little too light on the bass. Conversely, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are the opposite — a little too bassy, which sacrifices detail.

Again, this one depends on your personal preference. I think I would actually go for the Buds 4 Pro, though.

Winner: Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: ANC

The ANC on the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro is practically flawless. When I was testing these earbuds, I was completely in my own world. Colleagues couldn’t get my attention, no matter how hard they tried. Traffic noise outside my apartment was obliterated.

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are seriously some of the best ANC earbuds I’ve ever tested, and I’ve tested a lot.

Conversely, I wasn’t overly enamored with the ANC on the WF-1000XM6. The earbuds cut out most environmental noise, but they weren’t as good as blocking high-frequency sounds like keyboard clacking.

I’d give this round to the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Call quality

If you’re using the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro with a Samsung S24 and newer, you get up to 16kHz of call quality. However, even when you use these earbuds on an iPhone, you get excellent call quality.

I tested these earbuds by calling my boyfriend, who said I sounded perfectly clear and audible. There was no metallic weirdness happening to my voice. The Buds 4 Pro are also excellent at minimizing ambient noise — I played a traffic noise track at 75dB and my boyfriend said he couldn’t hear a thing. He reported that my voice sounded a little muffled, but the environmental noise was completely silent.

The Sony WF-1000XM6 also have excellent call quality. Our reviewer Ashley said the mics isolated her voice even over the top of construction noise, and her voice was clear and audible throughout her testing call.

We’ll say this round is a draw.

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Battery

This one’s a pretty easy decision: the Sony WF-1000XM6 last for a whopping 12 hours (without ANC) between charges, and the charging case holds 24 hours of battery life.

The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro have just 7 hours (without ANC) in the buds themselves. Even though the Samsung charging case offers 30 hours of battery life, having 12 hours in the buds alone is a major competition killer.

Winner: Sony WF-1000XM6, as they’d be able to keep you locked and loaded for an entire 12-hour shift — although you’d be charging the case more often.

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: Verdict

Personally, I would go for the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro based on comfort and sound quality alone. However, if you want more bang for your buck and you have a non-Samsung Galaxy phone, you might be better off with the Sony WF-1000XM6.

So if you’re of the non-Samsung-Android or iPhone persuasion and you want all those nice, meaty features hidden away in companion apps, I’d say you should go for the Sonys. This is really annoying, as I genuinely prefer the sound quality on the Samsungs, but, unfortunately, many of the flagship Samsung features are locked behind S24-and-newer phones.

Even so, I think the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are much better value, so I know which ones I’d personally buy — although the Sony WF-1000XM6 are markedly more versatile.

Ratings scorecard

There's part of me that feels like I'm repeating myself. A new pair of wired headphones lands on my desk from a name you've never heard of, and they sonically eviscerate all the wireless options you can buy for a similar price. Cue me acting "surprised," penning my "surprise," and then everyone continuing to buy the same ANC cans they always have.

But seriously, you have to give some of these wired options a chance. Sure, you won't be wearing them on a train to block out the sounds of angry sports fans, but you will appreciate everything your music has to offer when you sit at your work desk, or at home after a long day at work. Or something.

The Sivga Peng are just that. They're not outdoor headphones, although their leather carrying case will do a great job at keeping them safe from harm. No, they're sitting in front of the fire with a glass of something delicious and a spare hour to listen to your favorite albums. And my goodness, I'd take these any day of the week over the similarly priced wireless options from Sony or Bose.

Connect to disconnect

The modern world is too filled with "beeps" and "boops." My car bings at me when I go slightly over the speed limit to overtake your Mom in her station wagon, my nightstand light squawks at me when it's disconnected from the Wi-Fi, and trash cans say "thanks!" when I throw away my empty Monster can.

I hate beeps and boops. They're annoying. The fact that wireless headphones beep and boop more than just about anything else I own is the icing on top of a disgusting cake. "Oh, I've disconnected," say my headphones. "BEEP, I've got some battery left." "BEEP, I've got even less battery left." Please. Stop.

You know what doesn't beep at me? The Sivga Peng, and just about any other wired headphones you might have. Plug them into a device that doesn't see the outside world for anything other than music streaming, and you'll find a peaceful world where nothing wants for your attention with a piezo buzzer or a synthetic beep. Or boop.

Battery life? Never heard of her

"My headphones last for 30 hours!"
"Oh yeah? Well, mine last for 50!"
"I've got you both trumped — mine go on for 100 hours!"

How about all of the hours? The only thing you have to worry about is how long the connected device will last. The Sivga Peng? No charging needed. Pub friends bragging rights won, perpetual music gained.

Seriously impressive sound

Bluetooth has improved in leaps and bounds. You can listen to far higher-quality audio than the first pairs of wireless headphones could ever have hoped of reproducing. But it's still limited, either by the device you're listening to, the codecs your headphones support, or both. Wireless is an imperfect listening solution, a compromise of convenience over just about everything else.

My Sivga Peng and their wonderful, braided cable, however, are different. They take wonderful hi-res tracks from my digital audio player (or my laptop, or even my phone), and then feed them directly into my earholes as if they were love letters delivered on the backs of cherubim.

There's detail for days, mids that give you a warm, welcoming hug, and their closed-back design keeps the bass in for weighty, thick sound. The soundstage is slightly more intimate as a result, but you won't mind as you're surrounded by your favorite tunes.

You might miss some amenities

Wireless headphones do, of course, have some pros. ANC that keeps the noise of irritating people at bay, and no cable to get all tangled. But if you want something that sounds incredible, and don't want to start looking at headphones that cost over $599, then wired headphones are the only way to go.

The Sivga Peng are just one pair of wireless headphones — but they are a spectacular option if you've got $449 spare and you were thinking of picking up something with a Sony or a Bose logo. Don't. Buy these. They sound so much better. And you'll never have to worry about the battery running out.

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Travelling can be stressful. Bustling airports, packed trains, babies crying on buses — there’s a lot to take in. I have a love-hate relationship with commuting. While I love watching the world go by and hearing the chatter of people walking past me, if I’m stressed or miss a connection, I need complete silence until I can figure out my next move. Because while I’m a pretty calm person, there’s something about an airport that brings out a different side of me.

Luckily, as part of my job, I’m tasked with trying out some of the best noise-cancelling earbuds, meaning I always have a pair on hand to block out noise around me. Since I travel a lot, they have become somewhat of a saving grace for me. A couple of weeks ago, I did a lot of travelling, and I got to put two of the best flagship earbuds to the test to find out which are best for commuting. And there can only be one winner.

Sony WF-1000XM6

The WF-1000XM6 are Sony's new flagship earbuds released this year, and they come with some super cool upgrades. But beyond the impeccable sound quality, the outstanding ANC performance is what stands out the most.

I’ve used these earbuds on trains, busses and even planes, and all of the ambient sound around me was blocked out. Some of my colleagues who also tested these earbuds noted that they could hear faint talking around them, but my experience was one of complete silence.

I also love that I’m able to adjust ambient awareness levels in the app, so if I do need to be aware of what’s going on around me, I can choose to let in the sound of traffic or voices separately.

Apple AirPods Pro 3

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 earbuds have great active noise-cancellation. From the previous aversion of the buds, they have worked on blocking out sounds across the frequency spectrum, which means more sounds are blocked out.

With that said, I’ve noticed that sounds closer to me, such as someone speaking next to me, creep through a little more. This is great if someone needs to get my attention, but not so much if I want to be in my own bubble when travelling.

One thing I’m not such a big fan of with these earbuds is the humming sound they make when ANC is turned on. This sometimes ruins my listening experience, depending on how loud my music is.

Which one comes out on top?

After using all of these earbuds in different scenarios and evaluating them when using them on my commute, I can safely say that the Sony WF-1000XM6 comes out on top for me. But not everyone has this same experience. My preference here is totally subjective; I love the Sonys, but my colleague Erin is an AirPods girl and swears by the Apple AirPods Pro 3.

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If you don't want something else to worry about in today's world, perhaps stop reading. Otherwise, a new study finds that most headphones contain toxic chemicals that may be "migrating" into our bodies.

Reported by the Guardian, the study comes from the activist group ToxFree LIFE for All, a Hungarian research and campaigning group. If it helps, they're like the Eastern European version of Consumer Reports.

ToxFree found that a multitude of headphones contain chemicals that can "cause cancer, neuro-development problems and the feminisation of males." That includes ones from major brands like Apple, Bose, Panasonic and Sony, makers of some of the best headphones.

According to their website, ToxFree has tested over 81 headphones, from earbuds to over-the-ear cans. Apparently, the primary source of chemicals in the headphones comes from the "formulation of the plastics from which they are made."

These dangerous chemicals include bisphenols, phthalates and poly- and perfluoroalkyl (Pfas). PFAs are known as forever chemicals, which other studies have found to have terrible biological effects.

ToxFree apparently started testing for the chemicals because headphones have "transitioned from occasional accessories to essential tools." They purchased readily available headphones that can be found in Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and online marketplaces like Shein and Temu.

“Hazardous substances were detected in every product tested,” they said.

Reportedly, synthetic chemicals used to stiffen plastic can migrate into sweat that can then be absorbed through your skin.

From what we can tell, the study only tested for the presence of the chemicals, but it doesn't reveal how much exposure is required for chemicals to reach toxic levels. It also emphasizes that the chemicals were found in "trace" quantities.

How to avoid the chemicals

ToxFree notes that "highest concentrations of harmful substances were found in the hard plastic parts of the headphones. These chemicals can be released into the environment through heat, mechanical stress or sweating and then absorbed through the skin."

Which means you'll want to avoid wearing headphones while sleeping, and unfortunately, when doing strenuous activity that causes you to sweat.

“Daily use – especially during exercise when heat and sweat are present – accelerates this migration directly to the skin," ToxFree said.

This makes sense for earbuds where the plastic is more likely to come into contact with your skin on a more consistent basis. What we can't tell is what the study found regarding over-the-ear and on-ear cans.

In general, those headphones feature softer materials, including cloth, pseudo or real leather in the cups and the headbands. Higher-end models might be made out of metal.

ToxFree has released previous studies that found Pfas in baby pacifiers and women's underwear, two products that have even more contact with skin and orifices.

Mayhap this isn't as dire an issue as Toxfree asserts. However, it may be a good time to consider how much time you spend wearing headphones and finding ways to mitigate it for your general health.

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I’m always looking for the best new audio gear, and after a three-year wait, Sony has finally announced the successor to the WF-1000XM5: The Sony WF-1000XM6.

I’ve been using both models of the earbuds and putting them up against each other through rigorous testing to find out if newer is better. And, quick spoiler — in this case, it does.

The new model announced by Sony features upgrades to design, active noise cancellation, and sound. In three years, we have a lot of audio advancements that Sony can make the most of, but is it worth splashing your cash on the new model? I put the XM5 and XM6 head-to-head so you know which model is going to get you your money’s worth.

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Sony WF-1000XM5: Specs

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Sony WF-1000XM5: Price & availability

The Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds are available for $329/£250 from Sony’s online website. The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds are available for $329/£219 at Amazon. Both sets of buds see a price hike in the U.S. thanks to imposed tariffs, but the XM5s are on sale at Amazon U.S. for $248, given the release of the new model.

With all the upgrades, you certainly get more for your money with the WF-1000XM6 buds, but the XM5s are worth considering when they’re on sale.

Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Sony WF-1000XM5: Design

I'm used to earbud upgrades looking like identical twins, but the XM5 and XM6 look more like distant cousins than siblings. For me, though, this is a good thing.

I struggled a little with the design of the XM5 earbuds. I found them on the heavier side, and they’re quite large and protrude out of the ear. The XM6 completely resolves that issue with a 11% width reduction and a lighter design despite the extra microphones.

The XM6 earbuds are far more comfortable, and I was able to wear them all day long. Despite being very slightly heavier than the XM5 buds, I found them to be more secure and less noticeable.

Winner: Sony WF-1000XM6

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Sony WF-1000XM5: Controls

Both sets of earbuds use touch-sensitive controls that can be customized in the Sony Connect app up to four taps. Both earbuds are easy to use and very responsive, and there’s not much difference in how they behave.

There is refined accuracy on the controls, but the XM5s were pretty good to begin with.

Winner: Tie

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Sony WF-1000XM5: Sound quality

Sound quality is vastly improved with the XM6 earbuds. From the second I first tried them, it was clear that this is where the majority of the work has been done on the buds from the previous model. The sound profile on the new buds is a lot more neutral to make way for their higher-resolution capabilities.

The XM6 buds can support 32-bit processing, whereas the XM5s support 24-bit only. But both sets of buds offer the same streaming codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC, and LC3.

There’s also more room for customization to get your perfect sound with the XM6s, as they have 10 bands of EQ customization with the Sony Connect app, whereas the XM5s only offered five bands. This makes the personalized EQ test on the XM6 buds even more accurate, and delivers me the best sound that complements the genres of music I listen to the most.

Casual listeners may not notice much of a difference between the two sets of earbuds, but music nerds like myself will appreciate the enhanced detail and vocal clarity.

Winner: Sony WF-1000XM6

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Sony WF-1000XM5: Active noise cancelation

I spend a lot of my time commuting. This is sometimes on the train, bus, or even on a plane if I have to go on a trip. Thanks to my traveling, I am uniquely qualified to speak on ANC — because I rely on it so heavily. The train specifically can be a noisy experience, between the whirring of the train and the screams of nearby children. But with the WF-1000XM6 earbuds, I couldn’t hear a thing.

The new buds have two extra microphones and a new QN3e chip for processing the sound, creating a virtually silent listening experience. You can also check the fit of the earbuds in the Sony Connect app. Here, you can also adjust the levels of ambient sound let in around you, so you can be aware of your surroundings if needed.

This option is also available on the XM5 buds, but it’s far more effective on the XM6s. I tested both sets of buds out on a flight, and the difference was seriously night and day. The WF-1000XM6 earbuds totally blocked out the sound of the engines and everyone around me. If complete silence isn’t as important to you, you can make do with the XM5s, but the XM6s are far superior in my opinion.

Winner: Sony WF-1000XM6

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Sony WF-1000XM5: Battery life

Both sets of earbuds offer the same amount of battery life. Eight hours with ANC, which extends to 24 hours with the charging case. So it may seem like there haven’t been any upgrades made, but with all the extra power needed for the upgraded ANC processing, it’s pretty impressive that the battery life has stayed the same.

But the XM5 earbuds get points for the charging case design. The case is much easier to move around and fits into the pockets of my jeans much more easily, thanks to the curved shape. The case of the XM6 earbuds, on the other hand, is a little boxy, with a straight edge that makes it a little trickier to just put in your pocket.

Winner: Tie

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Sony WF-1000XM5: Which should you buy?

The Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds are the clear winner here. From vastly improved sound quality to killer ANC, there’s no denying that the upgrades are totally worth it. For audiophiles in particular, the upgrade is a no-brainer.

But, if you’re not someone who needs the latest gadgets and you’re not too fussed on hearing every detail in your music, then the WF-1000XM5s are still an excellent option, as their price will drop in sales since there’s a new model available.

When it comes to video games, I'm quite picky. I love story-driven RPGs and that's the genre I'm most attracted to. But sometimes, these RPGs with their 100+ hour playtime can feel like a lot, and I need a break from them. Recently, when I completed my ninth playthrough of Baldur's Gate 3 and was on the character creation screen once again to start another one, I stopped myself. It was time for a change.

So I did what most of us do when we don't know what to play next: I browsed the deals section of the PlayStation Store on my PS5 Slim. That's when I came across a 2D side-scrolling game called Neva, which is currently down to just $9 / £7 from $19 / £16 on the PS Store, and I pulled the trigger and bought it. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made. And at this week's State of Play, its prequel was announced (dropping on February 19), so now is the perfect time to play it!

Neva is a puzzle-platformer with barely any dialog, where the beautiful art design and stunning music do the talking for the game. It conveys a lovely story which you only understand when you reach the end, and it may drive you to tears — I sobbed like a baby. Should you play Neva? Yes, and then play it again, and again. Let me tell you why (minor spoilers alert!).

An existential game that keeps you guessing

Neva is a beautiful story told through no words. The only time your character, called Alba, speaks is when she's calling out for her wolf, Neva, and even then, all she says is the wolf's name. Alba and Neva venture through perspective-shifting and occasionally trippy landscapes that are nothing short of stunning. The music is just as gorgeous, ramping up into semi-rock ballads when enemies are upon you.

The world is plagued by darkness and formless masked creatures but you never find out how or why they came about to be — but your goal is to rid the world of them with your sword and your wolf by your side. You watch the world succumb to the darkness as you go through the four seasons, with each "act" named Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring. Birds fall from the sky, flowers bloom black, animals die and their bodies are taken over by the masked demons.

Neva revolves around parenthood and the emotional bond you can develop with animals. It's similar to existential games like Endling, another fantastic, soul-crushing game where the world has been destroyed by humankind's greed and capitalism. Through no words, Neva conveys a heart-wrenching story of loss, as the opening sequence features a very sad scene (that I won't disclose lest I spoil it for you) — and yes, I was crying within the first 10 minutes of playing the game.

All about looking after one another

Alongside being about parenthood, Neva is all about looking after one another. Your wolf, Neva, starts out as a cub, and is clumsy and easily distracted, like a little puppy. She'll grab on to leaves and follow butterflies, and you must take her to feeding spots to ensure she's getting sufficient nourishment.

When you jump a big gap and she follows you, she nearly falls off the ledge so you must grab her and soothe her. Yes, you can pet Neva — you can even have a little cuddle with her once you've progressed through the first level! While the first few levels revolve around you looking after Neva, she eventually grows up and gets attacks of her own, and she starts having your back. She can tackle enemies and objects by teleporting (she's magical), and aid you in battle by sneaking up on the demons.

Utilizing Neva and spending time with her contributes towards earning trophies on the PS5. For instance, one of them requires you to soothe her in a certain level, and another sees you calling out her name a few times. You're dependant on Neva and her survival is semi-dependant on you. I grew quite attached to Neva and I wanted to pet her as much as I could — the game does an excellent job of giving you a sense of responsibility.

Buttery smooth platforming

To traverse the ever-changing landscape where trees become blackened and break off, you must jump, double jump and dash over obstacles and to ensure you don't fall to your death. Alongside platforming, there are plenty of puzzles you must solve, and these are all well-thought out and designed. They never feel repetitive — and they can't, really, given that Neva has a completion time of just over three hours.

If you're squeamish about blood or gore, you don't have to worry about that with this game. Death scenes in Neva aren't like those in most other games. There's no blood when your character dies. Instead, you and any other creature who falls gets covered in black flowers. I also like that you can choose the Story Mode difficulty which makes it impossible for Alba to die, resulting in a more relaxed experience focussing on the narrative.

The storytelling, combined with the music, artsy graphics, and the narrative revolving around parenthood, may have you guessing the ending. I did too, and I thought I had it figured out, but as the last cutscene played, nothing could have prepared me for it. All I could do was sob into my hands.... and then revisit the chapters to Platinum it (and Platinum it, I did).

Neva: The Prologue drops on February 19, and you'd best believe that I will be getting it day one. If you want to play Neva now, and I highly recommend that you do, you can grab it for just $9 / £7 at the PlayStation Store. Neva is also available on PC, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox Series X|S.

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It’s only normal to be trapped in the Apple ecosystem. I’m an iPhone, MacBook and iPad user, but as a byproduct, I’m also an AirPods user. But when it comes to finding the best wireless earbuds out there, it’s a big, wide ocean filled with more than just AirPods.

With the launch of the Sony WF-1000XM6, the wide array of options just got wider, but it might just be for the better. Are these the buds that finally make me turn my back on Apple for audio once and for all?

Let’s put the new flagship earbuds from Sony up against the Apple AirPods Pro 3 and find out which ones you should really be spending your money on.

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Apple AirPods 3 Pro: Specs

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Apple AirPods 3 Pro: Price & availability

The Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds are available from Sony’s online store for $329/£250. That’s a pretty big difference in price between the U.S. and the U.K., but it’s a direct result of the imposed tariffs, which we have seen affecting a lot of audio brands in the last year.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are available for purchase at Amazon for $249/£219. So the AirPods are $80 cheaper in the U.S., but does that reflect their performance? In a word, absolutely.

The Sonys are way ahead of the game in terms of sound quality and noise cancellation, so let’s dive into some more detail.

Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 3

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Apple AirPods 3 Pro: Design

Your preference for the design of the two buds is going to be totally personal. Some people love the Apple stem while others hate it. The Sony WF-1000XM6 are more oblong and designed to just sit within the ear, but some may find the lack of opportunity for adjustment without removing the buds annoying.

I find the Sony eartips, which are more foam-like, far more comfortable. While the Apple AirPods Pro 3 do incorporate some foam for shaping, the primary material is silicone. The silicone doesn’t fit as securely in the ears and the Sony foam tips expand to give the perfect seal for noise cancellation.

When it comes to the charging case, the AirPods case is a lot easier to manage. The case for the WF-1000XM6 is a little angular and hard to manage if you’re just putting it in your pocket.

In terms of durability, the AirPods Pro 3 boast an IP57 rating, giving them protection against water as well as dust, making them better suited for activities like outdoor running. The Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds have a rating of IPX4, which only protects them against a quick splash of water.

Winner: Tie

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Apple AirPods 3 Pro: Controls

Both sets of earbuds use touch-sensitive controls, and both have customizable controls. The Sony controls are managed through the Sony Connect app, whereas the AirPods are managed in system settings on Apple devices.

These are easy to use, but if you want more control over ambient sound, go for the WF-1000XM6, as you get to visualize how much sound you’re getting with the app.

Winner: Tie

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Apple AirPods 3 Pro: Sound quality

The sound quality on the two buds is seriously night and day. After using the Sony WF-1000XM6, the Apple AirPods Pro 3 sounded completely flat and lifeless. Forget about the flashy heart rate monitor of the AirPods for a second, because when I’m buying earbuds, I want the best sound quality possible. And that consideration will point you in the direction of the Sony buds.

Bass is more prominent in the WF-1000XM6, making the sound more full-bodied and enjoyable. EQ customization also gives them instant points as you can personalize the sound for your favorite genres. You can also take a test to find the best sound profile for you in the Sony Connect App.

Codecs from Apple are seriously lacking, with only AAC available for most users, but Sony offers LDAC, AAC/SBC with DSEE Extreme and LC3.

Winner: Sony WF-1000XM6

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Apple AirPods 3 Pro: Active noise cancellation

Both buds are noise-cancelling, but the WF-1000XM6 take the crown. When using ANC with the Apple AirPods Pro 3, I can hear a low hum of the frequency being used to cancel out the ambient sound around me. But with the WF-1000XM6, I’m in complete silence.

The noise cancellation settings are also far easier to control in the Sony Connect app. And the eartip fit test from Sony also ensures the seal for noise cancellation is perfect. This is easier to achieve with the foam eartips, as I mentioned in comparison to the Apple AirPods, which are mostly silicone.

Winner: Sony WF-1000XM6

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Apple AirPods 3 Pro: Battery life

Both sets of earbuds feature a battery life of eight hours with ANC turned on, which is extended to 24 hours with the charging case. Both also feature wireless charging, so this section truly is a tie.

Winner: Tie

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Apple AirPods 3 Pro: Which should you buy?

It’s a close call, especially if your world revolves around that Apple ecosystem, but for me, the Sony WF-1000XM6 are a no-brainer. They excel in the most important areas: Sound quality and active noise cancellation.

I love hearing a lot of detail in my music, and the sound profile of the Sony buds is far more dynamic, whereas the Apple AirPods Pro 3 earbuds tend to fall flat more often than not.

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I’ve been lucky enough to spend the last two weeks testing the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds — the brand’s flagship earbuds — and they’ve earned a coveted spot in my earbuds rotation. They do everything I could possibly need. As an advocate for over-ear earphones, it takes a lot for a pair of earbuds to win me over, but the XM6s have done it with ease.

They have an improved design with 11% width reduction from the previous model for ultimate comfort (although the case design feels a little odd). The 8-hour battery life with ANC turned on also means I can use them all day long without worrying about running out of juice.

The ANC on these buds is also great, but the sound quality is what blew me away. They can accurately support any genre I listen to with effective codec support. But are they one of the best wireless earbuds releases of 2026? To find out more, keep reading this full Sony WF-1000XM6 review.

Sony WF-1000XM6 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? Sony’s flagship noise-canceling earbuds and successor to the WF-1000XM5s
• Who is it for? Any audiophiles who want great sound and effective noise cancellation all in one
• How much does it cost? The Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds are available for $329 in the U.S., £250 in the U.K. and AU$499 in Australia.
• What do we like? Strong ANC; well-balanced, crisp sound; great battery life; wide codec support; comfortable earbud design
• What don’t we like? Odd charging case design

Sony WF-1000XM6 review: Specs

Sony WF-1000XM6 review: Price & availability

The Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds are available to purchase from Sony for £250 in the U.K. Shipping in the U.S. is estimated to start between the 13th to the 16th of February, where the buds will cost you $329 from Sony U.S.. This is a pretty big price hike in the U.S., but we've seen many audio brands increase their pricing as a direct result of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. As for Australia, the XM6 buds are priced at AU$499. The buds are available in Black or Platinum Silver.

The price tag is on par with the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds, which are priced at $299 / £259, but the new model offers sound and design upgrades that will make any lovers of the previous model upgrade.

The features on the new WF-1000XM6 earbuds put them in direct competition with premium rivals like the Apple AirPods Pro 3 ($249), but in my opinion, the Sony earbuds offer far more user customization and far superior sound quality. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2 ($299) have what our audio editor Tammy considers to be the best ANC ever, but the Sony WF-1000XM6 have come to give them a run for their money.

Sony WF-1000XM6 review: Design & comfort

• Lightweight earbuds
• Comfortable ear tip fit
• Odd-shaped charging case

After using the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds, I was hoping for just one thing from the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds: a scaled-down design. I literally walked up to the counter to collect them while repeating “please be smaller, please be smaller” over and over in my head. And with an 11% reduction in earbud width, the Sony fairy has granted my wishes.

Each earbud weighs just 0.23 ounces (6.4 grams) and feels super lightweight, making them comfortable to wear for long periods. This is slightly heavier than the previous model, which weighs 0.21 ounces (5.9 grams) per bud, but the difference is hardly noticeable, and with all the extra gear under the hood, I’m impressed they kept the weight and size so small.

Thanks to the width reduction, I find them more comfortable to wear. We’ve moved away from the same shape design as the Sony WF-C710N ($119) earbuds, as the XM6 buds become more oblong. They still poke out a little from my ears, but no more so than the AirPods Pro 3. As someone who wears open-earbuds like the Soundcore Aeroclip ($129) that clip around the outside of my ear, I don’t mind my earbuds poking out a little.

The charging case measures 2.4 x 1.6 x 1 inches (61 x 41 x 26 mm), and I can slip it in the pocket of my jeans with ease. However, with the flat edges, the shape of the case is a little odd. It’s a bit tall, and the oblong shape makes it uncomfortable to hold, especially considering the ergonomic shape of the case of the XM5 earbuds. Crisp edges aside, the case is actually very lightweight, at just 1.66 ounces, so it didn’t feel heavy in my pocket.

I tested the Platinum Silver model, and although the name would have you believe they’re super shiny, they appear matte when in natural lighting. It’s only when put under bright light, such as the torch from my phone, that flecks of glitter appear. I like this effect, as the buds remain pretty understated, but I know there is an element of glitz when I use them. The Black version of the buds offers an even more subtle look, but I personally prefer the Silver color.

The earbuds have a durability rating of IPX4, meaning they are protected against water splashes from any direction, making them safe for getting caught out in the rain or dealing with sweat after a gym session. But if the buds do get a little wet, be sure to give them a wipe down before putting them back in the case, as the charging case isn’t water resistant.

This means that if you want to go on a run with the earbuds and the weather looks a little uncertain, you’ll need to leave the case at home. Thankfully, you can turn the buds off via the app when they’re not in the case, so the battery won’t drain.

Earbud fit

As I write this review, I have both the WF-1000XM5 and WF-1000XM6 earbuds in front of me, and one thing I’m glad stayed the same is the eartips. They’re unlike any eartips I’ve seen from the likes of Apple or Bose, as rather than being silicone, they’re actually spongey. This means they expand in the ear to create the perfect seal and the best noise-cancellation experience.

The earbuds come with four different ear tip sizes to get the best fit, and I ensured I had the right size by using the fit checker function in the Sound Connect app. The medium size was the best for my right ear, but was a little snug in my left. However, I solved this by simply molding the spongy material with my fingers.

There’s also a new ventilation structure for the XM6, which helps to minimize the effects of occlusion. This is essentially when you’re wearing earbuds or headphones, and you can hear the steps you take or your mouth moving, almost like an echo. I noticed that when running with the XM5s, I could hear my feet hit the ground, but this isn’t as bad while wearing the XM6s.

Sony WF-1000XM6 review: Connectivity

• Multipoint connectivity
• DSEE Extreme
• Prioritize quality of connection

The Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds connect to your device via Bluetooth 5.3 and have hi-res audio compatibility. The earbuds can support 32-bit processing for a richer sound with compatible devices and streaming services. They support streaming with SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3 audio codecs.

Much like the XM4 and the XM5 earbuds, the WF-1000XM6s have DSEE Extreme streaming. This is an AI-driven technology that essentially rebuilds the compressed AAC and SBC audio files to give them a hi-res streaming-like effect. This won’t give the same effect as streaming in LDAC, but it’s a great compromise for those with iPhones.

The XM6s also feature multipoint connectivity for pairing with two devices at once, which is one of my favorite features. The earbuds will intuitively switch between the devices I’m using, depending on which is active. I can also manage these in the Sound Connect app.

In the app, you have the option to Prioritize Sound Quality or Prioritize Stable Connection. These functions do what they say on the tin and will determine the streaming quality. I used the stable connection function when setting up the earbuds in the app, and then switched to sound quality for intent listening.

Sony WF-1000XM6 review: Controls & app

• Sound Connect app
• Customizable touch controls
• Personalized EQ test

Changes to the touch controls on the Sony WF-1000XM6 can be made in the Sound Connect app. You can set commands for the number of taps on both the left and right earbuds. The single tap on the left earbud is automatically set to toggle between Active Noise Cancelation and Ambient Sound. I chose to leave these as the settings on the left ear and use the right ear for pausing and skipping songs. These controls were simple to use and responsive.

The app also offers an opportunity for customization with EQ presets and custom EQ. There is an option to Find Your Equalizer too, which gave me the EQ best suited to my listening. To do this, I played my music, and the app gave me five different sound settings to choose from. From there, my choice expanded into five more similar settings, and from my choices, it created a personalized EQ for me. This is a great option as it meant I was getting the perfect sound for the type of music I listen to every time.

As someone who listens to music all day long when completing other tasks, a feature I appreciated in the app was the background music listening mode. With this, you can achieve the same effect as those YouTube videos from years ago that would play you music that sounded like you were in the next room at a party. You can choose from Cafe, Living room or My room, each getting increasingly louder — or less ambient, I suppose. This is perfect for having the passive, background effect that helps me work much better.

Sony WF-1000XM6 review: Sound quality

• Incredibly well balanced
• Complete clarity on all instruments
• Excellent bass performance

I crave perfect sound, and the audio profile of the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds is pretty much everything I look for. It’s incredibly balanced and separates individual instruments with complete ease.

Before testing out the XM6s, I had been using the XM5s for a couple of weeks, so I was immediately struck by how much more detail the XM6 earbuds supported. This was also the consensus when my colleagues listened. It was noted that even in bass-heavy tracks, the buds still put on an excellent show.

Firstly, I listened to Man I Need by Olivia Dean using the Find Your Equaliser EQ that the Sound Connect app created for me. This song has a funky, soulful drive, and the most prominent feature on this track for me is the drums. On the XM6s, these remained powerful without taking away from any other element of the song. The singer’s melodic vocals were also captured well, and her tone filled the space of the earbuds. The synth piano remained strong, and despite being a similar tone to the vocals, nothing was lost or disguised. I could hear every note of the song, and this really showcased the perfected mastering of the buds by the engineers.

I then moved on to BIRDS by Turnstile. I used the Hard EQ preset for this song, which enhances the bass and treble. The song begins with a synthwave and some percussion, which sounds totally cinematic and reminds me of Blade Runner with complete clarity. The drums were bright throughout the song, and the raspy vocals were well-balanced to complement the rest of the song. Again, this song was incredibly balanced.

I finally listened to Chains of Love by Charli XCX using the Heavy EQ preset to enhance the bass. Much like the rest of Charli XCX’s discography, it has the signature bass, but is mostly cinematic and orchestral. There wasn’t any distortion, which I experience when I listen to this song with my Beats Studio3 ($349) headphones. The vocals were incredibly clear, and I could hear every enunciation point with complete clarity.

Sony WF-1000XM6 review: ANC

• Strong ANC
• Personalized ambient sound
• 8 ANC microphones

When I attended the keynote event for the Sony WF-1000XM6, Mike Sommerset, the Product Marketing Manager for Sony Europe, said that these are the “best noise-canceling earbuds available.” And while I always take these statements with a grain of salt, I can’t help but find some truth in the statement.

I’ve used both the XM5 and XM6 earbuds on flights and was impressed by both, but the XM6 takes the cake. When using the XM5s, I could still hear a slight whirring from the jet engines, but with the XM6s, I was in total silence. From take-off to landing, I was in my own little bubble, and didn’t realize I was back in London until the wheels hit the tarmac. They also kept me in silence when making my way through London Paddington train station, which is notoriously busy.

The new model of the earbuds has a total of eight microphones, two more than the previous model. They feed into the new QN3e processor, which is approximately three times faster than the QN2e chip in the XM5s, according to Sony.

You’re able to adjust the volume of the ambient sound being filtered into the earbuds on a scale from zero to 20, where 20 lets in all of the ambient sound around you, and zero is complete noise cancellation. I’ve found this feature especially useful when working out when I want to let in the ambient sound around me to remain aware of my surroundings. This gives me a safety boost and makes me feel more comfortable when out running.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 earbuds also provide great noise cancellation. But when I have ANC switched on with the AirPods, I notice the faint hum of the frequency that is canceling out the ambient sound. For me, this ruins the experience a little. But this isn’t an issue with the XM6s, where I can simply enjoy the quiet.

However, it seems like the performance of the ANC is a personal experience that may have a lot to do with the fit of the earbuds. When the entire reviews team got our hands on the buds, Nikita and I were impressed by the ANC and couldn’t even hear ourselves typing on our keyboards. But Pete and Erin could still hear some talking and traffic on the street. Perhaps they simply have better hearing than we do, but it’s worth noting that it could differ from user to user.

Sony WF-1000XM6 review: Battery life

• 8 hours with ANC
• 24 hours with the charging case
• Wireless and fast charging

The Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds have fast charging, meaning in just five minutes you can get one hour of listening time.

The XM6 buds give eight hours of playtime with ANC on, and this extends to 24 hours with the charging case. This is the same as the XM5 buds, which may seem like a letdown, but I’m here to tell you it’s not. Because with the addition of two noise cancellation processing microphones and the QN3e chip that requires a ton more power to create the perfect noise-canceling experience, it’s a total win that we managed to keep those 8 hours. With ANC off, the battery life increases to 12 hours.

It took me a week of using the buds before they ran out of juice, and this included a day with nine hours of travelling and then workouts lasting one to two hours each day. When they did eventually run out of juice, I popped them on charge for five minutes and had enough battery life for my hour-long walk.

Other earbuds with a similar battery life include the Apple AirPods Pro 3, which also have eight hours, and the original Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds ($179), which have nine hours.

Sony WF-1000XM6 review: Verdict

For the WF-1000XM6s earbuds, Sony has taken on board all of the criticism of the XM5s and made significant improvements, especially in design and noise cancellation. Despite my not loving the new, slightly chunkier charging case design, there’s not much else to fault these earbuds on.

They have great battery life that’s on par with other big names in the ANC earbud game, good codec support, and a comfortable earbud design. The sound quality is what wins me over. The well-balanced sound profile offers complete clarity and an excellent bass performance, which can be refined with the personalized EQ settings in the Sound Connect app.

The ANC has also been a pleasure to use on these buds. I can’t believe I was on a flight, train and bus and didn’t hear anything. They are the perfect solution for anyone who craves complete silence or more customization with ambient sound settings. It’s definitely worth upgrading to these new buds.

Sony has announced the newest addition to the 1000X series: the WF-1000XM6. It’s the much-anticipated upgrade to the Sony WF-1000XM5 — themselves some of the best wireless earbuds around — and Sony has seemingly fixed all of the issues I had with the 2023 model.

While a couple of the features have stayed the same, such as the IPX4 durability rating and the 24-hour total battery life (more on that later), major upgrades make these new earbuds an ideal option for commuters, office workers, fitness fanatics, and audiophiles. Yeah, that’s right — these earbuds are for everyone.

During his keynote speech at Daft Studios in Belgium, Product Marketing Manager of Sony Europe, Mike Somerset, confidently described the earbuds as “the best noise-cancelling earbuds available” — and in my opinion, he’s not wrong.

I've spent the last couple of weeks testing the earbuds for my Sony WF-1000XM6 review, so here's everything you need to know.

Price & availability

The Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds are available to purchase directly from the Sony website for £250 in the U.K, The same price as the previous WF-1000XM5 model of the buds.

Shipping in the U.S. is estimated to start between the 13th to the 16th of February, where the buds will cost you $329 from Sony U.S.. As you'll notice, this is a pretty hefty price hike in the U.S.. But it doesn't come as much of a shock since we've seen many audio brands increase their pricing as a direct result of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

As for Australia, the XM6 buds are priced at AU$499. The buds are available in Black or Platinum Silver in all territories.

Active noise cancelation upgrades

The new earbuds have a total of eight microphones — four on each bud — for noise cancellation processing. That’s two more than the previous model.

These mics feed into the HD noise-canceling QN3e processor, which is approximately three times faster than the QN2e processor from the previous model. There is also an adaptive noise cancelation optimizer, which will adapt to your wearing conditions and give you the best ANC response.

Ambient sound options have also been improved, so staying aware of your surroundings has never been easier. This can also be toggled in the Sony Connect app from total noise cancelation to ambient aware mode with a slider to get the perfect adjustment for the user. As someone who uses open-earbuds regularly for working out but also appreciates the focus bubble ANC can bring, this is a super exciting advancement.

Improved ergonomic design

An issue I had with the WF-1000XM5 earbuds was that they were too big and heavy for my ears. And while I still loved wearing them, they became uncomfortable after around an hour. But my prayers have been answered with the WF-1000XM6, which are much smaller. In fact, there has been a 11% reduction in width from the previous model.

They are also a lot more comfortable, which I can attest to after testing them out on the 7-hour journey back from Belgium. The app helped me perform wearing checks to make sure I had the correct ear tip size for the buds, giving the most comfortable fit possible.

There’s a new ventilation structure to reduce occlusion, which is the sound you hear in your earbuds when chewing food or taking footsteps, making for a more comfortable wearing experience.

Strong battery life

The new earbuds come with a fast charge that gives a whole hour of battery life from just five minutes of charging.

As I mentioned earlier, the battery life of the buds is eight hours and 24 hours with the charging case, which is the same as the previous model. It may seem like there’s been no improvement here, but with all the extra battery needed to power the QN3e chip to process the eight noise cancellation microphones, having the same battery life rating is pretty cool.

The art of mastering

Sony worked with award-winning mastering engineers, including five time grammy award winner Michael Romanowski. This process is what gives the earbuds the sound stage to make the artists you listen to sound the most like themselves.

But the sound quality upgrades don’t stop there, because there are also streaming enhancements. The earbuds support Hi-Res streaming, but if you’re an iPhone user, you can’t reap these benefits when streaming over Bluetooth, as the highest codec Apple devices stream in is AAC (unless you’re using ALAC, which is Apple’s own lossless streaming codec).

However, Sony has introduced DSEE to enhance compressed AAC and SBC files to sound closer to Hi-Res. This essentially rebuilds the compressed file, which is another pretty cool addition from Sony, and something I appreciate as an iPhone user.

Don't forget to check out my full Sony WF-1000XM6 review.

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