It's easy to remember why the Sony WH-1000XM5 have been our favorite headphones here at Tom's Guide for a long time. They're a great jack of all trades. They sound good, have very good noise canceling and undercut the Bose competition in price and beat them in features.
But things have changed in 2025. At the beginning of the year, as rumors of the WH-1000XM6 swirled, one might have thought that Sony's next pair of headphones would have taken the top spot again. But after a slightly underwhelming 4-star launch, there's a new pair of the best headphones in town.
Taking the top spot now are Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3. They cost the same as the brand-new Sony headphones, but beat them in sound quality, comfort and build. Here's why they're our new pick for the headphones that you should buy in 2025.
Look like they cost a lot
The WH-1000XM series of headphones don't look bad, per se. They've got a unique style all their own, embracing a more minimal design. It's enough to make them one of the most popular families of headphones ever made — but I think it's boring.
Take the latest WH-1000XM6, for example. They have a couple of updates from the previous version, like some accent colors, but they still look like the same pair of headphones. To the uninitiated, it would be tricky to tell them apart. I might even go so far as to say they look like an iterative update as opposed to the latest model in a long line of headphones — and that is a big shame.
Bowers & Wilkins, on the other hand, went for something slightly different. There's enough of the old PX7 S2e here to know that they're in the same family of headphones, but things have changed enough to make it obvious they're a new pair of cans.
They're much slimmer this time around, and the armatures that join the earcups to the headband are quite different. It's the right kind of visual update, one that retains identity while bringing something new to the table — and, perhaps more importantly, improving things in the long run.
They're a more handsome pair of headphones than the Sony options in my mind as well. I love the different textures on offer, and the material choices make them feel super premium.
When you're spending $449 on headphones, you want to feel like you're getting your money's worth. The light and plasticky WH-1000XM6 and XM5 feel a bit flimsy, while the PX7 S3 brings excellent build to their price point.
A question of comfort
The WH-1000XM6 or the XM5 could never be called uncomfortable headphones, but there are some areas that Sony needs to work on to make them as comfy as the Bose — and now the B&W — alternatives.
The headband is improved over the XM5 on the latest version, which is welcome. After all, many users found that the slim, hard headband of the XM5 quickly became uncomfortable after long periods of time. I should know, given that I'm one of them.
The earpads of both headphones have a habit of getting horrible and sweaty, and they heat up your ears more than other headphone options. While the padding is ample and soft, the entire experience is still marred by some annoying comfort weirdness.
The Bowers & Wilkins headphones, on the other hand, are far more comfortable. They feature some deep, well-padded earpads that breathe enough that they don't become too hot when you wear them for extended periods. I've been able to enjoy hours upon hours of music with my pair.
The headband is much better as well. It's much wider, spreading the weight of the headphones out over your head. The padding is thicker and slightly stiffer as well, so you'll never feel the hard band that gives everything its structure.
As a result, they're not just more comfortable than the Sony headphones; they're some of the most comfortable headphones, period.
Thinking about sound
Sony has become known for a relatively warm, welcoming sound, although things shifted slightly in the XM6. They still retain that warmth, but there's been some attention paid to vocal clarity. That means you'll be able to hear more of your favorite vocals when listening to your music, and they're going to sound much clearer than the old model.
But you could still never consider the XM6, or by extension, the XM5, any kind of "hi-fidelity" listening. They sound good, but not great. To most people, they're going to pump out Spotify streams of Olivia Rodrigo without any problem at all, and they're not going to mind about some missing detail in the highs or the slightly overpowering bass response.
Despite the extensive codec support, there's just not enough internal hardware to make use of any of the top-quality streams available in the best music streaming services.
Bowers & Wilkins has a great legacy in making excellent-sounding audio gear, and the PX7 are no different. They show a great deal more sonic sophistication than the Sony headphones, packing in some of the best sound you'll find for the price.
Despite a warmer sound profile, there's more control in the low end that makes sure the bass is more musical and less overpowering. The mids are rounder and more well-defined than with either the XM6 or the XM5, and the highs are more detailed. It's a sound profile that would match something far more expensive, and it more than makes them a better buy than the Sony headphones.
Does Sony regain any ground?
There aren't many spaces where Sony still beats out the B&W headphones, but there is one key area: noise canceling. The PX7 S3 have vastly improved ANC over their older cousins, blocking out more noise in busier environments, but they just don't quite reach the same heady heights as the XM5 or XM6.
Interestingly, we didn't find too much improvement in the XM6 over the last version, but then, when the ANC is that good, it didn't really matter. They block out loads of noise, only losing out to the all-conquering Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones.
But the places that Sony still wins out just about stop there. Features-wise, there's only the locational ANC and a slightly more in-depth EQ that keep them in contention.
Even though the XM6 have a fancy new hard case with a magnetic clasp, it still doesn't feel as good as the now slimmer B&W case. The battery life is similar across both sets of headphones, too, with 30 hours on tap for both pairs.
The controls of the PX7 S3 are physical, and as a result, more user-friendly and accurate than the Sony headphones. The Sony WH-1000XM6 and the XM5 are both great pairs of headphones — but the latter has been dethroned, and the successor isn't related to them.
The king is dead, long live the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3.
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