Sony noise cancelling: which generation to buy

Sony's noise-cancelling headphones come in two lines: WH-1000X is over-ear, and WF-1000X is true wireless earbuds. The "M" number at the end of the model name is the generation.

The newest over-ear model is the WH-1000XM6 from May 2025, and the newest earbuds are the WF-1000XM6 from February 2026. After a new model comes out, the previous one usually stays on sale for a while and slowly gets cheaper, so if you're not too fussy about noise cancelling, buying the last generation saves you a fair bit.

Over-ear has better isolation and battery life and is really comfortable on the Shinkansen or a plane, but your ears get stuffy in summer. Earbuds are small enough to stick in your pocket and go, which makes them handier for squeezing onto packed commuter trains.

When you order, check the seller. Anything sold by Amazon.co.jp (Amazon.co.jpが販売) or Sony's official store is the official Japanese model, and if it breaks, Sony Japan's warranty covers it. Parallel imports (並行輸入品) are a bit cheaper, but the warranty may not be honored.

Prices don't change much day to day, so if you want to wait for a low price, watch for Prime Day in July, Prime Big Deal Days (プライム感謝祭) in October, and Black Friday at the end of November.