The headphones are decent, sturdy and well-made; the materials are better than they used to be. The synthetic leather seems as though it might be able to withstand a fair bit (and I certainly don’t worry that I’ll tear it just by wearing it, as I did with the XM5). The battery life is shorter, but given their weight, I’d rather have slightly shorter battery life than add to the weight. Despite the weight, we’re doing fine. The case is quite nice. The strength of the metal is reassuring; the material feels pleasant to the touch, though not smooth. Visually, I’d say it’s a cut above the XM6 – the design and the sharp lines of those models always caught my eye.
What’s really bad is the wear sensor, which is the same as on the XM5 (and I suppose the XM6 too) – it’s basically useless, unreliable, and probably only works in winter, and even then, it’s hit or miss. Sony can’t do that anymore.
The ANC is decent, although perhaps not quite as good as the xm6. But it seems to me that, partly thanks to its better sound damping, it’s better than the XM5 in its own right.
The sound is simply Sony. It’s not bad, but it’s not accurate. Sony is simply a consumer-focused company, and even though these are probably the best-sounding Sony products, well… it’s still Sony. They aren’t designed for audiophiles who prioritise accuracy; in fact, they’re better than the Momentum 4 when it comes to the metre. As for the downsides, I’ll skip over format support – anyone who wants aptX and its lossless variants probably isn’t looking at Sony in the first place. However, it’s a good choice for Samsung devices that support LDAC. Samsung doesn’t have any headphones, and unfortunately, when it comes to lossless audio, LDAC is the only option.
And one final note – the price certainly doesn’t do justice to the sound. It’s a matter of design and luxury within the Sony range (and at that point, it’s simply a question of whether you’re willing to pay for it, or whether you’d prefer a more attractively priced option with better sound quality – especially if you can take advantage of aptX HD and lossless support). Just a little something special next to the XM6. I chose them as a replacement for the XM5, rather than the XM6, which I simply don’t like.
The lack of USB-C support is a bit of a shame, but it’s just for charging. At least they can play whilst charging and don’t switch off.