Here at MajorHiFi, we have been long awaiting the arrival of the Sony WH-1000xM2. The first time around, the original WH-1000x blew us away with its noise cancelling technology, impressive functionality features, and great sound quality. Since its release, other brands have been stepping up their game too, creating highly functional, aesthetically pleasing noise cancelling, Bluetooth headphones. So where does the new Sony WH-1000xM2 stand in the new sea of competition? Today, I’ll aim to find out with this Sony WH-1000xM2 wireless noise cancelling headphones review.

Sony WH-1000xM2 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones Review

In the Box

-Sony WH-1000xM2 wireless noise cancelling headphones

-Semi-hard shell carrying case

-Airplane adapter

-Audio cable

-USB charging cable

Features

Just like the original Sony WH-1000x, the second version is full of features. My favorite of them all is called Quick Attention. Simply by raising your hand to the right earcup, the noise cancellation modes switches to ambient noise. This feature works flawlessly and proves to be useful, which is probably why it has gone untouched since the original version of the headphone.

In fact, many of the features were brought over from the original WH-1000x: the connection to the Sony Connect App, Ambient Sound Control, ear cup Touch Control. One difference between the two headphones is the Smart Listening by Adaptive Sound Control feature. In an ideal world, this function is supposed to change the noise cancelling mode when it detects your movement. For example, when you’re walking, the headphones are suppose to decrease the noise cancelling amount so you can be aware of your surroundings. In reality, however, this function is inconsistent and overall, not sensitive enough. It took about 20 seconds to notice I was walking the first time I tried it. After that, it was unresponsive altogether and relied on me turning the function on and off again.

Additionally, the Sony WH-1000xM2 supports higher resolution Bluetooth codecs like aptX, aptX HD.  Audiophiles rejoice! Lastly, the battery has a significantly longer life than the original version. Sony claims it will last 30 hours with noise cancelling on or 38 hours with noise cancelling off, all with continuous playback. I haven’t checked this battery life myself, but due to the long life of the original, I trust Sony’s word.

Lastly, one new feature is the Atmospheric Pressure Optimizing function found in the Sony Connect App. I didn’t notice much difference between before and after employing the feature, but I imagine it would make more of a difference while flying.

Design

The design and look of the Sony WH-1000xM2 isn’t much different than the original, although the earpads seem to be a little bulked up. The headphones are extremely comfortable, but don’t fit as well for folks with smaller heads. I’m continually impressed with the level of sound isolation given that the headphones don’t squeeze the head at all.

Sound

The Sony WH-1000xM2 has good sound quality in line with Sony’s sound signature in general. It has a very thick low end which flatters certain genres over others. Hip-hop, pop, and EDM sound great. However, genres that rely more on mid-range definition like orchestral, jazz, bluegrass, etc don’t sound as natural. And while this fact may turn off some folks, the sound quality overall beats most other headphones with this level of noise cancelling. While the noise cancelling contributes to making the sound feels slightly more compressed, I’m impressed overall with the amount of space left intact.

Overview

The Sony WH-1000xM2 wireless noise cancelling headphones have strong noise cancellation with good sound quality. And while not all of their features work perfectly, the ones that matter the most work superbly well. The sound quality favors the low frequencies, making these headphones ideal for folks who especially like hip-hop, pop, and EDM.

The Sony WH-1000xM2 is available for the best price here:

Sony WH-1000xM2 at Audio 46

Sony WH-1000xM2 on Amazon

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Specifications