Nina Raemont/ZDNET
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Money is tight these days, and it can be hard to justify most big purchases. While most of the products I review for my job impress me enough to recommend them to a small group of interested buyers, few are worth a universal recommendation, especially at a high price.
Sony's latest headphones fall into the latter category. At $448, the WH-1000XM6 headphones' price is nothing to sneeze at. Still, they are the best headphones I have ever worn, and I'd recommend them to anyone willing to spend money for the absolute best headphones around. During October Prime Day, you can get the headphones for $20 off at Sony or Amazon.
Also: The best October Prime Day deals live now
Whether wearing them to focus at work or on my commutes to and from the office, I uncover the intricacies of my music that I couldn't unlock with other headphones. The XM6 delivers sound with such precision that my favorite songs feel new when I listen to them with these headphones on. The processor and optimizer allow the headphones to minutely register intricate details of my music in a surprising and delightful way.
I've worn the headphones on several flights to familiarize myself with their noise-canceling strength. One of the many upgrades Sony has instituted in the XM6 is more powerful noise cancellation, thanks to a new noise-canceling processor that is seven times faster than the XM5 and an adaptive microphone system.
Also: Why I travel with these Sony headphones
This proved to be true on one recent flight. I had no idea we were making an emergency landing because the noise cancellation on the headphones was so strong.
The battery life of the headphones is strong. I use the headphones regularly and charge them around once a week. They've got around 30 hours of battery life, which should last an office worker or student at least three days -- if not more -- of continuous eight-hour use.
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