Sony makes the best noise-canceling headphones, the WH-1000XM6, and starting this year it will also make the headsets that NFL coaches wear along the sidelines and in booths above the field. And I got to try them on for the second time.
The new headset was first announced at CES in Las Vegas this January, in the midst of the NFL playoffs, at a Sony press conference that saw NFL commissioner Roger Goodell take the stage. Afterward I interviewed Sony and NFL executives about the then-prototype, and was the first member of the press to try on the headset.
I'm no NFL coach, unfortunately, so I can't say how much better Sony's new headsets is compared to the previous model. But after trying on the final version again at NFL headquarters in New York a couple weeks ago, I can confirm that they're built like an offensive lineman.
Watch this: We Try the Sony x NFL Headsets Coming to the 2025 Season 01:23
"This product has been designed with coaches by gathering their feedback," said Rama Ravindranathan, VP of football technology for the NFL, in an interview with CNET. "It's a custom-built design to isolate any of the background noise and ensure the coach's voice gets reflected in any kind of environmental conditions."
Calling an audible against noise
The previous coach's headset didn't offer active noise canceling technology, but Sony's new headset does. It's always on, and tuned to the specific audio conditions unique to NFL stadiums and tested up to 100 decibels. For reference, a jet engine produces between 110 and 140 decibels. There's a large mic attached to the headset, and swinging it up automatically mutes the mic input.
Sony spent more than a year developing the new cans, focusing on durability to resist breakage when coaches inevitably throw them to the turf in frustration (or joy). "We truly believe that these headsets will outlast the usage," said Tracie Rodburg, SVP of global partnerships at the NFL.
As part of the development process, Sony engineers worked with NFL coaches to gather feedback. NFL/Sony
Other challenges take the form of rain, sweat, hot and cold. "A normal consumer won't stand outside in January in Buffalo for three hours, right?" said Shunsuke Nakahashi, a product manager for audio at Sony. "So how to build noise canceling is slightly different." He explained that testing occasionally involved engineers standing inside a "freezer-ish facility" and that "some may take a shower" to simulate game conditions.
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