Connect with us

Tech

The 7 best Sony headphones, tested for noise cancellation, sound, and cool factor

Published

on

Sony is the current king of headphones and earbuds. Look no further than the new flagship WH-1000XM6 headphones and WF-1000XM5 earbuds. These are two category leaders and global top sellers praised for their marvelous active noise cancellation, sound quality, and special features. However, the legacy audio brand also sells terrific entry-level and mid-range products that deliver near-flagship performance at accessible price points.

Whether you’re looking for an AirPods alternative, budget cans under $50, or a wireless headphones with a wider sound range than the best Bose headphones, Sony has you covered on all fronts. I spent the past several months testing and re-testing all of Sony's most popular headphones and earbuds (and the better part of a decade reviewing headphones) to help you find the right pair.

Now, let’s check out the best Sony headphones of 2025.

How to choose the best Sony headphones

Sony headphones and earbuds juggle several priorities, including ANC, battery life, hi-res sound, and multipoint pairing. However, you may need to compromise on some of these features if you're not willing to spend $300 or more, the minimum price for flagship headphones in 2025.

If you want audio you can tailor to your liking, look for headphones carrying Sony’s adaptive sound features: 360 Reality Audio, DSEE, and Find My Equalizer. Travelers and road warriors need a model with ANC powerful enough to eliminate sounds across the entire frequency spectrum, not just airplane engines. Those who live active lifestyles or exercise regularly can find buds with a transparency mode that keeps them aware of their surroundings. Lengthy playtimes and wireless perks (e.g., Bluetooth multipoint, mobile app) have their benefits as well. And while Sony doesn't specialize in sports earbuds like Beats (and increasingly Apple as well), the Sony LinkBuds Fit let you stay in the Sony ecosystem while you work out.

As in all shopping decisions, it all comes down to preference and budget.

Recent changes to this guide

the sony xm5 and xm6 headphones on a couch

The Sony XM5 and XM6 headphones.
Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

  • Sony WH-CH520 on-ear headphones: We added these headphones in September 2025 after re-reviewing them and having a positive experience. We've named them our new "Budget pick."

  • Sony WH-CH720N noise-cancelling headphones: Previously our "Budget pick," we named them the "Best Sony headphones under $100" in our most recent update.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tech

Hurdle hints and answers for September 28, 2025

Published

on

By

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

Hurdle Word 1 hint

Brief.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

SHORT

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Prompt.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

SWIFT

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To scrub.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

SCOUR

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Deprived.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

NEEDY

Final Hurdle hint

Waste.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

TRASH

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Continue Reading

Tech

Enjoy the power of ChatGPT, Gemini, and more AI models in one place with this tool on sale

Published

on

By

TL;DR: Make your life even easier with this handy platform that puts multiple AI models in one place, 1min.AI, now $99.99 (reg. $540) for a lifetime subscription.



1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription

Credit: 1min.AI

New to the world of AI? If you’re just discovering the way this new technology can make your life a little easier, get ready to save even more time with 1min.AI.

This platform lets you access multiple AI models in one convenient spot — from ChatGPT to Gemini and Mistral. And right now, you can score a lifetime subscription to 1min.AI’s Advanced Business Plan for just $99.99 (reg. $540).

If you’ve been intimidated to start working with artificial intelligence, 1min.AI makes it totally accessible and a lot more convenient as a central hub for the popular models. This handy tool lets you input your request in one place and enjoy the fruits of multiple AI models’ labor, with no tab-hopping required.

Need to create AI-generated images? Looking to whip up some content for social media? Since all the AI models have different strengths, 1min.AI takes the guesswork out of which service to use. Take advantage of all the perks that ChatGPT, Gemini, Midjourney, Mistral, and more models have to offer, without having to pay multiple subscription costs. Just make sure to check 1min.AI’s output and make sure no light editing is required.

This lifetime subscription to 1min.AI’s Advanced Business Plan provides an unlimited prompt library, unlimited storage, and unlimited brand voice options.

You’ll also receive 4,000,000 credits monthly, which is enough to write 1,112,500 words per month, research up to 5,933 SEO keywords per month, generate up to 1,186 images per month, and create up to 37 videos per month. If you need more credits, you can earn free ones by using the web app, referring a friend, or leaving a review.

Secure a lifetime subscription to 1min.AI’s Advanced Business Plan for just $99.99 (reg. $540).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Continue Reading

Tech

The best (and most discreet) sexting apps for confidential chats

Published

on

By

illustration of a woman in her underwear scrolling through a life-size phone.

The best sexting apps open up a whole new frontier for your sex life. You may think of sex as more of an IRL activity, and rightfully so, but sexting is an exciting new form of digital foreplay. It lets you build anticipation to a fever pitch. It's also a fun way to explore your kinks, role-play, and connect with your partner on a deeper level, especially when you’re not physically together.

Sexting (aka talking dirty, swapping nudes, leaving steamy audio notes, etc.) is a portmanteau of "sex" and "text," and it requires a little more thought than opening up a new text message on your phone. You've also got your and your partner's privacy to consider. Likewise, you can't just open a random dating app, slide into someone's DMs, and start a spicy conversation. You might be able to do that on sites like AdultFriendFinder or Grindr, but it could actually be a huge red flag elsewhere.

So, how do you find a sexting partner, and what are the best apps for sexting in 2025?

We tested dozens of platforms, consulted security experts, and spent a lot of time reading terms of service and privacy policies to answer that exact question.

How we picked the best sexting apps

Privacy and security should always be your highest priority. That's why we always put user safety at the top of our list when trying out new sexting apps. (Speaking of privacy, establishing consent before sexting is a must.)

"If an app is being used to share intimate content, privacy features cannot be optional — they’re essential," says Gary Orenstein, Chief Customer Officer at Bitwarden (an open-source password manager). What tops his list? "First and foremost, end-to-end encryption is critical," so only you and your partner see the messages, not even the app company itself.

Orenstein also recommends looking for apps with "built-in controls, such as disappearing messages and self-destructing media [which] help minimize long-term exposure of shared materials" and features like "screenshot detection or alerts [that] can discourage unauthorized saving," though these aren't always foolproof.

Whether you’re in a committed relationship, single and swiping on hookup apps, looking for a regular sexting buddy, or amping up a solo sesh with steamy instructions from an AI companion, we recommend downloading an app for safe sexting. After all, if you believe in safe sex, you should practice safe sexting, too.

Based on hands-on testing, expert opinions, and user reviews, we picked the best sexting apps for you to try in 2025.

Recent updates to this guide:

We regularly test new apps and dating platforms. For our most recent update to this guide on Sept. 27, 2025, we made the following changes:

  • Lovesense Remote: We added Lovesense Remote as the app that's "Best for Group Sexting." Lovesense Remote is also a fun way for couples (and polyamorous folks) to incorporate sexting and Bluetooth sex toys to their love life.

  • FetLife: We named FetLife "Best for Niche Kinks & Fetishes." This social networking platform is popular in the kinkster community and can be a good way to connect with sexy new friends.

  • Confide: We've once again named this the best overall sexting app, replacing Signal as the top pick. We still recommend Signal as the best free secure messaging app. On balance, we think Confide's security and privacy tools give it the edge.

Continue Reading

Trending