I overlooked this Sony headphone feature for years - Apple and Bose have nothing like it

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Close Home Tech Wearables Headphones I overlooked this Sony headphone feature for years - Apple and Bose have nothing like it I like headphones that understand exactly what I want them to do - that's why I consider Adaptive Sound Control to be one of Sony's best personal audio features. Written by Jada Jones, EditorEditor May 12, 2026 at 8:31 a.m. PT

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ZDNET's key takeaways

• Adaptive Sound Control is one of Sony's best personal audio features.
• You can create listening profiles based on activity and location.
• The more you work with this feature, the more it works for you.

Your everyday headphones and earbuds are more than vessels for playing music; they are your workout buddy, your Do Not Disturb sign at the office, and your travel companion. Intelligent features, such as heart rate monitoring, AI-powered noise cancellation, and live translation, are in high demand as consumers expect more from their personal audio devices.

However, these features can become useless to consumers if there's too much friction in accessing them. Apple's friction increases once you leave its ecosystem, and Bose's friction increases when your environment becomes too dynamic for its headphones' capabilities. 

Also: I've tested dozens of Sony headphones - these 4 tweaks get me the best sound quality

For me, headphones that understand exactly what I want them to do and when is a valuable feature. This kind of ingenuity is what sets Sony apart, and why its Adaptive Sound Control might be the best feature you're overlooking.

Less thinking, more listening

I typically encounter friction with my headphones when transitioning between dynamic environments, say, a busy Atlanta street to a quiet coffee shop; I end up fumbling with them to hear my surroundings or talk to the barista.

Sony's Adaptive Sound Control adjusts your headphones' audio modes based on your behavior, such as sitting, walking, or running, and your location, such as at the office or the gym. I keep this feature on when wearing my WH-1000XM6 headphones. As a result, the headphones will automatically deploy noise cancellation when they detect that I'm sitting, and engage transparency mode when they detect that I'm walking.

With this feature on, I don't have to pull out my phone or fiddle with buttons on my headphones to change audio settings. In comparison, when wearing my AirPods, I either have to press and hold the stem to cycle through audio modes or open my iPhone's Command Center to directly toggle the correct audio mode.

Also: Sony WH-1000XM6 vs. Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2: How I'd justify spending $300 more for headphones

Aside from toggling ANC and transparency based on your movement or location, you can also set specific ambient sound levels, EQ settings, and Speak-to-Chat. These settings are tailored to a specific listening zone so that you can combine strong ANC, a bass-heavy EQ, and no Speak-to-Chat at the gym, or weaker ANC, a balanced EQ, and Speak-to-Chat at the office. 

These features are linked to your Sony account, so your location and activity-based settings apply to all of the compatible headphones and earbuds you've registered in the Sony Sound Connect app.

Compared to Apple and Bose, Sony responds to user behavior rather than physical inputs from buttons on the headphones or from your smartphone. Like all of Sony's best features, Adaptive Sound Control takes some time to set up with your preferred modes and locations. 

However, once everything is set, the headphones make these decisions fade into the background. Not having to toggle these audio modes yourself is something that you don't realize you were missing until you have it. 

Also: I listened to Sony, Bose, and Apple's flagship headphones - and this pair's ahead of the pack

Here, Sony shows that headphones and earbuds should stretch beyond what's described on the spec sheet. Headphones and earbuds are daily companions, and they should have features that easily integrate into your routine without demanding too much of your attention. Though Sony's Adaptive Sound Control has been around for years, it's ahead of its time; hopefully, competitors will follow suit.

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