I've tested Sony headphones for years, and these tweaks get me the best audio - always

Tech Home Tech Wearables Headphones I've tested Sony headphones for years, and these tweaks get me the best audio - always Sony's headphones and earbuds are full of software features, but finding the tips that work for you can be daunting. These reminders can help. jada-jones

Written by Jada Jones, EditorEditor April 25, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. PT

Sony WH-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM6 in Black — Jada Jones/ZDNET

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Sony's headphones are among the best on the market, delivering exceptional sound, noise cancellation, and software features before entering the high-end headphone segment. What I appreciate most about Sony is that its products offer considerable customization, allowing you ample opportunities to tweak the headphones to your liking down to a granular level.

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

However, if you don't know what you're looking for, Sony's feature list can feel like a foreign language. Here are the tips and tricks I've found over the years that make the $400+ even more worth it.

Turn your headphones on before wiring

If you want to listen to your WH-1000XM6 via a wired connection, ensure your headphones are powered on before playing any music. This may sound like a no-brainer, but it's so obvious that it's easy to forget. Leaving the headphones off means their digital signal processing is inactive, which enhances sound quality, fullness, and vibrancy.

You can listen to the XM6 via wire with the headphones off, but you'll get a tinny, distant, blurred sound profile. I only recommend listening over wired -- and with your headphones powered off -- if they're low on or out of battery.

Prioritize other Bluetooth codecs (Android only)

Sony WH-1000XM6 in Black — Jada Jones/ZDNET

Both iPhones and Android phones support the AAC Bluetooth codec, but Apple has optimized it for its phones, while Android's implementation and encoding are more fragmented and unreliable. All phones also support Bluetooth's default SBC codec on Classic Bluetooth radio, but it's associated with high latency, poor audio quality, and weak connection.

The silver lining is that Android users have more flexibility to toggle between Bluetooth codecs, as most Android phones support Sony's proprietary LDAC codec and/or Bluetooth's improved LC3 codec, which operates on Low Energy (LE) radio.

Also: How I share audio from my Android phone to multiple earbuds (and why it's a big deal)

For the best wireless audio while wearing your Sony headphones, enable the LDAC codec. To perform at its best, this codec requires a stable connection and a lot of power, so only enable it when you're not in a busy environment where others are straining the wireless network. In your Android settings, you can adjust bitrates or enable the "Prioritize Sound Quality" feature in Sony Sound Connect to ensure the highest quality.

If you want a less power-intensive codec, opt for the LC3 codec or LE Audio. The Sony Sound Connect app has an "LE Audio Priority" feature that you can enable to always connect your headphones to compatible devices over LC3.

The LC3 codec usually provides higher bitrates on Android phones, resulting in lower latency, improved audio quality, and more stable connections. This codec is less power-consuming than SBC, AAC, and LDAC, which should preserve the battery of your headphones and source device for longer.

Invest in comfort and fit

I don't like Sony's foam eartips, and I realize that may be a "me" thing. Their soft material gets wax wedged in the creases, and I can't help but feel like any sweat or earwax gets absorbed into the tips. Sony advertises its flagship WF-1000X earbuds as water and sweat-resistant, but suggests against using water, alcohol, or wet wipes to clean the tips, and says even wiping them with paper may damage them. To me, it feels unhygienic.

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

To combat this issue, I suggest these silicone tips to replace the foam ones once their structural or hygienic integrity is compromised. Apple's AirPods Pro lineup opts for silicone over foam, which is one small reason I prefer them to Sony's. With silicone, you can still get a strong seal for audio and noise-cancellation performance while having some peace of mind about its cleanliness.

Adjust ambient noise levels

Though Sony's flagship headphones and earbuds are equipped with an Adaptive Noise-Canceling Optimizer, you have the option to manually adjust how much ambient noise you allow in. When placing your headphones or earbuds in Ambient Mode, you can use the slider to engage more noise cancellation.

I find this feature most useful in "predictable dynamic" environments, such as a university library, busy coffee shop, or shared office space. You can hear what you want without blocking everything out or letting everything in.