Sony’s almighty noise-canceling WH-1000XM5 headphones plummet close to their lowest price ever — this could be the perfect time to grab some AirPods Max alternatives

Sony’s flagship noise-canceling headphones have one of the most annoying names of all time, following on from the Japanese brand’s insistence on word and number soup for all of its best headphones. The WH-1000XM5, however, while terribly named, are really, really good.

They’re also currently massively reduced at Amazon, saving you $70 off the full price. That’s not quite the lowest price we’ve ever seen them, but it’s an excellent saving nonetheless and one well worth picking up.

Sony WH-1000XM5 $70 off

• Headphone deals: Walmart | Best Buy | Amazon | Dell

The Sony WH-1000XM5 are a wonderful pair of noise-canceling headphones, all jokes about weird names aside. They are bassy, that’s for certain, with a tendency to emphasize the deeper parts of a track, but that just makes for a more engaging listen than some of the competition.

While they may lack the aluminum build of Apple’s AirPods Max, they’re a pretty good match in sound and noise canceling for the more expensive option as well. The Sony’s carrying case is far better, for one, and their lighter weight makes them more comfortable to wear over long periods of time.

There is a form of Spatial Audio on board, although it’s only going to work with Amazon’s Prime Music service and TiDaL. If you want the Apple Music Spatial Audio secret sauce, then you’ll need to invest the extra into Apple’s headphones. They’ll still connect up to the best iPhones mind you, so you aren’t stuck with AirPods if you use Apple devices.

If you use any other streaming platform, however, or you don’t want some of the heaviest headphones around, then the WH-1000XM5 are a great option — especially at this lower price.

As iMore’s Senior Staff writer, Tammy uses her background in audio and Masters in screenwriting to pen engaging product reviews and informative buying guides. The resident audiophile (or audio weirdo), she’s got an eye for detail and a love of top-quality sound. Apple is her bread and butter, with attention on HomeKit and Apple iPhone and Mac hardware. You won’t find her far away from a keyboard even outside of working at iMore – in her spare time, she spends her free time writing feature-length and TV screenplays. Also known to enjoy driving digital cars around virtual circuits, to varying degrees of success. Just don’t ask her about AirPods Max – you probably won’t like her answer.