The Morning After: Sony’s best headphones keep getting better<p>When it comes to headphones, we can’t shut up about Sony’s top-tier buds and over-the-head options. In each iteration, the company adds new features, develops better technology and hones its strengths in portable audio, and three years on from the WH-1000XM5, the sixth-gen model does it yet again.</p>
<p>Sony’s overhauled its flagship headphones in all the right ways. The <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/sony-wh-1000xm6-review-the-best-headphones-just-keep-on-getting-better-160058170.html">WH-1000XM6[/url] sound better, with improved active noise cancellation and convenient features that match the best-sounding and the most feature-packed rivals.</p>
<p>You should definitely check out Billy Steele's <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/sony-wh-1000xm6-review-the-best-headphones-just-keep-on-getting-better-160058170.html">full review.[/url] The headphones' only major challenge remains a non-clunky naming convention.</p>
<p>— Mat Smith</p>
<p>
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<h3 id="jump-link-even-more-tech-news-you-might-have-missed">Even more tech news you might have missed</h3>
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Nothing teases the ‘all-in’ Phone 3 with a flagship price[/url]</p></li>
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https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/mission-impossible-should-never-have-gone-full-sci-fi-200043337.html">
Mission: Impossible should never have gone full sci-fi[/url]</p></li>
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The Lucid Gravity is the coolest three-row EV on the market[/url]</p></li>
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DJI Mavic 4 Pro review: A new standard for consumer drones[/url]</p></li>
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Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge hands-on: Less smartphone, more compromises[/url]</p></li>
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<h2 id="jump-link-android-gets-a-young-vibrant-makeover"><a data-i13n="cpos:9;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/mobile/google-gives-android-an-animated-makeover-with-material-3-expressive-170045667.html">Android gets a young, vibrant makeover[/url]</h2>
<h3 id="jump-link-its-bright-its-brash-its-bouncy-its-android-16">It’s bright, it’s brash, it’s… bouncy? It’s Android 16.</h3>
<figure><img src="[url]https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/69db7d50-3250-11f0-9fcf-cc2b5db5a548" data-crop-orig-src="
https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/69db7d50-3250-11f0-9fcf-cc2b5db5a548" style="height:361px;width:640px;" alt="TMA" data-uuid="84df8bf3-249a-31bf-b70b-d933153742d2"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Google</div></figure>[/url]
<p>As spoiled by Google itself, Android is getting a major visual refresh. Dubbed Material 3 Expressive, it’s the latest evolution of the Material You design, adding customizable color swatches and, I guess, spicier fonts.</p>
<p>Google says the Quick Settings menu can now fit more actions, and there is an addition of live-updating notifications, similar to <a href="
https://www.yahoo.com/organizations/apple/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Apple_Inc." data-original-link="">Apple[/url]’s Live Activities.</p>
<p>In Android 16 (and even Wear OS 6), expect more animation between menus and items, while notifications will jiggle and offer haptic responses to your touch.</p>
<p>Google is basing a lot of these tweaks on research: The company claims up to 87 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds prefer expressive design — a term hard to define. There’s a lengthy post on Google’s design <a data-i13n="cpos:10;pos:1" href="
https://design.google/library/expressive-material-design-google-research?utm_source=android-blog&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=IO25">
blog[/url] if you want to get into all that.</p>
<p><a data-i13n="cpos:11;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/mobile/google-gives-android-an-animated-makeover-with-material-3-expressive-170045667.html"><strong>Continue reading.</strong>[/url]</p>
<h2 id="jump-link-the-xperia-1-vii-is-here-with-some-walkman-inspiration"><a data-i13n="cpos:12;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/sonys-new-xperia-1-vii-borrows-hi-fi-sound-tech-from-its-walkman-133017552.html">The Xperia 1 VII is here, with some Walkman inspiration[/url]</h2>
<h3 id="jump-link-sony-still-makes-phones">Sony still makes phones!</h3>
<figure><img src="[url]https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/96cd6120-3250-11f0-adff-75f95e215863" data-crop-orig-src="
https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-05/96cd6120-3250-11f0-adff-75f95e215863" style="height:389px;width:640px;" alt="TMA" data-uuid="46b351b5-66ca-36a1-aff0-a0ff9f1fd258"><figcaption></figcaption><div class="photo-credit">Sony</div></figure>[/url]
<p>Sony has now folded in Hi-Fi sound from its Walkman series, as well as the company’s Bravia screen tech and Alpha camera smarts. The Xperia 1 VII has launched quietly with an array of new audio features, including high-end Walkman components. Unlike other smartphone makers, Sony has kept its headphone jack and improved wired sound via a premium-grade integrated circuit. The Xperia 1 VII supports Sony’s DSEE Ultimate AI sound upscaling technology, along with 360 Reality audio or Dolby Atmos formats.</p>
<p>The latest Xperia also features a new 48-megapixel ultrawide camera with a good-sized 1/1.56-inch sensor, significantly improving the specs of the Xperia 1 VI’s ultrawide. That’s on top of the main 48MP 1/1.35-inch 24mm camera and a 12MP telephoto zoom.</p>
<p>Sony is also trying to differentiate its smartphones through camera features, with improved Bokeh mode, real-time tracking, and even real-time eye autofocus. It claims low-light shooting is “in line with full-frame cameras, " which is bold!</p>
<p>I’m wondering what other parts of Sony’s corporate machinery it will integrate next. Maybe Aibo dog ears?</p>
<p><a data-i13n="cpos:13;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/sonys-new-xperia-1-vii-borrows-hi-fi-sound-tech-from-its-walkman-133017552.html"><strong>Continue reading.</strong>[/url]</p>
<span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><h2 id="jump-link-one-year-of-peacock-premium-is-on-sale-for-only-25"><a data-i13n="cpos:14;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/deals/one-year-of-peacock-premium-is-on-sale-for-only-25-163231474.html">One year of Peacock Premium is on sale for only $25[/url]</h2>
<h3 id="jump-link-the-memorial-day-deal-knocks-off-55">The Memorial Day deal knocks off $55.</h3>
<h3 id="jump-link-"></h3>
<p>Want a cheaper sub for Peacock? You’ll need a code, but if you input SPRINGSAVINGS at checkout you’ll get $55 off the standard annual price of the Premium plan. It does include ads, however. The big draw for this particular <a href="
https://tech.yahoo.com/streaming/" data-autolinker-wiki-id="Streaming_media" data-original-link="">streaming service[/url] is likely the long-awaited spinoff of
The Office, called
The Paper. That premieres in September, so you’ll be primed and ready to watch (and rewatch).</p>
<p><a data-i13n="cpos:15;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/deals/one-year-of-peacock-premium-is-on-sale-for-only-25-163231474.html"><strong>Continue reading.</strong>[/url]</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-123515822.html?src=rssSource:
The Morning After: Sony’s best headphones keep getting better
