Tested Sony WI-1000X
Give your wireless buds shoulder support
Kirk or Picard. Coca-cola or Pepsi. Strictly or X Factor. Some things will always be divisive.
In the audio world, it’s neckband headphones. Some people love the extra stability and battery life you get over fully wireless in-ears; others think only pets should wear collars.
Sony has made that argument a little more complicated with the WI-1000X buds, its first set of neckband ’phones to come with noise-cancelling. Seeing how the over-ear MDR-1000XS are some of our favourite cans, anything smaller with the same sound-isolating tech looks like a winner to us.
And in one respect at least, Sony has the edge here over its most obvious rival, the Bose Quiet Comfort 30s: the neckband is way more comfortable.
But how about the sound? Sony and Bose have been trading blows over who has the best noise-cancelling cans for years; and although the WI-1000XS aren’t a knockout blow, they’re a pretty tasty uppercut…
1 Pick up the foam
There’s not much flex in the neckband, but the memory foam padding that sits around the back of your neck is soft enough to leave in place all day and not get painful. Compared to the band on Bose’s QC30 headphones, it simply feels a lot more premium.
2 Into the groove
The earbuds themselves dangle down from the band, with tiny grooves to stow the cables when you’re not listening to music. A handful of different rubber ear-tips come in the box, so you should have no trouble finding a decent fit.
3 Turn it on again
Buttons on the band let you pause music, turn the volume up or down, pair to your smartphone, and turn the electronics on and off. You don’t get dedicated buttons for skipping tracks, but longer presses work fine.
4 Rock’n’roll highs cool
These ’phones deliver Sony’s signature sound, full of punchy, vibrant audio. Listening over aptx HD, they retain an impressive level of detail, hitting high notes with precision. Dynamics are ace, keeping clear distance between loud and quiet sounds.
5 Smokin’ in the noise boom
Better yet, there’s real texture to the low end – you can hear separation between bass and sub-bass that you just don’t get with inferior earphones. These are probably as close to audiophile-pleasing as neckband ’phones get right now.