Noise-cancelling headphones: the downsides, first

SoundGuys lists 'some connection issues' as a con and says pairing can need manual steps when Fast Pair fails. Amazon's summary says some owners have connection issues with non-Apple devices. Low-star Walmart reviews (syndicated from bose.com) call the Bluetooth 'terrible' and a 'nightmare', describe constant pairing prompts, and report a pair that wouldn't connect or power on after a week.

Tom's Guide lists 'woeful touch controls' as a con. SoundGuys calls the controls a bit confusing and the in-app EQ too simplistic. A 1-star Walmart review complains there's no mute button for Teams calls.

Tom's Guide lists the price hike as a con. SoundGuys says the headphones are 'not even water-resistant' and scores build 6.9. Amazon owners disagree on value, with some calling them overpriced. A few low-star Walmart reviewers say ANC wasn't strong enough for office use or that a thumping noise appeared while traveling on roads.

SoundGuys' reviewer calls comfort his biggest gripe because the pads are thin. A January 2026 SoundGuys column says the earcups are shallow and small, the headband causes pressure within an hour, and the ANC mic sticks out about 2 mm and can rub the ear. Amazon's summary calls fit mixed, with some owners finding them too tight. Low-star reviews on Walmart (syndicated from sony.com) describe jaw pain, a headache after 15 minutes from clamping force, and a sore right ear. Wirecutter and Tom's Guide, by contrast, found them very comfortable.

SoundGuys reported on 2026-08-05 that owners are finding the plastic ring at the end of the headband cracking, sometimes letting the slider come out. It cites at least 13 Reddit reports compiled by The Walkman Blog and says Sony doesn't cover the damage under warranty. Tom's Guide lists 'fragile-feeling articulating hinges' as a con. Amazon's summary says some owners report physical breakage under normal use, and a Walmart 1-star review describes a creaking headband.

Amazon's summary says some owners report Bluetooth connectivity issues. Low-star Walmart reviews describe audio cutting out constantly, multipoint between a MacBook and an iPhone that rarely switches properly, and a firmware update that broke audio in Zoom and Teams meetings. SoundGuys notes multipoint forces a lower-bitrate codec.

Wirecutter says voices sound compressed, distant and 'reedy', and get ducked in strong gusts. Tom's Guide lists weak call quality and found voices muffled indoors and out. SoundGuys disagrees, saying the mics do an excellent job of blocking background noise.

Amazon's summary says durability is mixed, with some owners reporting them breaking almost immediately and some saying the ANC doesn't work at all. Low-star Walmart reviews describe cheap materials that broke, a pair that stopped powering on after four months, and random static. SoundGuys scores build 6.5, and there's no water-resistance rating. Wirecutter, by contrast, hasn't seen build complaints and notes an 18-month warranty.

Wirecutter says the buttons are small and take practice to find by feel. Tom's Guide calls the control scheme outdated and the design very cumbersome. Low-star Walmart reviewers say music stops with the slightest movement at the gym.

SoundGuys calls the noise cancelling 'somewhat weak', measuring 10-20 dB below 700 Hz (roughly 50-75% of low-frequency noise). A Walmart reviewer bought two pairs and says one had no noise cancelling at all. Tom's Guide and Amazon owners, by contrast, praise the ANC.

In SoundGuys' reader poll, most voters rated the mic only 'Okay' (43%) or 'Good' (40%), and the reviewer says it's not great against wind. Low-star Walmart reviews describe mics that callers couldn't hear, an iPhone that wouldn't pair, and audio that stopped after a few seconds on Windows 11.

Tom's Guide lists no wear detection, no carry case and no LDAC. SoundGuys notes no IP rating, limited button customization, heat build-up and hair snagging in the band slider. Amazon's summary says durability is mixed, with some owners reporting them breaking.

Wirecutter says they are about 1.5 times as heavy as the Sony WH-1000XM6 with a snug clamp, and its reviewer took them off with a headache after about 30 minutes. SoundGuys weighed them at 385.6 g and calls the clamp 'quite strong'. Tom's Guide says they weigh nearly a pound. Amazon owners are mixed on weight and fit, with some finding them too tight.

Tom's Guide lists the 'unimproved 20-hour battery life' and calls the case awful. SoundGuys measured about 21 hours. Wirecutter says the bra-like case doesn't protect the headband or keep debris out, and the headphones only enter Deep Sleep inside it. SoundGuys notes there is no power button. Amazon owners are split, with some saying the battery drains quickly.

SoundGuys says most features, including multipoint and firmware updates, need an Apple device, and there's no LDAC, aptX or custom EQ. Tom's Guide says the missing updates stand out more than the new ones, and a 1-star Walmart review says there are no improvements over the first Max. Walmart's lowest-rated reviews also warn of counterfeit units from third-party sellers.

Wirecutter says that at its highest setting it reduced less airplane-band noise than the budget Soundcore Space One (20.0 dB vs 22.0 dB in its chart) and isn't remarkable enough for its original $350 price. SoundGuys rates its value 4.9 and lists cost as a con. A low-star Walmart reviewer calls the noise cancelling ineffective. Tom's Guide disagrees, calling it top-tier ANC that blocks close to 90% of unwanted sound.

SoundGuys says the sub-bass is 'over-emphasized dramatically' and its custom EQ attempt sounded worse than the default. Wirecutter calls Bose's EQ too simplistic to be useful. Low-star Walmart reviews complain of one side sounding louder than the other and a poor Android app experience.

SoundGuys calls the hardware outdated: no USB-C audio, Bluetooth 5.1, and pairing that 'may not work right away'. Tom's Guide notes there are no touch or motion controls, no spatial audio, and the ANC can't be turned off. Amazon's summary mentions connection issues and some units that stop working. Walmart reviewers describe headphones that disconnect or turn themselves off.

Amazon's summary says durability is a concern, with headphones breaking at the joint within a few months. Low-star Walmart reviews describe a pair that broke after 3 months, one that broke after a single drop, and an owner whose replacements kept breaking in the same place. A SoundGuys owner review calls the hinge design 'severely flawed'; this is an owner claim, not a SoundGuys test.

SoundGuys' con reads 'Frequency response is either very bassy, unnecessarily bassy, or ridiculously bassy', and it recommends EQ. Tom's Guide calls the extra bass modes gimmicky and says the bass can feel bloated. Walmart reviewers are split: one says it's too bass-heavy for anything but rap, while others say the bass is weak.

SoundGuys says the mic windscreens 'are not effective' and the mics pick up nearby sounds. There's no audio over USB and no IP rating. Tom's Guide notes no aptX and some sound leakage. Amazon owners are mixed on Bluetooth connectivity.

SoundGuys scored comfort 2.9: the earcups are small, the band presses on the top of the skull, and its reviewer couldn't wear them for more than an hour. It advises glasses wearers and people with larger heads or ears to avoid them. Tom's Guide says the earcups heat up fast, and Amazon's summary calls fit mixed, with some saying they're too tight.

Amazon's summary says some owners report one side not working, the headphones breaking in half, and lost Bluetooth connections. Low-star Walmart reviews describe one side failing (including on the first day), buzzing after 2 months, and ANC that stopped working. SoundGuys calls the build cheap-feeling and scores it 4.6.

Wirecutter says spatial audio drastically changes the sound (boomy with it on, thin bass with it off), neither ANC nor hear-through is adjustable, and EQ only works over USB-C. Tom's Guide lists 'thin sound on Bluetooth' and calls it expensive for the performance. SoundGuys calls the mic disappointing. Walmart 1-star reviewers say it doesn't sound like a $300 pair.