Need a travel upgrade this summer? Sony's WH-1000XM5 is just $198 for Prime Day
I enjoy traveling a lot (I'm in Bali right now), and while I like visiting new countries, getting there is often a hassle. There are plenty of annoyances with modern-day plane travel; constant noise, inevitable delays, and seats that are designed to never be comfortable.
While you can't do anything about the seats, there is an easy fix to ensure your flight is at least tolerable: a good pair of headphones. Investing in a good noise-canceling headphone is one of the best travel decisions I made when I started flying regularly a decade ago, and if you're set to travel this summer, you should consider doing the same.
Sony continues to lead the way in this area, and its WH-1000XM5 is among the best headsets you can buy today. Best of all, the WH-1000XM5 is down to just $198 as part of Prime Day, a full 50% discount from its retail price. That's an all-time low price, and honestly, this is one of the best Prime Day deals I've seen in a while.
The WH-1000XM5 continues to rank among the best wireless headphones around, and the all-time low price is all the motivation you need to buy it. View Deal
Recommended if: you want great sound quality, a lightweight design, and excellent noise isolation.
Skip this deal if: you need a foldable hinge system. While Sony reintroduced the hinge with the WH-1000XM6, the XM5 misses out on that.
The WH-1000XM5 may be a few years old, but you don't feel that when using the headset. The design is nearly identical to the WH-1000XM6, and the only difference with the newer model is that it has a foldable hinge that makes it easier to stow away in a bag - that's it. The WH-1000XM5 is still pretty good in this area, but it doesn't fold inward. Other than that limitation, I don't see any changes with the design.
The sound quality is obviously great, and the 30mm drivers deliver a warm and vibrant sound with engaging bass, clean mids, and a tight treble. The headphones are designed to be used with any genre, and if you don't quite like Sony's custom tuning, there's always the ability to tweak the EQ, or use a tool like Wavelet to get the best sound out of the XM5.
Other niceties include fast charging, so you get around three hours of music listening time with just a 10-minute charge. On that note, the WH-1000XM5 lasts just under 30 hours on a full charge, so you don't need to charge these more than once a week on average.
You can also configure 360-degree sound, adjust gesture controls, and change modes by using Sony's Sound Connect app. Another plus point is the noise isolation; the WH-1000XM5 does a brilliant job in this area, and it makes traveling or working out of a noisy cafe that much more enjoyable.
There's the standard LDAC codec in addition to SBC and AAC, so if you want to listen to lossless music, the WH-1000XM5 is a pretty good choice. The one annoyance is the water resistance; the WH-1000XM5 doesn't have any dust or water resistance, so you can't really use the headset at the gym or while running outdoors.
Ultimately, the WH-1000XM5 continues to be a great overall choice, and with the deal bringing it down to just $198, you don't want to miss out if you're looking to get a solid travel headset this year.
More Prime Day 2026 - quick links- Phones: major savings on Pixel, Samsung, and beyond
- Wearables: up to 50% off Garmin, Galaxy Watch, and Fitbit
- Headphones/earbuds: huge discounts on Beats, Sony, and more
- Smart Home: up to 60% off Alexa devices
- Tablets: Galaxy Tab, Kindle, and Amazon tablets from $50
- Smart TVs: cheap smart TVs from $69.99
- Chromebooks: discounts on ASUS, HP, and Lenovo