The Sony WH-1000XM2 ranks #130 out of 249 total Over-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: Sony
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#130 Sony WH-1000XM2 Wireless Discontinued eBay
Newer model: the Sony WH-1000XM6, ranked lower, rated 2.3/5, released May 2025. See every Sony WH-1000X generation.
Pros: A warm, punchy tuning that scores 74 on the Harman scale, with bass about 4 dB above target and extension to 20 Hz, plus strong noise cancelling and LDAC support.
Cons: Discontinued and replaced by the Sony WH-1000XM3. A 6 dB peak near 1.9 kHz pushes the upper mids forward, which can make some vocals and guitars sound slightly shouty, and the bass lift adds some warmth that blurs detail.
| Released | 2017 (9 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Active Noise Cancelling | Yes |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (ANC on), 38 hours (ANC off) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Connection | Wireless and wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.52 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 40mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 74 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+2.8 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.54 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.6 lbs (275 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -5.4 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -0.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 1,206 Hz | +8.9 dB | 0.46 |
| Peak | 186 Hz | -5.0 dB | 0.54 |
| Peak | 1,741 Hz | -11.8 dB | 1.24 |
| Peak | 80 Hz | +1.7 dB | 0.51 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +3.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 5,543 Hz | -2.7 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 851 Hz | +1.3 dB | 3.41 |
| Peak | 669 Hz | -1.1 dB | 2.93 |
| Peak | 3,522 Hz | +1.5 dB | 6.00 |
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