Capture a savings of $151.99: The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are currently priced at $248 on Amazon and Best Buy, aligning with their Black Friday pricing. Initially listed at $399.99, this offer provides a 38% reduction.

An excellent approach to economizing on headphones this festive season is to search for promotions on previous versions. As of Dec. 22, there is a $152 price markdown on the Sony WH-1000XM5, lowering the cost to $248 at Amazon and Best Buy. With the majority of new flagship versions priced at $450 and higher, this represents a particularly advantageous offer.

I examined the Sony XM5 headphones in comparison to the XM6 headphones and discovered that while the XM6 reinstated the folding ear cups from the XM4 model, the distinctions between the two were minimal. The noise-cancelling performance was comparable, and although the sound fidelity was marginally improved in the newer iteration, the variance was only perceptible when auditioning the headphones with the same tracks in succession.

Mashable editor Timothy Beck Werth noted in his XM6 assessment that the modifications between the XM5 and XM6 headphones were “more iterative than innovative.” The ports, 30-hour battery duration, and connectivity features remain constant across both versions.

Although the XM6 headphones are also available at a discount as of Dec. 22, they are still $150 pricier than the XM5 headphones, rendering the latter a better deal (and a preferable option for those who do not require the latest technology from Sony). The XM5s continue to deliver solid performance, and with this promotion, you can select from four available color variations.