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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want wireless active noise cancellation with heavy bass and long battery life, choose SONY WHXB900N; if you need a wired, budget-friendly gaming headset with a boom mic and passive noise isolation, choose Amazon Renewed Razer BlackShark V2.
• SONY WHXB900N biggest strength: Active Noise Cancellation paired with Extra Bass tuning, touch controls, and up to 30 hours of playback per charge.
• SONY WHXB900N biggest trade-off: It's a Bluetooth headset first — wireless listening is the point, and the noise cancelling runs on battery power.
• Amazon Renewed Razer BlackShark V2 biggest strength: A wired 3.5mm connection with no battery to manage, a noise-isolating cardioid mic, and cooling gel-infused memory foam cushions built for long sessions.
• Amazon Renewed Razer BlackShark V2 biggest trade-off: Noise control is passive sound isolation only — no active cancellation — and it's a renewed unit with a 90-day limited warranty.
• Pick SONY WHXB900N if you want one pair of over-ears for commuting, music, and calls with real ANC and serious low-end.
• Pick Amazon Renewed Razer BlackShark V2 if you want a plug-and-play wired headset for PC, PS4, or Switch gaming and voice chat.
The WHXB900N is Sony's Extra Bass take on a noise cancelling over-ear. The headline feature is digital noise cancelling, and it's backed by a 40mm dynamic driver tuned to push low frequencies hard. If your playlist leans hip-hop, EDM, or anything with a heavy bottom end, that tuning is the whole reason to look here. The frequency range runs from 20 Hz up to 40 kHz, and the 50-ohm impedance is on the higher side for a consumer headset — worth noting if you ever plan to run it wired through the included 1.2m cable.
Around the earcups you get touch sensor controls: tap to pause, skip, adjust volume, take a call, or trigger your voice assistant. Hold the right cup for three seconds and Alexa, the Google Assistant, or your phone's assistant wakes up. There's also Quick Attention Mode — cup your hand over the right earcup and the volume drops while noise cancelling switches off, so you can hear a barista or a gate agent without pulling the headphones off. That single trick is genuinely useful in real life, and it's the kind of thing you only appreciate once you're wearing them in a noisy place.
Battery life is rated at up to 30 hours, with a full charge taking about 4 hours. Sony also lists quick charging: ten minutes gets you roughly 60 minutes of playback. Bluetooth range is 10 meters, and there's an integrated mic for hands-free calls. The whole thing weighs 8.96 ounces and ships with a carrying case.
Amazon Renewed Razer BlackShark V2: Who It's For
This is the Razer BlackShark V2 X in renewed condition, sold under the Amazon Renewed program. Renewed means the unit was inspected and tested by Amazon-qualified suppliers to work and look like new, and it's covered by the Amazon Renewed Guarantee for replacement or refund if you're not satisfied. The listed warranty is 90 days limited. That's the honest trade-off of buying renewed: you're getting renewed-condition hardware and a shorter warranty window, not a brand-new retail unit.
What you get for gaming is a wired 3.5mm headset with 50mm Triforce Titanium drivers split into three parts for separate tuning of highs, mids, and lows. It supports 7.1 surround sound via software, though that's only available on Windows 10 64-bit — so console players won't get the surround feature. Impedance is 32 ohms and the frequency range is 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. It weighs 240 grams, which is light for an over-ear, and the oval earcups use cooling gel-infused memory foam to cut down on heat and pressure during long sessions.
The mic is a cardioid design built to isolate your voice and reduce background and ambient noise, which is exactly what you want for voice chat and calls. Noise control here is passive sound isolation — the closed earcups block some outside sound, but there's no active noise cancelling circuit and no battery to charge. Controls are a simple wired remote for volume. Connectivity is wired via 3.5mm, which means it works with PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch without any pairing dance.
Buy it if you want a lightweight wired headset for gaming and voice chat, you're fine with renewed condition and a 90-day warranty, and you'd rather not think about charging. Skip it if you need active noise cancelling, wireless freedom, or surround sound on a console.
• Best for active noise cancelling → SONY WHXB900N. It's the only one of the two with ANC; the Razer relies on passive isolation.
• Best for battery life → SONY WHXB900N. Up to 30 hours per charge, with roughly 60 minutes of playback from a 10-minute top-up.
• Best for wired, no-battery use → Amazon Renewed Razer BlackShark V2. 3.5mm straight into your device, nothing to charge, ever.
• Best for bass-heavy music → SONY WHXB900N. Extra Bass tuning and a 40mm driver built for low-end punch.
• Best for gaming and voice chat → Amazon Renewed Razer BlackShark V2. Boom mic, lightweight 240g build, and software-enabled 7.1 surround on Windows 10 64-bit.
• Best for long-session comfort → Amazon Renewed Razer BlackShark V2. Cooling gel-infused memory foam cushions are designed to reduce heat and pressure.
• Best for hands-free control and convenience → SONY WHXB900N. Touch panel controls, Quick Attention Mode, and voice assistant activation.
• Best for buyers who want new-condition hardware and a longer warranty → SONY WHXB900N. One-year warranty versus a 90-day limited warranty on the renewed Razer.
In my opinion, these two aren't really competitors — they solve different problems, and the right pick falls out of your setup. If you want one pair of over-ears for music, commuting, and calls with genuine active noise cancelling and up to 30 hours of wireless playback, I'd buy the SONY WHXB900N. If you're a PC, PS4, or Switch player who wants a wired headset with a boom mic, cooling cushions, and zero charging, I'd buy the Amazon Renewed Razer BlackShark V2 — as long as renewed condition and a 90-day warranty sit fine with you. Check the current price on Amazon for both before deciding, since that's the one variable I can't weigh in for you.
how to noise cancelling wired headphones
Wired headphones can cut noise two ways. The Amazon Renewed Razer BlackShark V2 uses passive sound isolation — closed oval earcups and memory foam physically block outside sound, no battery required. Active noise cancelling, like the SONY WHXB900N's system, needs power to run its microphones and circuitry, so it's a wireless-first feature rather than a wired one.
what is the best wired noise cancelling headphones
There's no single answer, because "wired" and "noise cancelling" pull in different directions. If you specifically want a wired headset, the Amazon Renewed Razer BlackShark V2 gives you 3.5mm connectivity plus passive isolation and a noise-isolating cardioid mic. If active noise cancelling matters more than the cable, the SONY WHXB900N is the stronger pick — it just runs on Bluetooth and battery.
what are the best wired noise cancelling headphones
For a purely wired setup, look at what the Razer offers: a 3.5mm jack, 50mm Triforce Titanium drivers, 7.1 surround on Windows 10 64-bit, and gel-infused memory foam cushions. That combination suits gaming and voice chat where passive isolation plus a clear mic beats active cancellation. The SONY WHXB900N wins on active noise cancelling, but it's built around wireless listening with a 30-hour battery.
is there wired noise cancelling headphones
Yes, in the passive sense. The Amazon Renewed Razer BlackShark V2 connects by 3.5mm and isolates noise through its closed earcups and memory foam rather than an active circuit. True active noise cancelling, like the SONY WHXB900N's, requires power and is designed around Bluetooth use, so you won't find it in a battery-free wired headset here.
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See also: WolfLawS TA82 vs Razer BlackShark V2: Noise Isolating Gaming, Amazon Renewed Powerbeats Pro Totally vs TANKASE Neckband, Amazon Renewed JBL Live Buds vs Rulbovs NE92