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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a wired, folding over-ear headphone with active noise cancellation and inline media controls for around-the-house or studio-style listening, choose SOUL by Ludacris SL300MS; if you need wireless Bluetooth freedom, adaptive noise cancellation and touch controls for commuting and travel, choose Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones.
• SOUL by Ludacris SL300MS — biggest strength: A wired 3.5 mm connection with full ear-cup articulation and a folding design, so it packs down and plugs into just about anything with a standard jack. It also carries a media control on the cable.
• SOUL by Ludacris SL300MS — biggest trade-off: It's wired only. There's no Bluetooth, no NFC and no rechargeable battery, so you're tethered to your device.
• Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones — biggest strength: Bluetooth 4.1 with NFC pairing, adaptive noise cancellation that adjusts to what you're doing, touch controls on the right ear cup and up to 30 hours of cordless playback.
• Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones — biggest trade-off: No headphone jack at all, so listening is entirely dependent on a charged battery and a wireless source.
• Who each pick is for: The SOUL is for the listener who wants a simple, plug-in, foldable over-ear with active noise cancellation. The Sony is for the person who wants wireless convenience, app-based customization and long battery life.
The SL300MS is a powered, over-ear headphone built around a straightforward idea: give you an isolated listening experience with active noise cancellation, without asking you to manage a battery or a pairing menu. It uses a dynamic driver covering a 20Hz–20,000Hz range, which is the classic full-band span for music playback. The ear cups are over-ear with memory foam and silicone in the build, and the enclosure is plastic — a combination that keeps the headphone light enough to wear for long sessions.
What stands out to me is the physical flexibility. Full ear-cup articulation plus a folding design means the SL300MS can be flattened and stowed in a bag rather than left on a desk. The wired 3.5 mm jack is the other half of that story: you plug in, you're done. No pairing, no charging, no dropouts. The inline media control lets you handle playback from the cable, and the headphone is listed as compatible with iPhone 4G, 3GS and 3G, iPad and iPod, which tells you it was designed for the classic dock-and-jack era of portable listening.
Who should buy it? In my opinion, the SL300MS suits someone who listens at a desk, in a home studio, on a plane with an in-seat jack, or anywhere a cable is actually an advantage — a producer tracking, a DJ prepping, a traveler who doesn't want to think about charging. The memory foam and over-ear fit are aimed at extended wear, and the media control keeps basic playback within reach.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants to move around untethered. There's no Bluetooth and no battery here, so if you want to leave your phone on the counter and walk to the kitchen, this isn't the headphone for that. It's also worth noting it's a wired design from an earlier generation of portable audio, so if wireless is a hard requirement, look elsewhere.
The Sony WH1000XM2 is a wireless over-ear headphone with Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC pairing, a 40 mm dynamic driver, and a frequency range that reaches up to 40,000Hz for hi-res audio. It's built around active noise cancellation, but the interesting part is how the cancellation behaves: Smart Listening detects your activity and environment and adjusts the ambient sound automatically, and Quick Attention lets you cover the right ear cup to drop the volume instantly for a conversation without taking the headphones off.
The control scheme is entirely touch and voice on the right ear cup. Swipe to skip a track or change volume, double tap for hands-free calling, and trigger your phone's voice assistant with a touch. The Sony | Headphones Connect app for Android and iOS is where you tune the adaptive sound settings. It's a genuinely different interaction model from a cabled remote — once you're used to it, reaching for a cable feels like a step backward.
Then there's battery. Sony rates it at up to 30 hours of cordless noise-cancelling playback, with a 10-minute quick charge yielding roughly 70 more minutes. A full charge takes about 4 hours. The headphone weighs 9.7 ounces, ships with a black carrying case, and is covered by a 1-year warranty. Its wireless range is listed at 10 meters.
Who should buy it? The commuter, the frequent flyer and the open-office worker. Adaptive noise cancellation plus 30 hours of cordless life is a combination built for a full day away from a charger, and the touch controls plus voice assistant access keep your phone in your pocket. If you want one headphone to do music, calls and travel, this is the more complete package.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants a wired fallback. There's no headphone jack on this model, so if the battery is empty, you're not listening. If you prefer physical buttons or a cable remote over swipes and taps, the touch interface may not appeal either.
• Best for wireless freedom → Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones. Bluetooth 4.1 with NFC means no cable and no tether to your device.
• Best for battery life → Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones. Up to 30 hours of cordless noise-cancelling playback, plus a 10-minute quick charge for about 70 more minutes.
• Best for a no-charge, always-ready setup → SOUL by Ludacris SL300MS. Wired 3.5 mm means it works whenever you plug it in — no battery to manage.
• Best for adaptive, situational noise cancellation → Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones. Smart Listening detects your activity and adjusts ambient sound, with Quick Attention for instant conversation.
• Best for folding portability in a wired design → SOUL by Ludacris SL300MS. Full ear-cup articulation and a folding build make it easy to stow.
• Best for touch and voice control → Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones. Swipe control, hands-free calling and voice assistant activation, all on the right ear cup.
• Best for hi-res headroom → Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones. A 40 mm driver with a range up to 40,000Hz, paired with DSEE HX processing.
• Best for simple, plug-in listening on older Apple devices → SOUL by Ludacris SL300MS. Listed compatibility with iPhone 4G, 3GS and 3G, iPad and iPod, with an inline media control.
If I had to pick one, I'd take the Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones. In my opinion, the combination of Bluetooth 4.1 with NFC, adaptive noise cancellation, touch controls and up to 30 hours of cordless playback covers more of what most people actually do with a headphone — commute, work and travel — in a single package. The SOUL by Ludacris SL300MS is the better answer only if you specifically want a wired, folding, always-ready headphone with no battery to think about. Decide which of those two lives is yours, then check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
No. It's a wired headphone using a 3.5 mm jack, with active noise cancellation and an inline media control. There's no Bluetooth or NFC listed.
No jack is listed. Connectivity is Bluetooth and NFC only, so listening depends on a charged battery and a wireless source.
Only the Sony has a battery. Sony rates it at up to 30 hours of cordless noise-cancelling playback with a 10-minute quick charge for about 70 additional minutes. The SOUL runs off the connected device, so there's nothing to charge.
In my opinion, the Sony. Adaptive noise cancellation that reacts to your environment, touch controls and 30 hours of cordless use make it the more convenient travel companion. The SOUL is the better fit if you want a wired connection you never have to charge.
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