Seconding the recommendation above! I actually fried my over-ears doing hill sprints once—salt just kills those drivers, so definitely go for the Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Noise Canceling Earbuds since they’re lighter and way more stable for heavy benching. Lesson learned: prioritize that IPX4 rating and a deep fit to save your gear from sweat damage!

yo, i feel u. honestly, you gotta be careful with over-ears like the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Over-the-Ear Headphones cuz they lack an IP rating. sweat will basically ruin those drivers, right? For your situation, I would suggest the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless Noise Canceling Earbuds:
- Pros: IPX4 rating + secure fit for sprints.
- Cons: foam tips might degrade from moisture. basically, the buds are way safer for heavy movement. gl!

I totally agree about the salt and moisture being the main issue here, it is CRAZY how much damage a little sweat can do to the internal seals. I have been doing a lot of reading on the market lately and it feels like Sony is trying to balance high-end sound with these niche fitness designs, whereas brands like Bose or Jabra just go for pure ruggedness. Since I am still pretty new to the high-end audio world, I have been looking at how Sony structures their sports lineup compared to their premium stuff. Basically, if you want that Sony bass but need them to stay put, you might want to look at these:

• Sony Float Run Off-Ear Headphones are literally designed to not touch your ear canal so sweat cannot pool up at all
• Sony WI-SP510 Wireless In-Ear Headphones have those little wings or arc supporters that really lock into your ear
• Sony LinkBuds Truly Wireless Earbuds the original ones with the hole in the middle for better awareness I am honestly wondering if the lifestyle focus of the XM series is why they skip the heavy IP ratings? It seems like they want us to buy two different pairs for two different things. Does anyone else feel like the pro gym market is being ignored by the flagship models?

Just catching up on this thread and honestly, I am so pumped to see people taking their gym audio seriously! I've spent years hacking my gear to survive heavy sessions, but I have to give a massive warning here. Please be incredibly careful with the headband tension on your sets. If you try to bend them for a tighter fit or use those cheap silicone covers, you risk snapping the sub-frame or causing weird resonance issues that totally ruin the Sony signature sound! It is a total disaster when that happens. I am curious though, are you mostly dealing with the headphones sliding off during your eccentric phase on the bench, or is it specifically the sweat buildup behind the pads that's the bigger annoyance? I've experimented with some DIY moisture-wicking solutions that might help, but I need to know which problem is the priority for you first!

Bookmarked, thanks!

Honestly, just found this thread and I gotta say, the reliability factor is everything when you are training that hard. I think I read somewhere that the salt in sweat is actually what kills the internal seals more than the water itself. Not sure if that is totally official, but IIRC, someone told me that moisture getting into the charging ports is the number one killer for these things. Basically, if you want something that stays secure during sprints, you really gotta look for these specific features in the Sony lineup:

• a dedicated sports-centric build
• physical buttons instead of touch sensors
• a secure wing or fin design for the ears I mean, it kinda sucks but the heavier lifestyle units usually just do not stay put when you are benching. I am not 100 percent sure which specific model is the absolute best right now, but I have always found that their gear with the wrap-around style or the ones specifically marketed for running handle the abuse way better than the flagship noise-canceling stuff. Just make sure you are wiping the sweat off every single time to save those charging pins from corroding!

No way, I literally just dealt with this yesterday. Small world.

> My current over-ears keep sliding off during bench presses, and I’m honestly worried that sweat will eventually ruin the drivers since they lack a solid water-resistance rating. Stumbled upon this discussion and wanted to weigh in on the technical side. When you're doing heavy lifts, over-ear models present a significant performance risk due to simple inertia. The mass of the earcups naturally wants to keep moving when your head stops, which is why they'll always slide during benching or sprints. It's basically just physics working against the fit. You also gotta be careful about internal condensation. It isn't just about direct sweat droplets hitting the exterior. The heat your ears generate creates a humid microclimate inside the cups that can settle directly on the drivers. Without a proper IP rating, those internal components wont have the hydrophobic coatings needed to survive that moisture long-term. Honestly, if you're pushing for performance, sticking to a dedicated gym-rated design is the only way to ensure the hardware actually lasts... salt is pretty unforgiving to electronics.