Sony's WH-1000XM6 Headphones: A Leap Forward in Noise Cancellation and Audio Quality

Sony's flagship WH-1000XM6 headphones arrive with updated sound and more robust ANC

There are subtle design changes and they cost $450, or $50 more than the WH-1000XM5. Following a series of leaks, Sony's much anticipated WH-1000XM6 wireless headphones have officially arrived. The new model has to follow the WH-1000XM5 that was among the best-sounding we've ever tested. To that end, Sony has updated them in nearly every way, from sound to noise cancellation to call quality. The WH-1000XM6 has largely the same design as the previous model, but there are subtle tweaks. The case is smaller and now has a magnetic lock, while the headphones have a new asymmetric headband that's wider than the one on the XM5 for increased comfort. The power and mute buttons were also redesigned for improved usability. Sony was able to make some major updates in the noise cancellation (ANC) thanks to the new QN3 chip that's seven times faster than the QN1 from the XM5. It now carries 12 ANC microphones instead of eight to better detect surrounding noise and uses adaptive ANC optimization rather than auto optimization before. The latter allows the XM6 headphones to push noise levels down across a wider range of frequencies. On the sound quality side, Sony worked with "world-renowned mastering engineers" to tune audio for improved realism and deeper bass. New driver units supposedly allow for "richer details, clearer vocals [and] improved balance thanks to more rigid dome," along with smoother and more extended high frequency reproduction via a new voice coil design. And a new feature can upmix regular stereo to spatial audio using Sony's 360 Spatial Sound technology for a surround sound effect with any music or audio. Finally, Sony improved call quality with updated noise reduction that uses "AI beamforming" and six mics instead of four as before. Battery life is the same at 30 hours with ANC on and 40 hours with it disabled, and you can still get up to three hours of life with just three minutes of charging. All of this new tech comes at a price, as the WH-1000XM6 costs $450, a price that's $50 higher than the XM5 was at launch. Still, if it lives up to Sony's claims and follows the footsteps of other WH-1000 models, it's bound to be among the best wireless ANC headphones you can get at any price.

Sony WH-1000XM6 Review: A Damn Near Perfect Pair of ANC Headphones

Sony has a team of magicians on staff. It’s the only rational explanation I can come up with for how it’s raised the bar for active noise-cancelling headphones year after year. I really thought Sony couldn’t improve upon last year’s model, the class-leading WH-1000XM5. But the WH-1000XM6 (yes, the naming convention still sucks) has so many new featuresâ€"a revamped design that folds again, a new processor and drivers, and more micsâ€"I can’t argue with the results. The XM6 ANC headphones don’t have many flaws to speak of. Although the estimated 30 hours of battery life is solid, I’m always looking for more time off the charger. Honestly, the only downside is the hefty $450 price tag, but then again, Apple seems to have no problem selling AirPods Max for $550. At first glance, you may not notice all the refinements that Sony made to the XM6. But I assure you, they all add up to a more comfortable and polished pair of headphones. The leatherette over-ear cups create a nice passive noise-cancelling seal, the headband is wider for better weight distribution on your dome, and it’s great to see Sony listened to feedback and made them foldable again. Even little touches like a larger power button that’s easier to press are worth appreciating. Sony’s playing it a bit safe with the usual black, silver, and midnight blue colorways, but hopefully it’ll roll out more interesting shades down the line. It’s not hard to get the XM6 connected to your smartphone or laptop. The minute you flip the included magnetic hard case open, you’ll get a pairing prompt on your phone, which walks you through connecting the headphones via Bluetooth, and then you’re ready to go. The initial pairing process only takes less than three minutes, but I still wish it was faster, like it is on most modern wireless earbuds. Play your cards right, and you’ll rarely have to touch your phone. Unlike AirPods Max, you can control audio from the touch-sensitive surface on the right ear cup using taps and swipes. A double tap plays and pauses audio or answers and rejects a call, while a forward or backward swipe switches to the next and previous track, respectively. Swiping up or down adjusts the volume, while holding your hand over the earcup launches Quick Attention, which pauses audio until you remove your hand. And if you don’t feel like touching the headphones, you can nod your head or shake it to answer or reject a phone call. The NC/AMB button (noise cancellation and ambient noise mode) also pulls double duty. Press it twice to Quick Access a chosen app (Amazon Music, Spotify, or Endel). You can program a second app to launch with three taps, but you’ll need the Sony Sound Connect app (previously called Headphone Connect) to configure that. I’m always wavering between Bose and Sony when it comes to noise-cancelling tech. Right now, Sony has taken a noticeable lead. In its quest for silence, or at least a quieter environment, Sony has brought its new QN3 processor and 12 upgraded microphones (versus eight on the XM5). It also wouldn’t be 2025 without a healthy dose of AI. To that end, the XM6 has AI noise reduction, which the company says was trained on over 500 million voice samples. The result is some seriously quiet phone and video calls. You also have a refreshed AI Noise Optimizer feature, which works to identify and eliminate pesky ambient noises. I took the XM6 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones for a trip on the New York City subwayâ€"a place full of random smells and noises. Neither pair of cans did anything for the summer bod funk in the air, but plenty for the latter. In terms of regular train noises (opening and closing doors, moving along the tracks, train announcements, etc.), the XM6 was slightly better at muting the din without any music playing. Sony’s newest ANC headphones also did a better job of shielding me from a lover’s spat on the train. I typically hear more ambient sound while wearing Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra. I cued up Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me†on the XM6 and committed myself to minding my own business. Okay, I may have switched over to Ambient Sound to hear some of the juicier details, but not for the whole conversation. Speaking of Ambient Sound, that’s the mode I engage when I’m walking alone at night or in unfamiliar surroundings. It lets in outside noise so you can keep tabs on your surroundings. One minute, I’m hearing nothing but the deep bass and raunchy lyrics in the Ying Yang Twins’ “Wait (The Whisper Song),†and the next, there’s birds chirping and traffic sounds filtered in. Deeper bass, brighter highs, and fuller midsâ€"what a difference a driver makes. The 30mm drivers utilize a more rigid dome construction, which translates into more balanced audio performance. Since my regular playlist covers a wide swath of music genres, I kept the built-in equalizer off to get the flattest frequency possible. That means when I listened to Sevendust’s “Enemy,†there wasn’t any artificial bass being added. It was just me, crisp cymbals, bombastic percussion, an energetic set of electric guitars, and silky smooth vocals juxtaposed against guttural screams. Even without spatial audio or Cinematic mode, the XM6’s soundstage is seriously generous. I can really make out the finer vibrations of the twang of the guitars on “Raised Right†by Reyna Roberts. The violin and vocals were just as clean, where I could hear some of the plosives as Roberts enunciated words like “night†and “taught.†But what about the low end? No, the XM6 don’t go as hard on the bass as the Sony’s Ult headphones. But I discovered they still bring the boom as I listened to Pop Smoke’s “Dior.†The bass was nice and weighty but didn’t overwhelm the violin, hi-hats, or the Nextel chirps and other electronic elements throughout the drill track. Whether I’m watching a movie or listening to music, spatial audio has become one of my favorite features to indulge in. Seriously, cue up a music service that supports Dolby Atmos or Sony’s 360 Audio formatâ€"you’ll thank me. It’s a cool, almost eerie feeling to move your head from right to left or up and down and have the music respond to your location accordingly. It essentially creates your own personal concert hall. Spatial audio is at its best watching action scenes, as the gunfire and subsequent explosions gain an extra dimension of immersion. Previously called Headphone Connect, the renamed Sound Connect app retains all previous functionality while adding new features. While I love a kitchen sink approach to features, I have a feeling that many users won’t touch more than 50% of them. Speak-to-Chat, Spatial Audio, Ambient Sound Control, Adaptive Sound Control, and multipoint pairing are all present. Something new to the scene is Listening Mode, which lets you toggle between Standard, Background Music, and Cinematic modes. The first one is pretty straightforward: you listen to your music with whatever settings you’ve got enabled. Background Music lowers the volume so you can carry on a conversation. The audio is a bit diffused, but you can still bop without losing too much detail. Cinematic mode is the exact opposite and expands the soundstage. It’s not on a par with spatial audio, but it’s the mode I recommend using when you’re watching movies or TV. (If you’re concerned about protecting your hearing, the app has a Safe Listening feature that tracks your sound allowance as advised by the World Health Organization. It can also track how much ambient noise the cans have protected your ears from.) There’s also Scene-based Listening (SBL). This goes hand-in-hand with Adaptive Sound Control. Where the latter automatically adjusts noise cancellation based on your location, SBL will start playing music from your chosen player based on activity or location. You can set it to play at the start of your commute, while you’re taking a jog or working out at the gym and the app will learn your habits and adjust ANC levels accordingly. My only complaint is that some of the cooler features, like spatial audio and Find Your Equalizer, aren't front and center. Instead, they’re tucked away in smaller menus that aren’t easy to navigate. You really have to hunt for the setting you’re looking for. I already mentioned the XM6 has a set of 12 microphones on each side, half of which are beamforming devices designed to focus on picking up your voice. Combine that with the AI Reduction technology, and you’ve got crystal clear calls whether you’re connected to a smartphone or laptop. I was most impressed with how well the AI reduction worked. Whether I was in a busy coffee shop or walking down a construction-laden street, my callers reported little to no background noise. That doesn’t mean that they totally blocked out the jackhammer I walked by or the overhead train. The headphones muted them and all but killed any wind resistance, but certain noises don’t totally disappear. The XM6 has the same 30 hours of battery life (with noise cancellation on) as the XM5, with a quick charge that translates to three hours of power after being plugged in for three minutes. The battery shoots up to 40 hours if you disable the noise cancellation. Keeping the volume at about 50%, I’ve only had to charge the headphones twice over the course of a week. While I would have loved for Sony to give the XM6 even more battery life, that doesn’t mean the company didn’t give us some sort of improvement. Unlike previous headphones in the WH-1000 series, you can charge the XM6 while they’re in use. Instead of having to face a long commute from Brooklyn to the Bronx sans music or ANC, I just plugged them into my Anker battery pack and maintained my peace on the train. I’m going to do my damnedest to stop doubting Sony when it comes to outdoing itself. But it’s so hard when it seems like the company's ANC headphones can’t get any better. Because let’s be clear, the XM5 landed on many a best noise-cancellation headphones list. But the Sony WH-1000XM6 has taken just about everything I loved about its predecessor and given it a big update. Better driver? Check. New processor? Yep. Actually useful AI features? You betcha. The result is a refined and feature-packed pair of premium ANC headphones with best-in-class ANC and a comfortable, albeit safe design.

Sony WH-1000XM6 leak: QN3HD chip, AI microphone, and they're foldable again

Recent leaks revealed the full specs for Sony's upcoming WH-1000XM6 headphones, along with its pricing and a mid-May release date. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. TweakTown may also earn commissions from other affiliate partners at no extra cost to you. Leaks have surfaced, revealing the specifications and pricing for Sony's upcoming WH-1000XM6 headphones. The new model, as reported by Android Authority and Dealabs, contains a new noise-cancelling processor, an AI-powered microphone, and a $499.99 USD price tag. Credit: Sony Sony's current WH-1000XM5 model is recognized among the best when it comes to consumer ANC over-ears. However, the XM5 is widely considered a marginal improvement over the XM4's, delivering slightly better noise cancellation and voice quality than its predecessor, with a new style, form factor and price tag. Similarly, the leaks for the XM6 reveal what appear to be iterative improvements, with specs focusing on the upgraded QN3 HD noise-cancelling processor. This new chip is reportedly 'seven times faster' than the XM5's. The extent to which this translates to higher sound quality or better noise cancellation remains to be seen. The leaks also reveal an AI-based six-microphone system, aiming to maximize voice clarity in noisy environments. Along with a range of intelligent features like adaptive noise cancellation, and intelligent ambient mode. Battery-wise, the new headphones target up to 30 hours on a single charge, with 3-minute fast charging per hour of battery life. The XM6 also retains its 3.5mm jack, ensuring users have no issues connecting to a computer or gamepad without latency. Perhaps most notably, the XM6 marks a return to the foldable form factor, enabling users to enclose them in a (presumably) smaller carry case - while also providing a little more flexibility in daily use. Credit: Dealabs The leaked visual of the headphones depicts a similar design to the XM5 - cozy, circular earpads and contrasting thickness between the spine and the headband. If the XM4 and XM3 went for a more neutral look, the XM5 and XM6 are relatively expressive, opting for a more stylish, distinctive design. It's reported that the headphones will be priced at $449.99 in the US, and between €449.99-469.99 across Europe, with a release date between May 14 and May 16, 2025.

Sony's XM6 over-ears get an official release date - and they're right around the corner | Stuff

The XM6s are the follow-up to Sony's extremely popular XM5 headphones - and they're coming on 15 May with lots to be excited about Not to sound like a broken record, but the Sony WH-1000XM5 really are a stellar set of cans. They're some of, if not the best noise-canceling headphones money can buy. Now, the hotly anticipated XM6 headphones are set to arrive as a follow-up. Better yet, we've finally got an official release date - and the cans are right around the corner. After Dealabs shared a not-so-subtle leak involving Amazon Spain and a Reddit user with an eye for pulled product pages, Sony has come out and officially said what we've all been waiting for. The next pair of its ridiculously popular noise-cancelling headphones, the WH-1000XM6, will be unveiled on 15 May. The launch will take place at 5pm BST/12pm ET. It doesn't look like there's a live stream to follow along with, but expect the news to drop everywhere (including here at Stuff) at that time. Sony's WH-1000X line is basically the iPhone of headphones at this point. Every model gets lapped up by the masses, and with good reason. The XM5 was more evolution than revolution - slightly better noise cancelling, a design facelift, and just enough of a spec bump to make you feel like your XM4s were looking a bit tired. So expectations for the XM6s are pretty high. According to the leak, the XM6s pack a new QN3 HD processor - supposedly 7x faster than the QN1 chip in the XM5s. If it means genuinely better noise cancelling, we're in for something exciting this time. Plus, there's a new six-mic AI beamforming system for calls. It should mean you'll actually sound like a human being and not a muffled ghost on Zoom. There's also still a headphone jack present. No word yet on battery life improvements or other niceties, but Sony's track record suggests we'll see some polish. The WH-1000XM6 will launch officially on 15 May. Thanks to the leak, we can expect pricing to start at $450 in the US (a $50 bump), and €388 in Europe. Expect them to be available to buy immediately after the launch.