- Sony’s next Gen Wh-1000XM6 headphones are finally here
- They look well -known but bring back a folded design
- New processor and microphones for better noise cancellation
It has come for a long time, but Sony has just made its next generation of flagship WH-1000X6 headphones official. We have already published our full Sony WH-1000XM5 review if you want to get directly to an in-depth look at them or read on to learn the essentials.
The XM6 is very similar to the Sony WH-1000XM5, with a modern look and good size ear cups, but the company promises a jump in performance and has solved a major design problem we have with the previous model.
Sony’s shipping of these real ones soon and XM6 is ready to order right now at $ 449.99 / £ 399 / AU $ 699. It’s especially more expensive in the US than the Sony XM5 was at launch (which remains for sale and is now regularly under $ 300).
The higher American price matches Bose’s highest end, Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones, but still undermines the rival AirPods Max from Apple. Still, it’s a serious premium price compared to the best noise -canceling headphones in general.
Leading upgrades in terms of technology is a brand new processor inside the WH-1000XM6 headphones-Sony QN3-chip-as drives noise reduction, audio playback and a lot of other facets.
But let’s break down it and the other important changes, starting with a design change.
1. XM6 can become rather compact
Sony has corrected a rather vocal piece of feedback from the XM5 compared to the previous XM4: You can now again fold down in itself to get better portability as there are two hinges on the earcopes. This is something we look for from the best travel headphones, it was a real shame that the XM5 dropped them – but the XM6 fixes all that.
This design change also arrives with a wider top headband to help with comfort in extended listening times. Sony again promising 30 hours of battery life, so a more comfortable fit for the long sessions is always a wind. The headband and earcopes have plush memory foam paddles inside.
As I mentioned above, the earbuds are still overlook, which makes them fit pretty comfortably around the ears themselves. I tried pretty quickly and didn’t feel a huge pressure on the stems on my glasses behind my ears. Earkups have some touch checks and the ability to hold your hand over the cup to turn on through review mode in a Jiffy – a great feature of Sony’s last pair of headphones.
You also have a physical button for Bluetooth pairing and power, a USB-C cable for recharge and a sound plug. Sony ships cables for both in the box.
Finally, in terms of design, Sony’s WH-1000XM6 is launched in three colors: black, silver and blue. The included carrying bag is a bit slimmer, which should make it easier to store a bag. I like that it ditches a zipper for a magnetic lock instead, although it is as long as it holds together even when thrown around in a bag.
2. Sony promises the best noise cancellation with a key upgrade
While the XM5 over the XM4 did not provide a generational jump for active noise cancellation, Sony promises that the XM6 will offer the best of the best and there is a hardware jump. Drive XM6 is the Sony-Made QN3 processor, which is seven times faster than QN1 operating the WH-1000XM5.
What, of course, is noise reduction technology with just a chip and no microphones? Sony also steps up the spec-WH-1000XM6 boasts 12 microphones, four more than the WH-1000XM5. This should all be for the stars’ noise cancellation performance and deliver a review state that allows you to hear the world around you.
Sony’s also upgraded the adaptive noise cancellation optimization to work across multiple frequencies, which should further reduce noise. This way you can turn on the ANC on the WH-1000XM6, play your favorite tunes and not be distracted by the world around you.
The 30-hour estimate of battery life is with active noise cancellation or review mode involved; However, this spec jumps to 40 hours with both modes turned off. There is also still a quick-fees-circa three-hour playback from three-minute charging and with the XM6 you can still listen while charging headphones, which is a practical upgrade.
3 .. Better audio and call quality
Rounding the WH-1000XM6 upgrades are new drivers units in the left and right ear cups. Of course, these produce the sound of your listening pleasure and have a more stiff dome for the purpose of producing better high -frequency sound. It should be translated into clearer vocals and the ability to choose more fine details when you listen.
The XM5 was no slouch for playback, but with the same 30mm size of the driver, this is more like refinement than a drastic upgrade. In a short demo, I also noticed sharp, clear playback with an improvement of the base.
Sony also adds upscaling standard stereo sounds to music or other sources – ie. Movies, videos or TV shows – for spatial sound for a more immersive listening experience.
Last but not least, Sony also improved the voting pickup to take calls, dictate messages or talk to a virtual assistant. Six jet -forming microphones are now catching your voice better, and they are paired with a new AI noise reduction model for 2025, which was trained in over 500 million voting samples, according to Sony.
With promised upgrades for noise cancellation and audio playback, a headheld design that really collapses less for light portability and still lots of battery life, there is much to suffer from Sony’s WH-1000M6.
Are you curious how well they are doing? Well, go and check out our full review-the short version is that they are very, very good, but have surpassed in a few areas of competitors … but as allrounds they are incredibly strong.
Sony WH-1000XM6 is now available in these three shades for $ 449 / £ 399 / AU $ 699.
