Sony WH-1000XM6 Headphones Review: the Brand’s Best Noise Cancellation yet

Sony’s 1000X series consistently ranks among the best headphones you can buy. The first-generation model launched back in 2016, and the brand’s latest flagship pair, the WH-1000XM6 (XM6), was released in May of 2025.

Compared to older models, the XM6 over-ear headphones deliver subtle enhancements to audio quality and a welcome design update. They sound great and feel much sturdier than the previous XM5. The highlight of the XM6, however, is the headphones’ notable bump in active noise canceling (ANC) performance. They go toe-to-toe with top competitors from Bose and Apple.

On the downside, the XM6 headphones come at a steep price, with an MSRP of $460. That’s $60 more than the XM5 cost when they debuted. Though I don’t love the higher price point, it’s in line with direct rivals from other brands.

After various tests, I’ve been thoroughly impressed by the XM6. They’re better than the XM5 in every way. That said, the WH-1000XM5 are still available and often sold at a nice discount. Given their lower cost, the older model has an edge in overall value. But if the price bump doesn’t deter you, the WH-1000XM6 are a tempting treat for enthusiasts.

Small tweaks in design and comfort make a big difference

Right out of the box, I was struck by the XM6 headphones’ sturdiness. Comparatively, they make the XM5 feel flimsy. The hinges on the new model don’t bend or flop around in the same way. That’s a meaningful change because there had been user complaints about the XM5’s long-term durability, primarily regarding the hinges and how the ear cups connect to the headband. Though time will tell just how well these hold up, the XM6 feel sturdy for a plastic product.

The XM6’s top headband doesn’t look dramatically different than the XM5’s, but you can sense its increased width on your head. It feels great and seems to disappear more than the XM5’s band. While I didn’t mind the previous model, the XM6’s headband is better.

Not only is the XM6’s band wider, improving comfort, but it also tapers off at the sides, serving as a visual indicator of which direction to put them on. The exterior of the ear cups is also angled to complement the directional cues. And unlike the XM5’s ear cups, the XM6’s cups can fold for more compact storage.

The padding on the ear cups is squishy and comfortable. I didn’t particularly notice the ear cups getting sweaty, but they can get warm. If you’ve had other WH-1000X headphones, you’ll probably find this area familiar.

The power button on the left cup has changed from identical to the ANC button to an indented circle. Having two distinct button shapes makes it infinitely easier to find the desired function.

At 254 grams, the XM6 headphones weigh a bit more than the XM5. Thankfully, it’s not enough to make the new ones feel heavy. Here are the weights of similar headphones for comparison.

Sony WH-1000XM5: 250 gramsSony 1000X The Collexion: 320 gramsBose QC Ultra Headphones Gen 2: 264 gramsSonos Ace: 312 gramsApple AirPods Max 2: 386 grams

Sound quality is excellent

If you’re spending $200 or more on a pair of headphones, it’s fair to expect high-end audio quality. The WH-1000XM6 easily deliver on that expectation.

With the default EQ, the headphones’ bass is thick and full, capable of punching hard on tracks with a pounding rhythm. “Chihiro” by Billie Eilish and “Echo” by The Marias are good examples. On the flip side, Childish Gambino’s “Summertime Magic” is an example of the deep, cavernous bass that the headphones can also reproduce.

The midrange is crisp and clear, too. Vocals are present and on point. Haim’s “Down to be Wrong” showcases this aspect with detailed sound and a big chorus featuring clear acoustic guitar strumming. Really, no matter what you listen to, the XM6 sound fantastic.

However, the big question is how they compare to the previous-gen XM5 headphones. Sony says it specifically worked with mixing engineers to improve audio quality while designing the new model. And to their credit, the XM6 do offer a touch more clarity, but the improvements are subtle.

Even when I was actively switching back and forth with lossless audio content, I found it hard to pick out specific, meaningful differences between them. The XM5 already sounded stellar, so that’s not a bad thing, but there’s little reason to upgrade from the XM5 to the XM6 if audio quality is your main focus.

The XM6 headphones support Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless streaming, and LE Audio is available with a compatible device. The LDAC, SBC, AAC, and LC3 codecs are all supported. Multipoint Bluetooth allows connecting to more than one device at a time. The headphones also come with a 3.5mm cable for wired listening.

Like many Sony headphones, the XM6 support Hi-Res Audio playback, and they feature spatial audio upmixing using Sony’s 360 Reality tech. That latter function creates a simulated surround sound effect. I’m not a fan of this mode as I prefer the quality of regular stereo playback, but it’s there if you want it.

Stellar ANC performance rivals top competitors

Plenty of headphones sound good, but only a few can do a truly great job of blocking out external noise. The ability to do so is a hallmark of premium wireless headphones and one of the reasons to consider spending top dollar. The WH-1000XM6 are among the best in this regard. Their high-end ANC performance offers instant relief from the world’s distractions.

To achieve such impressive noise canceling, the XM6 rely on a new QN3 processor. Sony says it’s seven times as fast as the hardware used in the XM5 and earlier models. This increased power allowed Sony to add four more microphones (12 in total) to the headphones, along with more adaptive ANC that continually monitors and adjusts the frequencies it blocks.

The results are fantastic. To be clear, ANC performance was already good on Sony’s previous WH-1000XM5. But comparing the XM5 and XM6 immediately makes it obvious that the new headphones are significantly improved.

I also compared the XM6 against the Sonos Ace, AirPods Max 2, and Bose QuietComfort Ultra (initially the first-gen model, then the second-gen once it launched). Bose is the reigning champ in Insider Reviews’ guide to the best noise-canceling headphones.

The QC Ultra, Ace, AirPods Max 2, and XM6 all performed competitively. My testing process includes using airplane cabin noise, a running vacuum cleaner, café bustle, and street sounds. Though certain models performed better in certain situations, the Bose QC Ultra still edged out the XM6 ever so slightly in blocking the most noise in most circumstances. However, it’s close enough to be arguable.

The XM6 did the best at blocking out the noise of a busy café with chatter and clanging silverware. However, the QuietComfort Ultra and AirPods Max 2 were unmatched at silencing the hum of an airplane cabin. In each of these cases, I relied on raw ANC performance rather than the combination of noise canceling and music playing.

However, despite the Bose offering slightly better performance in certain situations, the WH-1000XM6 did an excellent job of silencing distracting sounds wherever I tested them. On the flip side, the headphones’ aware mode, which uses the integrated microphones to let in outside sound, made it easy to hear people speak when I needed to talk to them.

Beyond ANC and aware modes, the built-in microphones are also used for voice calls. The XM6 use six microphones for calls, two more than the XM5. The company also uses new AI beamforming tech to improve call quality. In practice, the XM6 perform admirably for voice, especially in comparison to other earbuds and headphones I’ve tested.

I even recorded audio clips to hear the results for myself. I thought my voice sounded natural in normal, quiet settings. The headphones also silenced background noise and focused on my voice well in less controlled environments. So you can feel free to use these for calls in public if that’s your style.

Battery life is solid, and the included case is fantastic

Though I love a lot of the tweaks Sony made to the headphones themselves, my favorite design upgrade is actually on the included case.

It’s smaller than past ones and trades the zipper for a magnetic latch. This works great. It never got hung up as a zipper can, and it securely latched closed. A case is just a case, and probably not a huge selling point for most people. But it’s a big part of use while traveling and can impact how you feel about the product in the long run.

The case also includes a handy compartment to store the headphones’ USB-C charging cable. Sony says that battery life is rated for 30 hours with ANC and 40 hours without it — the same as the previous generation. So far, that matches my experience as the two models have drained at a similar rate.

Will there be a new Sony WH-1000XM7 model?

Sony hasn’t officially announced a successor to the WH-1000XM6 headphones, but a new WH-1000XM7 model is likely to be released in 2027 or 2028. Recent XM Series models have been spaced out by around two to three years. Since the XM6 launched in spring 2025, a spring 2027 release of the XM7 is possible.

Though the XM6 have carried over as Sony’s flagship headphones for 2026, the company did release two other models in the XM series this year: the 1000X Collexion Headphones and the WH-1000XM4C Headphones.

The $650 Collexion headphones are geared toward luxury shoppers, and they feature higher-end materials than those used on the XM6, as well as more advanced sound tuning. However, they don’t offer any ANC improvements and have shorter battery life. Meanwhile, the $300 XM4C are a revised version of Sony’s fourth-generation XM Series headphones aimed at midrange shoppers looking for a more affordable entry into the series.

Should you buy the Sony WH-1000XM6?

In case there’s any doubt, the WH-1000XM6 headphones are a ringing success and among the best Sony headphones available. If you want headphones with high-end ANC, fantastic sound, and stellar call quality for under $500, these should be among your top considerations.

Like their predecessor, the XM6 shine as versatile headphones that excel across the board. That said, certain rivals are better in specific ways. For instance, the Bose QC Ultra 2nd Gen still deliver the best overall ANC I’ve tested when factoring in all the environments I sampled. But few headphones can combine such impressive performance in so many different areas.

Ultimately, the XM6’s biggest drawback is their $460 price. However, since their launch in 2025, the XM6 have received solid deals, with typical discounts bringing certain colorways down to $398, which is a much more attractive price point.