The Sony WH-1000XM6 boasts the best sounding ANC headphones Sony has ever released, and slightly improves upon its world-class noise-canceling performance.
While very lightweight, they do have a bit of a clamping force, but like the XM5, this will likely ease over time.
Sony WH-1000XM6 Review (2025)
Style
The Sony XM6 shares a very similar design to the Sony WH-1000XM5. Rather than a dramatic redesign of Sony’s flagship style, they represent a subtle evolution.
Specifically, the headband has become more square, and the hinge has a more robust rotation and folding mechanism without significantly altering the overall design.
The flat control surface is more circular than the previous stadium-style design. Additionally, the microphone grille matches the rest of the body, enhancing the visual integrity of the headphones.
These headphones retain the premium satin finish of their predecessors and are available in three colors: Black, Platinum Silver, and Midnight Blue.
Build Quality
The Sony WH-1000XM6 boasts excellent build quality, with slight improvements over its predecessor. The hinge combines metal and plastic to provide a sturdy folding and swivel function.
However, the rest of the headphone body, including the area surrounding the hinge, is mostly plastic, which can potentially be fragile during extended use. The earpads are conveniently removable and easy to replace if worn.
The included cable feels a bit thin, but the 90-degree connector makes it convenient for connecting to a mobile phone.
Additionally, these headphones lack an IP rating. While this is typical of over-ear headphones, caution is advised in humid environments.
Comfort
The Sony XM6 is lightweight and flexible, offering a comfortable fit. The weight and stability are functionally identical to the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless.
The headband has a flatter cross-section, effectively distributing weight over the top of the head, significantly reducing fatigue during extended listening sessions.
The earcups are made of softer, cushioned foam compared to the XM5, which improves initial comfort.
However, the shallower earcups can irritate when the drivers or microphone touch the ear through the mesh.
While comfortable for extended use, even with glasses, the durability of the earcups may be compromised.
If you’re looking for more comfortable headphones with deeper earcups, consider the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless.
Controls
These headphones offer excellent, intuitive, and responsive controls, supporting both touch and button controls.
The redesigned circular power button is designed to be more easily distinguished from the adjacent ambient noise isolation/noise cancellation buttons, an improvement over the nearly identical button layout of previous models.
You can also activate a unique binding feature for muting/unmuting the microphone during calls, and set voice commands to adjust headphone functions.
The headphones feature playback controls, volume up/down, and a unique chime sound when pressing the minimum/maximum volume, providing helpful audio feedback.
However, the touch surface may not always recognize inputs properly or may incorrectly register inputs.
Portability
The Sony WH-1000XM6 is somewhat less portable, which is typical of over-ear headphones.
Each earcup features a hinged, composite material that allows the headphones to fold down for a more compact footprint, making them about 1cm smaller than the Sony WH-1000XM5.
Noise Cancellation
The Sony WH-1000XM6 offers excellent full-range noise cancellation. The earcups reliably block high and mid-range frequencies.
The ANC (wireless noise cancellation) system also significantly reduces mid- and low-frequency noise.
Compared to its predecessor, the Sony WH-1000XM5, the XM6 excels in high and mid-range frequencies, effectively blocking out most noises, from a crying baby to the clatter of dental instruments.
You also have the option to adjust the transparency of the headphones to your liking.
You can adjust the ambient sound intensity from 1 to 20, or switch to Auto Ambient Sound with three sensitivity settings to automatically adjust.
You can also filter out external noise while allowing Voice Passthrough.
Connectivity
The Sony WH-1000XM6 can connect to wireless sources via Bluetooth 5.3 wireless connectivity via LDAC, AAC, SBC, and LC3.
While LC3 and LE connectivity are available, Auracast didn’t work in our lab, and wired USB-C audio was noticeably lacking.
Analog headphones can be connected to wired sources using the included 3.5mm TRRS cable.
This can be a bit of a hassle, considering that Apple, Beats, Sennheiser, and JBL have added USB audio to their flagship headphones.
For Android users, these headphones support Auracast broadcast reception. While traveling, you can enjoy a variety of features, such as listening to airport announcements in your preferred language or listening to announcements directly through your headphones at stadiums and other venues.
While this feature is still a bit under-recognized, it will greatly enhance the usability of these headphones as they become more widely available.
Battery
These headphones boast excellent battery life. With ANC turned on, they offer 31.75 hours of use, slightly exceeding the advertised 30 hours of continuous music playback.
However, battery life may vary depending on factors such as microphone usage, Bluetooth codec, and volume.
They also feature power-saving features, such as an auto-off timer and a pause function when the headphones are removed.
While the XM6 can be used passively using an analog cable, the frequency response will vary significantly.
Conclusion
While the Sony WH-1000XM6 are undeniably the best WH-1000XM series headphones to date, they’re unlikely to retain their title as the best ANC headphones for long.
The wireless market is rapidly changing, with a proliferation of new features designed to expand the capabilities of headphones, and in that respect, the Sony WH-1000XM6 will be more relevant in 2025 than in 2026 or later.