Sony WH-1000XM6 review: The best wireless headphones just got better

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Sony WH-1000XM6 review: The best wireless headphones just got better

By Tom NewmanJuly 7, 202517 mins read

We’ve put Sony’s flagship headphones to the test to see how they stack up against previous models and the competition.

Sony’s 1000XM-series are generally regarded as one of the best pairs of wireless over-ear headphones for their stellar sound quality, active noise cancellation and build quality. Launched in May, the latest addition to the lineup, the WH-1000XM6 bring improvements to the drivers, ANC capabilities and design. Through out the testing I will be comparing these to my daily drivers, the Sony WH-1000XM4.

Unboxing

The Sony WH-1000XM6 come nicely packaged in a ‘blended material’ box. Under the paper wrapping is the embossed text “1000X SERIES”. The top half pulls up to reveal the manual and headphone case. Inside the case are the headphones, a 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable and a short USB-A to USB-C. I’m glad USB-C is the norm in the world today, but this is my petition to tech companies to include USB-C to USB-C charging cables as standard for all devices.

Design

The Sony WH-1000XM6 come in Black, Midnight Blue and Platinum Silver, with a matching case color. Our model is Black.

The headphone case itself is new. While it is a little bulkier than my WH-1000XM4 case pictured on the left, the XM6’s reintroduction of a folding design means the case is significantly more compact than the XM5s. The case for the XM6 also introduces a new magnetic clasp in place of the zip, for easy one handed opening. On hearing about this change I was a little concerned about the strength of the clasp, however the headphones are far more secure than I initially thought. I’d be happy clipping this case to the outside of my backpack as I do with the XM4s.

Before even turning on the headphones, the premium quality can be felt in the build. The main construction is a soft, matte, fingerprint-resistant plastic, while the padded headband and ear cushions are coated in a vegan leather. The headband has stepless adjustability, with plenty of expansion for my large head. The headband is now asymmetrical to easily tell which way round to wear them. Thanks to the new metal folding hinge, the ear cups can rotate inwards for compact storage, or lay flat on a table or chest. Perhaps the result of being newer than my +4-year-old XM4s, the XM6 clamp down a little more firmly on my head, for a nice and stable fit, without providing any discomfort over long periods. There is a sensor on the inside of the left earcup to automatically play and pause the music as the headphones are placed and removed from your head, however the sensor is now hidden. The headphones weigh 254g, which is comparible to previous generations.

Setup

Pairing the headphones to devices was easy. Simply hold the on button and the headphones automatically enter pairing mode for the first time. They showed up right away in settings on my phone and connected immediately. While not required for using the headphones, I opened the app which recognised the headphones right away and turned on pairing mode once again to make use of multipoint and pair the headphones to my laptop too. Multipoint works well, automatically switching based on the device currently playing content.

Sound quality

Unsurprisingly, the Sony WH-1000XM6 sound fantastic. When comparing side-by-side with my WH-1000XM4s there is a slight difference, with the XM6s sounding fuller. The difference however is minimal against a still great sounding XM4s. They get loud without any distortion. The headphones can be used wired or wirelessly using the 3.5mm audio jack. Whether wired or wireless, the headphone sound 10 out of 10. Unfortunately the USB-C port is for charging only and does not support audio.

Noise cancelling

Active noise cancelling is excellent on the WH-1000XM6 headphones. They do a perfect job of cancelling almost all office noise without even playing music to further cover up. Ambient mode sounds realistic and can be turned on using the button or temporarily by placing your palm over the right earcup. In the app there are 20 levels to adjust the amount of ambient noise to let in, or switch to automatic to adjust based on the level of ambient sound. There is a ‘Speak-to-Chat’ feature which I personally turn off to ensure no accidental triggers. Another feature available in the app labeled ‘Capture voice during a phone call’ will pass through some of your own voice to your headphones to help calls sound more natural.

Controls

There are two physical button of the left cup of the WH-1000XM6 headphones. A round power button and straight line NC/AMB button, different in shape to help distinguish by feeling. Holding the power button turns on or off the headphones, while a quick press gives you the battery percentage. The NC/AMB button switches between noise cancelling, ambient and NC off. With double or triple presses, this button can be configured to toggle the microphone on/off or start Quick Access. There are voice prompts and notification noises to let you know what mode the headphones are in or the battery level. The volume and language of these prompts can be adjusted in the app.

The right earcup has touch controls. A tap, double tap, triple tap, hold or swipe will play/pause, answer/end calls, reject calls, skip forward, skip back, volume up, volume down, or summon the voice assistant. As mentioned earlier, when removed, the headphones automatically pause music and turn off noise cancelling. There are also head gestures available, where a nod or shake can accept or reject calls.

Battery life

The WH-1000XM6 last for up to 30 hours of playback with noise cancelling turned on. Switch ANC off and get up to 40 hours of playback. This is the same as the XM5s. When dead, a quick three minute charge will provide three hours of listening. This latest generation finally adds the ability to use the headphones while charging them, however you’ll want to use a longer cable than the one provided.

App

Again, while not required to use the headphones, Sony’s Sound Connect app provides a bunch of additional features to control, update and customize the headphones to your preference.

There are ‘Listening modes’, including standard, background music and cinema. These are bad. They essentially just dial up the reverb to give the impression of listening in a large room, such as a bedroom, living room, cafe or cinema. Fortunately it’s easy to listen on standard and forget the other modes exist.

There are six ‘Equalizer’ presets or you can customize to your heart’s content. ‘Find Your Equalizer’ presents you with five different unlabeled presets, followed by another five based on your previous choice to give you your blind favorite. Personally I found the sound provided by the default setting, with no preset to be perfectly well-rounded.

There is also ‘Adaptive Sound Control’ and ‘Scene-based Listening’, which adjust the noise cancellation setting based on your location and activity. I tend to use noise cancelling all of the time, so turned this feature off.

Underneath ‘Adaptive Sound Control’ you can manage connected devices to easily setup multipoint, ‘Speak-to-Chat’, and choose whether to prioritze sound quality or a stable connection.

For further adjustment, head to ‘Device settings’. Here you can switch on DSEE Extreme, as well as setup ‘Spatial Sound’ and ‘360 Reality Audio’ for use within the 360 Reality Audio Live, Artist Connection and nugs apps. Under ‘System’, you’ll find customization of the buttons and more settings. In ‘Services’, you can setup Amazon Music Play Now, Endel Quick Access, Ingress Prime and Spotify Tap.