The crown is safe once again. Sony has managed to overhaul its flagship headphones in all the right ways that keep the 1000X line atop our best headphones list.
That's the Sony WH-1000XM6 in a nutshell. After Sony bought Audeze and equipped its $150 PlayStation Pulse Elite gaming headset with planar magnetic drivers, I was hoping it would figure out a way to incorporate that high-end driver technology into this headphone. That didn't happen, but the XM6 is certainly an improvement overall -- about 20% to 25% by my rough estimate.
The new Sony WH-1000XM6 prove that seemingly small and incremental changes between two generations of products can be impactful, useful, and largely felt. The XM6 are ideal for people who value noise cancellation and sound over style or headphones that make a visual statement.
Sony’s got strong wearing detection, which means your favorite songs and podcasts will pause when you remove the headphones. But for someone like me who is downright spoiled by the Apple ecosystem integrations, I’m slightly annoyed that simply removing the XM6 doesn’t disconnect them from my phone. For example, when I stood up from my desk to take a break and put my the XM6 down, the latest episode of “The Besties” video game review podcast paused, which is great. But when I hit “play” in my podcatcher, the audio resumed on the headphones and not my phone’s speaker as I’d wanted it to.
The Sony WH-1000XM6 is every bit a worthy successor to Sony's other ANC headphones as you'd hope. They sound very good, have excellent ANC, and are equipped to handle demanding users. However, the lack of cutting-edge connection options might be an issue as the years go by.
Although they’re not the radical upgrade I was hoping for, the Sony WH-1000XM6 make some minor improvements to Sony’s flagship noise-cancelling headphones. They lack a wide soundstage, but they deliver crystal-clear vocals for close to 30 hours without fail.
The WH-1000XM6 are Sony's latest flagship over-ear headphones. Compared to older models, they deliver an improved design and upgraded noise cancellation, making them some of the most impressive wireless headphones we've tested.
Sony’s 1000XM6 headphones don’t come with another head-turning visual makeover, but they wisely bring back a folding design while improving comfort, noise cancellation, sound fidelity, and small touches like the physical controls. Their higher-than-ever price might push Sony loyalists to explore what else is out there, and 1000XM5 owners shouldn’t feel any rush to spend the $450. But if your older Sony earbuds are on their last legs, these could be worth saving up for.
The Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones improve almost everything about the XM5, bringing back the foldability and coming with a smaller case. But with the price increasing to $449, they might not be worth the upgrade if you already own the XM5.
With unbeatable noise-cancelling, a more exciting audio profile than the XM5s and some welcome design tweaks, the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones just about earn their (increasingly more common) £400 price tag.
Sony’s wireless headphones deliver a performance more than befitting a flagship pair of wireless headphones. Comfort levels are great, they’re nice to use, ANC is excellent, call quality is class-leading, and sound quality can match anything at this level. Simply sensational.
May 15, 2025 | Full Review…
The crown is safe once again. Sony has managed to overhaul its flagship headphones in all the right ways that keep the 1000X line atop our best headphones list.
Billy Steele
May 15, 2025 | Full Review…
Sony's WH-1000XM6 outdoes its predecessor in just about every category, making them the headphones to beat this year, noise cancelling or otherwise.
Sherri L. Smith
May 15, 2025 | Full Review…
That's the Sony WH-1000XM6 in a nutshell. After Sony bought Audeze and equipped its $150 PlayStation Pulse Elite gaming headset with planar magnetic drivers, I was hoping it would figure out a way to incorporate that high-end driver technology into this headphone. That didn't happen, but the XM6 is certainly an improvement overall -- about 20% to 25% by my rough estimate.
David Carnoy
May 17, 2025 | Full Review…
The new Sony WH-1000XM6 prove that seemingly small and incremental changes between two generations of products can be impactful, useful, and largely felt. The XM6 are ideal for people who value noise cancellation and sound over style or headphones that make a visual statement.
Jada Jones
May 15, 2025 | Full Review…
Sony's high-end WH-1000XM6 headphones feature foldable earcups, new driver tuning, and noise cancellation that rivals the best from Bose.
Christian De Looper
May 15, 2025 | Full Review…
Sony’s got strong wearing detection, which means your favorite songs and podcasts will pause when you remove the headphones. But for someone like me who is downright spoiled by the Apple ecosystem integrations, I’m slightly annoyed that simply removing the XM6 doesn’t disconnect them from my phone. For example, when I stood up from my desk to take a break and put my the XM6 down, the latest episode of “The Besties” video game review podcast paused, which is great. But when I hit “play” in my podcatcher, the audio resumed on the headphones and not my phone’s speaker as I’d wanted it to.
Henry T. Casey
May 15, 2025 | Full Review…
Excellent noise canceling. Very enjoyable listening experience. Thirty-hour battery life. Great touch controls, easy-to-use physical buttons. App-based customization. Multipoint pairing. Replaceable earpads.
Parker Hall
May 17, 2025 | Full Review…
The Sony WH-1000XM6 is every bit a worthy successor to Sony's other ANC headphones as you'd hope. They sound very good, have excellent ANC, and are equipped to handle demanding users. However, the lack of cutting-edge connection options might be an issue as the years go by.
Christian Thomas
May 15, 2025 | Full Review…
Although they’re not the radical upgrade I was hoping for, the Sony WH-1000XM6 make some minor improvements to Sony’s flagship noise-cancelling headphones. They lack a wide soundstage, but they deliver crystal-clear vocals for close to 30 hours without fail.
Nick Pino
May 15, 2025 | Full Review…
The WH-1000XM6 are Sony's latest flagship over-ear headphones. Compared to older models, they deliver an improved design and upgraded noise cancellation, making them some of the most impressive wireless headphones we've tested.
Tyler Hayes
May 15, 2025 | Full Review…
Sony’s 1000XM6 headphones don’t come with another head-turning visual makeover, but they wisely bring back a folding design while improving comfort, noise cancellation, sound fidelity, and small touches like the physical controls. Their higher-than-ever price might push Sony loyalists to explore what else is out there, and 1000XM5 owners shouldn’t feel any rush to spend the $450. But if your older Sony earbuds are on their last legs, these could be worth saving up for.
Chris Welch
May 16, 2025 | Full Review…
The Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones improve almost everything about the XM5, bringing back the foldability and coming with a smaller case. But with the price increasing to $449, they might not be worth the upgrade if you already own the XM5.
Daniel Oropeza
May 15, 2025 | Full Review…
With unbeatable noise-cancelling, a more exciting audio profile than the XM5s and some welcome design tweaks, the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones just about earn their (increasingly more common) £400 price tag.
Mark Ellis
May 15, 2025 | Full Review…
Sony’s wireless headphones deliver a performance more than befitting a flagship pair of wireless headphones. Comfort levels are great, they’re nice to use, ANC is excellent, call quality is class-leading, and sound quality can match anything at this level. Simply sensational.
Andy Madden